Why Do We Baptise? |
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| Baptism goes back to the time of Jesus. Jesus had a cousin called John. John baptised people, and so he was known as John the Baptist. | |
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John was a preacher. He told people about God. He spoke to the crowds, and told them that they should live the good lives that God wanted for them. He told the people that they were 'sinners', because they had done bad things in their lives. John warned them that God will judge all people for what they do in their life. He said God wanted them to stop, and turn away from their bad ways. He told them to seek God's forgiveness for the things they had done wrong. |
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The people listening were moved by what John was saying. They wanted to put things right with God straight away. This is where baptism started. By being immersed (or dunked!) in the water of the River Jordan, people showed their willingness to be washed from their bad ways, and to try to live God's way from then on. John believed that he was preparing people for God's promised Messiah. One day, Jesus went to John
and asked to be baptised. John knew Jesus had never done anything wrong,
and said, 'I am the one who needs to be baptised by you!' As Jesus was being baptised, John heard God's voice say, 'This is my beloved Son' and saw 'the Spirit of God descending like a dove' on Jesus. Now he knew that Jesus was God's Messiah. Christians are baptised today to follow Jesus' example, and to show that they believe and obey him. |
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Go back to 'Do What - Baptism' |