Baptism & Dedication

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John… And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’”

Question: What occurred at Jesus’s baptism?

✓ The Spirit descended like a dove, and a voice spoke from heaven saying, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus set the example for every believer to follow in baptism.

“And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Question: After Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, who received baptism?

✓ Everyone who believed what Peter said was baptized — about three thousand in a single day. Faith comes first, then baptism follows as an act of obedience.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’”

Question: Why are we baptized?

✓ We are baptized in obedience to Jesus’s direct command. It is part of making disciples of all nations — not an optional add-on, but a step of faithful obedience.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) “…having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12)

Question: Does water baptism alone provide salvation?

✓ No. Salvation comes through faith and confession in Jesus Christ alone. Baptism shows the people around us what has already changed in our hearts — it is a public testimony, not the means of salvation.

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water…” (Matthew 3:16) “And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’… And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:36–38)

Question: How was baptism practiced in the Bible?

✓ The Bible gives clear examples of Jesus and other believers being baptized by going down into and coming up out of the water — full immersion. This pictures burial and resurrection with Christ (Romans 6:4).