Why is baptism so important?

That was my question as a new believer in Christ. Like many who were raised in a religious home, I didn’t find a need or desire in my life for baptism. I would often rely on my religious actions before salvation to claim that there was no real need for another religious action such as baptism. In this time I had many work to convince me with common arguments regarding baptism. However, they never motivated me to get baptized. Looking back on that time and knowing my heart, I can see that the issue was a heart issue. I did not understand how important baptism is because I did not understand how important Christ was to my life.

Mark alludes to this in Mark 1:9–11.

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

These passages begin by describing a set of ordinary things where a very divine encounter occurs.

• The Ordinary
  • those days – The days of John the Baptist’ ministry
  • in the Jordan – The Jordan river is not a special river
• The Divine
  • A Divine Intervention – the heavens being torn open – The Lord opens the heaven to introduce a new advent and covenant of Christ.
  • A Divine Appointment – the Spirit descending on him like a dove – The Lord aligns all members of the Trinity in one place for a divine display of His glory.
  • A Divine Proclamation – a voice came from heaven – The Lord proclaims a divine announcement for His presence on Earth.
  • A Divine Purpose – You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased – The Lord declares his divine purpose of sending His beloved Son to die for the sins of man.

As we see this intermingling of the ordinary of this world with the divine of the heavens, we can see that both come together at the baptism of Jesus Christ.

Isn’t it interesting how God chose this moment to reveal himself to the world through miraculous measures at the time baptism.

I believe that this show us that the Lord values baptism immensely.

Therefore, when we do not hold the same reverential respect and awe for baptism in our own lives we are stating that what God values is not what we value.

This my friends is disobedience against God and His values.

Friends, let us hold God and His values as our values. That is what it means to be a follower of Jesus.