MARK 1
John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were flocking to him, and he baptized them in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. Luke 1: 4-5
The Jews, in Jesus’ time weren’t much different than many religious people today. They were seeking righteousness. Enter: John the baptizer. He was freaky, eating locusts and wild honey. He wore crazy clothes. As prophets go, John was a rock star. He drew a crowd and many came to gaze upon his charisma.
A thing to know about Jewish culture is there is no such word, “baptism.” The Hebrew word is “mikvah.” A mikvah is a ritual bath or immersion. Unlike Christian baptism, which is generally once-in-a-lifetime, Jewish mikvah was performed every time a person entered the temple, performed a pious duty, or made a significant decision in their life. Public immersion was for testimony and accountability.
Did John teach forgiveness by immersion? No. The mikvah was a public symbol of an inward change, a desire to repent. John was telling his generation they had themselves to blame for the root of their spiritual problems. He was preparing attitudes to be receptive to the ministry of Jesus.
The self-righteousness got wet and made a public display of piety. The humble were being readied to follow Messiah.
Jesus’ earthly ministry basically comprised of performing signs fulfilling prophecy and identify Him as Messiah, being crucified for the sin of the world, and making His resurrection known. Humble, believing hearts made Messiah’s path straight. The bible states that unbelief was the only thing to hindered Jesus’ ministry.
These days, we make Jesus’ path straight when we humble ourselves in repentance, believing by faith He is Messiah. He has promised to baptize us with something better than water. He immerses us in His Holy Spirit.