Jesus Christ's Baptism

Baptism is one of the initial acts that a new Christian must experience. This fundamental doctrine gives the right frame of mind for continuing in God's way.

As we saw in Part One, the apostle John was the only gospel writer to record John the Baptist's threefold testimony—of the water (covered in the last essay), the blood, and the Spirit. ...

Baptism symbolizes a burial and resurrection, or the crucifixion of the carnal self. After a person realizes his ways have been wrong, he should counsel for baptism.

John Ritenbaugh focuses on Luke's message of Christ the man, the son of man, the high priest of man, and the savior of man, having all the feelings, fears, anxieties, compassions, and aspirations of man. In this account, Luke emphasizes the universality of. . .

After warning against literary junk food, John Ritenbaugh focuses upon the dominant emphasis of Matthew, an ex-government official, who concentrated upon the kingly qualities of Jesus as a descendant of the royal house of David, representing the Lion of Ju. . .

Years ago, I had a discussion with a man whom I had known for quite some time, so we generally knew where the other stood on various religious topics. ...

Mike Ford, focusing on the work of John the Baptist introducing his cousin Jesus, identifying the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, points out Christ's proclivity to sacrifice Himself and restrain Himself as our Savior. We need to emulate t. . .

John Ritenbaugh reiterates that Jesus was placed on trial not for what He did, but for what He claimed about Himself. John has provided at least eight separate forms of witness, establishing the veracity of Jesus Christ's identity as God in the flesh. Fulf. . .

Israel experienced a type of baptism in passing through the Red Sea on the last day of Unleavened Bread. Baptism symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection.

After Noah and his family left the ark, God set the rainbow in the sky as a sign of His covenant with all living creatures not to flood the world again. Ever since, John Ritenbaugh explains, God has been providing additional signs, particularly those that . . .

John Ritenbaugh reiterates that Jesus was baptized, not because He had committed any sin, but in order to fulfill God's Commandments of righteousness. Baptism is used symbolically to represent one's total commitment. Perhaps if people knew what was require. . .

Jesus' born-again teaching has been prone to misunderstanding since Nicodemus first heard it from Christ's own lips almost two thousand years ago. John Ritenbaugh shows that we must understand His instruction entirely from a spiritual perspective. Interpre. . .

Jesus declares that none was greater than His cousin, John, known as 'the Baptist.' Jesus clearly says that John fulfilled the prophesied role of Elijah to come.

Although by no means a wild man, John the Baptist experienced alienation from people, especially the entrenched religious and political leaders.

John Ritenbaugh, continuing his exposition on the source of the Church's characteristics, reiterates that Jesus Christ is the architect, suggesting that the created institution or body must take on the characteristics of the builder, following assiduously . . .

The spirit of the law does not do away with the letter of the law; without the letter, there is no spirit because there is no foundation. Examples show God's will.

In this sermon, John Ritenbaugh expounds the symbolism of the blood as a witness in I John 5:6. Blood atonement, referenced 427 times in the Bible, dramatically magnifies the seriousness God places on the consequences of sin. Only blood can atone for sin (. . .

Clyde Finklea, asking us what identifies a person as a true disciple of Christ, points to the command in John 13:34, commanding that the disciples love one another as Christ loved us—loving to the extent that He would give up His life. God is compose. . .