Who wants to be baptized and why they want us to do it are two important factors determining the spiritual significance of water baptism? Because Jesus commanded his apostles or disciples to baptize his followers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), and they carried out his instructions. The act of water baptism carries a great deal of spiritual weight. Because Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist, water baptism carries an additional spiritual significance. The purpose of Jesus’ immersion in water was not the same as the purpose of yours or the purpose of His disciples’ immersion in water. Jesus was baptized in the river as a public demonstration that he had received the Holy Spirit before beginning his mission to establish his Father’s kingdom on earth.
