Where Was Jesus Baptized? A Bible Study

Where was Jesus baptized? Does it matter where as much as He was and why did He get baptized since He was sinless?

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

The question that many had and still have today about Jesus’ baptism was the same question that John the Baptist asked; why? Why would a sinless Savior, the Lamb of God, need to be baptized? He was perfect in every way. Believers are commanded to repent and be baptized but Jesus never had the need to repent for He never sinned so why was it necessary for Jesus to be baptized? At the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry “Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.  John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”  But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented” (Matt 3:13-15) so John the Baptist didn’t understand it either but Immediately afterwards “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” (Matt 3:16b-17). Jesus was baptized to fulfill every single righteous requirement in living a holy, perfect, and blameless life and His baptism, like many of the other things He did, were left as an example for us to follow.

Where was Jesus Baptized?

The answer to this is easy to find as we read in Matthew 3:13 “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.” Since the Bible clearly records the necessity of two or more witnesses that something is considered to be true or factual (Duet 19:15; 2 Cor 13:1), Mark also writes “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan” (Mark 1:9). The Jordan River has special significance to the people of Israel. It marked the border of the Promised Land at the time of Moses and Joshua and the Israelites had to cross over the Jordan River to enter into the land that God had given them. The name Jordan is from the Hebrew word “Yarden” and means “to descend” or “to flow down” and even “down flowing” which is what the river does. Some see the name as indicative of judgment but that doesn’t seem to fit the meaning of the Hebrew word for the river’s name.  I find it interesting that it was “the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him” in the Jordan River.

The Jordan River is critical for the nation of Israel as well as modern day Jordan but this river had great significance in Israel’s history as it was also the site of several miracles like when Joshua crossed over with the nation Israel (Joshua 3:15-17) and God’s healing of Naaman from his leprosy (2 Kings 5:14; 6:6). The Jordan River was the primary place of John the Baptist’s many baptisms but it wasn’t just baptizing them as a ritual; John’s baptism included the necessity of repentance which is exactly the first thing that Jesus spoke of when He started His ministry saying “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Where is the Actual Baptism Site of Jesus?

Again, does it really matter where Jesus was baptized more than the fact that He was? What is the significance about a place over the significance of the Person of Christ? I believe we get too hung up on specific places over specific events. The events far outweigh the location of something doesn’t it? The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas has a lot of visitors because of the famous battle that was fought there but this former mission location would mean nothing unless such a famous war had not been fought there. If there was no engagement with Mexico there, there would have been no major significance to the Alamo at all. The point is, the location of some special historical event is important but the event that made the place famous certainly overshadows the location, doesn’t it?   I believe far too much emphasis has been made out of the baptism site of Jesus and less out of the reason for His baptism (to fulfill all righteousness) and the Person of Jesus and His ministry here on earth. There are websites and tours that try to specify where the site of Jesus’ baptism was and even point to a specific location that’s designated as the very place that Jesus was baptized but too many structural and geographical changes have occurred over the last 2,000 years to know with absolute certainty the very spot where Jesus was baptized and as I wrote earlier, by focusing on a place it takes our attention and focus off the Person and work of Christ.

Conclusion

We know that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. For me, that’s enough. That’s all that I need to know. I don’t see the significance of a specific place. Would that make it holy ground? No, God alone is holy and there is no other name given to us by which we can be saved than Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12) and unless you repent and believe, you will only face the judgment of God someday (Rev 20:12-15).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.