I got baptized when I was 16. It was expected by our church around that age, and I’d been a believer for ten years already by then. So it was time, I was told, to make a public declaration of my faith and officially become a church member.

It wasn’t a particularly memorable experience for me—just something we did. I knew baptism was important, but I didn’t understand at the time what was happening.

What Did My Baptism Mean?

I looked through the New Testament, but couldn’t find anything that resembled my baptism:

• John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. – Mark 1:4
  • No one talked about that at my baptism. I understood that I had already repented and my sins were forgiven when I accepted Jesus as a 6 year old.

• Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” – Romans 6:3-4
  • In the early church, baptism was switching allegiances to live under the authority of Jesus the Christ (the King). Check out this excellent article on what a big deal that was. At the time I was completely unaware of this kingdom message.

• For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 1:5
  • My church wasn’t opposed to the Holy Spirit, we just avoided the topic. So needless to say there was no talk about being baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Recently I heard that many of the Jews that Jesus was talking to would have already been baptized. The “mikveh” was a ceremonial immersion for:

• Purification – When someone became ritually unclean, they immersed to be restored to worship (Leviticus 15:13, Numbers 19:19).
• Conversion – When a Gentile joined Israel, they immersed to symbolize their new identity as God’s people.
• Priestly Preparation – Before a priest could serve, he had to be washed (Exodus 29:4, Leviticus 8:6).

This sounded a little more familiar. I was being purified, I became a member of God’s people, and I was allowed to serve in church.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

The New Testament speaks of baptisms (plural!) as the elementary teachings, the foundation:

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. – Heb 6:1-2

The NIV translates the obvious Greek word “baptisms” (βαπτισμῶν) here as “cleansing rites” – weird.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Mt 28:19

We faithfully quote this command, but do our baptisms include confession and repentance, allegiance to King Jesus, and filling with the power of the Holy Spirit?

In the New Testament, they actually did all three:

• All the people… had been baptized by John. – Luke 7:29
• “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who… will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.“ – Mt 3:11
• The Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. – Acts 8:16
• “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” – Acts 10:47
• Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ – Acts 11:16
• He… taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. – Acts 18:25
• So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. – Acts 19:3-5

Sometimes they were combined:

• Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.“ – Acts 2:38

But if anyone discovered that they missed one, they immediately did it. That’s the pattern. We need all three. Not just talking about all three, but actually:

• The Father: John’s Baptism – confessing and repenting for forgiveness of sins
• The Son: Jesus’s Baptism – aligning ourselves with his rule and reign; joining the movement
• Holy Spirit Baptism – being filled with power to do what Jesus commands

Baptized into Jesus Christ

Looking back, I think my first baptism was in the ballpark of John’s baptism. I aligned my life with the Father and committed to obey the Bible.

And years later at a charismatic church I was baptized with the Holy Spirit and received supernatural power to love people.

But the one I was missing was shifting my allegiance to Jesus as King of heaven and earth, not just personal Saviour and Lord of my life.

So last week, in a hot tub in Ontario with a few friends, I was baptized into the name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! I am His.