The Baptism of Jesus is not only an important event in the history of Christianity, but it is also an event that many biblical scholars believe to be a true historical occurrence. In other words, it is an event that many scholars believe actually took place at Al-Maghtas — also known as Beyond the Jordan, in what is now modern Jordan.

Before the significance of this event can be interpreted by modern Christians, however, we first have to examine the history behind this event. Only after that can we determine the narrative importance of this event.

The History of Baptism as a Rite

Even though the purification rites in Halakha (the collective body of Jewish laws) are not specifically called baptism rites, they share much in common with Christian baptisms. The act of immersing a person in a natural body of water was used for ritual purification and for restoring the condition of the body to a pure state under special circumstances.

For example, according to the Law of Moses, a person who had become ritually defiled by contact with a corpse had to use a mikvah (a ritual purification bath) before they could participate in services at the Holy Temple. During the Messianic Movement, an early forerunner to modern Christianity, John the Baptist decided to adopt this ritual cleansing as a central tenet of his religion.

The History of Jesus’ Baptism

Even before Jesus began his ministry, John the Baptist was considered to be the appointed messenger of God. He traveled widely and announced the coming of the Messiah to the people of the regions of Judea and Jerusalem. John called for people to repent and turn from their sins. He also called for them to be baptized. And John had been very busy baptizing true believers in the River Jordan.

Then one day, Jesus approached him and asked to be baptized. To this request, John responded that it was he who needed to be baptized by Jesus, not the other way around. According to Matthew 3:15, Jesus replied, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” John then consented and acknowledged that it was necessary for him to baptize Jesus in order to accomplish the Lord’s will.

According to Matthew 3:16, after Jesus was baptized and rose up from the water, heaven opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. And then a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.”

The Significance of Jesus’ Baptism

Most Christian scholars believe that the significance of Jesus’s baptism is that he could become one with us. That he has come as an equal to us for our own salvation. It is also a narrative device, however, that shows all of us that Jesus was not only the chosen Messiah but that he also possessed great humility. And humility is something that all Christians should strive for before God.