Jesus' Baptism & Preparation (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note

Symbolism in Jesus’s baptism

The Baptism of Jesus

^Attribution:

^{Portugal, Lisbon, Gulbenkian Museum, The Baptism of Christ, Piero della Francesca, Public Domain}

• The baptism of Jesus in this passage marks the start of his public ministry

• It is believed to have happened between 27 and 30 CE

  • There is no birth account or any stories from Jesus’s childhood in St Mark’s Gospel: This is the first event Mark records of Jesus’s life

• There are several symbols in this passage that show how significant the event was

Water

• John had already been baptising people with water in the River Jordan as a sign of repentance

• Jesus would have been aware that this symbol of baptism meant cleansing and new life 

• Water has significance in several other ways in the Old Testament:

  • Life and blessings from God: Flowing (“living”) water was seen as a gift from God, essential for crops, animals and people. God is called the “spring of living water” (Jeremiah 2:13), showing his life-giving presence

  • Salvation and new beginnings: Major events involving water such as the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14) symbolised God rescuing his people and leading them to a better life

Heavens torn apart

• This was a sign of God’s presence

• The prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament spoke of the heavens being torn apart, saying “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down” (Isaiah 64:1)

• This shows that Jesus was fulfilling this prophecy and that this was a very important event

The dove

• The passage says that the Holy Spirit descended “like a dove”

• Doves are a sign of God’s presence

  • In the Old Testament, Noah released a dove at the end of the great flood. When it returned with an olive branch, Noah knew the flood was over

• Doves also symbolise peace

• In the above passage, the Holy Spirit comes down to give Jesus strength for his public ministry, which was about to begin

The voice

• Although the voice in this passage is not explicitly said to be God’s, it does come “from heaven”

  • This fits with a Jewish teaching about the bat qol, or voice from heaven: It symbolises God’s presence

• The voice tells Jesus that Jesus is his son and that he is “well pleased” with Jesus, showing Jesus’s importance to God

• This is the moment when Jesus was given his mission

The temptations

• Immediately after his baptism, Jesus went out into the wilderness for forty days, where he was “tempted by Satan”

• This symbolises Jesus being tempted away from God straightaway, before he even began his mission

• The “wild beasts” are often interpreted as demons, going against God

• Jesus did not give into temptation; instead, there were “angels” to care for him, symbolising that God kept him safe at this time

Baptism and temptation for Christians today

• The tale of Jesus’s baptism and temptations is significant for Christians today

• For most Christians, baptism is their initiation into God’s family, the Christian faith

• They are baptised with water, just as Jesus was, and some practice believers’ (adult) baptism, just as Jesus did

• Jesus’s baptism shows Christians that Jesus identified with humans as someone who needed to be cleansed, even though he had no sin

• The baptism of Jesus showed that he fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and was the Messiah

• It is also an important symbol of the Holy Trinity: It is the occasion when all three persons of the Trinity are present in the same scene

  • God the Father is the voice from heaven

  • God the Son is Jesus

  • God the Holy Spirit appears as a dove

• The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness shows Christians that they are not alone in experiencing temptations in their lives

  • Jesus sets the example that they should follow: resisting temptation and staying strong in their faith

  • Many Christians remember this during the period of Lent before Easter each year; they give something up or do extra good deeds during this time to help them with their self-discipline