Did Jesus baptize?

There are some preliminary details to remark before entering on the subject of this chapter. Jesus did not Himself baptise, for He knew the whole extent of the counsels of God in grace, the true object of His coming. He could not bind souls by baptism to a living Christ. The disciples were right in so doing. They had so to receive Christ. It was faith on their part.

John 4:1-3. From the opening verses we learn that the Lord takes a place outside the Jewish sphere, indicating that the heavenly blessings that God has for man cannot be confined to the Jew. The Pharisees, having rejected Christ, were apparently displeased that the Lord attracted to Himself more disciples than John.

As to fact, we are told that "Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples". Christ, who had before Him the counsels of God to bring sinners into heavenly blessings, could not carry out a rite which, though it separated souls from the guilty nation, only linked them with Himself on earth. For the disciples, at the moment it was right to baptize; for in the faith of their souls they knew Christ only on earth. Christ knew that, for the time, His earthly Kingdom was set aside. Thus He leaves Judaea to go into Galilee of the Gentiles (Matthew 4:15), to teach us truths that are for all the world.

John 4:1-4.

"When, therefore, the Lord knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus maketh and baptizeth more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judaea and went away (again) into Galilee." AB[pm]EΔ, etc. [as Weiss and Blass], omit; ℵCDLMT, 1, 33, 69, and many ancient versions [including Syrsin] insert [as W. and H.].

Little did the disciples know the depth of the glory that was in Him or the consequent blessing for man, though they zealously baptized and thus exposed their Master to the spleen of those who could ill-brook His increase and honour. It will be noticed that not He, but His disciples, did baptize. He knew the end from the beginning; and this finds its appropriate statement here. They might baptize to Him as Messiah; but He, the Son of God, knew from the first that He must suffer and die as the Son of man: so, indeed, He had already declared to Nicodemus with its blessed results for the believer. The baptism He instituted was, therefore, after and to His death and Resurrection. The Son of God knew what was in man, even when he was disposed to pay Him homage because of the signs which He wrought. So did He know the effect of His disciples' activity on the religious men of that day.81

It was the jealousy of the Pharisees, then, which in reality drove the Lord from Judæa. What was that land longer? What without Him, above all, when it rejected Him and He abandoned it? They might boast of the law, but they had not kept it; they might claim the promises, but He — the promised One and Accomplisher of all the promises — had been there, and they knew Him not, loved Him not, but were more and more proving their heart-estrangement from Him, their Messiah. What could the first covenant avail now? It must ensure their condemnation; it could work no deliverance. The Jew was to reap only ruin and death under its terms. We shall presently see more; yet here at the beginning of the chapter is the Son of God, through the ill-feeling of those who ought most to have appreciated His presence, forced out, we may say, from the people of God and the scene of His institutions, but in the power of life eternal, whatever the humiliation which the haughty religionists put on Him, who saw in Him a man only, little suspecting that He was the Word become flesh.

After the introductory chapters, the Gospel of John begins by shewing us Jesus leaving Judea, and quitting the Jewish capital, the centre of the throne of God on the earth, the ancient seat of Him who, now come down in grace, could not find where to lay His head in an adverse world. The jealousy of the Pharisees gave occasion to the departure of Jesus. But here already we can perceive that the Lord, having the consciousness of an origin and of a purpose which went beyond all the thoughts even of those who had received Him, does not act to gather together those who received His word, according to the thoughts of the disciples who surrounded Him with affection: Jesus Himself baptised not, but His disciples. The Word made flesh, Son of God, Saviour of the world, Redeemer, Son of man, He could not baptise in order to attach them to Himself as Messiah, although He was the Messiah; for He knew too well His rejection, and, as Peter expresses it, the sufferings which were to be the portion of Christ, and the glories that should follow. As to what was outside His position, Jesus could but allow His disciples to baptise thus; for them it was the truth, even the whole truth, although they had learned to add "living" to His title of Son of God. But if He Himself had baptised, He would have been entirely below the consciousness which He had of the object of His coming, and of that which was going to happen: it was not the truth for Him; although He was truly the Messiah, He came not to take this place then, but to give His life a ransom for many. That which drove Him away from Jerusalem, hindered Him also from baptising. The city where formerly He had been seated between the cherubim, and whose children He had often desired to gather together, drove Him from its neighbourhood; He went away, the despised and rejected of men, without having where to lay His head, to carry the testimony of God's love elsewhere, and to display it in His Person. This supposed that He was rejected as Messiah; but more, God manifested in grace, and coming, according to the promises made to the Jewish people, He was the last test of the human heart, which was thus found to be enmity against God, and against God come in grace. It was a question, then, of God's sovereign grace when man would not have Him; it was necessary then that He should be found quite apart, that He should have nothing down here - He who, coming amongst men to bring them love, a love which answered to all their necessities, was at the same time light for their consciences, put Himself within the reach of all, used their very necessities to gain them in love, but called them to the enjoyment of heavenly things, which He, and He alone, was able to reveal to them.

The Lord now leaves Judea because He knew the Pharisees' thoughts as to His baptizing more disciples than John. Not that the Lord Himself did the baptizing: this was left to His disciples: they could bury the dead, whereas He is the life-giver. No doubt the Pharisees would, in malicious ignorance, contend that He and John were rivals: the Lord would leave them no excuse for evil contentions.

"Jesus himself baptised not," it is said. In the day when He baptised, it would be with the Holy Ghost and with power. The gathering would not be to a Jewish Messiah on earth, but to the glorified Man at God's right hand, Son of God as well as Son of man, to whom the saints would be united by the Holy Ghost, but Jesus must first descend into the lower parts of the earth, taking captivity captive, and then ascend up far above all heavens, filling all things, ere the baptism of the Holy Ghost could take place. To speak of these things then would have been out of place; the disciples baptised with water to a living Messiah (Acts 19:4.), who ought to have been received as such; we, in being baptised to Christ, are baptised to His death.

We find at the beginning here Jesus with his disciples in the country of Judea, and baptizing, — although we are presently assured that personally the Lord did not baptize, but His disciples only (John 4:2). We have nowhere else an account of such baptizing, which we naturally conclude to have been of a similar character to that of John, which is immediately mentioned. It is a confirming witness of the truth that John was proclaiming, as we may gather also from Mark 1:15. Baptism is in the New Testament always to death; Christian baptism to Christ's death (Rom. 6:3); and to take one's place in death is a profession of repentance. Death is the sentence from God under which man has come through sin, and thus those baptized by John confessed in it the sins which had brought them there (Matt. 3:6). In such a position they awaited the forgiveness which He who was coming after John would bestow. Now He had come, and His own proper ministry began, as is clear, beyond John's baptism. Yet He could through His disciples confirm the truth of this, while taking care to keep His own place apart.

John also continued baptizing, keeping his place as forerunner, and was now in Aenon, "abounding in springs," near to Salim, or Shalem, "peace." The names are as significant in this case as in all other in the word of God. Question arose here, we are told, between John's disciples and a Jew, about purifying. Of the nature of this, and of how little answer there might be, we may judge from the Lord's words with Nicodemus; and the want of settlement of such a question would be likely to bring up the further one of the new Teacher who had appeared; and the disciples come to John thereupon, with the announcement that He to whom he had borne witness was now Himself baptizing, and men were flocking to Him.

74 John 3:22. — "He … baptised." Cf. verse 26. Schmiedel (col. 2,538) sets against this John 4:2. But what about Pilate's scourging JESUS, and his writing the superscription for the Cross?

Between verses 21 and 22 some time has evidently elapsed, during which the Lord and His disciples had left Judea. Now returning there, they remain some time, baptizing, though it was not He, but His disciples, who did the baptizing (John 4:2). This baptism must have been of the same character as that of John, that is, “unto repentance,” for it could not be our present Christian baptism, which is unto Christ's death (Rom. 6:3). This is the only record of the disciples baptizing before Pentecost, though it is said in John 4:1 that more were baptized by them than by John. At this time John was still baptizing, though his ministry was short-lived before his being imprisoned.

It is interesting that the question raised in verse 25 between disciples of John and the Jews, concerning, purifying, is not directly answered. No doubt the Jews connected baptism with purifying, for cleansing is certainly implied in it. But this outward cleansing is only symbolical of the need of a deeper, spiritual cleansing. There is no doubt that John knew this. But instead of speaking to him directly about this, they inform him that the Lord Jesus had been baptizing, with many coming to Him. No doubt John's answer does take care of the purifying question too, for it points to the One who alone could accomplish purification in vital reality for people's souls. John's ministry was designed by God to be unfinished, for John consistently turned attention away from himself to the only One who could possibly accomplish the ends that mankind deeply needed. John was simply a witness to Him, and his lowly steadfastness in maintaining this is a salutary example for us.

The Jews in coming to John apparently expected their report to incite some jealous rivalry in the prophet. But John faithfully tells them that “a man” (whether John or anyone else) “can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven.” God had sent John for a purpose: all he needed was to fulfill that purpose, not to be envious of another because of the other's work, which was clearly given by God. This was specially so in regard to Him who is the eternal Son of God. Had not John told them plainly that he himself was not the Christ, but was sent before Him? Is he to be envious of the One to whom he bears witness, whose glory is so great? No indeed: Christ is the true Bridegroom of Israel. Not that she was His bride as yet, nor is she even now; but John's words are prophetic of the bride (Israel) as restored to God in the coming millennial age. Christ has title to her complete allegiance, not John. But John was the friend of the Bridegroom, glad to attentively stand and hear Him, John was not to be of the bride, for we know he was martyred, and has a place in heaven: he is neither of the heavenly bride, the church, nor of Israel, the earthly bride, but of a distinct company. However, only the sound of the Bridegroom's voice rejoiced his heart, so that his joy was complete. He is certainly not envious of his Lord, nor of the bride either: the contemplation of Christ and the sound of His voice is to him fullest satisfaction.

Our Lord had baptised many disciples more than John, express disciples, i.e., His disciples had, I suppose unto repentance, and that He was the Christ - rather in the hope of the coming kingdom in profession by repentance. This seems to have been before His public preaching or His apostles', etc., which note, for I doubt that our Lord baptised any after, but that He called upon all men then to believe on Him as the Christ come, when He had sufficiently won individuals by His private ministry, and even then He avoided human publicity. The character of the ministration is, we know, changed by the coming of the Holy Ghost, but I query if there be not a wisdom which, in the midst of evil, savours of this spirit - and the just use of this holy zeal for the hidden ones of the Lord, and holy boldness for His Name's sake in power give the character of a full and perfect minister. He did not in the nature of His ministry go beyond John; see chapter 4:14, where the assumption of His ministry is noted.