Jesus’ Baptism and ours

Jeremy Sexton wrote this in an earlier line of discussion:

“Along those lines, I think what we most often miss in our theology of baptism (though Calvin didn’t miss this) is that Christian baptism — if it “is” anything that came before — is Jesus’ water baptism. In our baptism, we receive the same waters and same Spirit that Jesus received in his baptism. Our baptism is Jesus’ baptism, which means that we need to see baptism, foremost, as God’s opening heaven, sending down his Holy Spirit upon us, calling us his beloved son or daughter, and ordaining us into priestly service.”

Well, yes and no. Jesus received the old baptism from John, which set Him aside for His work. The baptism of Jesus on the cross follows from this, and thereafter His resurrection in glory and ascension to the throne. The baptism that follows this, on Pentecost and thereafter, is not the same as Jesus’ baptism, but is the eschatologically advanced and glorified version of it. Jesus was not baptized into glory; we are.

Moreover, in Jesus’ baptism the Spirit proceeded from the Father, placing Him in union with the Adamic calling and position. In our baptism, the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, placing us in union with the Son’s glory.

This article was originally published at the Biblical Horizons blog.