In the Old Covenant there are around 660 Civil, Moral and Ceremonial Laws of instruction for the individuals and nation to govern itself by until something better came along.

1. The Mosaic Law set out the Moral Laws of righteous and holiness to deal with sin. Jesus is the righteousness of God. Therefore, He would not have needed to go through the waters of baptism for the washing away of His sins because, He had none as He was holy.
2. The Mosaic Law set out the Civil laws to follow in areas of hygiene of how to operate in the camp and with our fellow man. Jesus was not sick and therefore did not need healing in the waters as was an acceptable ritual according to the Hebrews bathing (Mikvah). Jesus did not need purification, for emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing as He is God.
3. The Mosaic Law sets out the Ceremonial Laws requirements for a priest and the nation to follow. The explanation as follows:

The Mosaic Ceremonial Laws requires for a priest to be naked, fully emersed in water being washed before dressing in ceremonial clothes before entering the Holy place, and the Holy of Holies to minister to God (Exodus 29:1-4, 29:18-21, 30:18-20, 30:30, 40:12-13, 40:30-32, Leviticus 8:6, 16:24, Numbers 8:5-7, 8:15, 8:21, 19:7, 2Chronicles 4:6, Nehemiah 13:29-30). 

Rivkah Slanim[1] states: “On Yom Kippur, the holiest of all days, the High Priest was allowed entrance into the Holy of Holies, the innermost chamber of the Temple, into which no other mortal could enter. This was the zenith of a day that involved an ascending order of services, each of which was preceded by immersion in the mikvah.”

The evidence here is the act of water immersion (mikvah) was for the purpose of service towards God on behalf of the people.

The Purification Ritual of the Mikvah as per Civil laws

The Israelites would perform immersion or submersion in water to establish a ritual purification, called Mikvah, for specific circumstances as a gift of purity and holiness in accordance with the laws of purification as per Civil laws.

One purpose of the Mikvah is to bring about a change in a person’s life, for example the commitment of a person to the faith of the Israelites. It is also regarded as a prerequisite to a new convert so he or she could be part of the nation. Also, if they touched anything belonging to the Israelites it would not be regarded as unclean (Numbers 19).

Another example was when a person had touched or had contacted a human corpse (Numbers 19:11-13) they were regarded as ritually defiled. Therefore, would be required to perform the Mikvah. This would allow them to have access to Temple activities and social life again. 

Men and women would perform the Mikveh before their wedding. Women would perform the Mikveh forty days after having a child and then again after each menstrual cycle.

All of Leviticus chapter 15 covers in more detail the reasons for performing the Mikveh than I have as per Civil laws.

Leviticus 15:16 And if any man’s semen goes from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water and be unclean until the evening. 17 And every garment and every skin on which the semen shall be, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening. 18 And the woman with whom a man shall lie with emission of semen shall both bathe in water and be unclean until the evening. 19 And if a woman has an issue, and her issue in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days. And whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. (MKJV)

Albert E. Kirchhoff[2] states: Mikvah does not earn salvation; indeed, there is no way you can bridge the gap between you and HASHEM[3] caused by sin on the basis of works! Whether someone is mikvah’d or not prior to death, has no bearing on their salvation.

Baptizo /Tevilah

In the Greek we have the word Baptizo and in the Hebrew we have Tevilah. Both words mean immersing, performing ablutions ritual washing, a rite of washing as a sign of religious purification and consecration.  When a person is tevilah(baptised) it is full body immersion. The Israelites would perform fullsubmersion (Tevilah) in water to establish a ritual[4] purification, called Mikvah[5], for specific circumstances as a gift of purity and holiness in accordance with the laws of purification for service to the Lord. It is also done to denote a transition in one’s life from one stage to another. Therefore, the tevilah-cum-mikvah means baptism in a body of water where you are fully immersed in water.

The Significance of Jesus’ Baptism

The reason Jesus was baptized was to.

1 Fulfil all righteousness to announce His Ministry

2 To be an example that we should follow.

3 To reveal to all that He belonged to God, being the Christ of prophecy.

4 To give a symbolic demonstration of receiving the Holy Spirit

Fulfil all righteousness announcing His Ministry as per The Mosaic Ceremonial Laws

Jesus is our High Priest of God. The Mosaic Law requires for a priest be washed before entering the Holy place, and the Holy of Holies to minister to God. (Exodus 40:12 -13) Moses baptises and anoints Aaron and sons. (Psalm 99:6) However we do not need to be anointed with oil as we receive the infilling of the Holy Sprit and the oil is a symbol of the H.S.

Exodus 40:12 And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. 13 And you shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and sanctify him, so that he may minister to Me in the priest’s office. (MKJV)

Hebrews7:11  Therefore if perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the Law), what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? (MKJV)

John the Baptise was the last prophet in the Old Testament to fulfil the order of Aaron, where Jesus announces new ministry in the New Testament, in the order of Melchizedek for all believers through water baptism. (Hebrews 7:11, Luke16:16-17)

As stated above, “Jesus is the High priest of God and the Mosaic Law required that a priest be washed”. We are called to be a Royal priesthood in the new ordered, therefore we need to follow this example too.

Priest in the order of Melchizedek

1Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (MKJV)

At the time of Jesus’ baptism he was 30

Numbers 4:3 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years, all that enter into the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. (MKJV)

Numbers 4: 35  They numbered them from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone that entered into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 

Numbers 4: 43  from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone that enters into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, (MKJV)

It was also required for Jesus to fulfil righteousness so that He could fulfil prophesy.

Matthew 3:15 And answering Jesus said to him, Allow it now, for it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed Him. 16 And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up immediately out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him. (MKJV)

If Jesus had refused to get water baptized, then He could not have fulfilled all righteousness, because He had not been obedient to the Mosaic Law (Exodus 40:11-13). Obedience to God’s word brought power to Jesus and brings power to the believer too.

Jesus’ baptism by John was followed by an announcement by God saying, “This is My Son, in whom I am well pleased”

Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up immediately out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him. 17 And lo, a voice from Heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (MKJV)

When we read Scripture we can find after our salvation that God can be well pleased[6] which in the Greek is called eudokeō G2106 (yoo-dok-eh’-o).  Eudokeō is to think well or be favourably inclined towards another, taking pleasure in their willingness to co-operate and to sanction officially granting authorization in a certain venture or stage of life.

It also identified Jesus as the Son of God and the inauguration of His earthly ministry. Remember that Eudokeō is to think well or be favourably inclined towards another, taking pleasure in their willingness to corporate and to sanction officially, granting authorization. Thus we see God is granting authorization to Jesus to start His earthly ministry in accordance with the Law in this case called righteousness.

We are 100 per cent loved and assured that God is eudokeō pleased with us when we are walking by the Spirit, and we are fulfilling His commands.

If Jesus had missed John’s baptism, John would not have seen the Holy Spirit coming down upon Jesus in the form of a dove as shown in Matthew 3:16. If Jesus had missed in a single prophesy, then He would not have been the real Christ. He had to fulfil all prophecy.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. 19 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen. (MKJV)

Water baptism is not required for salvation, although references are made to it in scripture by Paul, but with further study we will come to see that it is Jesus’ blood that washes us clean. Water does not have that power. The water baptism is a public demonstration of whom we belong to. As stated, Mosaic Law requires the priest to be anointed and washed before entering the Holy place, and the Holy of Holies to minister to God for the people (Exodus 40:12-13, 29:1-4, 30:18-20, 30:30, Numbers 8:6-7, Levitcus16:4 and 2Chronicles 4:6). It fulfils Mosaic Law (Exodus 40:11-13) regarding Priesthood. This is the act of fulfilling righteousness Jesus mentioned at His baptism.  

The evidence here is the act of full water immersion (tevilah-cum-mikvah) of Jesus was for the purpose of service to God on behalf of the people, plus serving God to the people and clearly not for salvation.

The premise is water baptism is for the purpose of identifying a person to start ministry (Acts10:37), such as every believer ministry (1Peter 2:9).

Dr Ian Traill

From two of my books

Rite of Passage: Fundamental Dynamics of Faith

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ian_Traill_Rite_of_Passage?id=4UKCXRezLm0C

Sacraments A Misnomer: Can we get more of God’s love?

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ian_Traill_D_Min_Sacraments_A_Misnomer?id=E1acAgAAQBAJ

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[1] http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/1541/jewish/The-Mikvah.htm

[2] http://members.cox.net/heiscoming/ym02009.htm

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism

In Judaism, name of God is more than a distinguishing title

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism

[5] Strong’s,Hebrews and Greek Dictionaries, H4724  miqvâh  mik-vaw’ Feminine of H4723; a collection, that is, (of water) a reservoir: – ditch.

[6]Strong’s, Hebrews and Greek Dictionaries G2106 eudokeō     yoo-dok-eh’-o   From G2095 and G1380; to think well of, that is, approve (an act); specifically to approbate (a person or thing): – think good, (be well) please (-d), be the good (have, take) pleasure, be willing.