Milestones - Salvation, Baptism, CommunionSample

The story of the birth of John the Baptist gives signs of the greatness to come. He was a miracle baby; His parents were older, and the Bible says his mother, Elizabeth, had been unable to have children. An angel told them they would have a child in their old age; he would be named John, and he would be set apart for a special purpose. John was born a few months before Jesus and grew to become God’s appointed messenger, travelling around, announcing the coming of the Messiah to the people throughout the regions of Jerusalem and Judea.

John wore clothes made of camel’s hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey. He called people to prepare for the Messiah’s coming and to repent and be baptised. One day, while John was baptising people in the river Jordan, Jesus came and asked John to baptise Him too.

Jesus was baptised to show us an example of what we need to do. Baptism is something Jesus commands us to do, but it is not a requirement to become a Christian or to be saved. Only faith in Jesus by God’s grace and true repentance of sins saves someone. When we feel we’re ready to say to the world that we’re a follower of Jesus, we can choose to be baptised. It’s a milestone on a Christian’s journey that says our sins and our old life are left in the water, and we come out new, cleansed, and risen to new life with Christ.