Were Jews Commanded to be Baptized by John the Baptist?

“Were Jews commanded to be baptized by John Baptist?” someone inquired. It is clear that John the Baptist was baptizing Jews from Jerusalem and Judah. “Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized” (John 3:23 NKJV). “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:4-5). John claimed to be the manifestation of Old Testament prophecy (Matthew 3:1-3; Isaiah 40:3) as the one who would prepare the way for the coming of the Christ. As such, then, like other prophets before him, John was acting on God’s behalf when he required the Jews within the sphere of his influence to be baptized. Incidentally, biblical “preaching” has never been merely “informational speeches,” but the very nature of preaching carries with it the requirement to implement the preaching or teaching into one’s life.

Because Jews within the influence of John the Baptist (i.e., Jerusalem, Judah, etc.) were commanded to be baptized is the reason for which Jesus was baptized, despite not having any sins of which to repent. “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him” (Matthew 3:13-15). Jesus was sinlessly perfect (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22), but had He refused or neglected to be baptized in the baptism of John the Baptist—who was acting officially on behalf of God—Jesus would have sinned. Therefore, to maintain His sinlessness, it was necessary for Jesus to obey the will of the Father for Jews to experience the baptism of John the Baptist. Hence, Jesus said His baptism was “to fulfill all righteousness.”

Yes, the Jews were commanded through the preaching of the prophet John the Baptist to be baptized. Therefore, the Incarnate Son of God also had to be baptized in John’s baptism as any other Jew was also required to do.