It may seem odd, but a good place to begin a discussion of baptism is with the prophet, John the Baptist. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets and the forerunner of Christ. John was a descendent of Aaron and of the priestly order and his ministry of preaching and baptizing were all within the confines of the Mosaic Law.
The Gospels tell us that when asked why he baptized, John responded by saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. John 1:26 and then it is noted, These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John 1:28.
So John was in the wilderness, east of the Jordan River where he baptized large numbers of people. It is hard to miss the fact that he is not baptizing in the Jordan River, but in the wilderness east of the river.
This raises a question, where did John’s baptism come from? Putting it another way, is there any Old Testament precedent for what John was doing?
The answer is that there is a precedent in the law. One example is found in Exodus 24:6-8,
And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”
When the Israelites were given the Mosaic Covenant, they affirmed their acceptance of God’s commandments. Then, as a sign and seal of that acceptance and their vows to obey God, Moses baptized them, not by immersion but by sprinkling.
That John’s baptism was not Christian baptism is found in the fact that those who were baptized by John were baptized again by the apostles when they professed Christ. (Acts 19:3-5) John’s baptism was a mark or sign of repentance and the cleansing of the Holy Spirit in line with the practice as outlined in the Law of Moses.
The conclusion is hard to miss. John’s baptism was not by immersion but by sprinkling.
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