• Dedication—To Whom? Why?
    The Watchtower—1982 | February 15

    • 12. In symbol of what did John baptize Jews who came to him, but why did he first object to baptizing Jesus?

      12 It was to this dedicated nation that the forerunner of Jesus Christ, John the Baptizer, was sent, to call the nation to repentance. Even Jesus said: “I was not sent forth to any but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) The message to this dedicated people of God was a special one, not applicable to non-Israelite nations. John the Baptizer called upon those “lost sheep of the house of Israel” to repent of their sins against the Law covenant. (Matthew 3:1-6) “John baptized with the baptism in symbol of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” (Acts 19:4)

  • Dedication—To Whom? Why?
    The Watchtower—1982 | February 15

    • b There is no record of these early disciples of Jesus getting baptized again in symbol of their presentation sometime before the outpouring of holy spirit on them at Pentecost. Evidently their earlier baptism of repentance while still under the Law included this aspect, which would be in imitation of Jesus, since John’s baptism was carried out with Messiah’s appearance in prospect and prepared them for God’s will for them in connection with his coming.