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Boanerges said:
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xyz said:
What would have happened if Jesus had not been baptised? People could have thought three erroneous things. One, that Jesus proudly thought himself better than others. Two, that Jesus thought that baptism for repentance was unnecessary for anyone. Three, that Jesus for some reason disapproved of John.

We must remember that, at the time, few people knew who Jesus was. We must remember that he did not even want people to recognise him on account of his own claim. He referred to himself as 'the son of man' (which we, with hindsight, write as 'the Son of Man'). It was after he had decided to be baptised, after he had been willing to be seen to be the sinner he was not, that there was glory and recognition given to him by supernal means.
Never was going to happen Jesus was going to be baptized to accomplish the will of the Father, God had commanded all Jews to be baptized (Matt 13:15)
That verse does not mention baptism. If Mt 3:15 is intended, that has no command for baptism. Even if there was command for Jews to be baptised, it could not necessarily be extended to Gentiles. There is no general command for water baptism in Scripture, and there was no need for Jesus to be baptised, either to fulfil the Law or for any other reason than those given. John indeed tried to persuade Jesus to actually desist.

The reason for Jesus' baptism is not that it is a model for his disciples to be water baptised, as is so often supposed. The reason was that Jesus, unlike Job, was willing to be thought a sinner when he was not, and for that received divine approval. This willingness was to recur throughout His ministry, and to the ultimate extent possible, on the cross, where the ultimate 'reward' for the Christ was to be won. Jesus' baptism was an inkling of what was to follow. If there is example in this for the saints, it is to be willing to endure false accusation, to 'carry one's cross', which comes to all who would follow Jesus.

The witness of John the B. is mentioned in 1 Jn 5, where in verse 6 we read:

'This is the one who came by water and blood — Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.' (NIV)

'A matter will be established by two or three witnesses.' God provides not two, but three witnesses to the Son. Here is John's witness:

'I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."' Jn 1:31-34 NIV

So the water of His baptism 'announced' Jesus as the innocent Lamb of God, the blood of the cross 'confirmed' it, and the Holy Spirit 'draws all men' to Jesus, even though most reject Him, because the Spirit convicts them of their sin, of Jesus' righteousness, and of the judgement that operates in their minds even as they reject Him.