Verses 21-22 “21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”
The baptism of Jesus teaches us how important baptism is for believers today. People tend to go to extremes in one direction or another in this matter. Some think that baptism is of no consequence since it does not save anyone nor even help to save anyone. And while it is true that baptism is a human work that has no power to save, we should consider that our Lord said that it fulfills all righteousness, and consider that if it was good enough for Him it should be good for those who trust in Him for salvation.
On the other hand, some have elevated baptism to the way to heaven, even baptizing infants, thinking that they will be lost if they die unbaptized. This is a great error. We do not believe in “adult baptism,” or that a believer must be all grown up to be baptized, but neither do we believe in baptizing infants since there is no Bible authorization or example for this to be done. Only believers are baptized in the New Testament. However, we have known of very young children of four and five years of age to come to faith in Jesus as Savior and also to understand the essential facts about the meaning of baptism. There is no reason why such saved children should not be baptized. Baptism is for those who believe, no matter their age (Acts 8:37).
At the baptism of Jesus we see evidence of the Trinity. The Trinity is a true doctrine, though the word is never found in the Bible. The teaching of the Trinity is found in Sacred Writ in that it is said that the Father is God, that the Son is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. These are not three different names, or three different manifestations, for one person. The Three are, in fact, three Persons. So at the baptism of Jesus, all three Persons appear at the same time. Other evidences of the Trinity in the New Testament are in The Great Commission (Matt 28:19), in the apostolic benediction (II Cor 13:14), and in the words of the Apostle John (I John 5:6-9).