Trust, but verify. -Ronald Reagan
Baptism is the act of verifying. Anything important must be verified.
1 Corinthians 10:1-2 ESV: "For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea."
Text: Matthew 3:11-17 NLT
Matthew 3:11-12 NLT: "11 I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am-so much greater that I'm not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire."
The children of Israel had to pass through the Red Sea in order to be completely out of Egypt.
Matthew 3:13-15 NLT: "13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to talk him out of it. "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you," he said, "so why are you coming to me?" 15 But Jesus said, "It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires." So John agreed to baptize him."
The children of Israel were led by a cloud. The cloud represents the surrender of the human will to the sovereignty of God as expressed in the Word of God and through the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:16-17 NLT: "16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy."