“But I have a baptism to be baptized with” (Luke 12:50) — What did Jesus mean?

1. Context and Meaning of Luke 12:50

In Luke 12:49–50, Jesus says:

“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!”

Jesus is not referring to water baptism here — that had already taken place at the beginning of His ministry (Matthew 3:13–17). Instead, He is speaking figuratively about a coming baptism of suffering — the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.

This “baptism” refers to His submersion into suffering and death for the sake of the world. The term “baptism” (Greek: baptizō) literally means to immerse or to submerge, and Jesus was soon to be fully immersed in the suffering required to fulfill His redemptive mission.

2. The Baptism of the Cross: Death, Burial, and Resurrection

Jesus’ death was not merely a martyrdom but a substitutionary atonement — He died in our place, bearing our sins (Isaiah 53:5–6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His burial, our sin was buried with Him, and through His resurrection, we are offered new life.

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
— Romans 6:4

“Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
— Colossians 2:12

This explains why Jesus was deeply “distressed” (Luke 12:50). The cross meant physical agony, but also the spiritual weight of carrying the world’s sin.

3. Our Identification Through Water Baptism

Water baptism is not just a religious ritual; it’s a spiritual act of identifying with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. When a believer is baptized, it symbolizes:

Dying to the old sinful self (Romans 6:6)
Being buried with Christ (Colossians 2:12)
Rising to new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
— Acts 2:38

Through water baptism, our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16), and we are spiritually united with Christ.

4. The Spiritual Reality After Baptism

After rising from baptism, the believer enters a new spiritual status:

“Even when we were dead in trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ… and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
— Ephesians 2:5–6

This passage reveals that in the spiritual realm, we are already seated with Christ, sharing in His victory and authority.

5. The Necessity of Being Born of Water and Spirit

Jesus emphasized the essential nature of baptism in John 3:5:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Being “born of water” refers to baptism, and being “born of the Spirit” refers to receiving the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; Acts 10:44–48). Both are necessary for true regeneration and entry into eternal life.

So when Jesus said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with”, He was pointing ahead to His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection — the core of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). This was the ultimate baptism, and He was under great pressure until it was fulfilled.

“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
— Luke 9:22

Therefore, water baptism today is more than symbolic — it’s a participation in the Gospel, a public act of faith, and a spiritual transformation reflecting the death of the old self and resurrection into new life in Christ.