I suggest your context is to narrow as well. Water baptism started with John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus and it's a gospel of Christ ritual. If we start with John's and then go to Christ's we see the method doesn't change but it's purpose changes.
Why do you habitually lie? Your motivation? Water baptism did not start with the Baptist-it, "the water of separation,"
had its origins in the OT:
"And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and S
HALT WASH THEM WITH WATER." Exodus 29:4 KJV
" And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread...And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and
washed them with water.... Leviticus 8:1-2 KJV,
"And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and
washed them with water" Leviticus 8:6
John 8 KJV
52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him
, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
John 8:57 KJV Then said the Jews unto him,
Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Why "the heck" would the Jewish leadership ask about "fifty years old?" And why does the Holy Bible take note "for our learning"(Romans 15:4 KJV) that the Lord Jesus Christ was "about thirty years of age"?
Luke 3:23 KJV And Jesus himself began to be about
thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
The bible...a book of details...
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From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation." Numbers 4:3 KJV
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From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation." Numbers 4:30 KJV
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From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation…" Numbers 4:35 KJV
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From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation…" Numbers 4:39 KJV
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From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,…" Numbers 4:43 KJV
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From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation." Numbers 4:47 KJV
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And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more…" Numbers 8:25 KJV
Age 30 was the beginning age for service for the Levitcal priests, and 50 was the ending age:
"And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers…" Numbers 4:1-2 KJV
Thus, the "main Priest," the Lord Jesus Christ, arrives, at the Jordan, to be washed, anointed( and anointed with blood, later), and the Jewish leadership was not "surprised" at the washings, baptisms-it goes all the way back to the OT.