Our Yeshua (Immanuel)

It caught my eye on Twitter just the other day.
I saw a question of someone, who have heard and read that baptism was actually not necessary. But then, another shared the opposite, that unless you were baptized, the gift of Grace and the Holy Spirit cannot come upon us.
So, how about it? Can grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit only happen when we are being baptized? Or is baptism not necessary anymore?

I can tell you this, that no rabbi would say to you that baptism/immersion isn’t necessary!
Yeshua/Jesus’ word to his disciples after he was risen:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20_NIV

The quoted verses from the Bible, in which it should state that the gift of grace and the Holy Spirit cannot come upon us unless we are being baptized, are Mark 16:16 and John 3:5.

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Mark 16:16 _ NIV

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
John 3:5 _ NIV

I believe that we first need to find out what a gift is. Then we need to examine if ‘grace’ and ‘Holy Spirit’ are gifts. Next we need to know what ‘baptism’ and ‘being born of water’ means in those days and in their culture. And last we need to know what ‘condemnation’ and ‘entering the kingdom of God’ means.

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