So when Jesus told Nicodemus about being born of water and the Spirit, He was pointing to the same promise John the Baptist had announced — that the Messiah would give the Holy Spirit, cleansing and giving new life to those who believe and obey. Water baptism is the outward sign of repentance, but the living water — the Holy Spirit — is the inward power that causes the true new birth. Without both repentance and the Spirit given by Christ, no one can enter the kingdom of God.
Blessings and Have a good Sabbath.
@LoveYeshua, you had also brought in the woman at the well (not quoted in the above). But that encounter with her follows Jesus baptizing the people in water with his disciples in this place here
John 4:1
When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees (who reject water baptism)
had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
John 4:2 (
Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
John 4:3
He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
John 4:4
And he must needs go through Samaria.
And so its right after this Jesus comes to Samaria (next verse)
John 4:5
Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
John 4:6
Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
John 4:7
There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus
saith unto her, Give me to drink.
So Jesus (with his disciples) are still baptizing with water as was John just before he was thirsty and asks her for a drink and testifies to the drink he would give if she only knew (that she would never thirst)
As is noted,
John 7:39 (But
this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
However, after Jesus was glorified, water baptism continued, both among the circumcision and the uncircumcision
Here among the Circumcision (
before having received the Holy Ghost)
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
As well as here among the Uncircumcision (
after having received the Holy Ghost)
Acts 10:47
Can any man forbid water, that
these should not be baptized, which
have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Acts 10:48
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Which makes sense that John the baptist (who himself baptized the people with water) and who also had the Holy Ghost from his mothers womb
Luke 1:15 For
he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;
and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Said to Jesus in Matt 3:14 ....
I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Regardless of that John had the Holy Ghost from his mothers womb, when Jesus came to John to be baptized with water (John at the first did forbid him) but John also understood that he still had need to be baptized of Jesus.
Matt 3:14 But John forbad him, saying,
I have need to be baptized of thee, and
comest thou to me?
And so water baptism is shown in (John, before Jesus was baptized) then in Jesus and his disciples (before he was crucified) and in Acts (after Jesus was crucified and glorified). And not just with the Circumcision (before they received the Holy Ghost) but also with the Uncircumcision (after they themselves received the Holy Ghost) even as John was filled with the Holy Ghost at the time he said to Jesus he had need to be baptized of him.
Some say being born of woman (as John was) was being born of the water there and go right into the Spirit, but John was both of those, but even John stated he had need of being baptized by Jesus, and if he had the Holy Ghost what baptism would that be? Because even though those who had the Holy Ghost of the uncircumcision, the same were commanded to be baptized, and the verses indicated it was with water (Acts 10:47-48)
Ironically, it was Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night to whom the statement "born of water and Spirit" was directed at and Nicodemus was of the Pharisees who reject John's water baptism.
Luke 7:30
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves,
being not baptized of him.
For those who like to clean the outside of the cup and dish its like they had rabies when it come to water or something
Edit :typo