Question:
Answer:
It is unclear whether Jesus did or did not baptize. John 3:22-26 seems to indicate that he did, but John 4:2 seems to indicate that this was just a misunderstanding and that it was the disciples of Jesus and not Jesus himself doing the baptizing.
The baptism practiced by Jesus’ disciples was most likely similar to the baptism of John the Baptist, a baptism of repentance (Acts 19:4) rather than a sacrament. After all, for a valid sacrament, one must intend to baptize in the name of the Trinity, and the disciples most likely did not grasp the concept of the Trinity until later in Jesus’ ministry. The sacrament of baptism is also an incorporation of ourselves into the death and resurrection of Jesus and that had yet to take place.
So, yes, if someone had been baptized by the disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry, they still would have needed to receive the sacrament of baptism after the Resurrection.