When John the Baptist appears he is baptizing people as an act of repentance seeking forgiveness from God.
Matthew 3:11
Mark 1:4
1 Peter 3:21
Then Jesus leads us deeper to the idea of a new birth
John 3:5
And now baptism also points back to His death & resurrection
Romans 6:3-8
The reason we are directed to be baptized is we are identifying with Jesus, and His church!
Mt 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-41; 1 Cor 12:13; Eph 4:4-6
Church 29:11 