The Baptism of John!

When John the Baptist came into the wilderness of Judea with his message and Baptism of repentance, he was not foisting upon the people a new and strange ceremony of which they had never heard. On the contrary, divers (various) washing's, many different kinds of Levitical baptisms, had been known to the Jews since the time of Moses. The rite originated in the ceremonial lustration of the clean, Gen. 35, 2; Ex. 19,10; Num. 19, 7; Judith 7, and was soon extended to embrace every form of Levitical purifying that was done with water, Heb.9,10;
  One of the earliest forms of religious ablutions was the baptism of priests at their consecration, Ex.29, 1-9; 40,12. There is an allusion to this washing of priests in Heb. 10, 22. Any defilement of the body contracted by the priests after their installation, in the daily performance of their duties, especially by contact of their hands and feet with unclean things, had to be removed by washing these members when they entered the sanctuary, Ex. 30, 17-21; 40; 30-32. Two passages of the psalms refer to this custom, Ps. 26, 6; 73, 13. If an Israelite had touched the carcass of an animal or carried any part thereof, he was considered unclean and had to wash his clothes and his body, Lev. 11, 24-28. 39, 40; 5, 2; 22, 4-6.
  In the course of John the Baptist's ministry, during which he had occasion to administer a sharp rebuke to the Pharisees and Sadducees,  Jesus also received Baptism at his hands, whereupon there
occurred a marvelous revelation of the Triune God.
 There was a baptism of those who recovered from leprosy,Lev 13, 6. 34. On the great day of atonement the high priest performed very careful ablutions, both at the beginnings and at the conclusions of his ministrations, Lev. 16, 4, 24.
The man who led the scapegoat into the wilderness and likewise he who carried forth without the camp the bullock and the goat for a sin offering, were required to bathe their flesh in water,Lev. 26-28.  When Levites were consecrated, they were sprinkled with water, Num. 8, 5-7. 21.
  There were also  other ceremonial washing's or baptisms, with which the Jews were familiar, Lev. 15, 1-29; Num. 15, 1-9; 23,10. 11.
 But the most interesting of the Jewish religious washing's was the baptism of the proselytes, who, after bring instructed in certain parts of the law, and having fresh profession of their faith, were immersed in water, after which they were considered full-fledged Israelites in all things. It is this ceremony to which the baptism of John, in its outward form was related.
 Another interesting question is that concerning the difference, if any, between the baptism of John and that instituted by Christ. It must be noted, on the one hand, that there are many points of agreement. John baptized by divine command, Luke 3, 11; Mark 1, 8; Luke 3, 16; John 1, 26; 3, 23. it was finally, a Baptism unto repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,  Mark 1, 4; Luke 3, 3. In all these features it agreed with the Baptism of Christ.
  Nevertheless, there was a difference between the baptism of John and that of Christ. When Paul came to Ephesus and found certain disciples that had merely been baptized into John's baptism, he baptized them in the name the Lord Jesus, Acts 19,1-16 The chief points of difference between the two baptisms are indicated in this passage. John's baptism is consistently called a "baptism of repentance." It was administered to adults only, to such as confessed their sins, as had reached the age of discretion, Matt 3,6; Mark 1, 5, whereas the baptism of Christ is for all people, including the Children, acts 2, 39, 41; Col. 2,11. The baptism of Jesus works and transmits the forgiveness of sins as a gift which has been earned; The baptism of John points forward to the winning of this precious  
 boon through the redemption to be made through Jesus Christ. In short, the baptism of John was typical, preparatory, as was his preaching; the glorious fulfilment has come in and with Christ.