Did Jesus baptise people himself?

John answers the question himself. Having twice spoken of Jesus baptising, he adds a note to make clear what he means: “Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples” (John 4:2). The disciples baptised at his direction and by his authority, so the baptisms were his, even though another hand performed them. John writes as one who knew both statements and saw no conflict; his note is there to prevent a misunderstanding, not to correct a mistake.

This way of speaking is common in every language. John says that “Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him” (John 19:1), though the governor would not have wielded the whip himself. The Old Testament says that “Solomon built the house, and finished it” (1 Kings 6:14), though thousands of workmen did the building (1 Kings 5:13–18). We still say that a general took a city when his soldiers did the fighting. Adam Clarke puts it plainly: what the disciples did by his authority and command is attributed to himself. The report brought to John the Baptist (3:26) and the report that reached the Pharisees (4:1) describe the movement as people saw it: crowds were being baptised as disciples of Jesus.

Jesus baptised at first

Clarke mentions an older suggestion that Jesus baptised at first, before he had disciples to do it, and afterwards left it to them. John 4:2 reads more naturally as a general statement, so most commentators prefer the answer above.

Why Jesus did not baptise

Barnes suggests that Jesus left baptising to others so that no one could boast of having been baptised by him, a danger Paul saw at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:13–17). Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add that Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit, and left the outward sign to his servants.