Matthew 3v16

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

This verse suggests that Jesus was completely immersed in the water during the act of baptism. Indeed, the English word ‘baptize’ comes from the original Greek word ‘baptizo’, which means to dip, plunge or immerse – in this case in water. Jesus would have needed to be in the water in order to be able to come “up straightway out of the water”. This is in contrast to some parts of Christianity, which ‘sprinkle’ with water rather than immerse in water – a practice we have not found any foundation for in the Bible.

For a further explanation of the manifestation of the dove, see the explanation of John 1v33 in section {47 }.