John the Baptist started baptism and it continued with Jesus Christ. However, it is important to note that those who lived before John were not baptized, but their faith still brought them salvation.
a clear example of this is The thief on the cross . he had never met Jesus before, but his faith and repentance made the Lord to forgive him and promise him paradise after death, we can also see as it was written in Luke 23:43. we were meant to understand that the mercy of God is great, and sincere repentance can lead to salvation.
For us christians that are living in the modern world , baptism and obedience to God’s commandments is very essential if we are to enter His kingdom.
As believers, baptism is a must, living righteously, and following the teachings of Christ with our whole heart to receive eternal life.
As christians, for us to enter into the kingdom of God, we must be baptized and also live a holy and righteous life.