Cleansed And Washed

Cleansed & Washed

Date: Sept 14, 2008

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17; John 13:3-17.

In our church we celebrate two sacraments, or ordinances, whatever you might call them. I prefer to call them sacraments. And I prefer that word because I do believe that Christ is spiritually present with us when we observe these rituals.

An ordinance is something God has ordained for us to do

Any act of obedience is an act of worship, and since we know that Christ ordained these two acts, then we worship him through obedience when we observe them. Therefore, since we know that God inhabits the praise of his people, and worship is praise to God, then God (Christ) is present with us and therefore providing his grace and mercy to us through these acts of obedience.

Okay, so that’s why I prefer to use the term sacrament. As far as I know, there is no reference anywhere in the Bible to the word sacrament OR ordinance, so it’s a matter of interpretation and what definition a group or culture attaches to them.

Today, we will observe both sacraments. In just a few moments we will receive communion. This afternoon we will celebrate believers’ baptism.

So this morning, I thought it would be appropriate to look at both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper rather than one or the other.

Before Jesus began his public ministry, he was baptized by John, in the Jordan River. He was an adult. Adult baptism has traditionally been called “Believer’s Baptism.” The first extra-biblical references to “Believers’ Baptism” date back as early as 120 AD in the Didache and there we find instructions on how to carry out a baptism. It’s interesting to note some of the preferences for this ordinance:

First of all: Cold water was preferred over warm (we may have that this afternoon!)

Second, it should be “living” water (or running water) that is used (such as a river...).

Thirdly, it was ordered that the one being baptized should fast one or two days before. In fact, all those at the baptism were encouraged to fast, but at the very least, those being baptized.

Now the Didache is not an authoritative word from the Lord like the Bible is, but we CAN learn from it what the practices for baptism were in the days immediately following Paul’s letters and the gospel writings. The candidates for baptism will likely be happy to hear that it’s thought that the reason for cold, running water had to do with health. The fasting? Well, that’s a good spiritual discipline for any age.

As we look at baptism first this morning, I want to give you some things that I believe we see from what the Bible says. First, I believe:

1. Baptism is a sign of cleansing.

And the reason I’m suggesting that is because Oxford’s dictionary says that to “cleanse” is to make thoroughly clean - to get rid of something unpleasant or unwanted.”

First John tells us that if we confess our sins he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And Jesus when he was persuading John to baptize him said that his baptism was necessary in order to “fulfill all righteousness.”

We know that righteousness means “right standing” with God. When we confess our sins, we come, through his grace, into right standing with God and when we are baptized we fulfill, or complete, again through His grace, that right standing with Him - righteousness.

The second thing I notice about baptism is that:

2. Baptism is an intentional act of obedience.

Verse 13 tells us that Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River. Now we don’t know exactly what part of the Jordan River Jesus went to, and we don’t know exactly where in Galilee Jesus came from. It’s most likely that he came from home - which was Nazareth. Nazareth was in the hill country of Galilee, so it’s probable that he came down from Nazareth to the Jordan river. He was intentional about getting to the river to be baptized.

The third thing I notice about baptism is that:

3. Fulfilling all righteousness, or carrying out all that God requires, will meet with resistance.

When Jesus asked John to baptize him, John argued with him. ME! Baptize YOU! You should be baptizing me!!

But what I also notice here too, is that John meant well. John’s heart was certainly in the right place. He was perplexed that Jesus would ask such a thing of him, even though at that point, he had not had it confirmed for him, who Jesus was.

And when we intentionally obey God’s calling on our lives, we will meet with resistance.

Right after Jesus was baptized he was tempted for 40 days until finally he had resisted the devil enough that the devil left him until he could find another opportunity.