Sermon Title: “In the Name of Jesus: Washed and Made New”
Introduction – A Personal Story
I want to begin by taking you back to a moment that has shaped my entire life. I was nine years old. I had gone to the altar and given my heart to the Lord. There, as I repented and called on Jesus, I was filled with the Holy Spirit My pastor baptized me in the name of Jesus.
I remember my mom asking me afterwards, “How do you feel?” I didn’t hesitate. I said, “I feel clean.”
That was a watershed moment for me. I have gone back to that moment again and again in my walk with God. Why? Because it was there that something definitive happened. My sins were washed away. My identity was changed. I went down in the name of Jesus, and I came up clean.
I. The Ministry of John – A Call to Repentance (Mark 1:4–5; Luke 3:3)
Before Jesus began His public ministry, God raised up a voice crying in the wilderness—John the Baptist. His baptism was one of repentance. It prepared the people for the coming of the Lord. Mark 1:4 says:
“John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
People came out confessing their sins, turning from their old lives, and submitting to the washing of water. This wasn’t just a ritual—it was a statement: “I’m done with the old. I want to be ready for the new.”
But John’s baptism was not the final word. He said:
“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16)
John’s ministry pointed ahead to something greater—to Jesus and the new birth that would come through water and Spirit.
II. Jesus’s Baptism – Our Example and Identification
Text: Matthew 3:13–17
Even though Jesus had no sin to repent of, He came to John and was baptized. When John resisted, Jesus said:
“Let it be so now; it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matt. 3:15)
In being baptized, Jesus did not repent—He identified. He stood in our place. He stepped into the waters of repentance with humanity. And as He came up from the water, heaven opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and a voice said:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
In Jesus’s baptism, we see both His humility and the divine approval that marks baptism as more than a symbolic act—it is a moment when heaven speaks.
III. Jesus and His Disciples Baptizing
Text: John 3:22; 4:1–2
Later in His ministry, we read:
“After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.” (John 3:22)
John 4:2 clarifies that Jesus Himself didn’t baptize, but His disciples did—under His authority. Baptism became a regular part of the ministry of the kingdom, even before Pentecost.
This sets a pattern: the call to repent and be baptized was not a temporary act of John’s ministry—it was central to the mission of Jesus and His followers.
IV. The Apostolic Pattern – Baptism in the Name of Jesus
Key Texts: Acts 2:38; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:48; Acts 19:5; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3–4; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:11–12; James 2:7
After Jesus rose from the dead, He gave His disciples one last commission:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19, CSB)
How did the apostles understand and obey this command?
Acts 2:38 – On the Day of Pentecost
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, declared:
“‘Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38, CSB)
This was the first sermon of the church. Thousands responded—and they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 8:16 – The Samaritans
“…they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 8:16, CSB)
Acts 10:48 – Cornelius and His Household
“He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.” (Acts 10:48, CSB)
Acts 19:5 – Disciples of John in Ephesus
“When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:5, CSB)
Acts 22:16 – Paul’s Own Testimony
“And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:16, CSB)
Romans 6:3–4 – Baptism as Union with Christ’s Death and Resurrection
“Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3–4, CSB)
Galatians 3:27 – Baptism as Putting on Christ
“For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27, CSB)
Baptism is not just forgiveness—it is a putting on of Christ. It’s about identity and union with Him.
Colossians 2:11–12 – Baptism as Circumcision of the Heart
“You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:11–12, CSB)
Baptism is a spiritual circumcision—a cutting away of the old nature and a burial that leads to resurrection by faith.
James 2:7 – The Name Invoked Over You
“Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?” (James 2:7, CSB)
James refers to the invocation of the name of Jesus as something that happened to believers—a clear allusion to baptism, where the name is called over the one being immersed. It shows that the name of Jesus wasn’t just something they believed in—it was something invoked over them in their baptismal identity.
Together, these passages form a unified witness: the early church consistently baptized new believers in the name of Jesus. This wasn’t a minor detail—it was a matter of obedience, identity, and spiritual transformation. Baptism was the moment sins were washed away, the old self was buried, and the believer was raised to new life in Christ. In baptism, the name of Jesus was invoked over the believer—signifying authority, belonging, and covenant. Whether Jew or Gentile, young or old, filled with the Spirit before or after baptism—the command remained: be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
This brings us to the question: why the name? Why were the apostles so insistent on invoking Jesus’ name at baptism? To answer that, we need to understand the theology of the name—and what it means for salvation, identity, and remission of sins.
V. The Theology of the Name – Power, Identity, and Remission
Why did the apostles insist that new believers be baptized in the name of Jesus?
Because the name “Jesus” is not just a label—it is a revelation.
The name Jesus is the English form of the Greek Iesous, which is a transliteration of the Aramaic Yeshua. Yeshua is itself a shortened form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), meaning “YHWH saves” or “YHWH is salvation.” It is a compound name of God that joins the covenant name YHWH with the act of saving.
In other words, the name Jesus reveals who God is and what God does. He is the saving God. The name of Jesus is not a new name disconnected from the Old Testament—it is the full unveiling of the covenant God of Israel, now revealed in the flesh.
“And you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, CSB)
In Jesus, YHWH has come to save. To invoke His name is to invoke the name of God Himself—not just as Creator or Judge, but as Savior. All that we need is in Jesus—salvation, deliverance, healing, hope, authority, and identity.
This is why the early church baptized in the name of Jesus: because it is the saving name, the name in which heaven’s authority and earth’s hope meet.
Acts 4:12 – The Exclusive Saving Name
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, CSB)
There is only one name that carries the authority to forgive sins and open the way to eternal life: Jesus.
Colossians 3:17 – Do All in His Name
“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17, CSB)
If everything we do is to be done in the name of Jesus, then baptism—our surrender to His lordship and new birth—must be done in His name.
Galatians 3:27 – Clothed with Christ
“For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27, CSB)
When you are baptized in His name, you take on His identity. You are clothed with Christ—not just forgiven, but united with Him.
James 2:7 – The Worthy Name Invoked Over You
“Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?” (James 2:7, CSB)
James refers to baptism as the moment when the name of Jesus was invoked—called aloud—over the believer. This echoes the ancient Jewish tradition of speaking the name of God in covenantal moments. Baptism is not a silent ritual—it is a naming ceremony, where heaven recognizes you as belonging to Jesus.
Philippians 2:9–11 – The Name Above Every Name
“For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11, CSB)
God gave Jesus the name above every name—and that name is to be confessed and bowed to by all. In baptism, we bow to that name and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Isaiah 45:22–23 – YHWH’s Name and the Bowing of Every Knee
“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; truth has gone from my mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to me, every tongue will swear allegiance.” (Isaiah 45:22–23, CSB)
Paul is quoting this passage in Philippians, showing that what was once said of YHWH is now fulfilled in Jesus. To invoke the name of Jesus is to confess that Jesus is YHWH—the only Savior.
From the waters of the Jordan to the preaching of the apostles, from Jewish converts in Jerusalem to Gentile believers in Ephesus, the early church understood something we must never forget: salvation is in the name of Jesus. To be baptized in His name is to declare that He is both Lord and Savior—YHWH come in flesh, crucified, buried, and risen.
Baptism is not a cold tradition. It is the moment when the saving name of Jesus is invoked over your life. It is burial, new birth, and covenant. It is a holy moment where heaven opens and God calls you His own.
To be baptized in the name of Jesus is the fulfillment of Matthew 28:19. Jesus told His disciples:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19, CSB)
In the name of Jesus, we have the transcendent Father, God incarnate in the Son, and the immanence and indwelling Spirit.
Jesus said
“I have come in my Father’s name…” (John 5:43)
The angel said to Mary,
“You are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, CSB)
And Jesus said of the Holy Spirit,
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things…” (John 14:26, CSB)
When you get Jesus, you get all of God. If you know Jesus, you know enough.
“No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well…” (1 John 2:23, CSB)
“Jesus told him, “I ama the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7, CSB)
Paul declared:
“For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ…” (Colossians 2:9, CSB)
And again:
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him…” (Colossians 1:19, CSB)
So when the apostles baptized in the name of Jesus, they weren’t disobeying Jesus—they were obeying Him with revelation. They understood that Jesus is the name that reveals the Father, embodies the Son, and sends the Spirit.
Conclusion – Come and Be Washed
Maybe today you feel weighed down by sin, shame, or confusion. Maybe you’ve heard the name of Jesus your whole life but have never gone down into the water in His name. Maybe you’ve believed, maybe you’ve repented, but you haven’t yet been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
I was nine years old when I stepped into the water. I had just repented and received the Holy Spirit. My pastor baptized me in the name of Jesus, and when I came out of that water, my mom asked me, “How do you feel?” I still remember my answer. I said,
“I feel clean.”
That moment has anchored me all my life. It wasn’t just symbolic. It was real. I was buried with Jesus. I came up in newness of life. His name was called over me. His blood washed me. His Spirit filled me. And I have never been the same.
You can have that moment, too.
Be obedient to the Word. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Identify with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. Let His name be called over your life. Let heaven open above you. Let your past be buried, and your new life begin.
Come today. Be baptized in His name. Find the cleansing I found.
Find the life.
Find the name.
Find Jesus.
