OPEN: A woman once took her 4-year-old daughter to a baptismal service at her church. Later that night, her daughter took all of her dolls into the bathtub with her and held her own “baptism.” As she dunked each doll under the water, she repeated, “Now I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and hold your nose.”
APPLY: That little girl had observed a baptismal service but she was really too young to know what was going on. She simply knew people got dunked and that the preacher had recited something about the Father and the Son, etc.. But she didn’t quite understand what was going on, or why the preacher had said what he said.
I. John the Baptist had sent by God for two specific purposes
1st He had been sent to preach “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” Luke 3:3
AND 2nd, he had been sent to “go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him” Luke 1:76
Those wouldn’t have seemed to be difficult missions for John to understand. For 6 months or more, John had been preaching persuasive messages condemning sin and calling for repentance. People came in droves to hear his powerful sermons and were baptized by him in the Jordan.
But then along comes Jesus – along comes “the Lord” he was to prepare the way for - and suddenly John seems confused. Jesus requests to be baptized by John, “But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’” Matthew 3:14
This wasn’t what John had expected. This wasn’t in accordance with the instructions he thought he’d been given. He’s almost incredulous “What do you mean baptize you. You should be baptizing me!”
But Jesus responds "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Matthew 3:15
In other words, Jesus is telling John: “This is what you were sent to do. This is the fulfillment of your mission.”
There was something inherent in John baptizing Jesus that “prepared the way for Jesus.” But John was confused. His baptism was for the “forgiveness of sins”… BUT Jesus didn’t need to be baptized for that reason. Jesus hadn’t sinned. Jesus was God in the flesh.
II. Why would Jesus need to be baptized by John????
Well… Jesus’ baptism by John was the beginning of Jesus’ ministry
Mark 1:1 starts out with the words: “The BEGINNING of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” - and then Mark proceeds to tell us about Jesus’ baptism by John.
Luke 3:23 describes Jesus’ baptism by John and then declares: “Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he BEGAN HIS MINISTRY…”
At this point in Jewish history, water baptism served one of 3 purposes.
1st, there was the Baptism Of Repentance. This was what John the Baptist’s was preaching. But of course Jesus didn’t need to repent because He hadn’t sinned.
The 2nd kind of baptism was for people who desired to convert to Judaism. It was a Baptism Of Conversion. If you were a Gentile who wanted to convert to Judaism, you were baptized in water. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explained that : “The Jews were accustomed to say of a heathen proselyte, on his public admission into the Jewish faith by baptism, that he was a new-born child.” So, baptism was used when someone wanted to convert to Judaism. But Jesus had no need to convert to Judaism… because He’d been born a Jew.
So… for what OTHER reason would a person be baptized in water back then???
The only other people who experienced baptism - in the Jewish faith in that day were the priests. The Law dictated that especially the High Priest was to “washed with water.”
In Leviticus 8:6 we’re told that - by the instruction of God – “Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.” Later, during that ceremony Moses “poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.” Leviticus 8:12
This act initiated Aaron’s ministry as High Priest. When Aaron and his sons were washed with water and anointed with oil… they began their priesthood and were empowered to make sacrifices and handle holy things as God’s representatives. At that point, God put His mark of approval on the ministry of Aaron and his sons.
The Bible tell us that Jesus’ ministry began with His baptism by John. After His baptism, the Father anointed Jesus from on High with Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove. And the Father put His mark of approval on Jesus by loudly declaring: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17
This was the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as our High Priest. Hebrews 4:14 tells us: “… we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God...”
From the day of His baptism by John at the Jordan until His death on the Cross Jesus (as our High Priest) prepared the ultimate sacrifice for sins… His own body.
III. So… what difference does that make to us?
Why should we care whether or not Jesus went thru this ritual at the Jordan River?
(…pause) Well, it should matter to us… because it mattered to God. Jesus could easily have “skipped” this formality. After all… it was just a “ritual.”
(…pause) Actually – no. This more than a ritual. This was a sacred ceremony. This was why John the Baptist had been sent. This was ultimately why John was baptizing down at the Jordan.
Jesus came Specifically to John - for the purpose of being baptized by him.
And this event was so important to God…that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and the voice of God thundered from heaven.
And this ritual… this sacred ceremony was not to be put off
Jesus said: "Let it be so now…” Matthew 3:15
At once
Immediately
Without delay
This ritual was SO important to God it was NOT to be delayed.
IV. You know… there are people who regard OUR being baptized in water as a mere ritual.
They don’t think of it as all that important.
But the importance of baptism for the Christian is hard to miss. In fact, it is so obvious in its implications that most cultures rebel when their people are baptized.
ILLUS: Watchman Nee once wrote about his observations on this matter:
“Any Jew who embraces the Christian faith IN SECRET will not be persecuted. Many Jews believe in the historical record concerning the Lord Jesus. Their greatest hurdle is not in believing in Him - but in baptism. Once they are baptized, they are cast out.”
“In India, no one will do anything to a believer IF HE IS NOT BAPTIZED. But once he is baptized, they will cast him out. It is all right for one to believe in the Lord, but he cannot be baptized.”
“The reaction of the Muslims is more violent. Someone once said that it is difficult for a Muslim believer to remain alive. As soon as he believes, he will die. Dr. Swema was one of the first persons to have succeeded in working among the Muslims. He said, ‘My work will never grow, because once a person believes in the Lord, he has to be sent away immediately. Otherwise, he will die within two or three days after his baptism.’”
Our Hispanic preacher, Rafael Tirado, runs into the same problems in his efforts to preach to those in the Hispanic culture. He has taught Mexicans and Dominicans and other Spanish speaking people. And these people will come to Bible Studies, Church Services, Revival meetings. But when it comes to being baptized… they balk. For they know that the minute they are buried in the waters of baptism they are considered “dead” by their friends and families. They will be ostracized by those who have always been there for them.
So even non-Christian cultures understand the sacred nature of Christian baptism.
V. In addition, there are significant things that take place at our baptism.
Do you remember what was significant about Jesus’ baptism? (It began His ministry as our High Priest).
Likewise, our baptism begins our ministry as priests of God.
1 Peter 2:9 declares that “you are a chosen people, a royal PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
And Revelation 1:5 and 6 says: “…Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and PRIESTS to serve his God and Father— to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
You see, our baptism initiated us into our ministry as priests in the same way it initiated Aaron and his sons into their ministry. You are now priests of God. Empowered to handle the “holy things” of God. You can partake of communion, baptize other people into Christ, read from His Holy Word… all without a priest doing those things for you. You can even go directly into the presence of God and present your prayers and petitions to Him without a priest to serve as an intermediary for you. You are priests who serve along side the Elders and the Sunday School teachers, and the youth ministers and the preaching ministers. The only difference between you and I in God’s eyes is the functions that we perform as His priests.
IN ADDITION to this
Jesus said: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16
And when the crowd at Pentecost asked what they should do, “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one 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
Unique things take place when we’re baptized
Paul wrote: “…all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:27
And in Romans 6:3-4 he declared: “… all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
So in baptism we clothe ourselves with Jesus. And in baptism we are buried with Jesus into death and risen up to a new life.
This is not just a ritual… it is a sacred ceremony.
And just as God honored Jesus by having the Holy Spirit descend upon Him at the Jordan - when we’re baptized into Christ, we receive His Holy Spirit as well.
Peter told the crowd at Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized, every one 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
When we’re baptized into Christ – God gives us His Spirit as a sign that He has accepted us as His children.
On the day of Pentecost 3000 people felt compelled to be buried with Christ. There was a sense of urgency that could not be delayed or postponed.
In another story from Acts 8 we’re told:
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road— the desert road— that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’
So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.
The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.
‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’
The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’
And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Why this sense of urgency? Because this was not just a ritual… it was a sacred ceremony. It was an acceptance of God’s free gift of salvation. It was something that had to be done NOW… at once… immediately… without delay!
CLOSE: Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation II Corinthians 6:2
ILLUS: The story is told of a man who rushed into a suburban railroad station one morning and, almost breathlessly, asked the ticket agent: “When does the 8:01 train leave?”
“At 8:01,” was the answer.
“Well,” the man replied, “it is 7:59 by my watch, 7:57 by the town clock, and 8:04 by the station clock. Which am I to go by?”
“You can go by any clock you wish,” said the agent, “but you cannot go by the 8:01 train, for it has already left.”
SERMONS IN THIS SERIES (“3:16 and Jesus”)
The Greatest Love - John 3:16-3:16
Why Was Jesus Baptized? - Matthew 3:1-3:17
The True Seed Of Abraham - Galatians 3:1-3:18
Is Jesus In Here? - 1 Timothy 3:14-3:16
