Baptism

The Foundations of Church

It seems like I’ve started an unintentional series but I’m going to continue that series which I’ll retroactively name The Foundations of Church. The first was all about the parts we fulfill in the church being Members, Deacons, and Elders. Then we walked through the Lord’s Supper. This time I want to tackle Baptism.

I really like telling stories and sometimes in teaching mode it can be a little tougher to do story mode but I think we can keep enough story here to move us through understanding baptism. Before we get started though I think we need to wrestle a little bit with this word.

First a quick history on the word. The word that was written down in the Bible was in Greek and the word is baptizo. I had a whole thing put together to talk about the history of this word as it’s made its way into English. I had some cool Old English translations that I was trying to understand and I was telling a pastor friend of mine who lives in Iowa about this rabbit hole I was getting into in Old English but when I said it was to explain some more about Baptism he exclaimed OH, the pickle story. I had to stop and say WHAT? He briefly explained it and that was just so much better than everything I spent time on with the history stuff so I scrapped that part, you can thank me later, and decided to tell you about pickles on a Sunday morning. You see we have found a really old recipe. I mean old like 130s BC old… By a Poet and Physician named Nicander and in the instructions for making a remedy for some ailment it told you how pickle a vegetable. In those instructions the Greek word Bapto comes up telling you to dip the vegetable in boiling water then to Baptizo it into vinegar and put salt on top plus some mustard plant. Right in this recipe we see the difference between dip and immerse. The dip is quick and does not alter the vegetable. The immersion is all the way in, and it changes the vegetable. That’s important if you want to make a pickle. It can’t just be an in and an out. You might be thinking… we’re talking about baptism, don’t we just put people in and out of the water for baptism? We’re not pickling people… Yes, but our baptism is a symbol of something bigger and we’re going to get to that.

I know that you might be thinking this is going to be way too much about this “church word” and I say church word because you don’t go to the store and ask for a dozen baptized donuts… just saying that out loud sounds a little weird. The closest we might still get is to use a phrase like a baptism by fire speaking of a new co-worker just being tossed into the job or a soldier’s first taste of real war. That usage is dying off but I think most people would still know what you mean when you say it. In those examples it’s clear we mean immersed in something. That’s the most simple meaning of the word baptism, immersion.

Now let’s look at the story we find through the Bible to help us understand this baptism thing. Turn to Mark chapter one if you want to follow along here.

At the start the Gospel of Mark we’re introduced to the one who comes before Jesus to prepare the way. John comes baptizing people out in the desert. This is out east of Jericho and north of the Dead Sea somewhere along the Jordan river. He was proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Now the people from all over the area including Jerusalem came out and were being baptized by John and confessing their sins. John preached telling others that after he came there was another who is mightier. John says “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Some time later Jesus came down and was was baptized by John in the Jordan. Mark 1:10-11

Mark 1:10–11 ESV

And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Right away I noticed that Jesus in his baptism had to come up out of the water. John didn’t splash Jesus or pour some water on him. Jesus had to go under the water to come up from water. Every event of baptism we see in the Bible is immersion into then out of water. Next we get the divine recognition of Jesus with the Spirit resting on him and the Father’s blessing. Jesus continues on, calls disciples, does miracles, and teaches much about the Kingdom of God to a great many people. We get to Mark 10:35-44 (vs 38-39)

Mark 10:35–40 ESV

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

James and John who I can only think of as fairly young men come with this question. We want you to do whatever we ask of you… Have you gotten this type of request from your kids before? “Okay, you have to do what I ask you to do..” then you get their clearly self centered request.

So they drop this “request” to basically be the most important people under Jesus. Jesus responds. Mark 10.38-39 “Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized,” But he doesn’t promise them the position they asked for. What is this cup and what is this baptism? Let’s see if we find the cup Jesus has to drink later on. Ah we see it here in Mark 14:32-36

Mark 14:32–36 ESV

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

That cup was his suffering and then death. Jesus was crucified being innocent he chose to go to the cross. He did that because it was his destiny. He planned this before the foundation of the world. The only sacrifice that could truly atone for our sins before a just and holy God was a sacrifice by the Holy One who came and took on flesh lived a perfect life fulfilling the law and had his blood spilled out on our behalf. He was buried and rose to life on the third day just like the scriptures tell us.

James was the first of the Apostles to be Martyred and John the last Apostle to die. Both suffered greatly for the Gospel in their lifetimes. And the baptism? This baptism wasn’t referring, I dont’ think to the baptism Christians will later do. I think Jesus is saying your lives will be immersed in persecution. Jesus does give us a command to baptize as one of his last instructions. Mat 28.19 “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,” That’s the baptism into the death of Christ, his burial and his resurrection. These are pictured in our practice as one goes down under the water and then you are brought back up.

After Jesus tells them this they have to wait first for the feast of weeks, or Pentecost as you might have heard it before. There the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples and Peter begins to preach. He speaks to the people in Jerusalem of the great king David who nonetheless died and was buried and his bones were still in that grave. But Jesus is resurrected! Acts 2:36-38

Acts 2:36–38 ESV

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “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.

This then became part of the pattern where people repent and believe they get baptized.

Acts 2:41 ESV

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

This pattern continues with Phillip in Samaria who baptizes all those who believe even Simon the magician who had gotten plenty of attention for himself in the area up to this point but when he believed he also got baptized.

Acts 8:26–38 ESV

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

We jump to Peter who, after going to a gentile’s house for a big meal, opens his mouth in Acts 10 and tells them the Gospel.

Acts 10:36–48 ESV

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Likewise Paul who has gone out now to the gentiles to preach comes to Philippi where this is written in Acts 16.13-15

Acts 16:13–15 ESV

And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

We continue to get account after account of people who believed and were baptized in Acts.

Paul even gives us his own testimony about how he persecuted the church but then Jesus came to him in a vision and blinded him. Paul was sent to Damascus blind and there met Ananias and received his sight again. Ananias tells of God’s plans for him and Paul who has submitted to God gets baptized as a believer.

What’s our takeaway from the things we read about in the Bible this morning?

What is baptism? What is the point? Rom 6.3-4 Paul drives home the point!

Romans 6:3–4 ESV

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

This baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and our being identified with him as dead, buried and resurrected to new life IN Christ.

We, as believers, do this in our public declaration of faith. It shows a powerful picture for how we are identified with the death and burial of Christ. Then we are brought up out of the water as Christ was brought up out of death from the grave.

Colossians 2:12 ESV

having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Christians have been baptizing believers since the Pentecost. It is a testimony of their faith and an obedience to the command of Jesus if we remember earlier it was said in Mat 28.19

Matthew 28:19 ESV

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,

In the early times they just did it where and when they could as the opportunity arose.

As the church moved out of being persecuted they started building places for baptism.

[PHOTO] Here they built onto the river for baptisms. There is a tradition that this is the place the Apostle Paul baptized Lydia so they build a place to keep doing that!

Hundreds of years into church history when they have buildings [PHOTO] they built in a place to baptize people if they aren’t close to a body of water.

Now

Some basic questions and answers I think still need to be addressed.

Do I have to be baptized to be saved?

Simple answer, NO. We can easily look to the thief on the cross who depended on Christ for salvation and he had not been baptized. Christ affirmed that He would be there in paradise with Him. In the same way being the member of a church, or partaking of the Lord’s Supper also is not a requirement for salvation.

The next obvious question is

Should I be baptized? Is that a big deal?

Yes, you should be baptized. It might not be necessary for salvation but it is certainly expected for believers to be obedient to the command to believe and be baptized. Again the same question can be asked about church membership or participation in the Lord’s Supper. You should be a member too, like baptism there is an expectation for Christians to be joined to their local church. If you’re a baptized believer you should participate in the Lord’s Supper.

What if I was baptized as a baby, just sprinkled or poured over as an adult?

You should be baptized in the way the Bible depicts baptism. The Bible always depicts baptisms happening to believers and those believers are immersed. What kind of a picture for the death, burial, and resurrection is a sprinkling?

I want to encourage anyone here who has become a Christian and has wondered what the next step in that walk looks like. The next step after recognizing Jesus as the resurrected Lord, and repenting of our sin is baptism.

I would encourage anyone with questions about baptism to come and talk to any of the elders. If you want to be baptized Pastor Mark will certainly want to meet with you sometime and talk some more about that. I am excited that next week Caleb will be baptized and we’ll get to see the obedience to God demonstrated so soon after talking about it.

Prayer.