Baptism and the Humility of John the Baptist and Jesus

Introduction

This week and in the coming weeks, we will have several baptisms. Praise the Lord.

My favorite phrase to say in all of church life is, “buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in a new life.”

We are identifying in Christ’s death. We die to our sin as He died for our sins.

In the same way, we are raised to walk in a new life, because He rose from the grave.

As Baptists, we believe that we are baptized as believer’s - meaning that we aren’t baptized for any other reason than the fact that we have become believers in Christ. We are displaying to the world our decision and entering a covenant with a local body.

If this is the case - death to sin and life in Christ - then I have a question for you this morning. Why was Jesus baptized?

Luke 3:15–21 ESV

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison. Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,

Explanation

Luke 3:15-17 “As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.””

More of Jesus means less of me.

Two weeks ago, Jonathan preached on the powerful teachings of John the Baptist.

John went toe to toe with the religious leaders, called out the king, and preached against common sins while telling his followers to repent.

He had a powerful, God-ordained message. Repent.

You can have a powerful, God-ordained, God-given message - but that doesn’t make you - GOD.

The people around John were asking if He was the Messiah. Whether innocently or maliciously, they were attempting to elevate Him from the designation that God gave Him.

John utterly annihilates this way of thinking in his followers.

I am not worthy of touching his sandal straps.

Outside of an act of ritual impurity or sin, no act was looked upon more lowly than touching someone’s sandals. It was the lowest act that you could perform for someone.

John is saying, “I am not worthy of even associating with Him.”

This statement isn’t false humility but truth. John knew that Jesus was different than Him. Jesus was God, and He was not.

He realizes his sinfulness and his utter smallness in light of the ministry of Jesus.

APPLICATION: God uses humble people. How do we humble ourselves?

John Flavel // They that know God will be humble, and they that know themselves, cannot be proud.

John had an honest view of himself.

God was great, and He was not.

Andrew Murray // “Here is the path to the higher life: down, lower down! Just as water always seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds men abased and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and bless.

Just as water goes to the lowest place, God’s power and mercy flows to the lowest person He can find.

“Let’s go lower.” Asbury Revival

Jesus plans are cosmic.

John saw that Jesus’ plan was bigger than his plan.

Sometimes we have to stop and revel in God’s cosmic plan.

The predominant philosophy of our age is “I am the master of my own fate.” We tell our kids that they can do anything they want to do. We aspire to this achievement based individualism.

You know what our reward for so many is? Stress.

Now, I believe that individualism is a GOOD thing...

AND we ought to work hard to the glory of God.

When achievement and individualism become sinfully prideful is when we become consumed with our own purposes and our own desires over the Lord’s.

What happens when we pursue our purposes instead of the Lord’s is one of two things.

We never get it.

We get it, and we realize that it wasn’t worth the relationship cost with the Lord.

The most stressed I have ever been in my life were the moments I was begging the Lord to bless my purposes instead of submitting to His.

Because it’s impossible to have a plan perfect enough for God to bless.

We cannot, as finite creatures, account for every contingency or issue or struggle.

Give your purpose back to God. He can do more with you than you can.

Jesus was bringing grace and judgement upon the souls of man - something that you and I, nor John the Baptist, cannot do.

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”

“His winnowing for is in His hand to clear the threshing floor, gather the wheat, and burn the chaff.”

A winnowing fork was used to pick up beaten grain and throw it into the air.

Grain, which was heavy would be gathered by workers.

Chaff, the dried husk of the grain, would float away in the wind.

John says, “What I am doing is meaningless - unless Christ does something in you.”

We are just dunking each other in a pool unless Jesus has wrought life-change in our hearts.

Luke 3:18-20 “So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.”

Biblical convictions often have personal consequences.

John the Baptist preached good news to the people, but they only heard his conviction of sin.

Sometimes, God’s servants say things that people don’t want to hear. John faces the consequences for what He was told to prophecy. To preach on forgiveness of sin, one must also preach about sin.

Humility says, “I am not entitled to safety or comfort. But by His blood, I am entitled to Jesus, which is far better.”

Luke 3:21-22 “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.””

Our baptism displays to Him that we identify with His death. Christ’s baptism displays to us that He identifies with our life.

Jesus is identifying with humanity.

Jesus is identified with His Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit.

Make no mistake. Jesus, the Messiah, God Incarnate - submitted to His Father’s plans and stepped into the world to be identified with us.

Theologians call this the Condescension. That Jesus condescended to earth for us.

Invitation

Give your life to Jesus.

Return to Jesus.

Join the local church, Jesus’ bride.

Come and be baptized.