New Creation Baptism

Introduction

Welcome to TCMS. We are passionate about the gospel and desire to see people embrace Jesus as the all-sufficient treasure of their life.

In the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing Mark’s vision of the in-breaking Kingdom of God. In surveying verses 1-11, we have discussed a couple of ideas:

Mark is advocating for a gospel that is sourced in God, and finds its content in the person of Jesus.

John the Baptist was called to make straight the way of the Lord. He did this by telling people to confess and repent for the forgiveness of sins. John understood that the heart was the fundamental problem that people face and that a person could pave the way for the Lord’s work, by making themselves available for such heart change.

Beneath both of these points, we have argued:

The gospel that you hold will impact your joy, so it is imperative to give yourself to the God-gospel.

We can see restored relationships with God and man through the cycle of reconciliation (confession, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation)

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In each of these previous messages however, there has been one specific term or phrase which has not been reviewed and is part of verses 4-5 and 8-9: baptism.

Our goal for today’s message is to unpack this baptism term as it relates to this passage as well as how it is used in other Scripture.

Our major point for today’s message is going to be that you and I are called to a life that is “all in” when we follow our Lord Jesus Christ. The basis or foundation of our complete commitment to the Lord is that he has our best interest in mind as evidenced by his baptism.

Plain Reading: John’s Preaching and Israel’s Doing

Maybe to the chagrin of worn and weary preachers, one of the things that is evident about John’s ministry was that the content of his preaching was received in action by the people who came to hear him.

V. 4 tells us that John’s message was about receiving a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

V. 5 tells us that all of the country of Judea and all of the people of Jerusalem were being baptized by him in the Jordan River and confessing their sins.

V. 6 is about John’s credentials. Specifically, the language that is used to describe John is the same that is used to describe Elijah in places such as 2 Kings 1:8. The whole point here is to emphasize that John was a prophet.

A couple of things are satisfied by this point then. Just as verses 2-3 tell us that the prophet is going to make straight the way of the Lord in the wilderness, verses 4-6 tell us that John was a prophet, in the wilderness, who preached the coming of the Lord and made the way of the Lord straight by preparing their hearts through confession and repentance for forgiveness.

V. 7-8 Relates to the content of John’s message. This Jesus is one of supreme might and worthiness. John could only baptize in/with/by water, but Jesus could baptize in/with/by the Holy Spirit.

V. 9-11 need to be connected to this section because Jesus comes to John and is baptized by him. The result of this baptism is threefold:

The heavens are torn open

The Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove

A voice from heaven confirms who Jesus is.

Stresses of the Other Gospels

For us, one of the helpful things about reading Mark is that the other gospel writers help us understand what parts of this scene deserve attention. Though the list could be longer here, we will note two things:

John was a prophet who was exceptionally important.

John receives attention in every gospel. John’s introduction actually includes him twice. Matthew 11:9-11 and Luke 7:26-28 are both telling here. Jesus says that the introduction of Mark “Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you...” was about John, and that John was exceedingly great. Matthew 21:26, Mark 11:32, and Luke 20:6 are all univocal in that they describe how all of the people knew John to be a prophet sent from God. Luke 3:15 includes that John’s reputation was so powerful that some had wondered in their hearts if he was actually the Christ. All of these facts simply add flavor to John’s ministry though. Despite having all of the reputation that John did, his messages were always about Jesus.

Jesus’s baptism was scandalous to John.

Matthew 3:14 describes how John tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized and hoped that Jesus would baptize him instead.

Why bring this up?

Before we jump into the “us” part of the story, what we want to have our eyes fixed on is the “him” of the story. Specifically, Jesus was the incarnate God, capable of baptizing in the Holy Spirit. He was mightier and worthier of praise than John, yet Jesus humbled himself and was baptized into the confession and repentance that Israel was taking on.

Some of this was to fulfill prophecy (Deut. 30)

Some of this was to become Israel’s righteous representative.

Some refer to this moment as an inaugural event where Jesus is claimed and crowned by the Holy Spirit to be for Israel what Israel cannot be.

Note the “David”/“Beloved Son” Connection

Why are we talking about Israel? What does that have to do with me?

We won’t be able to do a full treatment of this question here, but the short answer relates to who Israel was supposed to be. Specifically, God’s salvation to the world was to come through Israel. This is painted in OT passages such as Gen. 12, 15, 17, 22 with God’s promises to Abraham as well as Ex. 19 where Israel is supposed to be the “priest nation” to the world.

The problem is, however, that even the most favored humans are still tainted by Adam’s sin. So, the very people who should have every advantage in righteousness don’t have right standing with God because even they cannot be who God has called them to be. Jesus coming onto the scene here is thus a two-fold blessing:

Israel is given the true and righteous king

The world is given hope for redemption because King Jesus is able to accomplish God’s goals.

Baptism Origins?

It is sometimes noted by commentators that scholars frequently scratch their heads about what exactly to think about the “baptism” language that appears in Mark 1:4. Specifically, there are not many exact or perfect parallels between this action that John is doing and the OT template. For some possible close comparisons in the OT, the following are often retrieved as instances where baptism was in view:

Ritual Cleansing in the Levitical Law (such as in Lev. 14)

The healing of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 when Elisha told him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River.

The problem with both of these, however, is that these are not necessarily concerned with sin which is the basic point of the baptisms in verse 4.

Apostolic Readings of Baptism in the OT

Thus, the OT does not seemingly give us a neat one-to-one comparison of baptism, until we read from the apostles.

There are TWO places in the NT which are relevant for our study: (1) 1 Co. 10:1-2, and (2) 1 Peter 3:18-22.

The arc for BOTH scenes could be summarized as “death, burial, and resurrection.”

Just like our previous conversations pertaining to exile and the “son of God”, the two “baptisms” of the OT come from Genesis with Noah and Exodus with Israel. That is to say that the Adam/Israel conversation actually drags into baptism in the OT as well if we follow the apostles.

Though chronologically second, we will treat the exodus from Egypt first because 1 Corinthians is lexically closer to our passage in Mark. We will still treat 1 Peter briefly too.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2

In 1 Co. 10:1-2, the apostle Paul indicates that Israel actually did have a history with baptism. Specifically, Israel had been baptized into Moses.

Paul’s statement is built upon the narrative scene from Exodus 13:17-14:31; what the people of Israel were forced to do was choose which direction they were going to go.

Do we stay as slaves of Pharaoh?

Do we follow Moses into the waters?

The force of the analogy and situation was that Israel had to go through the waters or not. There was no way to be partly with Moses or partly with Pharaoh. So, when Israel passed through the waters, they had to choose to be “all in” with Moses who they were following.

Israel had to “die” to Pharaoh, be “buried” in the sea, and experience “resurrection” on the other side.

Note that on the other side of the sea, this “new life” is characterized by the cutting of a new covenant.

This helps us understand why “immersion” is the model for baptism.

Side Note on the Enemies of God’s People

One important facet of this conversation does relate to Pharaoh’s armies. Specifically, these enemies of Israel tried to follow Israel through the waters, but God destroyed them with the sea.

Israel chose to follow God’s representative (Moses), were baptized into him, and part of God’s deliverance was that he destroyed their enemies.

The image that we are left with from the Exodus story is extremely powerful because it speaks to the fact that if God is calling a people through the waters, that people needs to respond with a “yes” because God will (a) follow through on his word, and (b) he will take care of the enemies that such a people face.

1 Peter 3:18-22

In 1 Peter 3:18-22, we also get a picture of baptism, specifically with the flood in Genesis. Though I will not labor over this point, the image is similar to the Exodus — though it is not identical.

Both

Have a head or representative that God chooses to save a people (Noah saves humanity; Moses saves Israel); I am using the word “save” here in a general sense; God deserves credit for the actual saving.

Must go through waters that destroy evil people (experience death to the world, burial in the water, and resurrection/new creation)

Experience a form of “new creation” or “covenant” on the other side of salvation.

How Does This Apply to the Mark Passage?

What seems to be the case from Apostolic readings of the OT, is that baptism was connected with a vision of salvation. Though the baptism was not the salvation per se, it was the expression or image of the salvation.

Thus, when John begins baptizing in the Jordan River, we are called to take special note. Somehow, John’s ministry is going to be connected to a miraculous, God-wrought salvation. This salvation expectation is heightened by the fact that Jesus would be baptizing by/in/with the Holy Spirit.

I recognize that this “baptize with the Holy Spirit” line is charged, but for the time being, we will need to operate on principles set forth here. Jesus’s baptism of the Holy Spirit will be complete, all-in, and will be spiritual (not just of water). Furthermore, people who are baptized into Christ will experience a death, burial, and resurrection with Him.

Other Applications Across the NT

When surveying other usages of this “baptism” word, the prevailing image is thus exactly what has been described.

Mark 10:38 - Jesus likens his baptism to drinking the cup of death due to Israel

Luke 12:50 uses similar language

Translating to the life of the believer...

Col. 2:12 and Rom. 6:4 describe how believers have received baptism of death, burial, and resurrection with Christ.

Our Lives

To this point, there are a number of questions that probably could and should be asked:

How should I interact with this text? (How Should I be Changed by this text?)

Why emphasize baptism today?

Can you provide a nuts and bolts, practical example of how the content of this sermon works out in my own life? (How does my inward beliefs about this text work outward into my life?)

How Should I Interact With This Text? *How Should I be Changed by This Text?

Allow the weight of Jesus’s identity and identification with you to sit upon you.

I can imagine that people walk into this church with a whole host of problems:

Abuse, Disorder, Failing Bodies, Mental Health, Violence and Anger, Sadness and Depression, Immorality and a sense of Uncleanness.

The problems that you are dealing with are the problems of Israel and all people from all times and places. As Solomon says: “there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9-11)

The problems that you face are the same problems which led Israel into exile, and abolished ever having communion with God again.

You and I, without the prevailing work of God have no hope for being made right with Him.

So, you need to allow the truth that Jesus was baptized into a baptism of repentance — having nothing of himself to repent of (Heb. 4:15) — to sit on you. This Jesus being sinless and perfect emulated as the first part of his ministry the death, burial, resurrection, and New Covenant cutting that he was going to emulate in his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.

All of this is to say that Jesus, the most high God, did this for you! Don’t have a view of God which says: “I am too far gone” or “God won’t have anything to do with me” when the very first part of his ministry was taking an action to identify with Israel — and by extension, humanity.

Right beliefs shape right action

—> So, if you are in the fight of your life against despair, you will not be able to consistently manifest joy without right beliefs. One of those “right beliefs” is understanding God’s care for you and identification with you through Jesus.

Why Emphasize Baptism Today?

Baptism gives us a vision into “all in” living in Jesus which you and I need to grab ahold of. God is not calling you to a life of partial measures. If you have had something lingering in your marriage or in the life of your kid that has been a rock in your shoe for months on end, quit putting off the thing that needs to happen and deal with the problem. As it comes to your relationship with God, you have received a call to righteousness and holiness before him through Jesus.

Don’t live in a space where part of your life is given to the world and the other part is given to Jesus. We live as baptized people with baptized lives. Immerse yourself in the life of Christ and let Him take your life entirely.

Though this probably belongs in the “nuts and bolts” application section of the text, part of the reason that we stress these passages and concepts is to encourage one another to relentlessly kill sin in our lives. I would imagine that there are some real practical issues which could be solved by simply adopting an “all in” Christ attitude?

How do I stop my child from using foul language? Kill foul language in yourself and in your home. You don’t need that on the TV with your kids watching.

How do I stop feeling so angry towards my spouse? Quit gossiping with others and attend to the root problems of your anger.

How do I stop lusting after other people? Do not entertain the ideas that your life would be better if you could only ________ (fill in the blank), but learn to despise and revile that sin which is nothing other than a ravenous beast that will swallow you alive if wet its appetite. Disgust is a powerful emotion. You need to have proper disgust for things that will kill you.

I know that these examples are not nuanced; I haven’t spoken of what it means to live this way when other people revile you. For the time being, though, we ought to content ourselves with presenting ourselves before the Lord and being changed from the inside out.

How does my inward beliefs about this text work outward into my life?

Different people come to the Lord with different needs, so I won’t be able to speak to everything, but I’ll offer a couple of scenarios for different groups of people.

Children and Young People:

You might come to a point where you really want to feel noticed by someone else. You might have some person in your life who you desire to see you and love you, but that person might not do that. This text is for you because Jesus speaks to you through his actions that he values you very high. It does not matter if the coolest boy on the playground likes you or not if the God of the universe thinks you’re to die for. This text should remind you, girls and boys that God sees you as worthy of love, care, affection. He is willing to offer that to you perfectly, too.

The way this works out into your life therefore, is that when you are disappointed by someone else, you can speak to your self or someone else: my value never depended on the words or actions of this other person. My worth and value is determined by God who gave Himself up for me and to me so that I would live.

Your affection for Jesus as being the most important will help you stay strong when lesser affections fail.

Older Ones:

What I just said holds true for you, but I wanted to change the scenario.

As you know, one of the costs of age is that you’ve had ample opportunities to mess up. John 8:9 is so pertinent because the older we get, the more aware of our needs we should be. One of the messages here that you need to imbibe is that, just as John said, Jesus is mighty and worthy. These things should seep into your thinking because those who trust Jesus with their life are given his strength. This was one of Paul’s prayers for the churches as we see in Colossians 1:9-11. So you cast yourself onto Jesus with your life, and he’ll turn around and give you the power to do what he has called you to do.

Jesus’s worthiness is something that we might speak to using the prayer of Hannah in 1 Sam. 2:2. When you think about this passage and contemplate your own affections, do you emulate the language of John or Hannah?

The way these things work out may come in different ways. We never know when our bodies will fail us. So often people struggle in age when the things they wrapped their identities in were taken from them. This might be spoken when a person says: “God won’t use a person without legs to do anything for his Kingdom.” This idea, though, sells short the power of God and misses what Jesus says in John 9:3.

Conclusion

As you might have noted, we have not spoken much about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is hugely important for our life because he gives us power, sanctifies, changes us from degree of glory to the next and gives us confidence in this life.

What we will need to work through also is what our next section deals with: when the Spirit of God calls us into difficult places. So, please, come back next week. We will talk about this baptism of the Holy Spirit and how to live in and love a Spirit-led life.

Numbers 6:24-26