Baptism

Great — here’s a fully rewritten sermon draft with the Significance of Jesus’ Baptism integrated seamlessly into your original outline. I’ve preserved your structure but deepened it with the project material.

The Holy Moment of Baptism: Death, Resurrection, and Kingdom Impact

Texts: Romans 6:3–11; Matthew 28:18–20; Matthew 3:13–17

Introduction

When we gather around these baptismal waters today, we are not witnessing a simple ceremony or religious tradition. We are witnessing what the early church called a holy moment — a sacred encounter where heaven touches earth, where the eternal breaks into time, and where individual lives are forever transformed for kingdom purposes.

But we gather in a moment when our nation grieves. We've witnessed tragedies that leave us asking hard questions about suffering, division, and whether hope is even possible. Into this context, the waters of baptism speak a word we desperately need to hear.

I want to begin with a question that shifts our focus from what might be wrong in our church or our world to what God is calling each of us to do:

When was the last time you seriously considered the revolutionary implications of your own baptism — not just for your personal salvation, but for how you engage a broken world?

I. What the Early Church Knew About Baptism

Before we dive into the biblical text, we need to understand something the early church knew that we’ve largely forgotten. In the first few centuries after Christ, when Christianity faced a hostile Roman culture, the church developed what they called the catechumenate — a comprehensive 2–3 year process to prepare people for baptism.

This wasn’t because they wanted to make Christianity harder to access. It was because they understood that the Christian faith is a way of life, not simply a set of beliefs. Like a surgeon who needs both medical knowledge and surgical skill, Christians need both information about faith and formation in faith.

Gerald Sittser puts it this way: catechumens learned both knowledge (who God is) and know-how (how to pray, serve, and live as Christians). They were assigned mentors, immersed in Christian community, and given practical training in spiritual disciplines. As Sittser notes, “Belief, belonging and behavior merged into a seamless whole.”

The result? Disciples so transformed and resilient they could withstand persecution and transform an empire.

II. The Significance of Jesus’ Baptism (Matthew 3:13–17)

Matthew 3:13–17 NIV

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan 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?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Before we consider our baptism, we must first look at Jesus’ baptism. His holy moment at the Jordan River gives meaning to ours.

Identification with Sinners

Though He had no sin, Jesus entered John’s baptism of repentance.

He stood in the water not for His sake, but for ours — fully identifying with our brokenness and anticipating the cross.

Affirmation of Sonship

The heavens opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father spoke: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

This was a Trinitarian moment of affirmation. Baptism anchors our own identity as beloved sons and daughters in Christ.

Anointing for Mission

Jesus’ baptism was the launch of His ministry. The Spirit’s descent was His commissioning.

Immediately afterward, He was tested in the wilderness — reminding us that baptism is not the end, but the beginning of Spirit-empowered mission.

Our mission doesn't pause for national crises — it becomes more urgent. The Spirit who descended on Jesus is the same Spirit who empowers us to be agents of healing, reconciliation, and hope in dark times.

Foreshadowing Death and Resurrection

Early Christians saw in Jesus’ baptism a picture of His coming death and resurrection: down into the waters of death, up into new life.

Our baptism unites us with this same pattern.

III. Baptism as Death: The End of the Old Self (Romans 6:3–4)

Paul writes,

Romans 6:3–4 NIV

Or don’t you know that 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.

The early catechumenate process helped people see this not as metaphor but as reality. The person who went into those waters was not the same person who came out. Baptism represents the end of the old self, the surrender of sin, selfishness, and misplaced priorities.

Application for Kingdom Impact: Instead of focusing on what’s wrong with others, baptism calls us to examine what old patterns and attitudes need to die in us.

IV. Baptism as Resurrection: The Birth of the New Self (Romans 6:4–5)

Romans 6:4–5 NIV

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. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Baptism doesn’t end with death — it ushers in resurrection life. The catechumenate formed new habits, new relationships, and new ways of seeing the world. Disciples could live differently because they had been trained differently.

Application for Kingdom Impact: Your baptism is God’s declaration that you have been raised to new life — equipped for kingdom mission.

V. Baptism as Declaration: Public Commitment to the Mission (Matthew 28:19–20)

Jesus’ final command was clear: 

Matthew 28:19–20 NLT

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

In the early church, baptism was the dividing line between being a seeker and being a sender. The waters marked the moment you joined the mission of God.

VI. A Modern Catechumenate: What We Need to Recover

Here’s what we’ve lost: the early church’s understanding that discipleship takes both time and intentionality. In our culture — often indifferent or hostile to Christianity — we need resilient disciples.

What would it look like today?

Mentorship relationships — experienced believers walking with newer ones

Community formation — learning faith together, not just privately

Practical training — practicing prayer, generosity, fasting, witness

Time investment — transformation as a process, not a moment

VII. Living Out Our Baptism: The Three Questions

Who is your neighbor that you are loving towards Jesus?

Your baptism commissioned you as one sent.

Who are you discipling right now?

Your baptism equipped you to help others grow.

Who is discipling you?

Your baptism connected you to the Body of Christ. Even the most mature believers need mentors.

Conclusion: The Ongoing Holy Moment

John Chrysostom once said, “When we emerge from those sacred waters, we shine like the sun, having put off the old person and put on Christ himself.”

Church, baptism is both a moment and a lifetime. It is not only what happened in your past, but what God intends to do through you today.

Jesus’ baptism shows us identification, affirmation, anointing, and foreshadowing.

Our baptism joins us to His death and resurrection.

The Spirit now sends us into the world as agents of kingdom impact.

Your baptism didn’t just save you from something — it saved you for something. It is your commissioning to live as a disciple who makes disciples.

[Prayer and Invitation for Recommitment to Baptismal Calling]

Would you like me to also design a short discussion guide (questions + reflections) to accompany this sermon for small groups or a baptism class? That could tie the theological points into practical conversation.