Ordinance of Baptism

W. Clay Smith, a retired pastor, describes baptism in this way: “Baptists believe in water.  When it comes to baptizing, we don’t mess around with a few sprinkles.  We put people under until they bubble.  We want them to feel just a moment of panic, so they can appreciate resurrection.”

In other words, we take you just to the point of meeting Jesus to fully understand and appreciate His resurrection!

I can remember one of my first baptisms here at Mt. Carmel. I had filled the baptistry with water and had gone down stairs and turned the heaters on and had (I thought) set the thermostat. No one had told me, and I had not asked, but the thermostat did not work. When I and others entered into the sanctuary that morning, it looked like a sauna with steam coming off the water. I kid you not, we could’ve scalded hogs in that water… Needless to say, cold water was run, ice was brought over and we had the temperature a little below boiling by the time of the baptismal service. On the other hand, I have also turned those heaters on only to find out they didn’t work and stepped into the water that felt like it was only a degree or two above an Artic iceberg...at least I had waders on.

While we can joke about some of the funny things that might occur during a baptism, baptism itself is a solemn occasion that deserves reverence. Symbolic, by design, as immersed into the water as Jesus was laid in the tomb, and rises from the water just as Jesus resurrected from the dead into life. So baptism signifies the death of our sinful life, and resurrection into the life of Christ. Paul references this symbolism in Romans 6:4 when he reminds believers that “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.”

So how does one arrive at the place of baptism? Baptism is administered to only those who acknowledge and can give a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The reasoning behind baptism is to follow the example given by Christ. The Greek word used for baptism is baptizo meaning “to plunge, dip, or immerse” in water. John the Baptist is practicing this ordinance at the Jordan River when Jesus comes to him for baptism.

Matthew 3:13–17 ESV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus came specifically to John to be baptized. Jesus was compelled to be baptized, but not just to be baptized. He was compelled to be baptized by John. He was to identify Himself with John’s ministry. He was the Messiah, the Lamb of God, being proclaimed by John.

The very fact that the Son of God would be baptized is startling. He was the Author and Finisher of our faith, the Founder of the movement of Christianity. He was the One who was making baptism possible and effectual (working) for man. John’s baptism was a call for men to take a stand and to become identified with a life of repentance and righteousness. Jesus needed no repentance; He was already perfectly righteous. He was the Purchaser of righteousness, the Ideal Man. His righteousness was the pattern, the very righteousness that could stand for and cover every man. Why then would Jesus be baptized? Very simply, in His own words, “to fulfill all righteousness”

John argued against Jesus’ coming to him for baptism. Why? John simply said, “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” He was saying at least two things.

He was not worthy to baptize Christ. Christ’s coming to him was too great an honor for him. He did not deserve the privilege of baptizing the Messiah, the Lamb of God.

John’s humility was most unusual, for John was the great one in the eyes of the people at this time. Multitudes of people were flocking to him: the general public, tax collectors, soldiers, and religionists. He had reached the summit in the public’s eye. He was honored above all by vast numbers of people despite his being opposed by religionists and traditionalists. Yet when Christ approached him, he lowered himself and acknowledged that he was nothing in comparison.

He personally needed the baptism of Christ. He needed what Christ had. Christ was to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, and John was confessing his need to receive the Holy Spirit and fire from Christ.

It is no disgrace to confess one’s need for Christ and for what He offers. John so confessed. How can a person be disgraced by confessing what everyone else already knows?

(1) Man is dead in his sins and desperately needs God to give him life—eternal life.

(2) Man misbehaves and desperately needs the fulness of the Holy Spirit, that is, love, joy, peace.…

Jesus was baptized primarily to fulfill all righteousness. He was symbolically predicting what He was going to do for sinful man.

a. He was going to fulfill every law of God for man. Baptism was one of those laws. Therefore, he had to be baptized.

b. He was going to pay man’s penalty for having broken the law—the penalty of death. His immersion was a symbol of His coming immersion into death.

c. He was demonstrating to the fullest extent His humiliation in becoming a man. He had emptied Himself and “made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Ph. 2:6–7).

d. He was identifying with those He came to save, and He was insisting that all who follow Him become so identified.

e. He was pioneering the movement of repentance and righteousness which John was proclaiming. In founding the movement, that is, the life of righteousness, Jesus had to set the Ideal and the Pattern for every man. Every man was to be baptized, so the Son of God pioneered and established the ordinance of baptism.

He was initiating His ministry. John shows this. The High Priest had always entered his ministry in such a special ceremony.

Every man must determine to fulfill all righteousness just as Christ did. Every commandment of God must be fulfilled in the believer’s life.

Every man should be so willing to give of himself that he would die in order to live for God

Every man should demonstrate to the fullest extent his willingness to serve others. He should become one with others and set the example of such before all.

Every man should become one with all others, excluding no one from his life or service.

Every man should repent and live the life of righteousness, and every man should pioneer and proclaim such a life to all other men.

Every man should minister to others; he should let his willingness to minister be known.

Christ calls and insists that a person accept His call, and Christ does not back down.

A person may feel unworthy and lacking in ability, but Christ has both the power and gifts to enable the person to accept His call.

A sense of unworthiness and inability is understood by God, but refusal is not.

Christ accepts only one answer to His call: “Yes, Lord—here am I”

Humility does two contradictory things: it confesses unworthiness and inability, yet it yields and accepts the task or gift.

There are three unusual things that occur during Jesus’ baptism that Matthew describes. The heavens were opened. This may be a scene of the clouds being rolled back and the dove descending from the heavens (clouds and sky). Or it may be some special vision given to Jesus and John, revealing that God was opening up heaven for the full approval and manifestation of God’s power upon His Son. The Spirit descended like a dove. The dove was given to John as a special sign that Jesus was the Son of God.

The voice of God was heard. Three significant things are said here.

The one thing that a believer should want to hear is what Jesus heard: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Closing

When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, we are adopted into the family of God. We become a child of God! Not only that, but baptism becomes the public sign of obedience of following Jesus. When God saw Jesus following through with baptism, He saw Jesus and was well pleased. When He looks at us professing our faith, living a righteous life, He too sees us and is well pleased.

While this is a sign of obedience, the true change occurs upon our profession of Christ by faith. Baptism itself does not save us, but it pleases God when we are obedient to Him. Today, we see a picture of this obedience as Ollie and Cam have followed through in believers baptism.