The Salvation of Jesus - Baptism

 THE SALVATION OF JESUS: BAPTISM Daniel Lange December 24, 2017 Mark 16:16 If John 3:16 is the golden text of the Bible, then Mark 16:16 should be the silver text of the Bible. For John 3:16 gives us the grand scope of what God did in order to save man, and Mark 16:16 gives us the grand scope of what Man must do in order to be saved. In Mark 16:14-18, Jesus appears in His resurrected form to the eleven disciples, and in verse fifteen He makes that famous statement, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Now notice what He says next, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Those verbs, by the way, are in the aorist tense. NASB renders more accurately, “He who has believed and has been baptized will be saved.” All this does of course is confirm to us all the more this important truth: Salvation is never before baptism, but afterwards. “He who has believed and has been baptized will be saved,” future tense, “will be saved.” This person will be saved after they have believed and been baptized, NOT BEFORE. GET THAT! The world says baptism comes AFTER your salvation. Jesus says your salvation comes AFTER baptism. What is “Baptism”? There is really nothing complicated about the original language in Mark 16:16. Some of the most common and basic Greek words are used such as pisteuo, belief, sozo, salvation, katakrino, condemnation. All these words are translated and easy enough for us to understand in our passage. But what about “baptized”? The word, “baptize,” is technically not a translation, but a transliteration, trans – to bring across, literate – letters, to bring across by letters. The word, “baptize,” is a transliteration. It is brought across to us in our English Bibles by letters, not language. A good example of this is in Mark 15:24, where Mark himself writes of the cry of our Lord in His Aramaic tongue, and then goes on in the very same verse to translate it. In our English Bibles we are witnessing both a transliteration and a translation in that verse. “Eloi, Eloi,” is the transliteration of the Aramaic language, a letter by letter cross over into our English Bibles. We can read the words, “Eloi, Eloi,” and pronounce them easily enough, but we really do not understand them. But, “My God, My God,” is a translation of “Eloi, Eloi,” brought across now by language, not letter, so that now I may understand them and not merely read them. If it weren’t for previous study or knowledge, most of us who would look at that word, “baptize,” would see it in much the same way we look at the word, “Eloi.” It simply would make no sense to us. It is unfortunate that many translators decided to transliterate, rather than translate, because it is my belief that it is easy enough to understand and translate into the English language. Now someone will ask, “If it were so simple, then why haven’t most translators done it?” That’s a question I’m not wise enough to answer. I have heard people talk of things like persecution, tradition, ignorance. Also, it is my understanding that a host of translators, perhaps even all of them, understand perfectly what the word conveys or means in English, but for reasons again that I am not wise enough to know continue imparting the transliteration. Finally, I am not sure if this is worth mentioning or not, but I’ll mention it anyway. I have six English versions of the Bible in my library right now, not commonly used admittedly, but nevertheless each of these versions do actually translate the word “baptizo,” into the English word that I am going to demonstrate to you right now should be the word and is the word when properly translated into the English text. Mark 1 So without delay, I want us to remain within the very same book and writings of this author who pens the words of Mark 16:16. Let us notice together Mark 1:4, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” We all know what “in” means, don’t we? “In,” denotes location. If I tell you that my baby is in a cave, then upon inspection, you will search for my baby “in” a cave. Why? Because I told you that my baby is “in” a cave. When Mark says that John was baptizing “in,” Mark is telling us the location of John’s baptism. For starters, John’s baptism was being administered “in” the wilderness. But Mark also gets more specific then that in verse five. Mark tells us in verse five that John was administering baptism “in” the Jordan River. Now admittedly, that still doesn’t tell me a lot about baptism. It does tell me though that this baptism was located in the Jordan River. Reasonably, one might assume by now that this baptism has something to do with water, but to what degree? Are these people just standing in the Jordan, while John administers some kind of holy sacrament? Let’s skip down to verse eight and notice something John himself will say about his baptism, “I indeed baptized you with water.” Stop for a moment! The original word used in this passage is actually the same word used in verses four and five, “in.” The ASV reads, “I indeed baptized you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” So now John has told us that His baptism is with or in water. We cannot, and we must not deny the connection at this point between water and baptism. Admittedly, we’re still not fully divulged or clued into the details of this baptism. But we do know that there is an important connection between baptism and water. Baptism is in water. Now someone will say, “Yes, but that’s John baptism. What about Jesus’ baptism? John said it would be in or with the Holy Spirit? That doesn’t say anything about water!” Ok, true, but let’s just stay on course. Let’s find out what this baptism that John was administering was, and then we can see how we ought to understand Holy Spirit baptism. So now notice the next verse, verse nine, “It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.” Stop for a moment. “In the Jordan River?” Or, “Into the Jordan River?” The Greek word in Mark 1:9 is not exactly the same as “en,” denoting location, though it certainly can denote location, it can also denote something even more specific than that. The Greek word in Mark 1:9 is “eis,” i.e. “into.” “Well,” someone will say, “that’s really not so different than ‘in.’” Are you sure about that? If I tell you my baby is “in” a cave, that really doesn’t tell you if my baby was ever out of the cave, does it? Maybe my baby was born in a cave and never went out! But if I say my baby went “into” a cave, then that tells you my baby was outside of the cave and then went into the cave. Yes, both statements clue you into a location. “My baby is in a cave. My baby went into a cave.” Both clue you in as to the location of my baby. My baby is in a cave. But one statement only tells the location. Another statement tells you of a previous location and a current location. In fact, the latter statement actually clues you in to a specific action, going from outside the cave and going into the cave. Jesus was baptized into the Jordan River. John’s baptism was itself administered and accomplished by taking Jesus outside the water and putting Jesus inside the water. Out of the water, into the water. This is the action of baptism. Much like taking my baby outside the cave and bringing her into the cave. That action from out to in, specifically from outside water to inside water, was John’s baptism. “Well,” someone will say, “I still just don’t read it that way. After all, my version still just simply reads, “in.” That’s how many translators translated it, so that’s how I read it. John administered this baptism in water, and that’s all I really know about it at this point.” Fair enough, but let’s keep reading then. Mark continues in more detail, and in verse ten says, “And immediately, coming up from the water.” Let me read that again, “And immediately, coming up from the water.” Once more, just bear with me please, “And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.” My friend, what is baptism? In just these ten verses we have seen that baptism was in the Jordan River, in water, and as Jesus is being baptized, He is being brought up out of water. If you have not already come to the reasonable conclusion that baptism is an immersion into water, then what exactly do you suppose we are witnessing here?! It is a going into water and a coming up out of water. That my friends sounds like an immersion to me. By way of cross referencing other authors and writers in the Bible who speak on the same subject, the apostle John also speaks of John baptizing in Aenon, “because there was much water there.” John 3:23 If baptism were a sprinkling or a pouring as some may try to attempt to explain, then why did John need to be near so much water? We could even spend a great deal of time looking at the spiritual and theological symbolism that an immersion in water signifies when we consider passages like Romans 6 and 1 Peter 3, where Paul speaks of baptism as a “burial” with Christ, and Peter compares it to Noah’s flood, which covered the entire world. Noah’s flood covered the entire world. Jesus’ baptism covers the entire body. Purpose of Baptism That too just quickly brings us to the purpose of baptism. It is for the remission of sins, the purifying, the cleansing of sin. That’s exactly how Mark described John’s baptism in verse four, “for the remission of sins.” Not “because of,” like the marginal note of my Bible says. Again, we see the word “eis,” into, direction, purpose. John’s baptism was “for the purpose” of remitting sin, i.e. cleansing, forgiving, wiping it away. In Mark 1:38, Mark uses both the Greek word en, “because of,” and the Greek word eis, “into,” or “for,” juxtaposing or placing them right there together. Jesus said, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because (en) for this purpose (eis) I have come forth. Imagine if Jesus had told His disciples, “Let’s go into the next towns to preach, because, because.” Sounds like something a parent would say to a child, “Because I said so.” But that’s not what Jesus said to His disciples. He said, “let’s go that I may preach,” because, for this purpose I have come forth. In other words, My purpose is to preach, so let’s go into the next towns. When people went likewise to John’s baptism, their purpose was to be forgiven of sins. People didn’t go out to John’s baptism because they were already forgiven of sin. That would not have made much sense to go get baptized if they were already forgiven of sin. They went to John’s baptism for the purpose of being forgiven for their sins. Jesus’ baptism is the same. The purpose of baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Saved from what? Sin! “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Again, a simple cross-reference passage over to Acts 2:38, and there Peter also says, not regarding a baptism into John’s baptism, but rather, a baptism into Jesus baptism, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” Look at the similarity of the language. And note again the eis is present, “for the purpose of,” not because! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the purpose of remitting your sins. We really ought not distinguish a great deal between John’s ministry and Jesus’ ministry, for the Holy Spirit Himself says that John was God’s messenger sent to prepare the way of the LORD. John did not come preparing the way of the Lord introducing concepts and teachings that would be completely foreign to the way of Christ. He was sent to help prepare the way of Christ! Both John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism require repentance, and both John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism are for the purpose of forgiveness! Holy Spirit Baptism? But what about that Holy Spirit baptism we were heard John mention back in Mark 1? Yes, before we close, let me answer that as promised previously. A careful study of Acts 2 reveals that John was alluding to an immersion of the Holy Spirit’s miraculous gifts. That is what Peter says also in Acts 2:38 after one has repented and been baptized, “and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The apostle Paul speaks at some length about these gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. And if we were to turn over to Acts 8, there we see men who had been “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus,” but as of yet, the Holy Spirit had not fallen upon any of them (v.16). When the apostles laid hands on them, then they received the Holy Spirit. In other words, then they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit, and were enabled to perform miraculous signs, wonders, and deeds, power of the divine. In Mark 1, John the Baptizer was not negating water baptism under Christ, he was simply reminding men of the very thing he stated at the beginning of his message, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I.” Not only could John not give other people the power of the divine, but he himself as we’re reminded in Scripture, performed no sign or power of the divine. John 10:41 But as we see later, when Jesus did come, He baptized both with water and with the Holy Spirit. In fact, we read in John three that a dispute arose because Jesus was baptizing more than John in the land of Judea. If Jesus only baptized with the Holy Spirit, then there would have been no comparison or dispute. But as for Holy Spirit baptism, think Mark chapter three, Jesus goes up on a mountain and calls to Himself twelve apostles, grants unto them the power to cast out demons and heal the sick. Conclusion To conclude then this lesson, I’m going to read a passage from Acts 8:26ff. Here we witness the days that follow after Christ’s resurrection, where the kingdom Jesus promised is now making its way across the regions of Judea and Samaria. “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts 8:26–39, NKJV) If you have not been immersed in water in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, know that today you still bear your sins. In your sins you will be judged, and in your sins, you will die a second death, the lake of fire, an everlasting fire. Jesus came to seek and to save the condemned, and He wants to save your soul today. He wants to be your deliverer and lead you up out of the land of Egypt. Won’t you let Jesus save you? The water is ready. Come as we stand and sing.