Sermon Tone Analysis

In Remembrance of Me

Matthew 26:17

Matthew 26:26-

The last meal Jesus shared with his disciples before the crucifixion.

The high point of the bible and central event of the ages is the passion of Jesus Christ.

(Betrayal, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension)

As His last week unfolded, Jesus established a new celebration.

Thaw breaking of the bread and sharing of the bread and the drinking of the cup were invested with new meaning, demonstrating continuity of the old and new covenants.

The body and blood of Christ were given as a sacrifice to secure eternal salvation for all who trust Him as Lord and Savior.

In the New Testament, five passages describe Jesus’ meal with His disciples on the eve of His death (Matt 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:15–20; John 13:1–17:26; 1 Cor 11:23–26).

BITTER HERBS Eaten with the Passover meal (; ), the herbs were interpreted as symbolizing the bitter experiences of the Israelite's’ slavery in Egypt.

Some have suggested that the bitter herbs comprised a salad including lettuce, endive, chicory, and dandelion.

The word translated “bitterness” in is the same word translated “bitter herbs.”

ORDINANCES Christians agree universally that baptism and the Lord’s Supper were instituted by Christ and should be observed as “ordinances” or “sacraments” by His followers.

Jesus doesn’t use “ordinance” in connection with baptism or the Lord’s Supper.

Some interpreters believe sacrament conveys the concept that God’s grace is dispersed almost automatically through participation in the Lord’s Supper.

Others believe ordinance stresses obedience in doing that which Christ explicitly commanded.

Extreme dangers involved in the terms range from superstition to legalism.

The “sacraments” varied in number for a thousand years in the church’s early history.

Peter Lombard (about A.D. 1150) defended seven, and Thomas Aquinas (about A.D. 1250) argued that all were instituted by Christ.

After A.D. 1500 Martin Luther and other Protestant reformers rejected five of these, insisting that only baptism and the Lord’s Supper have a biblical basis.

Most Protestants agree with their assessment.

Not only the name and number but the practice and meaning of the ordinances have been matters of continuing debate.

Who should receive baptism or participate in observing the Lord’s Supper?

What are essential elements in the observances that ensure validity?

What do they accomplish in the life of the individual and the church?

Definitive answers acceptable to all Christians have not been forthcoming for these or many other questions, but a survey of biblical evidence should be helpful in reaching some conclusions.

Baptism Biblical references to baptism abound in the Gospels, Acts, Pauline Epistles, and other NT books.

John the Baptist preached and practiced a baptism of repentance (Matt.

3:11–12; Mark 1:2–8; Luke 3:2–17).

His proclamation looked forward to the coming kingdom.

“Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Matt.

3:2 HCSB).

Multitudes responded.

Confessing their sins, they “were baptized by him in the Jordan River” (Mark 1:5).

Apparently not everyone who came received baptism because John challenged some to “produce fruit consistent with repentance” (Matt.

3:8).

John regarded his role as a transitional one to prepare the way (Matt.

3:11).

The coming One would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

All the Gospel writers record that Jesus was baptized by John (Matt.

3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:32–34).

Matthew noted that John hesitated to baptize Jesus but finally consented “to fulfill all righteousness” (3:15).

The identification of Jesus as Messiah followed as the heavens opened, the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and a voice proclaimed Him the beloved Son.

This event inaugurated His public ministry and set the stage for Christian baptism.

The coming age prophesied by John the Baptist arrived in Jesus.

Jesus affirmed the ministry of John by submitting to baptism and adopted the rite for His own ministry, giving it new meaning for the new age.

The Gospel of John indicates that Jesus gained and baptized more followers than John the Baptist (John 4:1–2) but notes that the actual baptizing was done by His disciples.

Jesus referred to His impending death as a baptism (Luke 12:50), linking the meaning of baptism with the cross.

These and other scattered references to baptism in the Gospels are evaluated and interpreted in a variety of ways by Bible students, but the total impact of evidence favors the view that Jesus practiced and commanded baptism.

Central in this evidence is the Great Commission (Matt.

28:19–20).

The Acts of the Apostles reflects the practice of the earliest Christian churches regarding baptism, referring to baptism far more frequently than any other NT book.

At Pentecost after Peter’s sermon, “those who accepted His message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them” (Acts 2:41 HCSB).

They had been exhorted by the apostle to “repent, … and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (2:38).

At other times baptism was “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (8:16; 19:5).

Sometimes the gift of the Spirit followed baptism; at other times, the spirit preceded baptism (10:44–48).

These were apparently regarded as separate experiences.

Baptism “for” the forgiveness of sins may be translated “on the basis of.”

Many NT passages stress that forgiveness is based on repentance and trust in what Jesus had done, not on a rite—baptism or otherwise (John 3:16; Acts 16:31).

The gospel is for everyone; baptism is for disciples.

Salvation is provided by Christ and not through baptism.

References to Jesus’ blessing little children contain no indications of baptism (Mark 10:13–16), and baptism of “households” described in Acts (16:31–33) should not be utilized to defend a later Christian practice.

If baptism is for believers only and does not convey salvation, then why do Christians universally baptize?

It is highly unlikely that the early Christians would have adopted this practice without hesitation unless they were convinced strongly that Christ had intended that they do so.

Further reflection upon what Christ had done enabled them to understand baptism in relation to the gospel.

No NT writer contributed more to a fuller theological interpretation of baptism than Paul.

Paul (Saul) encountered the living Christ while on a journey to Damascus to persecute Christians.

This led to a meeting in Damascus with Ananias, where Paul’s sight was restored and where he was also baptized (Acts 9:17–18).

What Paul had known about baptism previously must have been largely negative, but from this time baptism became a part of his missionary message and practice among both Jews and Gentiles.

Paul’s basic message declared that a right relationship with God is based exclusively on faith in Jesus Christ.

“For in it [the gospel] God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’ ” (Rom.

1:17 HCSB).

Throughout Romans Paul stressed the primacy of grace over law.

Access to this grace is through faith in Jesus Christ (5:2).

Where sin (breaking the law) abounds, grace much more abounds.

This poses the question (6:1), “What should we say then?

Should we continue in sin in order that grace may multiply?”

Paul denied emphatically that this is the case, for one dead to sin lives no longer in it.

This fact is clearly illustrated in Christian baptism.

“Are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life” (vv.

3–4).

Paul assumed here the universal Christian practice of baptism and a common understanding that it symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection of the believer with Christ.

The mode of immersion most clearly preserves this symbolism along with the added emphasis of death to sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ.

The stress is on what Christ has done more than what the believer does.

Through faith in Him grace is received and makes baptism meaningful.

Paul in 1 Corinthians related unity in Christ to baptism.

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body” (12:13).

The body of Christ encompasses Jews and Greeks, slave and free, each with a diversity of gifts; but they are bound together in a unity of spirit and symbolized in baptism.

Galatians 3:26–29 stresses identification with Christ and unity in Him also, using the figure of putting on clothing.

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (3:27).

However, the preceding verse should be noted also.

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

For those who belong to Christ, earthly distinctions disappear; and all are one in Christ, heirs according to the promise.

The subjective aspect of baptism for the believer and the objective aspect in Christ are brought together in Col. 2:9–12.

In a circumcision not by hands of men but by Christ, the sinful nature is put off.

The Colossians have been buried with Christ in baptism and raised with Him through faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Consequently, they are to set their hearts on things above and put to death the earthly nature (3:1, 5).

It is evident from the above and other passages that, for Paul, baptism portrayed the gospel message of the death and resurrection of Christ, affirmed the death of the believer to sin and the rising to walk in newness of life, and signified a union of the believer with Christ and a unity with other believers.

The rite itself does not effect these, for they are based on what Christ has done and is doing.

Baptism serves as the effective public symbol and declaration for those who trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.

The Lord’s Supper The earliest written account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper is in 1 Cor.

11:23–26.

The Corinthian church was divided, and many of its members were selfish and self-indulgent.