Baptism
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Let’s talk about the sacred act of baptism. Living in So. Cal. I am very aware of the deep religious heritage of many of our Catholic friends and family. I want to go through what the scriptures teach about this beautiful symbol of our faith and who should and should not be baptised.
Why baptism? I was baptised as a baby did that count? Was Jesus baptised? What am I declaring when I get baptised? What does the word baptize mean? What was the old testament baptism and what is the new testament baptism. Do I have to get baptized to be saved?
What does the word baptize in the bible mean?
Baptizo: Greek word meaning immersion in water.
6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
In the Jordan River.
16 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.
UP out of the water. Full immersion.
23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.
Why was he baptising at Aenon? Because there was plenty of water. You need plenty of water to fully immerse someone.
5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
The picture here is you need a river you need a lot of water.
What about the Christian denominations that sprinkle with water. Many have incorporated sprinkling out of convince. If we had someone that put their faith in Jesus and wanted to be baptized and they were unable physically or in a hospital we would baptize with water by any means necessary.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 37 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
What am I declaring when I get baptised?
Baptism is a beautiful symbol / picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord.
It is a public profession of ones faith. Ill: like a wedding ring symbolizes me being married. When I take off my wedding ring am I still married? It is a outward symbol of the love and devotion I have on the inside for Tammy.
Baptism of a believer is a beautiful symbol of:
The death of your old life. - Galatians 2:20 - I have be crucified with Christ. Dying to my old self.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Going under the water is a water burial of ones old life. - That person before Christ is dead. I want the world to know I am not that person anymore.
ILL: The statement ppl make “You are dead to me”. - I cut you out of my life and I act like you are gone for ever.
I know you knew the old me, but that person is gone. I used to be a fill in the blank.
Coming out of the water is the symbol of the new regenerated you. You are not the same.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Old Testament: Baptism
When a Gentile came along and wanted to become a proselyte or wanted to become a worshiper of Jehovah, of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the true and living God, the Creator and the Redeemer, he would go through a three-stage ceremony.
The first was called milah. This was the painful part, circumcision, the unique sign of the people of God to demonstrate in symbol their identification with God’s people. It was even more than that. They needed to demonstrate in circumcision that they were sinful.
Then there was tebilah. That was the second aspect of the ceremony, immersion in water. That’s right, immersion in water. Why? To demonstrate they were dead as to the old life. It was a kind of water burial. They were dead to the old life, apart from God’s Word, apart from God’s truth, apart from God’s promises, apart from God’s people, and that old life was buried, and they had risen into a new life and a new family.
And then there was a third phase, korban. An animal was sacrificed. The blood of that animal was sprinkled on the person, on the Gentile, symbolizing the need for forgiveness of sins provided through the death of a substitute. That substitute would be, eventually, the Lord Jesus Christ.
So there was a proselyte baptism - very, very familiar to the jewish people in Jerusalem and Judea. By the time we come, then, to the New Testament, they are familiar with immersion. They know what it is to be baptized. They know it is connected to coming to worship the true God. It is a symbol of the death of the old life and the beginning of a new life. It is not surprising to them, when John the Baptist appears.
And it’s an amazing thing because all these people are coming to him. The gospels tell us all Judea was coming out to John the Baptist. And these masses of people were being baptized because John was saying the Messiah is coming, the kingdom is coming, you must repent, you must be ready for the Messiah and the kingdom. You need to be washed. You need to be cleansed. You need to be prepared for the Messiah’s arrival. And he was calling on them to repent and be baptized and - listen to this - to literally view themselves as if they were Gentiles, as if they were outside the covenant, outside the kingdom, aliens of God, strangers to the promises that were given to the Jewish people.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John was baptizing Jews for repentance of their sin. Jesus would bring a baptism of Salvation.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
And since John understood baptism and he understood that baptism was the confession of sin and repentance and the death of the old life and the beginning of a new life, and he knew Jesus was sinless and didn’t need to leave a sinful life and embark upon a new righteous life, the whole exercise seemed ridiculous to him, nonsense. Why would the sinless one want to be baptized? And so John tried to prevent Jesus and said, “No, no, no, let’s turn it around. You baptize me.”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
Why did Jesus need to be baptized if He had no sin? Vs. 15 - Through His baptism He was identifying with sinners as the bearer of their sin. He would eventually take on all their sin.
To fulfill all righteousness would be his death, burial, and Resurrection.
16 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. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Do I have to be baptized to be saved?
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus - stop the crucifixion. I need to you to take me and my new convert down so we can baptize him before we both die or he won’t make it into heaven.
Faith precedes baptism. So faith in Jesus then baptism. So we are justified at the very first act of genuine saving faith in Christ, and then baptism follows (the public profession of faith).
What if I was baptized as a baby? - I don’t see baby baptism in the scriptures. Biblical we would see your baptism as a baby as your parents way of dedicating you to the Lord. We do baby dedications here and will do one real soon. Jesus was dedicated to the Lord at the temple. So after putting your faith and trust in Jesus we would encourage you to be baptised now that you have an understanding of your faith.
Warning to parents: Don’t rush your kids to be baptized if they don’t understand their faith yet.
And don’t discourage then not to get baptised if they have a good understanding of what in means to accept Jesus and follow Him.
Baptism is part of the Great Commission:
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
1st lead them to Jesus, 2nd baptize them as a public profession of their faith.
Have you put your faith and trust in Jesus yet? If yes. Next question. Have you been baptized?
If no. Why wait? If the Lord is pressing on you to do it, do it.
Dora Mears story: Around 80 and came forward to be baptized.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 37 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
What can stand in the way of my being baptized? - We have water. Ck. You did not come prepared?
Don’t worry our church purchased plenty of shirts and shorts (Small-3XL). So you do what the Lord tells you to do today. If we run out of shirts and shorts you can always do what one of my youth did. Get baptised in his church clothes and road home in his moms cars all wet.
If I want to get baptised today what will I have to do?
1. Go to the welcome desk in the lobby and let them know you want to be baptised.
2. They will ask you if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
3. If you don’t have a change of clothes or towel they will be provided for you.
4. Change in the Men/Women bath room.
5. Meet us out at the Gazebo.
6. Get baptized. Do I have to say anything? Nope.
Once in the water today what will happen? I will ask you in front of everyone if you have made Jesus your Lord and Savior. After you say yes or nod your heard yes. I will have you sit down in the water, cross your arms over your chest. Plug your nose if need be. The I will say I now baptize you in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I will then lower you down in the water and then sit you back up.
