Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17
Theme: Baptism
Title: Do we still need baptism?
Proposition: In this passage Jesus teaches us: 1. The Importance of Baptism 2. The Transformational Nature of Baptism 3. Our Baptismal Identity
Grace and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ who came to take away the sin of the world.
Christian baptism. It's a sacrament that many of us have witnessed dozens of times over the years. A pastor invites those who desire to be baptized to come forward. At that time some statements concerning Christian baptism are read along with some scripture. Usually, the scripture is either our passage this morning or Romans 6:3-5. Following the reading, all believers are encouraged to recite the Apostle's Creed. Finally, those who have come forward are asked if they agree to be baptized into the Christian Faith. Do they desire to publicly testify that Jesus Christ is their Savior and LORD? Do they commit for the rest of their lives to obey God's Holy Will and keep His Commandments so help them God?
Those that agree are then led into the water where the sacrament of baptism is experienced. Sometimes the sacrament is by immersion, pouring or sprinkling. In each case the person is baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Afterwards, people join in by celebrating and praising the LORD. Some churches even have a fellowship meal following the sacrament of baptism to celebrate a person's new life in Christ.
Baptism can be a very moving and beautiful experience. But one of the questions that is being asked today is this - IS THIS SACRAMENT STILL VIABLE? In the 21st Century Church does baptism mean anything today? Does it have any power or any significance or is it simply an anachronistic ritual of a bygone era? Is baptism like the Gregorian chants of the 9th and 10th centuries? Every now and then we want to listen to one but who is dying to once again have Gregorian chants as part of our main praise and worship time? Is the same true of baptism?
Now, before you think me sacrilegious or some liberal who wants to do away with tradition and the sacraments let me give you some back fill. Let's take a moment and reflect on some of the baptisms that we have recently witnessed over the years. More often than not we all have watched an individual or two go into the water and come out the other side with no more change in their lives than having wet clothes.
I remember a few years ago rejoicing in a young person's baptismal service. Everything appeared to be perfect. This individual joyfully witnessed that Jesus was their Savior and LORD. From all appearances it looked like they would become a powerful witness for Jesus at school, at home and one day at the office. However, in less than two years after that baptismal service this same individual was cursing, drinking ( they were underage), spreading malicious gossip, ranting racial slurs, accosting the LGBT community and debasing women in general. They were living the polar opposite of the life of a Christ follower. Instead of bring honor and glory to the LORD they were bring shame and dishonor.
Now, I think I know what you are thinking right now and you are 100% right. That is one reason why we must look at this passage this morning. The problem isn't with Christian baptism. The problem has never been with Christian baptism. In fact, the problem can never be with baptism. The problem lies in us human beings. We need to get a clear Biblical view and understanding about Christian baptism. With that particular individual the problem was never with baptism but with their own spiritual life. As difficult as it is to say, the truth is, they either never came to faith or they have allowed the Devil to enslaved them once again into a life of rebellion and sin. That person needs our prayers this morning.
It is therefore imperative today that we need to honor and respect baptism for what it truly is - it is a Holy Sacrament. We need to understand it's importance. We need to understand it's transformative nature. We need to understand it is a sacrament of grace. And we need to understand our baptismal identity. We need to understand what it means to live the baptismal life.
This morning, I believe that the Holy Spirit would like for us to take some time and look at the sacrament of baptism. We do so because it is vital that we make sure that each and every generation understands it's sacredness, transformative character and fundamental importance. Therefore, let's look at how Jesus viewed baptism and by doing so I believe we will have a better understanding of its nature, its meaning and message today.
I. Jesus teaches us the Importance of Baptism - verse 13
Our passage reveals to us that our Lord's baptism did not happen by accident. Jesus' baptism was premeditated. It was calculated and intentional. Verse 13 tells us that Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.
What we may not understand this morning is that it is at least a five day trip one way from Galilee to the Jordan River and that is if we are able to walk 15 miles each day. This was no drive by baptism. Jesus' baptism was something that had been well thought out and planned. No rational person would start off on such a long trip on a mere whim. So, let's see what this trip involved:
+It was at the very minimum a 75 mile trip.
+ It would mean traveling through King Herod Antipas' kingdom along with traveling through the territory under the leadership of Pontius Pilate.
+It would also mean traveling through the land of the Samaritans.
Now, at first glance none of that may seem like a big deal. After all, it's only 75 miles. However, we must understand that it was not always easy to travel from one territory to another. There was not a great deal of trust between King Herod and Pontius Pilate at that time. Each man like to rule his own little kingdom with his own little rules. Rome's soldiers were always on the lookout for anyone who they thought might make trouble. They were quick to accuse someone of a crime and even quicker to dispense punishment. This was especially true when it came to traveling Jews.
Anyone traveling at that time also had to watch out for bandits along the lonely stretches, as described in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Very often, these attacks were the work of terrorists. If the bandits were unlucky and got caught they were quickly tried and subsequently crucified. Their dying and dead bodies would line the highways as a deterrent to others who wanted to cause trouble. It was not unusual in those days to see sections of the highway littered with tens of crosses either empty or being used. These were not gentle times.
If all of that wasn't enough, travelers had to also keep a keen eye out for wild beasts. The hills and caves were full of lions and bears who were known to ambush lonely travelers. Anyone traveling in those days had to be well prepared and ready to defend themselves at a moment's notice. And we haven't even mentioned the number of venomous snakes and scorpions that travelers had to safeguard against. Again, these were not gentle times.
We must also keep in mind that Jesus most likely was traveling by himself. It would be another two months before He will call any of his disciples. Jesus is being led by the Holy Spirit to the Jordan River. While there are some ancient traditions that contend that Jesus' whole family traveled with him to the Jordan River there is more convincing evidence that it was a solo trip especially given the fact that soon after his baptism the Spirit leads him for 40 days into the wilderness.
All of this points to the reality that Jesus' baptism was a very important event. It is given great weight in each of the Four Gospels. Each writer saw the importance of sharing the story about Jesus' baptism at the Jordan River. There are not very many stories that we find in all four Gospels. When we find one we know that it was of utmost importance. Jesus' baptism was that important.
Not only did our Gospel writers see baptism as important but so too does the rest of the New Testament. The idea of an unbaptized believer is not to be found in the New Testament. From the earliest beginnings of the Church, baptism has been in the forefront. When the Apostle Peter was asked how to respond to his Pentecost message this is what he had to say:
"Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission if sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38 NKJV)
Repentance of sins was first and foremost. One had to repent of their sins and ask Christ into their heart. Afterwards one was to be baptized and infilled with the power and presence of God's Holy Spirit. Reading this passage we see that the Apostle could not have made it clearer concerning the importance of repentance, baptism and the infilling presence of the Holy Spirit.
By 80 AD the idea of someone coming into the faith without baptism was thought to be virtually impossible. The only ones who were considered safe were those who had become martyrs before they could receive baptism. It was believed that their shed blood would be seen as their baptism.
St. Hermas, one of the Early Church Fathers writes this about baptism - " ... that there is no other repentance except that which took place when we went down into the water and obtained the remission of our former sins." 1 Later on Origen writing in 235 AD had this to share - "It is not possible to receive forgiveness of sins without baptism."
All of this shows us that beginning starting with our LORD and going through his Apostles to days of the Early Church Christian baptism was essential. Christian baptism was never seen as a suggestion or even an option. Our Lord shows us that we all must come to the water. Baptism is a holy sacrament and one that should be not taken lightly or put to the side.
There are three things that are essential to every Christian. Those three things are repentance, baptism and being infilled by the Holy Spirit. It is as true today as it was in the day of the Apostle Peter at Pentecost. Today, if we have repented of our sins then we need to make sure that we have taken the next two steps - that of Christian baptism and being infilled with God's Holy Spirit. It is just that simple.
II. Secondly, Jesus teaches us the Transformative Nature of Baptism
Sadly, this morning some people have erroneously looked at baptism as being no more than a ritual involving the use of water. It is their opinion that baptism is just a symbol or a sign. They do not believe that there is any grace infused in the sacrament of baptism. I believe that they have failed to understand the mystical and supernatural nature of Christian baptism.
I believe in order for us to fully understand the truly transformative nature of baptism we must go back to the story of Creation. The writer of Genesis tells us that on Day 1 and Day 2 the LORD GOD created the waters and then divided them. Nearly three-quarters of our world is covered by water. Our LORD GOD created water and made it essential for life on our planet.
At our birth, water accounts for nearly 80% of our body weight. As we age that percentage lessens but science tells us that the average adult is still 60 - 65% water. The lungs that we use to breath with are made up of 80% water. Our heart and brain are made up of over 70% water. Even our bones which we may not think contain water in fact 30 - 35% water. By all accounts everyone of us this morning are water creatures.
We all know this morning the importance of water. We need water in order to survive. We need water more than we need food. While we can go for a few weeks without food we can only last a few days without water. It is estimated that over all over the world more than 200 million hours each day is spent getting enough water for us to drink, to clean and to cook.
It is not by accident therefore that the LORD chose to use water as a means of teaching and dispensing grace, mercy and love. As essential as water is to the human body so too are baptismal waters to the human spirit. As essential as water is to the human body so too is the LORD's living water to our spiritual soul. The LORD has chosen the medium of water to bring us physical and spiritual health, purity and holiness.
Throughout the Old Testament the Jews viewed water as something holy and sacred. They were in awe of its power and majesty. Water was a force that they knew that they could not conquer. They could neither walk on it or command it to obey them. Water was something that only the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY could control. Only the LORD could cause water to fall from the sky and fill up the oceans, lakes and streams. Only the LORD could command water to bring about blessings and favor.
In our passage this morning we see how the LORD transformed the baptismal waters of John the Baptist. Martin Luther long ago wrote about how the LORD JESUS sanctified baptism with His body. How the Holy Spirit sanctified baptism with His Holy Presence and how the Holy Father sanctified baptism with His Voice.
I believe today we are to understand that baptismal waters are much more than just a collection of H2O atoms. It has been said that baptismal water is water in which our Lord bathed, the Holy Spirit lingered over and which our Heavenly Father preached over.
Our friends from the Eastern Orthodox Church tradition have tried their best to show us the importance of seeing the transformational nature of baptism. For centuries their focus has centered on the regenerative, mystical and supernatural side of baptism. They believe that baptism is one of God's most beautiful and magnificent gifts to his redeemed children. It is their belief that when one enters into the waters of baptism that one does not enter into the waters alone. They believe that when one enters into the water one does so alongside the presence of God's holiness, love and grace. Is that not a beautiful picture of baptism this morning?
Too often in the Western Church, we have viewed baptism merely as some ritualistic symbol or event. We have made the case that baptism is an outward act of an inward grace without giving full value to what that means. Yes it is an outward act. It is the placing our bodies under the water. But it is much more. When we enter into the water we do so with our physical and spiritual bodies. When we enter into the water we do so with our hearts, our minds and our souls. Our physical body is not the only thing that is touched by the water. We enter the water to become one with the Lord God Almighty.
The Lord joins us in the water. It is in His name that we are baptized. It is in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit we come to faith. It is in the name of He who redeems us, renews us and restores us into His image. We would not say those words if what we were doing was simply immersing our physical bodies. We would not need those words. The plain fact that we are baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity reveals to us the transformative nature of baptism.
Just as the Tabernacle and the Temple were more than buildings so too are baptismal waters. Just as the Ark of Covenant was more than a golden chest so too are baptismal waters. They became holy because of the presence of the LORD. So too does baptismal waters.
Perhaps, I may be leaning too much towards the mysticism of my Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters but I believe this morning that baptismal waters possess transformative grace. The waters are a means of God's Grace. The Lord uses the medium of water to relate and to authenticate the act of the New Birth in all of our lives.
Again, what better sign could the LORD give us than being born again in water and in spirit? We come out of the water as transformed, redeemed and renewed persons. We come out of the water knowing that the LORD has changed us from the inside out. We come out of the water changed and transformed by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
I believe today we must recapture this transformative nature of baptism. I believe that it will help us understand the vital importance of baptism. I fear in some circles Christian baptism has become too commonplace. I have known people who have bragged about being baptized at least five or more times as they have joined this church or that church. I am afraid they have equated baptism with being a member of some local church or fellowship.
Baptism must be more than a way for people to join a certain denomination. I don't want to offend our brothers and sisters that use baptism in that fashion but we must understand baptism's vital spiritual importance and it's transformative nature. Baptism is a sacrament. It has been sanctified by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Now, do I believe that a person should only be baptized once? Yes. Yes. And Yes. Does that mean we can never reaffirm our baptism? No. No. And No. I strongly believe that a person can reaffirm their baptismal vows.
This morning, whatever our particular views are about baptism we should honor and respect the opinion of others. But let us be clear. Jesus wants us to understand the centrality of baptism. He wants us to understand that it is important physically and spiritually. The Church from the very beginning saw baptism as a holy sacrament. I believe that our LORD also wanted us to understand the truly transformative nature of Christian baptism. It is vastly more than a ritual or a symbol. It is becoming one in the water with our LORD. Baptism is a means of grace. Baptism is holy and sacred.
III. Finally, Baptism reminds us of our Covenant Identity with the LORD
From our passage we are to understand the essential Importance of Baptism.
From our passage we are to understand the Transformative nature of Baptism.
And from our passage we are to understand that Baptism speaks of our Covenant Identity.
The Early Church Father Tertullian when asked about baptism had this to say - "When we are going to enter the water, we solemnly profess that we disown the devil, his pomp, and his angels."
Listen to those words once again - "When we are going to enter the water, we solemnly profess that we disown the devil, his pomp, and his angels."
Wow! It was the primary understanding of the Early Church that baptism signified an change in identity and a change in allegiance. When one left the waters of baptism one entered into a life of spiritual transformation through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. When one left the waters of baptism one was testifying that from that day forward Jesus Christ would be their Savior and LORD. When one left the waters of baptism one was consecrating themselves to a lifelong relationship of progressive holiness which would lead them to being restored into the image of Jesus.
Far too often we have seen people appear to have come to faith, go into the water and in a matter of weeks no longer be dedicated to living a relationship of progressive holiness. We watch as their lives are not transformed. We watch as their lives do not bear any fruit of righteousness. I am afraid this morning, that those individuals have accepted a lie from the Devil. I am afraid they have accepted the lie that baptism is like some water seal that then enables them to live any way they choose. The truth is Christian baptism allows us to live out this beautiful and growing relationship with the LORD GOD HIMSELF. Baptism allows us to live out a relationship of progressive holiness.
The Apostle John had to face a similar heresy in his day. He writes about it in his letter that we call 1st John. Some of those who had come to Christ were under the opinion that it did not matter what they did after they confessed their faith and were baptized. They saw nothing wrong in giving into the lust of the flesh, the desires of the eyes or the pride of life. They saw nothing wrong in their spirit man living one way while their physical man lived another. Over and over in his letter the Apostle John combats this heretical teaching. He is clear to point out that such beliefs are not only erroneous but they have their origin in the Liar of liars, the Devil.
You see this morning, if the Devil can deceive us to believe that we can have a spirit that is in tune with the LORD and a body that is living by the worldly desires of flesh then he can once again defeated us and enslaved us. The Bible is clear in telling us that after we have come to Christ we no longer are enslaved to sin. We no longer have to believe that we must sin in word, thought or deed.
Jesus provides the power to remove both the penalty of sin and the power of sin in and from our lives. In Christ we no longer are condemned to a devil's hell nor are we condemned to be enslaved by sin. Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly. That means he came to save us and he came to enable us through His Holy Spirit to live a relationship of holiness.
Yes, it is true that we will have to face temptation. A relationship of progressive holiness is not automatic. It is vital this morning that we understand that the Devil will never give up. More than anything he wants us to fail and once again be under his control. That is why throughout all of Paul's letters the Apostle encourages us and challenges us to fight the good fight. He challenges us to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) while at the same time he calls us to put to death the sins of the body (Colossians 3). A life of victory is assured as long as we remember who is Savior and LORD of our lives. In Christ we can be victorious.
This morning, our identity is in Christ. It is in Christ we find grace, peace and meaning. Our baptism constantly reminds us of this fact. We have died out to our sins and we have been made alive in Christ. We are no longer the same for in Christ we have become a new creation. Our baptism reminds us that we are no longer citizens of this world but we are sons and daughters of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY - we are redeemed, renewed and restored.
Those Early Christians understood the essential importance of baptism. They understood the transformational nature of baptism. And they understood that alongside baptism came a newness of life and character. They understood that alongside baptism came a relationship of holiness. They understood that alongside baptism came the invitation of spiritual formation.
Spiritual formation is something you don't hear a great deal about these days. People want to talk about saying a "sinner's prayer" and enjoying a new life in Christ but they all too often fail to discuss the importance of spiritual formation.
In essence spiritual formation is following Jesus as one of his disciples. If you remember, a disciple was a person who spent their time learning how emulate their master/rabbi. They ate with them, they stayed with them, they learned from them and they did everything they could to be exactly like them. The goal of their life was to become an authentic model of their master/rabbi.
This was the practice of the early disciples of Jesus. In Acts 11:19-26 we see this was what was happening among the believers in Antioch. They had repented of their sins. They had experienced Christian baptism. They had received the infilling presence of the Holy Spirit. Now they were experiencing a transformation of their very identity. They were emulating the way of Jesus so much that those around them gave them the nickname - little Christ - or Christian.
Can you think of a better compliment to convey on a follower of Jesus? It meant that they were experiencing a relationship with Jesus that was transforming their heart, their mind and their soul. It meant that they were being restored into the very image of Jesus Christ. It meant that they were becoming one with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That nickname and that experience is the same one that the LORD has for each of us this morning. He desires more than ever for us to be identified with Him. For us to be restored into His Image. Part of that transformation occurs in our baptism and as we live out that baptism in our everyday life.
Wow! We need baptism this morning don't we? We need it because our LORD saw it as important. He saw it as essential. We need it for its transformative nature. We need it because in the water we are one with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We need it because it reminds us who we are - we are God's redeemed, renewed and restored people. We need it because it reminds us that we are on a journey of growing deeper and deeper in the LORD. We need it because it reminds us that in Christ we can experience the Abundant Life here and now. We need it because it is God's Holy Sacrament.
As we come to a close this morning in our service we would like to spend some time in quiet prayer with the LORD. Our altars are open for any who would like to
+Come and repent of your sins and ask Christ into your heart and life. If you would like there will be someone who will come and pray with you.
+Come and ask to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
+Come and reaffirm you baptism
+Come and renew your covenant relationship with the LORD
THIS IS THE MESSAGE OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
It is my prayer for those who read and use parts of this message that the LORD anoint you from on high. It is my prayer that you continue and grow as a vessel of grace, mercy and love. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit continue to infill you and bestow upon you His power and presence. May the LORD bless you and grant you favor, peace and joy today. Amen.
1For an interesting look at the thoughts concerning baptism in the Early Church see http://www.catholicbasictraining.com/apologetics/coursetexts/cf6m.htm
