What Baptism Says-1

WHAT BAPTISM SAYS-I—Luke 3:21-23

Significance of Baptism

Attention:

Ralph goes to visit his grandmother & brings his friend , George with him.

While Ralph talking to his grandmother, Jim starts eating the peanuts on the coffee table, & finishes them off.

As they’re leaving, George says to his grandmother, "Sorry I was such a pig but thanks for the peanuts."

She says, "Don’t you worry sonny, you can have all the peanuts you want any time you come over.

You see, I can’t eat em anymore since I lost my dentures, All I’m able to do is suck the chocolate off them."

The baptism of the peanuts made a significant difference in the peanuts & thereby, for George.

And baptism makes a significant difference for you.

Need:

Public baptism revealed/secured Jesus’ significance.

Public baptism reveals/secures our significance.

What does baptism say about us/our significance?

7 statements of baptism.

1—Baptism says that...

IDENTIFICATION BLESSES(:21a)

Explanation:

:21—“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; & while He prayed, the heaven was opened.”

We identify with a particular group of people.

Jesus identified Himself with the Jews. Those who recognized & accepted the law as authoritative, & the covenants & particularly the relationship with the Creator God. He identified Himself with humanity—Its struggles with temptation & sin(He understood it fully though sinless—Heb. 4:15).

Argumentation:

Mat. 28:18-20—Mat 28:18-20 “And Jesus came & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth. “Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

These words— "in the name of...— can be waved over someone but do they have significance? They are not magic but rather a public recognition of a change already wrought.

Acts 8:26-38—“Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise & go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose & 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, & 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 & overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, & heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, & 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 & 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 & said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, & 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 & said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip & the eunuch went down into the water, & he baptized him.”

Acts 16:23-34—“And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison & fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul & Silas were praying & singing hymns to God, & the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; & immediately all the doors were opened & everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep & seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword & was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Then he called for a light, ran in, & fell down trembling before Paul & Silas. And he brought them out & said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, & you will be saved, you & your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him & to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night & washed their stripes. And immediately he & all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; & he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”