Good morning from a cold panhandle, our high is suppose to be 25°. I know in some places that might be warm in some places, but to this pastor that is plenty cold. Today we are going to be looking at Christ Jesus' baptism. This an event that made it into all four Gospels – all four writers found this event so inspiring and so important that they just had to write about it. It narrates the commencement of Christ Jesus' ministry. And, it begins the march of Christ Jesus toward His eventual crucifixion. That makes it really powerful to think about. The event I'm talking about is Christ Jesus' baptism.
It's an unusual story because, depending on what you think about baptism, there doesn't seem to be any reason for Christ Jesus to be baptized. There's a little confusion about baptism. Some people think it's no big deal, that you don't really have to be baptized. Some people believe it is this event that makes one a Christian. Being baptized is important, but Scripture doesn't teach that baptism saves you.
It's like the story of the drunk who stumbled upon a baptismal service one Sunday afternoon down by the river. It was down south, back in the day, and this guy walked right down into the water and stood next to the preacher. The preacher turned and noticed the old drunk and said, "Mister, Are you ready to find Jesus?" The drunk looked back and said, "Yes, Preacher. I sure am." The preacher then dunked the fellow under the water and pulled him right back up.
"Have you found Jesus?" the preacher asked. "No, I haven't!" said the drunk. The preacher then dunked him under for a bit longer, brought him up and said, "Now, brother, have you found Jesus?" "No, I haven't Preacher." The preacher in disgust held the man under for at least 30 seconds this time, brought him out of the water and said in a harsh tone, "Friend, are you sure you haven't found Jesus yet?" The old drunk wiped his eyes gasping for breath and said to the preacher, ..."Naw preacher, are you sure this is where he fell in?"
Yes, baptism doesn't save you, but every believer should be baptized because Christ Jesus Himself commanded it ~ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19).
Matthew 3:13-15
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?"
15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
The first thing I want you to notice is –
1. Christ Jesus Sought John Out (vs.13)
Then Christ Jesus came to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Before we go any further I think it is important that we look at Matthew's word choice and sentence structure. Don't worry I'm not going to brake this down very far, after all as y'all know I am no where close to having an English major. I really just want to look at one word and it's placement, the word is then.
Notice the word then immediately follows John's description of the Messiah's ministry of judgment and salvation and just before the name Jesus. The word then is used by Matthew to tie the description of the Messiah to Christ Jesus. So basically what Matthew is saying is that, “The Messiah-King is going to save those who repent and judge those who do not. And that Messiah-King is none other than Jesus.”
Christ Jesus was seeking out John the Baptizer. His showing up didn't just happen. Christ Jesus traveled a good distance and sought out John specifically. Why did He do this, so that He be baptized by John according to the Father's will. To this point Christ Jesus had spent His nearly 30 years of His earthly life in quite obscurity. Galilee was the backwater of Israel, so Matthew's choice of wording here implies a “coming out,” and a readiness to begin His public ministry.
Just as Christ Jesus purposely sought out John, He has sought you out. Yes, Christ Jesus came to usher in the kingdom of God and to offer you a home in that kingdom. Won't you invite Him into to your life today?
2. Christ Jesus; Baptize “to fulfill all righteousness.”
The baptism of Christ Jesus has been difficult to interpret. Why did the Son of God need to be baptized? John’s baptism was a call to repentance; it was an introduction to the new kingdom. Christ Jesus' act of being baptized by John was a complete and full identification with the kingdom that John was announcing.
When Christ Jesus came to the Jordan and asked John to baptize Him, John tried to dissuade Him. John stated that he needed what Christ Jesus could give him rather than that Christ Jesus needing anything from him. However, Christ Jesus responded that He should be baptized “to fulfill all righteousness.”
Christ Jesus was identifying Himself with sinful mankind ~ “...Because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered among the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12). His wasn't a baptism of repentance. It wasn't a Christian Baptism (like ours is today). Christ Jesus is holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners. Like everything about Christ Jesus, His baptism was unique. He was baptized to completely identify with mankind. Christ Jesus’ baptism was His own symbolic act of identification with the participation in the kingdom of God.
Christ Jesus’ use of the word righteousness is significant, righteousness is the word which denotes a right relationship. Christ Jesus’ act of being baptized was a witness to the rightness of His relationship with God the Father, the sovereign over all kingdoms.
Righteousness is what you receive when you accept Christ Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Because of Christ Jesus' sacrifice on the cross you can have a right relationship with God. Won't you invite Him into your life today?
3. Christ Jesus' Death
The another reason for Christ Jesus' baptism is that water baptism is symbolic of His death. Our baptism today is symbolic of Christ Jesus' death (renouncing your old life), burial (plunged under the water), and resurrection (raised out of the water to walk in a new life).
When James and John argued about who would set on His right side and left side in the Kingdom, Christ Jesus said, “Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matthew 20:22). Christ Jesus was of course speaking of His death. Christ Jesus did not enter into death for Himself, He did it for you and me. If He was willing to die for you, why aren't you willing to invite Him into your life? Pride, shame...that is all Satan. Don't let Satan keep you from Christ Jesus. Come just as you are with a repentant heart and Christ Jesus will meet you there and save you.
Charles Finney (American Presbyterian minister, He has also been called the "Father of Modern Revivalism.") - As I shut the door of the office after me, it seemed as if I met the Lord Jesus Christ face to face. It seemed to me that I saw Him as I would see any other man. He said nothing, but looked at me in such a manner as to break me right down at His feet. I fell down at His feet, wept aloud like a child, and made such confessions as I could with my choked utterance. It seemed to me that I bathed His feet in tears. I must have continued in this state for a good while. I returned to the front office, but as I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire, I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost. Without any recollection that I had ever heard the subject mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to come in waves of liquid love; it seemed like the very breath of God. I wept aloud with joy and love.
4. We Are Identified With Christ Jesus
Baptism identifies us with Christ Jesus. What do I mean by this and how does it relate to Christ Jesus' baptism? As I have already said, Christ Jesus identified with us in His baptism. Christ Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness, in obedience to the Father. You are to be baptized in obedience to Christ Jesus and as such you are identified as one of His followers.
Remember it isn't your baptism that saves you, it is Christ Jesus that saves you. To be saved is to have Christ “in” you, and how do you get Christ“in” you – by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The moment you accept Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour the Holy Spirit enters in to you. This is the moment that the Holy Spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ.
Christ Jesus, the Messiah-King sought out John the Baptizer. And even above the objection of John, Christ Jesus was baptized so that all would be right with God the Father. Christ Jesus' baptism was a witness to us, as it symbolized His death, burial, and resurrection to come. Because Christ Jesus was faithful to do as the Father said, He modeled for us a right relationship with the Father. Will you be faithful today? You do this by first inviting Christ Jesus into your heart to become your Lord and Saviour and secondly by following Him in baptism. Won't you do this this? Won't you reserve you spot in God's Kingdom right now?
Thanks for dropping by, and I pray you have a blessed day.
Biblesurfer
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