Topic: Baptism (Mark 1:4-13)
Jesus’s ministry lasted a little more than three years. He started it by being baptized and concluded it by commanding the church to make disciples and baptize others. Now, since baptism was the bookends of the ministry of the Son of God, that alone should tell us that baptism is a big deal. Baptism is important. The Bible is also very plain that you do not have to be baptized in order to be saved. Water doesn't save anyone regardless of whether it is a spoon full or a tank full. The only liquid in the Bible that saves is the Blood of Jesus Christ.
If you went back in time, two thousand years to the days of Jesus, you would have heard a Greek word used in everyday language to describe a variety of situations: baptizo. The word means to immerse, dip or dunk. It was used to describe ships that sank in the sea or cloth that was dyed in a certain color. One ancient Jewish historian even described a man that was murdered by baptism. In other words, he drowned. For a long period of time, the word baptizo had no religious significance whatsoever. Women baptized their dishes. Sinking ships were baptized into the sea. Kids playing in a river dunked or baptized each other. Then one day a man showed up named John and he began baptizing people. “John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). John said that baptism is an outward sign of an inward repentance. In fact, he became so identified with the new meaning of this word they began to call him “John The Baptizer” or “John The Baptist.” John did something in a religious setting that had never been seen before. He baptized people who wanted to repent from their sin and place their faith in God.
In the New Testament, without exception, the only kind of baptism that was practiced was what we call today “Believers Baptism.” In the New Testament, the way you would profess your faith in Christ would be to be baptized. Baptism was the profession of faith. In the Bible, two things always go together—belief and baptism. They always go together in that order. Without exception, every time you read about someone being baptized in the New Testament, it was after they believed after they had committed their heart to God, never before. Look at these examples: “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days” (Acts 10: 44, 47-48). Now, do you sense a pattern emerging here? People were presented with the Gospel. They responded to the Gospel and they were baptized.
Think about this for a moment. Why was Jesus baptized? Jesus was not a sinner. Jesus did not need to become a believer. He is the One we are to believe in. He wasn't professing His faith in God. He was God. So why was Jesus baptized? This is important. The reason Jesus was baptized is directly related to why we should be baptized. Baptism is a means of identification. When Jesus was baptized, He was identifying Himself with us and giving us an example to follow and when we are baptized, we are identifying ourselves with Him.
Baptism is God's physical picture of the Gospel. The Gospel is the fact that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that He was buried and three days later He was raised from the dead. That is exactly what baptism pictures: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Have you identified with Jesus through water baptism?
See you Sunday,
Dr. Scott Kallem