Moving Through Matthew (Matthew 3:13-17)
Notes
Transcript
Baptism
Baptism
We are very familiar with the word baptism.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The baptism we see today is what Jesus talked about then.
Notice the order: make disciples then baptize them
The water when someone is baptized does not save them. It is only a symbol. Showing the world..going down, dying with Christ, and being raised, being made new.
So baptism is not for babies o those to young to understand sin and that they need a Savior.
Thew practice that we have known as believers baptism is for...
In Acts 2, Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost, proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ…the people responded what do we do now?
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Notice the order: Repent, then be baptized. The same was true for Philip...
12 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.
When they believed, then they were baptized.
So for us living in the New Testament era, this is what Baptism means to us.
Matthew 3:13-17
Matthew 3:13-17
This morning we are going to see Jesus wanting to be baptized by John the Baptist.
We know from last week that it was a prophecy fulfilled when John went into the wilderness preaching of the coming of the Kingdom of God. We know know that he was speaking fo the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Now we talked last week that John was baptizing, but not for the very same reason that Peter, Phillip, and that we do today.
This was his baptism...
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
In other words, the baptism that John provided was a washing away of disobedience to the Law, But he said someone is coming whose baptism will make the difference in your eternal location.
So let’s see John the Baptists’ encounter with the Messiah.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Now when I baptize, these are the words I say...
I baptize you my brother/sister in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Buried in the likeness of his death, raised to life to walk in the likeness of his resurrection to walk in newness of life.
So if I baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, why did Jesus want to be baptized?
That is what we will look at in a moment, but lets look at this passage from the beginning.
English Standard Version Chapter 3
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
*This journey was about 4 days by foot
*Galilee is where Jesus spent most of his life
*But is was time for his life to change, it was time to begin his ministry.
What was the first thing he did? healing, teaching, raising people from the dead? NO. He wasked John to baptize him.
14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
See Johns reaction. He says that I don’t need to baptize you, you need to baptize me. But here is the reason that John needs to baptize Jesus:
15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
Jesus is saying, that everything that the Old Testament and the Law is speaking of is pointing to this moment, this baptism.
Jesus didn’t need to confess any sins. He was sinless. Jesus was simply doing what the Father wanted him to do, out of obedience to the Father.
So John consented and did as he was asked
Look at verses 16 & 17
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
There is a term we use today called, “The Trinity.” Trinity means 3, and when it is applied to our Biblical belief it is a title for The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. We see all three as one. Three distinct people, with 3 distinct duties, all one God.
Now the word Trinity is not seen in the Bible. Look at something.
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
“the Spirit of God” then look at this...
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Let US. Is he talking to himself? No. We know of the Spirit of God was hovering, then who would be incuded as US?
Look at what John wrote:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
The Word is Jesus, he was there from the beginning. He has always been.
And when you look here at the baptism of Jesus, the Trinity is complete. All three are at the Jordan.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus was there being baptized, the Holy Spirit was there in the form of a dove, and the Father was there speaking his approval that this was his son.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let me close with this...
Where is God? Heaven. Where is Jesus? Heaven. Where is the Holy Spirit?
Jesus said...
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Right now, for those who have trusted, believed and follow Christ. the Holy Spirit is inside you. When Jesus left 2000 years ago and ascended into heaven, although he was not with them or us in his body, God sent himself again, this time in the person of the Holy Spirit.
So when your life is hard, when you lose someone you love, or there is something that you just don’t understand, God is near. For the believer he is right here. Every morning when I pray, I pray that the Holy Spirit will lead me to understand. Understand what I am reading in the Bibel, understand what I am seeing in my path, but most of all, understand how I live for God today.
You are not alone. The Bible uses a name for Jesus called Emanuel, which means God With Us. He is there, but are you ready to listen to Him?