Glynlea Grace United Methodist Chruch

As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." ¹⁸ So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people….Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."

Matthew 28:18-20

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Acts 2:38-39

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 shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him."

Summary and Purpose

Summary: Jesus submitted to baptism in preparation for his ministry. Why would he do this? As God in the flesh, he was without sin and didn’t need to be baptized. It seems that Jesus did this in order to identify himself with sinful humanity and to demonstrate who he really is. Although he was without sin, he submitted to baptism as if he was sinful and needed to be cleansed. Also, during his baptism, the Father and Spirit appeared, demonstrating that Jesus is part of the trinity. This became clear when the Father announced, “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

In a similar way, Jesus commands us to submit to baptism in order to prepare us for the Christian life. When we are baptized, the Holy Spirit does the following:

1) Marks us as God’s children

2) Incorporates us into the family of faith (the church)

3) Regenerates us (makes us into a new creation)

3) In the case of infant baptism, continues to draw the person to repentance and faith

in Jesus

4) In the case of adult/believers baptism, continues the process of changing the

person to become more like Christ.

Let’s remember our baptism. When we remember our baptism, we remember that we are God’s children incorporated into His family. Wow!! What an awesome thing to remember!!

Purpose: To help the congregation to experience hope and peace as they remember their baptism.

The Sermon

I. Introduction: Preparation - Prior to embarking on any significant undertaking, one

must prepare for it.

1. As a wrestler and kickboxer, I had to prepare for each match with intense

workouts and practices

2. Army commanders know they must prepare the soldiers before sending them into

combat. That’s why we have basic training, advance initial training and field

exercises.

3. Even something as simple as a Christmas dinner requires preparation

4. The most significant undertaking of all time was the ministry started by our Savior

and Lord Jesus Christ. So, it shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus went through a

period of preparation prior to starting his earthly ministry.

• This preparation consisted of baptism and temptation. Today we’re talking about Jesus’ baptism.
• Jesus baptism: “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:21-22)
• This brings up the question: “Why would Jesus submit to Baptism?” As God in the flesh, he was without sin and didn’t need to be baptized.

II. Why Jesus submitted himself to baptism

1. To identify himself with sinners

• John the Baptist was preaching a baptism of repentance
• Jesus went to John to be baptized
• In this way, Jesus showed solidarity with people who repent

2.   To demonstrate who he is as part of the Trinity.

• At his baptism, the Father and Son showed up.
• Then the Father speaks up and says, “This is my Son”
• This demonstrates that Jesus is not just another created human but ‘God the Son’. He is identified as ‘God in the flesh’.

3. So, through his baptism, Jesus prepared himself for his earthly ministry by

identifying with sinners and demonstrating that he is the Son of God.

4. In a similar way, Jesus commands us to be baptized as a way to prepare us for

the Christian life.

• Matthew 28:18-20: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

III. How baptism prepares us for the Christian life.

1. Before we continue, we must first realize that baptism does not save us.

• We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, nothing more and nothing less – refer to Ephesians 2:8
• The thief on the cross was never baptized but when he expressed repentance and faith, Jesus said, “"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
• It is possible to be saved without being baptized
• However, Jesus still commands us to be baptized and something happens to our hearts when we are baptized

2. There’s a connection between water baptism and the Holy Spirit

• Luke 3:15-16: “As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
• Acts 2:38: “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 shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
• When a person is baptized, the Holy Spirit does something to that person’s heart. What does the Holy Spirit do to the person’s heart?

3. The Holy Spirit does five things

• Marks us as God’s children (Romans 8:16)
• Incorporates us into the family of faith (the church) (1 Corinthians 12)
• Regenerates us (makes us into a new creation) (John 3:3-8)
• In the case of infant baptism, continues to draw the person to repentance and faith in Jesus (2 Peter 3:9; John 16:7-11)
• In the case of adult/believers baptism, continues the process of changing the person to become more like Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

IV. Let’s remember our baptism

1. If you have already been baptized, take this time to remember your baptism. In

this way, you will remember:

• You are a child of God and new creation
• You have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit guiding and strengthening you

2. If you are a repentant believer in Jesus but have never been baptized, do so as

soon as possible. Christ commands it and the Holy Spirit will use baptism to touch

your heart.

3. If you have not yet repented and trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord, do so right

now. Then receive the gift of baptism and allow the Holy Spirit to change your

heart.