The simple why
Water cooler conversation:
What was your biggest win this week? What was your biggest challenge?
What is the worst advice you’ve ever given?
Unpack the Message:
The first twelve verses of Matthew 3 introduce Jesus’ cousin John the Baptizer, explaining that he is the one prophesied in Isaiah 40:3. The following verses introduce Jesus’ public ministry, beginning with His baptism. John has been preaching and teaching that One greater than he was coming, One who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Acts 2), and Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Jesus has intentionally traveled a great distance to be baptized by John. Initially, John resists, insisting that he isn’t worthy and that Jesus should be the one to baptize him. Jesus replies, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, Scripture tells us, “heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.”
Jesus obeyed God
After His baptism, Jesus goes into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days. During this time, Satan tempts Him, challenging him by asking, “Aren’t you God’s son?” Despite the temptation, Jesus remains faithful and obedient. This obedience defines the life and ministry of Jesus. Even at His most desperate times - fasting in the wilderness, praying in the garden the night before the crucifixion, dying on the cross - Jesus remains faithful.
So we may ask the question, “If Jesus demonstrated His obedience through baptism, should we follow His example of obedience and be baptized also?”
Repent and be baptized.
Acts 2 begins with the Feast of Pentecost, a religious festival for the Jews. Along with other followers of Jesus, the apostles gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem and received the Holy Spirit. These 120 believers began to speak in a multitude of known languages, and as a result of this supernatural movement of God, thousands come to faith through Peter’s call to repentance (Acts 2:38). Acts 2 concludes with approximately 3,000 people receiving Peter’s exhortation and being baptized.
Faith with water.
In 1 Peter 3, the apostle Peter references the story of Noah and the ark. He uses the illustration of the ark as the vehicle that saved Noah and his family from certain death. Peter isn’t teaching that Baptism saves us - the ark was merely a demonstration of Noah’s faith. He believed that God would send the floodwaters despite the fact Noah had never seen a catastrophic flood of that magnitude in his lifetime. It was his faith, not the ark passing through the floodwater, that saved him. Likewise, our salvation is not in the waters of baptism. Our salvation is through placing our faith in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. Just as Noah passed through the water, we pass through the water (1 Peter 3:21). Just as the floodwaters represented cleansing the earth and bringing new life, baptism by immersion means cleansing our spirit through new life in Christ.
Baptism is a dual expression. God makes a promise, and we believe that promise. Through baptism, we proclaim our identity with Jesus in his death and resurrection (Galatians 2:20), as at that moment, our union with Jesus is dramatized and demonstrated.
God wants every Christian to be baptized.
If we are going to call ourselves “Christians” - literally, “little Christ”- then we should naturally model His obedience to God. Just as Jesus submitted to His Father’s will and was baptized by John, we should surrender ourselves and be baptized.
In his book, The Normal Christian Life, Watchman Nee, states, “Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith. When in my heart I truly believe that I have died, have been buried and risen with Christ, then I ask for baptism. Thereby I declare publicly what I believe privately. Baptism is faith in action.”
This is why we should be baptized - baptism is faith in action and that is what God wants.
Reflect:
What is your baptism story?
Do you think it is significant that Jesus’ earthly ministry begins with His baptism? Why do you think it is (or is not)?
If a believer was baptized as an infant (christened), do they need to be baptized as an adult? What are the prerequisites for believers’ baptism?
Discuss: Baptism isn’t a means to salvation, but it is a mark of obedience and a measure of our submission to Christ.
Read Acts 2. Peter says, “repent and be baptized,” not, “repent through baptism.” Why is this distinction important?
What are some reasons (valid or invalid) that may keep people from being baptized?
Make a Move:
Baptism is a public display of our faith. If you haven't been baptized yet, pray about committing to being baptized on baptism Sunday, April 25. If you have been baptized, think about what your next step is. In your faith, it may be committing to spending time in God's Word daily or praying more often throughout your day. Maybe your next step of faith is accepting Christ as your Savior. You can grow in your faith through Expectation Church as well. You can attend the 101 class and become a member, showing your commitment and support of your church. You can also begin volunteering on a Sunday, joining an eGroup, or even leading an eGroup!
Prayer Prompt:
Father, thank you for Jesus’ example of humility and obedience. I want to follow His example and be humble and obedient to Your will. Give ears open to hear your voice, eyes that see Your hand at work in my life, a heart receptive to your leading, and the faith to say, “Your will be done.”