“Serving in the Lord’s Baptism”

Scripture: Mark 1:4-11

Last week, we talked about the Light of Christ, and how it overcomes the darkness that lives within us. This light leads us to the truth of God that comes to us by faith in Christ, and then, by that truth, we are able to discover the hope and promise that exists in faith. When we open our eyes to the light of Christ, we discover that he is calling us, encouraging us, offering his loving hand to us, and promises that life in him will exceed every expectation, overcome every concern, and will meet every possible need that we could ever have.

Today, we consider the next step in our life in Christ. After we have discovered just what he can do for and through us, we learn that Jesus offers eternal life and forgiveness for the sinful ways – those ways of earth - that had previously attracted us, but in reality, only served to steer us away from God. And what might come after that attraction and discovery?

The next step is in commitment to the new way and the opportunities that Christ will bring to our lives.

Read Mark 1:4-5

John wasn’t just putting water on their bodies – he preached “a baptism of repentance and forgiveness. Some new parents who have never set foot inside of a church want to have their baby baptized because they think the child will somehow know the grace of God if they do. They think that baptism guarantees the child’s salvation! But nothing could be further from the truth.

The term “repentance” means that one has turned away from a sinful way of life. It means that a person has chosen to follow a new road, to live a new life. And “forgiveness”, at least when it comes from Almighty God, means that the transgression has been blotted from his memory. Of course, we are also charged to forgive the harm that others do against us, but we seldom are able to make it permanent, let alone wipe it from our mind. But the Lord’s forgiveness, when we are honest with him, is complete.

So John’s baptism by water had nothing to do with salvation – it was about ridding your life of sin, and then seeking restoration in the Lord. It was a public confession that the people had gone against the Lord’s ways, and a sign of spiritual “washing”, of “cleansing”, of “purification” in their life.

There is some evidence that the Jews had been making a similar ritual as an appeal for forgiveness by God, a preparation for Messiah’s return. So John’s baptism of repentance and forgiveness was also seen, by many, as a sign that the time of Messiah was near.
But John’s concept of repentance was that it must come from the heart, not just by washing the body. The truth is that John’s baptism would, primarily, point directly toward the coming of Jesus, and only second, as a sign of preparation, of spiritual purification for that glorious arrival. And many came to hear his message, and to receive his baptism.

Read Mark 1:6-8

Mark is the only gospel that mentions John’s strange custom of dress and eating, and interestingly, it makes a connection to Elijah in 2 Kings 1:7-8, Elijah also dressed in hair garments, and in Malachi 3:1, Elijah is described as a messenger who would prepare the way of the Lord, which further establishes a connection with John. This sets the stage for John’s ministry.
John’s baptism was not some ritualistic purification that would have to be repeated over and over again, and that it also could never establish a righteousness that would never be lost. The baptized would be those who were preparing to receive the revealed Lord.

And John differentiates between his baptism and that of Jesus – his would be by water, while Christ’s would be by the Holy Spirit. John’s was one of preparation, while that of Jesus would be for salvation. You received John’s by coming physically to where he was, but you received Jesus’ baptism by coming spiritually, by faith, to him and his way.
And John is very intentional in setting the standard as to which baptism was more important – his merely prepared them, and pointed them, toward the one that they were looking for, and that is what John was proclaiming to the people of Israel. And on this day, those who were prepared to see the Lord, wouldn’t be disappointed.

Read Mark 1:9-11

So the question that needs to be asked is this - if John’s baptism by water was about repentance and forgiveness, why would Jesus need to receive it? After all, he had nothing to repent of, so why would he need to be forgiven? Perhaps there was more to it.

How about the other gospels – what do they say regarding the issue of Jesus’ baptism? In Matthew 3:15, Jesus tells John that “it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, Jesus may have seen this as a means of “fulfilling” his connection to those who were preparing to receive him. Luke 3:21 ignores the issue as Mark does, and in John’s gospel (1:32-34), we don’t even read of a water baptism – John only writes about Jesus receiving the Holy Spirit!

But there may be one more, unspoken, issue surrounding the baptism by water – one that may reflect on the one Jesus received. As part of our preparation to receive Jesus into our life, we make a commitment to him. Repentance is not a shallow statement of sinfulness – it is a commitment to the Lord God that, not only have we broken his law, but that we also promise to leave that life behind, to accept the new one that God has created for us.

By his water baptism, Jesus may very well have been making a commitment to the Father - that the life he was about to embark on, the one that Father God had ordained for him, was the only one that he would follow. And in making that commitment, Christ may also have been making, as Matthew implies, a commitment and connection to those who were preparing for his coming.

So I have to ask - what does our water baptism mean for us? For most of us, our baptism was made through our parents’ statement of faith, and for some, they feel no obligation to accept that commitment – it wasn’t theirs! Of course, Exodus 20:12 tells us that we are to “Honor your father and your mother”, and that should include the commitments that they make.

But what if the parents have no faith, have no relationship with Almighty God, and haven’t got a clue as to who and what Jesus is all about? What if they have never received Jesus for their own life? How honest is the vow of baptism that they take on behalf of their child?

Remember the vows that Methodist baptisms require? Three questions are asked:
1. Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?

When we reply “Yes”, this is our statement of repentance from the sins in our life, and a commitment to leave those ways.

2. Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

An answer of “Yes” to this question is a claim of dependence on God so that we might live the life that He calls us to live.

3. Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?

That’s pretty clear, isn’t it!

What if a person answers “Yes” to each of these questions, without any intention to live by them? And from a personal perspective, what about a pastor who performs a baptism when he or she suspects that the “Yes’s” will all be lies, or at best, half-hearted?

Our baptism by water is a serious issue, because it becomes the basis for the rest of our life in Jesus Christ. Without truth in either our water baptism or our spiritual baptism, the service and life that we live in the name of Jesus becomes a hollow promise, with no hope within it.

So the question for today is this: is the Lord pleased with the answer you have given to the call he has placed in your life, and the way that you are living out your baptism?