Oct. 16, 2022

Water Baptism, (BTS 16 Oct 22)

Intro - In two weeks we will be having a water baptism service at a local venue.  It is your opportunity, if you have not done so, to make a public statement concerning your faith in Jesus.  This short study will explain some of the reasons why this is a critically important step for every Christian to take.  We’’ll start with the simple question, “Why be baptized?”

Matthew 3:16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.  17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”  NLT

A very simple reason to get baptized is that Jesus did it to get ready to do His ministry.  God even chose the event to proclaim that He was well pleased that Jesus had done so.  Jesus is held up by the Father as our supreme example for everything.  If it was that important for Jesus Himself to do, it must be so for us.  Jesus also had an intimate moment with the Holy Spirit in which a dove descended upon him, probably to empower Him in the same way we all get empowered for any type of Christian service. This was not the instance where Jesus got baptized in the Holy Spirit.  No such instance exists!  Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and had the Spirit “without measure,” so He did not need a special experience like we do to receive and be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  We, by contrast, are conceived in sin and do not have the Holy Spirit until we believe. 

Even though Jesus had the Spirit without measure, He laid aside His supernatural privilege to know everything, be able to do everything, and be everywhere at once so that He could be an example for all of us.  He chose to be born like we are born, be subjected to the same limitations that we all face, and demonstrate how to live a human life sinlessly.  Do you think you have a hard time hearing from God?  Jesus had the same hard time we all face.  He had to learn to hear God’s voice just like all of us.  He had to learn to pray and deal with hardships and challenges just like we do.  He did not have any special advantage.  

Jesus went through what we call a consecration.  He dedicated Himself to the service of God, His Father.  The outward signs of this consecration were (1) baptism in water and (2) a special experience of anointing with the Holy Spirit.  The priest of Aaron’s time had a very similar two-step process to go through to get ready to serve in the Old Testament tabernacle and temple:  

Leviticus 8:4-6, 12 So Moses followed the LORD ’s instructions, and the whole community assembled at the Tabernacle entrance. Moses announced to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded us to do!” Then he presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water…12 Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, anointing him and making him holy for his work.  NLT

We Christians go through a similar two-step consecration process.  The larger community of Christians gathers, and those seeking to serve the Lord are immersed in water (notice that Jesus came up out of the water, a good clue that baptism was by immersion, not ceremonial sprinkling).  This is the equivalent to step one of the priests’ consecration ceremony.  The second step happens when we receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as described in Acts 2, 8, 10, and 19.  This is the equivalent of anointing Aaron with oil, which is a well-known symbol of the Holy Spirit.  Moses anointed not only Aaron, but all the priests, consecrating them.   

Conclusion - We were born to make disciples.  It is really time to get prepared for this service in the proper way.  If you have not been baptized in water, your opportunity is here.  If you are baptized in water, then seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Get involved in a branch group and start leading, teaching, counseling, and training!  You’ll be getting God’s work done.