Worship

Salem Lutheran Church

Pastor Jon Enter                 SalemLutheran.org

Theme: Pour on Forgiveness

Text: Matthew 3:13-17

I wish I had kept track. I’ve been a pastor now for over 20 years and I wish I had kept track with names, dates, and pictures of all the children and adults I’ve baptized over the years. I’ve even been blessed to officiate a few baptisms right here at Salem Lutheran when I’ve been guest preaching! I’ve had tears of joy at the baptism of my daughters. My guess is I’ve baptized well over a hundred children and around 30 adults throughout my time serving Jesus. Probably the most memorable, besides my daughters’ baptisms, was the baptism of Marcy’s dad who came to faith on his deathbed. I baptized him a few hours before he passed away into the arms of Christ in heaven. Or maybe it was Jackie Hodge’s baptism, who is also now in heaven. At her baptism she bounced and smiled and clapped and threw her arms up to heaven in grace-filled joy immediately after she was baptized. She knew. She knew she was loved and forgiven by the Almighty.

You’ve witnessed loved ones be baptized and be welcomed into the family of God’s believers. You’ve witnessed children and adults have forgiveness poured onto their hearts through water and Word. You’ve seen infants who fussed and squirmed moments before baptism have an instant peace envelope them after they were baptized into God’s family. You’ve seen the awesome power and incredible peace that accompanies this most sacred sacrament.

But some do not. Many Christians, sadly, do not behold baptism’s breathtaking power nor do they understand the Christ given command to baptize. Baptism is not honored as it should within all of Christendom. Baptism is stripped of its significance and simply misunderstood by far too many. Today, on the Sunday we celebrate our Savior’s baptism, I pray you will grow deeper in your knowledge and love of this great sacrament.

In order to accomplish this goal, we need to recall what constitutes a sacrament. A sacrament is a sacred act 1) instituted by Christ, 2) which connects a visible element with the Word of God, and 3) offers and assures us of forgiveness of sins, new life and eternal salvation. According to this definition, there are only two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Baptism is a sacred act started by Christ. We know from our text that John the Baptist was in the River Jordan washing away sins through a special baptism called “the baptism of repentance”. God commanded John to baptize with water in this way to prepare people’s hearts for the coming of Christ. At Christ’s baptism, not only did Jesus mark the beginning of His public ministry but He also placed God’s seal of approval on what John was already doing. In other words, here Jesus visually institutes baptism as a sacrament. We also receive verbal proof of baptism’s institution as Christ commanded baptism in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Baptism is a sacrament because it connects a visible element with the Word of God. After Christ was baptized, our text tells us, “[Jesus] went up out of the water.” (Matthew 3:16) Water is the earthly element chosen to be connected to the Word of God. There is no disagreement among Christians as to the earthly element used. Likewise, there’s no debate among Christians as to the actual Word of God to be used with baptism. This is because Jesus clearly explains within the Great Commission, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

But there are disagreements between Christian churches on two other matters, Should the water of baptism be given by “immersion” or by “sprinkling”? When Jesus commanded us to baptize, He gave us the exact words to use but He didn’t give us the exact methodology. So which method is correct—immersion or sprinkling? To answer this question, we need to look at the meaning of the word “baptize”. Agree or disagree: The main meaning for the word “baptize” in Greek is immerse. The answer: AGREE. Wait? What? Then why do we in Lutheran churches, why do Catholics also, baptize by sprinkling or simply pouring water onto the person and not by full immersion into and fully under the water?

The main meaning for baptize is immerse but it’s not the only meaning. BAPTIZO (baptize) in Greek is the common word for washing anything. If you lived 2,000+ years ago, you would’ve heard your parents say, “Kids, it’s time to BAPTIZO the dishes!” In Mark 7:3-4, the Bible says to BAPTIZO pitchers, kettles and dining couches! I’m guessing two men didn’t carry a couch outside the house, through the city gate, and down to the river to plunge it fully into the water, immersing it, to clean it. No! They pour or sprinkled some water on the couch to clean it. If God demanded us to fully immerse, He would’ve commanded us to fully immerse under water (there are different Greek words for that). He simply says, BAPTIZO. He commands us to clean with water connected with the power of God’s Word “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

There is also confusion about WHO should receive the sacrament of baptism. Should infants be baptized? Some people will answer “no!” and say, “There is no command in the Bible to baptize infants.” They’re right. “Ummm, pastor?! Then why do we baptize babies?” There’s also no command in the Bible to baptize females. Not one church denies baptism to females. Correct! Why then would we deny baptism to children/infants?

They double down on their rejection of baptism saying, A) Children aren’t sinful. Or B) Little children aren’t held accountable for their sins. Or C) Babies can’t believe.

Okay, let’s talk about these objections using God’s Word not just random thoughts of human reason. A) Children aren’t sinful. These words are exactly opposite of what the Bible clearly teaches. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5) We are born with a sinful nature, yet some churches falsely teach children are born morally neutral. God’s Word says that, even in the womb, life with a soul exists already with a sinful nature. By the way, if you want to see an example of sin in a child simply place two one-year-olds in one room with one toy. What are you going to see? Aggressive and selfish sin!

Or take newborns for an example. When a baby is hungry, what does it do? It cries. That’s not sin; that’s a baby communicating I’m hungry. BUT if you don’t feed baby on baby’s timetable, what do you see? RAGE! ANGER! And that’s sin. Even in a newborn, that’s sin.

Now, some Christian churches will respond and say, “Okay, yes. Babies and little children do sinful things but B) little children aren’t held accountable. They’ll try to wiggle their way out of the need for baptism of babies by saying, “God won’t hold their little anger filled mouths accountable. They’re just teeny-tiny, cute-little infants. God will understand and just give them a pass.” Where is that in the Bible? It’s not. Instead, God declares in Romans 3:19, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” God says every mouth—even the tiniest infants—will be held accountable. God says the whole world will be accountable. This means from infants to adults are responsible for their sins.

After you show someone that kids sin and that God’s Word declares everyone is held accountable, they’ll make one last try to deny infant baptism by saying, C) Babies can’t believe. They say this because they misunderstand the process of someone coming to faith. They think WE choose God. They think WE give ourselves over to God. They think WE cooperate in our coming to faith. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We are born spiritually dead (Psalm 51:5) so we can’t go to God. We are born spiritual enemies of God (Romans 8:7) so we want to fight against God not join Him. And we think the gospel message is foolishness (1 Corinthians 2:14) so why would we follow God when we can’t believe the gospel message on our own. We wouldn’t. We can’t. We need God to bring us to faith. Since God implants faith into an adult’s heart without that adult’s help, God also has the power to implant faith into a baby’s heart without the baby’s help. Faith is implanted though the beautiful and powerful sacrament of baptism into the hearts of little children.

For those who foolishly say, Babies can’t believe, God’s Word says instead, “If anyone causes one of these little one who believe in Me to sin…” (Matthew 18:6) Christ Himself declared that little, tiny infants can believe. Infants need baptism. They are sinful. They are held accountable for that sin. They can believe. And the Bible allows us to baptism them. We would be spiritually negligent if we didn’t administer the power of baptism to infants. When God commission Christians, “Go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them…” He never placed restrictions on the age, race or gender of those being baptized. So why would we?

When was the last time you thanked God in prayer for your baptism? How often do you remember your baptism and the celebrate the assurance it gives you that you are, in fact, a child of God? “You are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27) You have faith! Baptism either starts faith in a child or strengths saving faith in an adult.

Baptism is a sacrament because it gives forgiveness of sins, new life and eternal salvation. Your baptism assures you that Jesus is your personal Savior. The sins of your past aren’t your past any more. The waters of your baptism connected to the cleansing blood of Christ from His cross of mercy have removed that sin and that guilt forever. That’s the power of the forgiveness of baptism.

Okay, let me demonstrate this for you. What is something of your past that you committed, what is a sin that you’ve done that you feel just awful about? Do you got it? It probably wasn’t hard to think of.

The grace of God in baptism washes sins away. God declares in Acts 22:16, “Be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” [I’ll hold up a cup holding 80% water and 20% dark iodine. And I’ll hold up another cup with 100% bleach. I’ll slowly pour half of the bleach into the dark iodine mixture and it instantly will turn clear.] When you and I call on the name of Jesus in repentance, no matter how dirty and dark our sins are this is what baptism’s forgiveness and the cross of Christ does for you! Your sins are removed forever! [I’ll have another glass with 80% water and 20% iodine.] But what if I continue to sin after baptism? [I’ll pour that glass slowly into the glass half full of 100% bleach and it instantly dissolves and is clear.] Jesus takes care of that too.

There is nothing [holding up that glass of clear liquid] that the blood of Jesus with His perfect life and innocent death cannot forgive. Your baptism assures you of your connection with the Almighty. Your baptism assures you that Jesus is your Savior! Your baptism assures you that you are forgiven and loved and one day will be with Christ in heaven! Amen.