by David Scott Robertson
(Mat 3:13 NIV) Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
(Mat 3:14 NIV) But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
(Mat 3:15 NIV) Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
(Mat 3:16 NIV) As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
(Mat 3:17 NIV) And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Water baptism is a wonderful experience for new believers (or returning prodigals).
The symbolism in the act is rich. Water baptism helps one identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an outward demonstration of an inward transformation. It is a profound expression of obedience to the Lord's command to be baptized as a lasting ordinance of the church. It is following in the footsteps of Jesus and carries with it spiritual weight in the invisible realm.
There are countless blessings associated with being baptized in water for those who approach this biblical command from a heart of obedience, gratitude, and expectation.
First, we must settle in our hearts that this is the clear command of God and His will for every Christian. There are many scriptures we could point to, but perhaps the most famous might be the mandate to baptize (and be baptized) drawn from the Great Commission passage itself:
(Mat 28:19 NIV) 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,
(Mat 28:20 NIV) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
That settles it for me! In this brief thought about God, I want to focus on four distinct blessings that I see so apparent when John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ.
BLESSING #1: (Mat 3:16 NIV) As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. AT THAT MOMENT HEAVEN WAS OPENED, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
Like Jesus experienced, I fully believe as His followers that the newly baptized believer will experience an "open heaven" over them as they begin a life of obedience before God.
BLESSING #2: (Mat 3:16 NIV) As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, AND HE SAW THE SPIRIT OF GOD DESCENDING LIKE A DOVE AND LIGHTING ON HIM."
In the same way, the Holy Spirit will come upon us afresh and anew and heighten our sensitivity to His voice.
BLESSING #3: (Mat 3:17 NIV) AND A VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAID, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
I believe those who are baptized position themselves to hear the voice of God more clearly and more frequently. This can happen through encountering God in prayer, while reading the Bible, listening to God's servants speak on His behalf in preaching, teaching, witnessing and testifying of His amazing grace, and most especially through the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.
BLESSING #4: (Mat 3:17 NIV) And a voice from heaven said, "THIS IS MY SON, WHOM I LOVE; WITH HIM I AM WELL PLEASED."
God the Father spoke an affirming word to His Son Jesus at His water baptism. When a believer is baptized, it confirms us as sons or daughters of God. It validates that we are the children of God since the act testifies of the Truth (Jesus, John 14:6) and bears witness with the Spirit of Truth. Our obedience delights our Heavenly Father and we please Him by doing His revealed will.
Not only do we obtain these blessings from God but we are publicly confessing our faith and allegiance to Jesus Christ.
I personally have been baptized in water on three occasions, each significant in the time and season of my life. Each was a relevant and unique spiritual experience signaling a renewed commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Perhaps you have been born again but have never been baptized in water. Maybe you were sprinkled as a child or an adult and never really understood the full implication of the experience. It could be that you have recently come back to Christ after a period of wandering as a prodigal, estranged from your Father. Finally, perhaps God has recently led you through a process of deliverance that has broken chains that have bound you to the past…
Whatever the case, may I recommend that you consider the blessings of water baptism?
I will close out this thought with a true story reported by a pastor:
A young witch attended a church service and through the preaching of the Word and the power of God surrendered her life to Christ. The pastor wisely arranged for the new convert to be baptized immediately.
The next day the former witch called her boyfriend, a practicing warlock, and told him the "good news." Enraged, the boyfriend, who was steeped in the occult, immediately drove to the church, burst in the pastor's office, and with great insolence told the pastor sitting at his desk: "I've come to get my woman and Satan's woman and take her back to where she belongs!" As he was walking out the door, the warlock said to the pastor, "by the way, she hasn't been baptized yet, has she?" The pastor replied, "yes she has, we did it immediately after she got saved." The warlock shook his head and said, "We've lost her, then, and Satan can't touch her now."
The point in this true story is clear: While being baptized in water does not in itself provide salvation, it does carry great weight in the spiritual realm. The convert, in a sense, is "sealed" through their act of obedience as being a believer "in Christ".
It was the Romans who refused to feed a "Christian" to the lions unless they had first been baptized in water. Unless the alleged Christian had been baptized, the Romans refused to believe they were a Christian.
(1 Sam 15:22 NIV) But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE, AND TO HEED IS BETTER THAN THE FAT OF RAMS."
DSR
6/2/03