Baptism

The Greatest Sin of All Unbelief

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Servant’s Victory

Book of Mark Chapter 16

The Lord Jesus Christ expressed victory for every believer with the fulfillment of His resurrection!

Jesus Christ had predicted His resurrection on several occasions, but His disciples never really understood Him.

Most of this world still does not understand the reality of the resurrected Christ today!

Mat 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Mat 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
Mat 17:23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

Mat 20:18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Mat 20:19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Mar 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Mar 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

Mar 10:33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
Mar 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Luk 18:32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
Luk 18:33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

We also see that the Lord Jesus specified that He would rise again on the third day showing His omniscience and His obedience to the Word of God.

All the Gospels stress the “physical” resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

There were many witnesses to His resurrection.

Joh 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

Joh 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Joh 20:3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
Joh 20:4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

Joh 20:11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
Joh 20:18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Mat 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
Mat 28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Then there were the two witnesses on the road to Emmaus.

Then the ten disciples in the upper room.

Then the eleven disciples a week later.

Then the disciples who decided to go fishing.

Then eleven disciples in Galilee, where Jesus had told them He would meet them there.

Then the disciples in Jerusalem.

Let us see what Mark wrote by the Holy Spirit.

The actual words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luk 18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Luk 18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
Luk 18:4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Luk 18:5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Luk 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Luk 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luk 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Let us analyze what John wrote:

Joh 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

We know one meaning is that when Jesus placed His napkin aside as this verse states means, that He will return.

There is another meaning.

As John wrote he described this napkin as being still rolled up.

This napkin was retaining the circular shape as though the head of Jesus were still in it but lying in a place by itself. It was detached from the rest of the wrappings, but the shape of this head piece and the wrappings tell us that the body of Jesus passed through those wrappings and left them undisturbed.

The Body of Christ had certainly risen even through His death wrappings.

The Body of Christ, the true Church, those alive and the bodies of those in the grave, may truly rise very soon, as we witness the signs going on in our world today!

The atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ reached its climax when He arose from His death!

The Rapture of the Church will be the climax of the period of the Grace of God and period of the Jews will begin.

The Apostle wrote:

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
Rom 1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Let us pick back up on our lesson with verse nine.

*Mar 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

Up until this moment no human eye had seen our risen Savior.

The Lord Jesus Christ had conquered death.

The Lord Jesus Christ had conquered the grave.

The Lord Jesus Christ proved that life “by Him” had no ending!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Giver of life!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and “the life”: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

God is not the God of the dead!

Later the Apostles taught the “Gospel” as the truth of the Word of God and it is, but they taught the resurrection of Christ as fact, because they were eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ!

They became bold in the preaching to the Gospel because the “Good News” is a fact!

The key to the New Testament is the fact that the Apostles were eyewitnesses to the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah!

If you look into the scrolls of the Catholic Church, the Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus you will see that these are two of the many verses that were left out so Bibles translated from those altered scrolls do not include these words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know that sin is sin and we sometime try to decide which one sin is greater than another as we try to hold on to our pet sins but this is not the complete truth.

The sin of lying will be treated the same as the sin of murder though there may be different degrees of suffering for some sins.

If we look at Mary Magdalene, we see a sinner just like we are all sinners.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Mary felt that the Lord Jesus had forgiven her so much more than others because she felt her sins had been so great.

In fact, this Mary should be an example for us all in her devotion to the Lord after she was forgiven.

It is said that Jesus had cast out seven devils from her.

What do we see of this Mary, she was not afraid to be seen as a believer!

Mary stood by cross through the whole ordeal of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.
Mary was even present when the Lord Jesus was taken down from that terrible cross, another witness to His death.
Mary was the one who led in the preparations for the embalming of His body over the weekend.
Mary was the first to visit the tomb after the Sabbath.
Mary refused to leave the tomb after Peter and John verified that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb.
Mary was a precious saint of God who was truly devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ making her a great example for us all.

The Lord Jesus took the time to comfort His devoted follower before He met anyone else.

These things make Mary Magdalene a great witness to the death and resurrection of our Savior and a loving friend of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

To be a Christian is to know that the Lord Jesus Christ died in our place for our sins, He had no sin.
To be a Christian is to know that the Lord Jesus Christ arose from that death to live evermore and to show each believer that death has no power over us and we will live evermore with our Savior and our Redeemer.
To be Christian is to know that the Lord Jesus is forever with us in the hour of our need, meeting every need and responding to our love for Him.
To truly be a Christian is to do our best to be like the Lord Jesus Christ in all His ways and be in the will of God for our own lives.

*Mar 16:10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
Mar 16:11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

In the fulness of believing faith, Mary hurried back to Jerusalem to inform the eleven disciples of what she had discovered at the tomb of Christ.

They were still mourning over the loss of not only their Lord but also their dear friend.

They just could not find the faith to believe what Mary was saying to them.

There is no doubt they were also mourning for every time they had let down the Lord Jesus Christ.

There was also mourning because they did not know what to do now, seeing their leader was gone.

Mary came with faith that the Lord Jesus had done what He said He would do!

We need to understand that the things that Jesus said He would do as written in the KJV, He did accomplish.

Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

All the prophecies that led to the coming of the true Messiah are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ!

The disciples of the Lord Jesus had not believed Him when He said these things would happen, so they did not believe Mary Magdalene.

It is probably more that they could not understand rather than could not believe.

They insisted that this true believer then had to be a liar even though they highly valued her.

We should realize that as Christians today, we are not the only ones who have mourned for Christ Jesus!

We are not the only messengers who have been rejected, but we are sure beyond any doubt that the Lord Jesus arose from that tomb!

In our hearts we do not care what all the doubters believe!

We need to show the faith that this Mary had and have no doubts about our Savior!

If this happen and there was a need for a courtroom, there is more evidence that Jesus arose from His death than most any other historical event, yet the world doubts the truth of God.

Most of this world will remain lost because of this doubt.

Remember:Mat_7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Once these disciples knew the truth then they would die before they would renounce their faith in the truth of the Gospel.

This says a lot about the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

They were slow to believe, but once they knew the truth, they could not be unconvinced and neither should we!

We have to stand on the truth of the Gospel simply because we know it is the truth!

If we want to mourn and weep let us mourn and weep for those who reject the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote:

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Paul could write these things because he knew they were the truth!

The Lord Jesus knew all these things would happen so; He began to show Himself to them.

*Mar 16:12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
Mar 16:13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

We should understand that one of the proofs of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the immediate unbelief of His disciples.

They had to be convinced of the truth of the resurrection.

Once they realized this truth, they never doubted the Lord Jesus ever again.

All but John died because they could not be convinced otherwise.

They could have rejected the truth of the Messiah and lived!

There was a distinct change in the appearance of our Savior after His resurrection!

He was the same and yet not the same.

They knew the voice of the Lord Jesus this had not changed.

The Lord Jesus bore the marks of His crucifixion on His hands, His feet, and His chest.

He ate with His disciples, He had conversations with them, and He blessed them and yet He was not the same.

The body of our Messiah was no longer subject to the laws of space and time!

He came and went as He so chose!

One moment He was with them and another moment He would vanish out of their site.

This is what happened on the road to Emmaus. (Book of Luke 24:13-35)

Christ Jesus made Himself known to a select group of people.

We can understand these words of the Apostle Paul if we let this sink in.

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; “that every one may receive the things done in his body”, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Paul was referring to the glorified body of our Lord Jesus.

Paul wrote to the Colossians that we would all appear with Jesus and be like Jesus when the Lord Jesus returns to claim this world.

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, “then shall ye also appear with him in glory”.

Again Paul was talking about this glorified body that the Lord Jesus showed to the Apostles after His resurrection, the same body He went back to Heaven with.

**The Lord Jesus had come to this earth as Spirit and took on the form of a new baby to make a point that we all must be “born again” in His Spirit.

**The Lord Jesus grew to adulthood to reach the age when He would begin His ministry.

We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior so we can become a servant of the Lord and be in His will, which is our ministry.

**The Lord died to show us that death had no power over Him and He rose again to prove it was true.

Once we are faithful believers, we know that death has no power over us ever again.

**The Lord Jesus raised Himself in a glorified body to show us that at the moment of our death, there will be no death, but we will begin a new everlasting life and it will be in a glorified body just like that of the Lord.

The difference is, He will show His battle scars and we will be brand new!

Though He was glorified, He was still the man Christ Jesus with all His individual characteristics.

This is the body He returned to Heaven in so we can all be alike body wise in Heaven but we all will still be different.

We should never listen to anyone who tries to get rid of the form of Christ or substitute some vague image of Him as the truth.

The Apostles were not confused and they were eyewitnesses!

The “Body of Christ”, the Church will one day soon resemble Jesus Christ’s resurrection body when we return with Him.

Joh 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Joh 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The Lord Jesus continued to show Himself to His disciples.

*Mar 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. is victory over death.

There are two major hindrances to being a true witness for Jesus Christ.

1) Unbelief.
2) The hardness of the heart.

The Lord Jesus Christ scolded these disciples for both of these things.

They had not believed the words He had taught them!

They had witnessed the power of God for about three years and there was no excuse for their unbelief.

They had seen His power over nature and disease.
They had witnessed His power over death when He raised up the daughter of Jairus and Lazarus and others.
They had witnessed the sinless life of Jesus, His purity, and His holiness. The Lord Jesus Christ was without sin therefore death had no power over Him!
They had been taught time after time that He was to die and be raised again.
They had rejected the testimony of His resurrection!

Their hardness of heart to not even believe other disciples was a very serious problem that they had to overcome!

We are all to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ to spread the truth of our Holy God!

These things had to be dealt with!

The cause of unbelief and the hardness of the heart is the misinterpretation of Scripture and the misinterpretation of words of Jesus Christ which today we see them in red letters if we want to.

All the Scriptures are the Word of God!

2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

They refused to see Christ as the suffering Savior and could think only of Him as the conquering King and He will be this too when it is time!

They refused to see the Kingdom of God as a Spiritual Kingdom, thinking only of a physical kingdom, which takes place as the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, which is a temporary thing, at least for only one thousand years.

They simply did not understand the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Until these things were understood completely, they could not be given the “Great Commission”.

*Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

All the Word of God is to be treated as the commandments of God and the “Great Commission” is as straight-forward as can be said.

The Lord used very few words but this command cannot be misunderstood.

The Lord was teaching this thing to His disciples.

If you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ then you are also a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ!

That word preach is used here and it means to declare the truth of God!

It means for us to declare the truth of God, especially the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The “Gospel”, meaning the “Good News” of the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done for our salvation.

The Lord Jesus has done all the work and we are to believe and proclaim what He has done for us, including all the world.

Though most of the world will ignore the Gospel, the world still needs to hear what the Lord has to say, because He is the Lord of Life!

That word preach, does not mean that only those who are called to preach are to share this message, but every child of God is to share the “Gospel” message.

We are not to preach our own thoughts about the Gospel.
We are not to preach our own ideas about the “Gospel”.
We are not to preach humanistic or man-centered beliefs about the ‘Gospel”.
We are not to preach what world religions think about the “Gospel”,
We are not to preach what philosophers think about the “Gospel”.

We are to preach the “Gospel”, just as it is revealed to us by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God!

This is the Divine work that has been assigned to us.

No Christian is exempt from this duty.

None of us are excluded from the privilege and honor of taking part in this work given to us by our Savior!

The “Gospel” must be heard and it will do its own work!

The “Gospel” must be carried out into all the world.

The Great Commission was given to all the Church, to every believer!

Notice that the Lord Jesus does not give us a list of reasons why we cannot do this command.

In other words there are no excuses for anyone!

It is a permanent commission given to every believer, in every generation to do, until the Lord takes us home or He returns to take us all home on the day of the Rapture.

What is the truth to those after they have heard the Gospel?

*Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

What the world has a tough time believing is the fact that we are all doomed from the day of our birth.

We may look down at an innocent baby and say how can this child be a sinner, but it does not take many days until we see the truth as that child begins to lie.

We see that baptism is mentioned in this passage and we know that baptism is not part of our salvation in the sense that it is necessary.

What we must understand is, that being baptized is being obedient to the Word of God!

In the sense of that obedience, it is then necessary as becomes part of our beliefs.

We believe in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that He has done for our salvation, the “Gospel” and we believe in the truth of all the Word of God and in this context the Lord Jesus says we must be Baptized.

To be baptized is a sign of our belief!

Baptism is an act of obedience to God’s demand just as belief is an act of obedience to God’s demand.

We should also know that believing also includes, repentance, while obeying the “Gospel”.

To be saved we must believe the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ!

If we then believe, then God demands that we be baptized!

It could be said that how can a person be saved if that person immediately rebels against being baptized?

If we are saved, then God expects obedience to all the Word of God!

This is where the so-called progressives are failing today!

If that obedience does not exist, then that salvation does not exist!

Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Every saved soul who believes in the Lord will not have a problem in obeying all the Word of God!

Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Obedience is then tied to our salvation!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It is by faith alone that we are saved but after that salvation then there are some works to do and baptism is that first works as is making a public confession of our sin.

We are all sinners saved by the “Grace” of God.

None of these things mean we can never fail; we will certainly fail in our service to the Lord!

We will fail, but we will not continue in sin.

We will get up out of our sin, ask God for forgiveness, and follow the Lord even more diligently.

Is it possible to be saved without following the Lord Jesus Christ which is the meaning of being a Christian?

Those who are lost are those who do not believe the Gospel!

Joh_3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We should ask ourselves just what does this belief “in Him” really mean?

Not being baptized is not a reason that is mentioned for a reason for salvation.

What we need to understand is, that believing is making a commitment to the things that God says, the infallible Word of God.

A person is not saved if they do not believe, which is a rejection of what God says!

To believe is a Spiritual event!

To be baptized is a physical event!

The Lord Jesus then is saying in verse sixteen, that when a person is saved and filled with the Holy Spirit they will not fail to be baptized unless they are physically unable to do so.

The moment of salvation is not at the time of salvation, but is at the time of believing!

A true believer will then be baptized and be obedient to all the Word of God!

This thing is not that confusing and each believer must work through these things with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Php_2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

It is our Savior who started His work of salvation in us, but we are to carry it to the end with the help of the Holy Spirit and following the Word of God being obedient to it!

*Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

To all those who are saved and have not grieved the Holy Spirit by ignoring the Word of God, then they will be able to work through the power of the Holy Spirit!

The pure fact of witnessing for the Lord Jesus Christ is the fact that it cannot be done under our own power, but only with the power of the Holy Spirit!

Our world has always been a dangerous place and it is even more so today.

Dangers come not only from the enemies of the Church but also natural calamities.

And we must not forget what the Word of God says.

Eph_6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is these things that are the most dangerous and it is also these things that we hear every day that are Israel’s enemy!

Now we must not get confused.

There will be some who become martyrs.

There will be some who will suffer major persecution, but God will not allow all His children to die, except in the fashion of the Rapture.

Things will not always be smooth for believers even here in America!

The point God is making is that as God’s people carry out the “Great Commission”, God will make some of His power known to this world.

Many of these things mentioned here were necessary when the Church had its beginning but the Lord did not mean they are all needed today.

Some are to plant seeds.

Some are to water and nourish those seeds.

Some will receive the seed and believe immediately.

Some will reject the seed and never receive the truth of God.

We know that even in the time of Paul the speaking of tongues, which have always been about known languages and not some gibberish trying to imitate this power that was given to the first Apostles and a few others in the beginning of the early Church.

1Co 14:21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
1Co 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, “but to them that believe not”: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

We now that Paul also seemed to have power over serpents at one time.

Act 28:3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
Act 28:4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
Act 28:5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

No evangelist has this power over serpents today.

Snake handlers are not preachers of the truth!

We can also be sure if we test God and drink any substance that could kill us then it probably will.

Today we have the complete text of the Bible and it is the Bible, the Word of God that has the power needed to reach the dark soul of each sinner!

Faith is still the key to salvation that still comes by the Grace of God!

Faith is a distinct relation between the lost soul and the believing soul!

The triumph of the believing soul is that it can now live through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ!

There is safety in “faith” in Jesus Christ and it is eternal!

Psa 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Psa 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psa 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

There is safety in the Church if we remain in the Church.

Heb_10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Amen

Receiving the Truth of Jesus Christ

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

A Mighty Work in Ephesus

Book of Acts Chapter 19

The city of Ephesus was the capitol city of the Roman province in Asia.

Ephesus was a large and ancient city even at the time of the Apostle Paul.

Ephesus was an important harbor town even though it was three miles from the coast and located on the Cayster River.

Ephesus was on the main road to Rome so, any important government or political figure would certainly come by Ephesus.

All the governors of Asia minor would always land in Ephesus!

Ephesus became the center of the work of the Apostle Paul who was led there by the Holy Spirit.

Besides the Apostle Paul, Tychius, Timothy, John Mark, the Apostle John, Priscilla, and Aquila, all spent some time in Ephesus.

There are some who say that Mary the mother of Jesus is buried in Ephesus having traveled there with John the Apostle who had promised to take of her.

At the time of Paul the harbor had been neglected and ships found it hard to dock in Ephesus and a route by the highlands was suitable for foot traffic.

Act 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

There was a lot of opposition to Christianity in Ephesus, but not for the reasons we would think.

It was the goddess Diana (Artemis) who was the maiden huntress or mother-goddess of fertility, depending on which belief you accepted.

It is said that the original idol of Diana fell down from heaven as a meteorite.

Act 19:35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

Every false god or goddess each have their own false history most of them related to those old Greek gods such as Apollo and Jupiter and many others.

The salvation message of the Apostle Paul brought a revival to Ephesus.

Paul, as he did in many other places began his preaching in a Jewish synagogue.

*Act 19:8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Act 19:9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
Act 19:10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Paul had made a commitment to reach the lost with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we have made this same commitment!

If we are truly saved then upon that call to salvation, we are immediately filled with God’s the Holy Spirit!

It is automatic once you accept the truth of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit begins His work of “regeneration” within us immediately.

Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

When Paul began his ministry in Ephesus he had met twelve disciples who had no association with any church and it was evident they had not known Apollos.

Paul ask them if they had received the Holy Spirit upon their salvation, but they knew nothing of the Holy Spirit.

Now the Jews require a sign so, if they had received the Holy Spirit they would certainly have known it.

They were disciples of John the Baptist, and they were still looking for the coming of the Messiah and did not know who the Messiah would be.

The true Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ had already come and had been murdered, then buried, and because the grave could not hold Him, He had resurrected from that death, as our Savior and Redeemer.

They had not been Baptized with the Holy Spirit and they had not been water baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As much as they loved God, they knew nothing of the Gospel!

Paul did not rebuke them nor degrade them for not understanding the full message of John.

Paul pointed out that they had done well by repenting of their sin which is a part of the Gospel, but there was much more to his message that needed to be said and understood.

John had made it a point to teach all his disciples that they should believe on Him, which should come after him.

Luk_3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

When they heard this, they responded just as they should have, they believed and placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the truth?

Some people repent and get baptized but still do not receive the truth of Jesus Christ into their heart and are therefore not saved.
Some people have an incomplete faith because they do not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ so, the Holy Spirit will not enter into them.
Some people believe so much in baptism as the means of salvation, they forget that salvation must come first! Baptism is just a sign that they have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ but lack in faith just wanting to be a part of the Church.

There is no such thing as baby baptism by the sprinkling of water!

Salvation requires a decision! They must believe the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ (all the truth) and decide to accept Him or by default they have automatically rejected Him.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

2Co 1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
2Co 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Salvation is simple but it requires truth “faith”!

These men accepted the truth and were gloriously saved in the name of Jesus, and then baptized again because baptism comes after salvation and not before salvation. That first baptism was irrelevant.

It is after these things that Paul went into that Jewish synagogue and preached boldly for three months.

Those twelve salvations had energized the Apostle Paul.

Many of them spoke evil of Christianity (the Way) and Paul separated himself and all the disciples and found another place to gather together.

Which many believe to be a private Synagogue and Paul preached here for two years.

There was no dispute with the Gentiles, it was the Jews who tried to dispute Christianity.

Now the Jews did stir up the Gentiles just to cause problems in the Church.

Paul removed the disciples because God expects us to lead a new disciple into maturity.

For those who remained blind to the Gospel, they will see the wrath of God!

We should all be settled in our heart that we have given our lives to the Lord!

Salvation is only real if we have done this.

To get the gift of salvation, then we must accept the truth of God’s Son!

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

It is God the Father who allowed Paul to have some power of miracles, Paul had no such power within himself.

*Act 19:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
Act 19:12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

How special were these miracles?

These healings took place without the laying on of the hands of Paul.

These healings happened without Paul being present.

These healings happened without Paul having any knowledge of the disease or the ailment.

These healings happened without Paul knowing their needs at all.

They remind us of the time when that woman was healed, who just knew if she could touch the hem of the garment of the Lord Jesus Christ she could be healed.

Jesus said:

Luk_8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

These healings happened with the only link being handkerchiefs and aprons that had been in contact with the body of the Apostle Paul.

These healings happened when these things were carried to the sick and those who were possessed by a friend or family.

Also reminds us of those who were healed when the shadow of Peter overshadowed them.

These were certainly special miracles, but trouble is always just around the corner from those who think they know a better way.

*Act 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
Act 19:14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

A vagabond is someone moving place to place without having a place called home.

They actually move around without having any certain destination.

After Cain murdered Abel, God sentenced Cain to be a vagabond.

Gen 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

Cain felt this punishment was too great!

Gen 4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

These certain Jews were probably vagabond, because they were also exorcists or they believed they were.

An exorcist, has a belief in demoniacal possessions, which may be traced in almost every nation.

These things have always been attended by the professed ability, on the part of some individuals, to release the unhappy victims from their calamity.

Exorcists were common throughout the ancient world, and they traveled around living as gypsies.

They made their living off of the superstitions of the people.

These felt that power lay in the using the name of God in some imaginary formula.

These being Jews, used the name of Jehovah until they heard Paul preach the Lord Jesus the true Messiah.

In New Testament times, this so called art had developed and professional exorcists had become numerous.

This Sceva and his seven sons had become exorcists and there was always some money involved which made them professional.

The vital part of the procedure was the invocation of a name (or a series of names, of a deity or an angel), at the mention of which the evil spirit was supposed to recognize as the presence of a superior power and to decline a combat, as though a spell had been put upon him.

This is exactly what was going on here in Ephesus except this Sceva and his sons began using the name of the Lord Jesus and they mentioned the name Paul.

This Jewish priest was not doing what he was supposed to be doing as a Jewish priest, which is why he was vagabond. He could not stay in one place too long after he was found out by the Jews in each synagogue.

He used the priesthood to make money!

Do evil spirits take control of people? These demons can certainly take control of a lost person and this happens where we see all the evilest and wickedness that are taking place, even today.

Can an evil spirit or demon take control of a saved person. No this is impossible!

1Jn_4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

The child of God who have the Holy Spirit living within him or her, cannot be overcome by a demon because the Holy Spirit is far greater in His power.

How did the Lord Jesus Christ remove demons?

Christ, on the other hand, uses no spell, but in virtue of His own authority bids the evil spirits retire, and they render His slightest word unquestioning obedience.

Mar 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
Mar 9:26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
Mar 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

The Lord Jesus just commanded them to leave and they did.

What we see here is that these so-called exorcists had no power to overcome any demon because no one has this power but the Lord.

*Act 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
Act 19:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

This evil demon, using the voice of the man possessed, certainly knew the Lord Jesus Christ, and said he knew the Apostle Paul.

We should notice how this demon used the body of the possessed man to overcome these false priests.

This happens in most of all the most heinous crimes still today by people are demon possessed.

We know that we are all sinners in need of the “Grace” of God.

Those who do not know the Lord as their Savior, and home to the Holy Spirit, are easily take over by one of the Devil’s demons.

2Ti_2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

This demon possessed man overcame all seven of these false priests and they fled as described, naked and wounded.

The news of this incident spread very fast throughout Ephesus.

We see that it is the Holy Spirit who holds back the evilness in this world, until the Gospel has reached the limits set by Jehovah God.

The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified throughout Ephesus and many souls were saved.

*Act 19:17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Act 19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

Even the malice of the Devil can be used to further the Gospel!

For a time the power of God paralyzed the children of the Devil, who are the true enemies of the Gospel and people had something they could believe on, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

Psa 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Psa 33:9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

We can believe that the message of the Gospel finally began to sink in.

What is wrong today? People just do not associate God with the miracles that happen every day and they just go unnoticed.

There is no fear of God and the Devil is just denied.

Hell is taught as non-existing.

The Gospel is still the message of the true Church, and the Gospel still saves souls, and the Church cannot be stopped by the Devil.
In Ephesus, the Gospel was moving and much people began to give up false teaching.

*Act 19:19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Act 19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Today we see where there is a big question about what books need to be in school libraries, especially the early grades of school.

I believe what is happening in Florida and some other states are the right thing to do and most of them do not go far enough.

Here in Ephesus the people realized they had many books teaching evilness and wickedness, and the people themselves gathered all those books and brought them to a public place.

Instead of allowing those books to go to other places for they were very expensive, they burnt them and removed them from getting out into the world, which is the only way to handle such wickedness.

Since there were not many coins, silver was in pieces and they had to be weighed for true value.

Fifty thousand pieces of silver would have been about forty thousand dollars in this day of the Apostle Paul.

No telling what that value would be in today’s economy.

It is not just anybody who would burn 40,000 dollars’ worth of books, but these people had decided that these books served no purpose in their own future and needed to be destroyed.

There are so many books out there today that need to be destroyed and kept away from our children.

There is only one book that is completely necessary and it is the Bible that is from a good translation that goes back to the original Scriptures.

Then, maybe a revival will break out in America and around the world.

Amen

Christ’s Baptism

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Certainty Of Christ’s Baptism

Book of Luke 3:1-38

It should be very clear to us all that the coming of Jesus the Christ to this world was the pivotal point in human history!

Some may not accept this truth but the Scriptures declare that the entire world will one day in the future declare Him Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

The Lord Jesus Christ changed the world so much that the calendar changed and the years are measured by His first coming.

When Christ Jesus first came He came as the Savior of the world!

When Christ returns, He will come as the true Judge of this world!

For Christ to have the impact that He did, God provided a forerunner.

Christ needed someone to could go before Him and arouse the people to prepare His coming.

That person was John the Baptist!

Christ Jesus needs someone to go before Him and arouse the people to prepare for His second coming.

That is the Church!

John the Baptist is an example for the Church of proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s begin:

*****Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

We know that there will always be those who try every possible way to dispute the Word of God.

The fact remains that John the Baptist introduced our Savior to the world!

The ministry of Christ Jesus began when He was introduced by John!

Tiberius Caesar, also known as Nero, was in the 15nth year of his reign when God called John out of the wilderness.

Tiberius reigned from 14 AD till 37 AD so this event would have would have taken place around 29 AD.

Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea which meant that he was the civil ruler and also the military commander.

Pilate held this office from 26 AD till 36 AD.

Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. Tetrarch simply means a ruler over a fourth part of what his father ruled.

He ruled this area from 4 BC to 39 AD.

Philip, another son of Herod the Great, was tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitus. Philip was reputed as a good man, fair and just.

Caesarea Philippi was built and named after him.

Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene. Lysanias was the son of Lysanias which has caused some confusion by historians but Luke is accurate in what he writes.

*****Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests.

The High Priest of Israel had become a political tool used by Rome and was certainly corrupt in this day.

According to the Law of Moses, there was never to be more than one High Priest at any one time and they held that position until their death.

The High Priesthood was to be hereditary and held within the family of Aaron, the first High Priest.

BUT, Rome used the position of High Priest to secure power over Jewish life!

This is what false religion does as it tries to dominate in the lives of people.

This is what religion influenced by governments do as governments try to control the people.

This is the very reason that the 1st and the 14nth amendments to the Constitution were written by our forefathers and not in reverse as it is interpreted today, to keep government out of the Church and not the Church out of the government.

Rome gave this position to men who were willing to lead the people to follow the Roman rule.

Between 37 BC and 26 AD a period of 63 years there were 28 different High Priests that were installed and removed by Rome.

The High Priest’s office became corrupted and politically motivated.

Annas served as High Priest between 7 AD and 14 AD but Rome was still behind his power.

Caiaphas was officially the High Priests in Rome’s eyes but Annas was the High Priest that the Jewish leaders looked to.

In the false trial of Jesus, He was first taken to Annas and then to Caiaphas.

Joh 18:13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

It was during this political nightmare of corruption that John the Baptist was called out of the wilderness.

Today in America we see our own list of appointments, regulations and authorities and how political appointments will most always breed corruption.

Just look and see what’s happened to our Supreme Court!

As Jesus ministered to such a world so it is for the Church!

As John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus Christ, so it is for the Church!

As Jesus first came at such a time at first, Jesus will return at the fullness of these things!

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

And John begins his work and the purpose he was called of God to do.

*****Luk 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

John preached the repentance and forgiveness of sins!

This simply means that if a man wished to be forgiven of his sins, he must repent which means “he has turned away from his sin and after that then he could be baptized.

The evidence of turning away from his sin would show in a changed life!

Baptism then, was a sign to those that knew him and to the world that he was changing his life, because he wanted God to forgive his sin.

1) We must have a desire to be forgiven!

This can only happen if we have acknowledged that we are a sinner!

2) We must make a decision to repent, to turn from our sinful ways and to change our lives!

Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

3) Only after these things comes baptism!

Baptism is only a sign to the world that here after you are going to live for God and live a changed life.

What is the truth?

A) Forgiveness of sin is conditional.

We must first repent to be forgiven and if we truly repent we can be baptized!

B) Baptism is to be the witness or the sign that a man has repented and changed his life.

We should also note that baptism was not at this time a practiced among the Jews even though they did believe in spiritual cleansing with water.

Isa 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

And note it was John the Baptist who proclaimed that he was the fulfillment of the words of Isaiah.

*****Luk 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Luk 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

For the Jews, it was a dark and dreary time because they lived under the domination of Rome and saw no end to it.

John preached better times are coming but only if we repent!

John warned the people as he quoted from the Book of Isaiah!

1) John said prepare for that valley to be filled, which represents all those who repent and are humbled before the Lord. They would be exalted.

2) John said prepare, for those mountains and hills will be brought low, which means all those full of their own pride and boastful ways, would loose everything and be made low.

They would be made as low as the dust of the ground, if they would not repent!

3) John said prepare, for the crooked would be made straight, which means, the crooked thief, the crooked politician, the crooked business man, the crooked husband and even those crooked wives, all the crooked sinners throughout the world, who are bent out of shape could be straightened if they would repent.

4) John said prepare, for the rough ways will be made smooth, which means the ways of hopelessness, the ways of loneliness, the ways of emptiness, the ways of guilt and shame, and sin and false religion and false worship, will be made smooth and easy to reach.

Christ Jesus simply made salvation a simple thing!

5) John said prepare, for the salvation of God shall be seen of all flesh!

Not only to the Jews, but to all people who connect with the Messiah.

When the way is prepared then the Savior will appear!

John’s preaching woke up all who heard him, to prepare to look at the Messiah.

Daniel had foretold of this day and it would be fulfilled.

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

And then John preached to those who came on their own.

*****Luk 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

John preached that salvation could only come by the Messiah but John also preached condemnation.

As we witness to those who do not know the Lord we should always tell the truth about salvation before we ever tell about condemnation!

Most people realize they are lost. It is our job to tell them how to be saved!

John always preached the truth about men, no matter who they were!

1) Those of false religion are vipers!

Their message is poisonous!

They had allowed themselves to be poisoned and they intended to poison all others.

2) And John then preached the wrath to come.

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

*****Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

The truth is we must first repent and then bear fruit. In other words our repentance must be noticeable to others.

There should be evidence of a changed life!

John preached against pride!

Many of those that came to John believed they were acceptable to God, just because they were Jews, the descendants of Abraham and of godly forefathers.

Many believed they were acceptable to God because, they had been circumcised and dedicated to God as the Laws of Moses had said. They felt the righteousness of their parents had saved them.

Many of them believed how they lived did not really matter when it came to being accepted to God as they were already the chosen of God.

Even today most all people believe that they are just special enough to be accepted of God!

They reason these things in their minds:

They have godly parents.

They have been baptized.

Their good out weighs their bad.

They are religious.

They are members of a church.

They are regular worshipers.

But God says this is simply not the truth!

It is not enough just to have a head knowledge of God.

It takes a personal relationship with God to be saved!

John preached salvation through the Messiah.

The Messiah said:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

John also preached judgment!

*****Luk 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

What is the truth of the Bible? God will one day sweep away everything in this world that is corrupt!

Jesus came to save!

This is the only part that He has given us to do!

Obviously we cannot be saviors but we can lead as many as we can to the Lord Jesus and He will save them!

As Christians we are to portray God’s “goodness” and God’s “mercy”!

Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

This is what God requires of those that are called by His name!

So the truth remains that:

1) God is the Divine Woodsman.

2) The axe has already been laid at the roots of the trees.

3) The trees are not yet cut down but all men have been warned.

4) There are many trees, some lofty (the proud), some stately (the politicians), some diseased, some bearing good fruit, some bearing bad fruit, some bearing no fruit.

5) All trees that do not bear good fruit will be chopped down and cast into the fire!

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

And what is the question we all should ask after we have heard the truth of the “Gospel”?

What shall we do then?

*****Luk 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
Luk 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Any good preacher will allow some time for the people to repent and confess their sins after the sermon!

Any good preacher will lead those who are under conviction to the Lord!

The preaching of John the Baptist stirred the people and he led them to Jesus!

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
1Pe 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

We are always to care enough for God’s people to share what we have with those in need!

And many times our giving should be sacrificial.

Give not only of the things God has blessed us with but give also of ourselves!

In the eyes of God this is fruit of repentance!

This is evidence of a changed life!

*****Luk 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
Luk 3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Tax collectors were despised because they were Jews who were to collect the taxes for Rome and many would collect much more than was required and cheat the people.

A tax collector who wanted God to forgive their sins, had to change the way they did business.

Notice they were not told to get a new job, they were told that they had to become a person of justice.

They had to show their love for others enough to treat them fairly and respectfully and justly!

*****Luk 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

The soldiers were to be respectful and loving, to all people.

They were to do no violence to any man. That means they were never to act like a terrorist!

Roman soldiers would sometimes allow illegal things to go on if they were paid a bribe and this must cease.

They were to be satisfied with their wages.

A soldier will sometimes allow politics to influence him in bad ways, they were to always be truthful and honest no matter where they served.

I believe the American soldiers are the best in the world, not only because they are the best trained, but because they still love people wherever they go and most of them are true ambassadors for our nation.

Even a soldier could show a changed life by respecting and loving people, being truthful and honest and responsible!

The important fruit John was looking for was a changed life!

Righteousness is doing things the right way and doing things the right way are the fruits of righteousness!

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

These people had never heard such wisdom come from one man!

*****Luk 3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
Luk 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

John the Baptist was such a powerful preacher that many even thought that he might be the Messiah.

But John preach of the coming Messiah.

John preached that the Messiah would be much more than he ever could.

John preached that he was not even worthy to unlatch the shoes of the Messiah and wash his feet.

We should remember when a visitor came to the home of someone it was the job of a slave to remove their shoes and wash their feet of the dust of the world.

John said he was much lower that that slave when compared to the Messiah!

You see when Jesus Christ is our example we will simply never measure up to His stature and His righteousness!

1) John knew he was not worth the rank of a slave.

2) The Messiah would be much mightier in His work as Savior and as Judge.

The word Baptism, has never meant to be sprinkled!

Baptism means to dip, to immerse, to submerge, to place into water.

John’s baptism would only be with water!

John’s baptism was preparation and a symbol of the spiritual baptism that the Messiah would bring.

1) Water “symbolized” the cleansing from all sin. To John this meant this people was being prepared for the true cleansing that the Messiah would bring.

2) Baptism also “symbolized” separation and dedication. To John this meant the setting apart of your life for God’s use. A renewed spirit of dedication!

John was preparing this people to meet the Lord, the Messiah who would then bring salvation to them!

John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance!

***The Messiah would baptize in the person of the Holy Spirit!

Every person that is carnal and materialistic that is truly baptized into the Spirit by the Messiah will become “spiritually minded”

Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

This was the fulfillment of the Prophet Ezekiel but this was rejected by most Jews:

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

***The Messiah would baptize “In” fire!

Fire will illuminate, warm, melt, burn, and can destroy.

The difference in a baptism “in water” and a baptism “in fire” is that water can only cleanse the outside while fire purifies within, that is the heart!

Jesus told Nicodemus you must be “born again”.

The Messiah separates each person from his former life and purifies him within the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Remember we must die to our old self before we can be “born again”.

In John’s mind, the Messiah would also destroy the enemies of Israel and we know them as the enemies of the Church.

*****Luk 3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

An unquenchable fire, is a fire that cannot be put out!

Today Jesus Christ is separating the wheat from the chaff, the believer from the unbeliever.

The threshing floor symbolizes the Church.

That fan is symbolized by the Word of God.

Many who approach the floor of Christ Jesus are swept away by His Words.

They cannot accept salvation and are blown away by the “Grace of God”.

They are blown away by the New Birth.

They are blown away by the doctrines of salvation.

Salvation is the separation from sin. If that separation has not taken place then that person may be swept away.

Then there is the fan of affliction, we must all remember the Book of Job!

Those that hold true will be gathered into the garner and become God’s treasure, reserved in His storehouse!

We live in a world today that is certainly choking in it’s on chaff!

We live in a world today that the chaff is so rotten that the wheat is in double danger.

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

So John preached the truth.

*****Luk 3:18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

Luke only provides a sample of the preaching of John the Baptist.

John preached the coming of the Messiah, but his message was not limited to just those things.

John preached repentance of sin and knowing that God is a “whosoever” God, John even warned the rulers.

It seems not many of us will stand up to our rulers or our leaders and tell them of their sin!

Preaching is communicating the “good news” of the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ.

Jesus died for all the sins of mankind but we must acknowledge that He has done so.

Because, No one is out of the reach of God’s wrath!

John was a straight forward and powerful preacher, who did not change his message no matter who was in the audience!

*****Luk 3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philips wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
Luk 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

John rebuked Herod for his evil and carnal life style.

Herod lived in the sin of adultery.

Philip was the brother of Herod, even though they both had different mothers.

Herod divorced his own wife and married Herodias the wife of his brother Philip.

Mar 6:17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philips wife: for he had married her.
Mar 6:18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

The title of our lesson is “The certainty of Christ Baptism” so Luke spends very little time on John and returns to the baptism of Christ, the Messiah.

*****Luk 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

Baptism, simply put, is an act of obedience to God!

Jesus was being obedient to God when He was baptized!

Jesus, our example, was baptized along with the other people!

Jesus was doing exactly what God wanted Him to do, “to be identified with the people”!

The one thing that set these other people apart from the people of the world is that they heard the Word of
God and they responded!

In order for salvation to occur, each of us must respond to the “Gospel” of God and then seek God to forgive
our sins.

This is the will of God for everyone!

The truth is that no man, woman, or child is greater than any other in the sight of God!

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

This truth has never changed and it will not ever change!

None of us are above God’s will!

None of us are above God’s commandments!

Notice even while Jesus was being baptized, He was also praying.

Jesus was always in fellowship and communion with God!

Baptism is an outward sign of God, working on the inside of all those that believe!

Baptism is the most significant sign of discipleship!

Just as Jesus was obedient in prayer, we are also to be obedient in prayer.

We must remember that Christ Jesus is our example in all things of God!

1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

God is very please when we are obedient in all things.

When Jesus was baptized the Heavens open up!

*****Luk 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

It is at His baptism that Jesus began His ministry.

The Heavens opened to give Jesus the Man, a sight into the glory world!

This was God’s stamp of approval of His Son.

The Heavens opened up to make known to all those who were present, that Jesus was truly the Lamb of God, the God-Man.

The dove has always been a sacred bird to the Jews.

The dove is the symbol of peace and gentleness throughout our world.

The Holy Spirit descended “in a bodily shape (as a dove) would descend”.

There was a physical representation of a dove.

The dove was a sacred bird to the Jews!

The dove only represented the Holy Spirit.

The dove was a symbol of peace and gentleness, and of purity and innocence.

In other words something in the quality and characteristics of the dove served as a vehicle to portray the Holy Spirit.

It was Dove-like rather than Hawk-like!

The dove portrayed the Holy Spirit coming upon Christ Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry.

Remember Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit while He was still in the womb of His mother Mary.

The dove was visible picture of God Himself descending upon Jesus!

Joh 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Joh 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

The Holy Spirit entered the life of Jesus once and for all and the voice of God was heard and notice again that the voice of God was in a language that was clearly understood and not some gibberish!

Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The truth is that when we repent and are baptized, God is well pleased!

Only then does God open up Heaven to receive our prayers!

Only then does God reveal His Spirit to us in a very special sense!

Only then does God know that we have received and understood His Words!

We can be certain that Jesus Christ was baptized!

There is no greater reason for us to be baptized than to know that our Savior was baptized as our example!

God has a plan for all those that have accepted the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Baptizing The King

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Baptizing The King

Text: Matthew 3

Focus: Matthew 3:1-9, 13-17.

We began with the generations of Jesus Christ our Lord and His birth of the “Virgin Mary”. I did not cover that as good as I should have but we all need to study ourselves to be approved of God.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

In this chapter of Matthew we are introduced to John the Baptist. He could also be called John the Preacher.

The salvation of souls depends entirely on the “death, burial and resurrection from the grave” by the Lord Jesus Christ. The “Church” is based on these facts. Without the Lord’s “sacrifice” there can be no salvation of anyone that has ever lived or will live on this Earth. There could be no assurance of a home in Heaven. Those that say they have another way are only using religion as means to forward their own evil agenda.

Many religions teach of other ways to Heaven but there is only one way and to be honest if  the death as a suicide bomber and by works is the way, then Heaven is not the Heaven that I have come to know as my future home.

God would not have allowed the death of His Own Son to be a meaningless gesture to pacify those that live in sin on Earth.

As we study the Gospels we can and will see that there is nothing that would have or could have prevented Jesus The Christ from fulfilling every prophesy written about Him and for Him. His day on the “cross” was His way of showing how much He loves the sinners of this world and He loves each one even more once they believe on Him.

If Christ Jesus had not fulfilled all prophesy of Him then He could not be the Jewish Messiah nor the Christian Savior. The first time He came was humbly in a manger. The next time He comes it will be in in Power.

The Bible says:

Act 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

John said “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:”

1.) John used water for the Jews.(calling of Israel to return to God)
2.) Jesus would use the Holy Spirit for salvation.(first coming of Christ)
3.) Jesus would use Fire for those that rejected Him.(second coming of Christ)

Sinful men are born under the curse of sin which is “death”.

Rom 6:23  [For the wages of sin is death]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Just as sure as you work to draw a paycheck that you expect to receive. The payment for sin is eternal death of the soul which you should also expect to receive.

Everyone will die a physical death:

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

We can see that there is a judgment that takes place after that physical death. This is the second death that will come on all that reject the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the “judgment” of Hebrews 9:27.

The second death is a separation of the soul from the presence of God into eternal damnation, the judgment.

For a person to avoid this second death he must experience the second birth by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior in faith.

The Bible says:

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Jesus Christ was born, that He might die to save us from all our sin, that we might live eternally! This is the only reason He came to God’s creation was to save God’s creation.

The Bible says:

Act 8:35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Act 8:36  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Act 8:37  And Philip said, [If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest]. And he answered and said, [I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God].
Act 8:38  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, [even so we also should walk in newness of life].

We that know Jesus Christ as our Savior have accepted these facts of Jesus by “Faith”!

The Bible says:

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, [yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9  [Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls].

If we are not baptized by the Holy Spirit we are not saved:

Tit 3:3  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5  [Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost];
Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7  [That being justified by his grace], we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

*****Our Text:

John the Preacher:

Mat 3:1  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Mat 3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 3:3  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Mat 3:4  And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

It is important to remember that the Book of Matthew was written to the Jewish nation, if we are to rightly divide the Word of God. Matthew was trying to convince these Jews that Jesus was indeed the Christ the Messiah. Matthew also refers to the “coming” Church that would not begin until Pentecost.

We should also observe that the ministry of John the Baptist was not in the Temple but outside the gates of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem.

John the Baptist “Preached” outside the established religious system. [In comparison the independent Church began by the Apostles of Jesus Christ at Pentecost have always been outside the established religious systems].

This was prophesied of John:

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, [make straight in the desert a highway for our God].
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5  [And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it].

We know at one time God was in the Temple:

2Ch 5:13  It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
2Ch 5:14  So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: [for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God].

We know that God left the Temple:

Eze 10:4  [Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house]; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’S glory.

Eze 10:18  [Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims].

Eze 11:23  [And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city].

We can see that John was in the right place.

When God calls us to be in a certain place then that is where we need to be for our ministry to be blessed of God. You see God still speaks outside the temple and He will continue until the Rapture of the Church. Outside the Temple is where we can hear Him and meet Him.

The Bible says:

Rev 3:6  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

John came in the Spirit of Elijah:

The Bible says:

Mar 1:2  As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Mar 1:3  The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

We can see that Mark quoted from two different prophets:

Mal 3:1  Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

We can see that the angel Gabriel told of John.

Luk 1:76  And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

We can see that Jesus told of John the Baptist:

Luk 7:24  And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Luk 7:25  But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.
Luk 7:26  But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
Luk 7:27  This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Luk 7:28  For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Again the words of Jesus:

Mat 11:13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Mat 11:14  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Mat 11:15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Mar 9:13  But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

I believe we can understand that Elijah will still come but it will not be in the Church age. The forerunner of Jesus Christ at His first coming was John the Baptist. Elijah will return before the second coming of Christ.

*****Our Text:

Mat 3:5  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
Mat 3:6  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Mat 3:7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Mat 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Mat 3:9  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Matthew skips the boyhood years of Jesus and goes from His birth straight to the beginning of His ministry.

We know that Jesus was surrounded by family:

Mat 13:55  Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

And He also had sisters:

Mar 6:3  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

Notice Jesus had achieved the reputation of a carpenter as taught by Joseph who had adopted Him.

This chapter of Matthew deals mainly with Baptism.

To get a better understanding of what this meant to these Jews let’s take time to study. The Greek word “baptizo” comes from the root word “bapto”.

“Bapto” means to dip or to dye. It was a common word in the “Fuller’s trade. Undress cloth was prepared for use by first dipping it into bleach and then into dye. When the cloth emerged from the bleach it was clean and white. When it emerged from the dye it was altered again.

Even Jeremiah knew that this would not wash away sin:

Jer 2:22  For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.

Job also knew:

Job 9:30  If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
Job 9:31  Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

This the literal concept of Baptism. The word means to change identity, to change appearence, to change a relationship.

To the Jewish mind those that Matthew was writing to this gave the idea of cleansing and consecration to a new identity and a new relationship.

Jewish proselyte were baptized in such a manner. Water was extensively used in the Old Testament for ceremonial cleansing.

Lev 16:4  He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

Lev 14:7  And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

Lev 15:8  And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

A Jewish proselyte by his baptism signified that he was terminating his relationship in his old society and he was joining himself to Israel and to serve the God of Israel.

The message of John the Baptist was the preaching for the nation of Israel to return back to the God of Israel. Only then could they hear the message of “Grace” that Christ Jesus had.

Remember what Moses had said:

Deu 30:1  And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
Deu 30:2  [And shalt return unto the LORD thy God], and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
Deu 30:3  That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

The Lord told Solomon:

2Ch 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Israel is still seeking the Messiah and yet these are the conditions that will bring the Kingdom of Heaven to this Earth with the second coming of Christ.

John’s message was that the Kingdom of Heaven is as near as the nation of Israel returning to the God of Heaven.

“Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”

Repent or TURN BACK TO GOD.

For upon His coming it would be the Messiah that would provide forgiveness of “sin” and institute a Kingdom of peace and righteousness with His reign as King.

Baptism is but a “public confession of sin”. It symbolizes a “Moral Cleansing”.

Did Jesus have sin? No, the Bible is specific about that.

[What Jesus was saying at His Baptism is that He was associated with the sinner and not the established religions]!

Baptizing in the Church that Christ built associates us with Jesus Christ who came to be the Savior of the world!

Repentance means to change your mind and then act on that change!

When John told this to the Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees and The Elders, he was just saying just because you are from Israel and you are the descendant of Abraham, it is not enough for salvation and just saying you are sorry will not help.

John was not satisfied with the remorse and the regret on the part of these people. These Jews would have to show evidence of change before John would baptize them.

Jesus explained it this way:

Mat 21:27  And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
Mat 21:28  But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
Mat 21:29  [He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went]. (true repentance)
Mat 21:30  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. (these represent all who say they are saved and are not)
Mat 21:31  [Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them], Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Mat 21:32  For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

To the Christian the evidence of change it to be filled with the Holy Spirit! This can only happen after you have invited the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart!

This not some great physical showing such as speaking some unknown language but it is the knowing in your heart that you believe and have place your faith in Christ Jesus!

The evidence of change is then the changed life. “to be Born Again”!

Jesus said: “ye must be born again”

[Only after this is the need to be baptized] to show we are associated with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and His resurrection. This is a public showing of faith in Jesus Christ.

The Pharisees were “traditionalist” not only holding to the laws of Moses but creating some of their own to make those laws impossible to be kept.

The Sadducees were liberals. They didn’t believe in anything enough to endorse it but they did had control of the Temple and the Temple business.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Act 23:3  Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
Act 23:4  And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?
Act 23:5  Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
Act 23:6  But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
Act 23:7  And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
Act 23:8  For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
Act 23:9  And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

We know that the Lord Jesus cleaned these business’s out on at least two occasions:

Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

Mat 21:12  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Mar 11:15  And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
Mar 11:16  And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
Mar 11:17  And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

These two groups fought each other until Jesus came, they then joined forces against Him. This is why John preached a message of judgment.

John fulfilled Isaiah 40:3. He was in a spiritual sense the Elijah that was to come.

Listen to what is said of Elijah:

2Ki 1:8  And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

John was the last of the Old Testament prophets but he was the first Christian Prophet and he preached to the Jews first.

Luk 16:16  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

Mat 11:7  And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Mat 11:8  But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
Mat 11:9  But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
Mat 11:10  For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Mat 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Mat 11:13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Mat 11:14  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
Mat 11:15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

*****Our Text:

Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Mat 3:16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The baptism of Jesus fulfilled at least two purposes:

1.) It prepared Israel to receive the Messiah.

2.) It presented Jesus Christ as that Messiah.

John had mentioned two more baptisms.

1.) A baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Whenever a sinner trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, that sinner is immediately baptized with the Holy Spirit. and into the body of Christ.

1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

2.) A baptism by Fire:

A baptism by fire will only happen at the second coming of Jesus Christ and by Jesus Christ Himself. All non-believers will be baptized by “fire”.

Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Why was Jesus baptized:

1.) This gave Jesus’ approval of John’s ministry.

2.) Jesus identified Himself with publicans and sinners.

3.) It painted a picture of His future baptism on the cross.

Mat 20:22  But Jesus answered and said, [Ye know not what ye ask]. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

Luk 12:50  But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

In the Old Testament:

Psa 42:6  O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
Psa 42:7  Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Psa 42:8  Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
Psa 42:9  I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? [why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy]?
Psa 42:10  As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
Psa 42:11  Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? [hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God].

Jesus associated Himself with Jonah:

Jon 2:3  For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Jon 2:4  Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Jon 2:5  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
Jon 2:6  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

John the Baptist bore witness to Jesus Christ as the “Son of God” but also as the “Lamb of God”.

Because of John many sinners trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ:

Joh 10:39  Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
Joh 10:40  And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
Joh 10:41  And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
Joh 10:42  And many believed on him there.

The coming of the Holy Spirit like a dove was a sign God to John:

Joh 1:31  And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
Joh 1:32  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Joh 1:34  And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

But it also assured Jesus that the Holy Spirit would be with Him as he began His ministry:

Joh 3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

The first dove in the Bible was when Noah sent out two birds:

1.) The Raven which found plenty of flesh to feed on in the world.(represent the flesh)

2.) The Dove which would not have any part of the corruption in the world.(represents the Holy Spirit)

But let’s compare this:

The name Jonah means “Dove” and he also experienced a baptism. Jesus used Jonah as a “type” of Himself in His death, burial , and His resurrection:

Mat 12:38  Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Mat 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jonah was sent to the Gentiles. Jesus would also minister to the Gentiles.

Don’t you just love the Word of God? He makes understanding His Word so easy.

There are three special occasions where God the Father spoke to His Son from Heaven.

1.) Verse 3:17 of our text.

2.) At His transfiguration:

Mat 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

3.) As Christ approached the cross:

Joh 12:27  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Joh 12:28  Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
Joh 12:29  The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
Joh 12:30  Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
Joh 12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

In the past God spoke “to His Son”.

Now God speaks “through His Son”.

In the Old Testament:

Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; [this day have I begotten thee].

In the New testament:

Act 13:32  And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
Act 13:33  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

What we can see that this “begetting” refers to Christ’s resurrection and not the birth of Jesus Christ. We can see how these words are tied to the baptism of Jesus Christ.

That Jesus would also be a suffering prophet also stands out:

Isa 42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:2  He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3  A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

compare:

Mat 12:18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

God approved everything His Son had done up to this point in His life and His beginning of His ministry. His hidden years in Nazareth had been a pleasing thing to God. God was proud of His “carpenter Son” and all this together encouraged our Savior to begin to Preach and begin His Ministry.

Let’s Pray!