Baptism -- What Does It Mean?

Pastor, Joe Alain

Date Preached: January 11, 2009 a.m. at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, LA

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:4-11 (Pew Bible, 673)
Baptism services are very important in the life of the church and to me personally. I vividly remember my baptism service, it was a significant moment in my life. Baptisms are awesome moments and each one should be treated as special.

Admittedly, not everyone looks at baptism in the proper way. For some, baptism is unimportant. Others look at baptism as some kind of salvation fire insurance. Still others are baptized because it’s the thing to do, or their friends have done it, or people expect them to do it. It’s important that we understand what baptism means and that’s what I want to talk about this morning.

Characteristic of Mark’s Gospel, Mark describes in the briefest of terms the ministry of John the Baptist and the account of Jesus’ baptism. The baptism of Jesus stands as the beginning point of His earthly ministry. What did John’s baptism mean and why was Jesus baptized by him? What does baptism mean for followers of Jesus today? Today, we will look at three baptisms in the Bible: John’s, Jesus’, and Ours.

I. John’s Baptism – Sign (1:4-8)
John the Baptist is somewhat a mysterious figure. He appears on the scene seemingly out of nowhere, although God has been preparing him for his work in the desert for many years. Mark simply says, “John came baptizing in the wilderness . . .” What can we say about this baptism that he was performing?

John’s baptism was . . .
1. A Baptism of Repentance for the Forgiveness
of Sins (v.4).
John’s message was singular, it was consistent, and it was clear – repent! That is, turn away from your sins. John called his people to repent, to turn away from their sins so that they could be ready for the kingdom when it came. Repentance was essential if they were to be forgiven and prepared. John took this repentance business seriously. In Matthew’s Gospel, John rebuked some of the people who were coming to be baptized who showed no evidence of repentance or a desire for change.

John’s baptism was . . .
2. A Public Act of Dedication (v.5)
We can also say that John’s baptism was a public act of dedication. This public act of dedication took place at the Jordan River. Why did John call people to publicly dedicate themselves? There is something about publicly taking a stand with Christ. If you will not take a stand for Him here, you will not stand for Him out there.

John’s baptism was . . .
3. A Sign of the Coming Spirit’s Baptism (vv.6-8)
John was careful to let people know that he himself was not the Messiah. He simply was the one who prepared the way. He got people ready. Here’s one major difference in John’s baptism and ours. John’s looked toward the cross, our baptism looks back to the cross. John’s baptism was a sign of the coming Spirit’s baptism, a reality that we know today on this side of the cross of Jesus.

II. Jesus’ Baptism – Son (1:9-11)
Again, we are given just a brief outline of what happened, but we can say that Jesus’ baptism points to a couple of powerful truths.
1. Identification (v.9)
Jesus did not need to be baptized. In fact, Matthew’s account tells us that John protested, “I need to be baptized by you!” So why did Jesus submit himself to baptism? For one, Jesus authenticated John’s ministry. By being baptized, He was saying, “John is telling you the truth. Listen to Him. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus was endorsing John’s baptism and identifying with those people who responded to his call.


Second, Jesus fully identified with the people He came to save. God became flesh and lived among us. He completely identified with us yet He did so as God in the flesh. Baptism signifies death and resurrection. Jesus’ baptism prophetically looked forward to His death on the cross and His resurrection.

2. Inauguration (vv.10-11)
There are several OT passages that are reflected in the baptism of Jesus (Ps. 2:7; Is. 42:1-3). The “Spirit descending upon Him like a dove” is a picture of God’s anointing upon Jesus as king. The dove was the sign of peace. Jesus was anointed with peace to bring peace. The baptism of Jesus is His inauguration, the beginning of His public ministry.

In not too many days, we will inaugurate a new president. A presidential inauguration doesn’t make someone a president (that was official when the electoral votes were certified last Thursday, January 8th), it is simply the public ceremony and declaration that he is the president. In a similar way, Jesus’ baptism didn’t make Him the king, He’s already the King! This was simply a public ceremony of His Kingship (see Luke 4:18-19).

III. Our Baptism – Spirit & Symbol
When you view our baptism and what it means, you cannot separate the Spirit and the Symbol. Whenever you witness a baptism, you are witnessing a spiritual reality that is taking place. The physical act of baptism is a powerful witness of the spiritual reality that has taken place in the life of the person who is being baptized. What does baptism symbolize? What realities does baptism point to? There are three powerful realities that baptism points to. Each of these realities is possible because of God’s Spirit at work in a believer’s life.

Our baptism portrays a . . .
1. Washing Away of Sin
This is not hard for us to grasp because we use water to clean things on a daily basis. We wash our dishes with water. We wash ourselves with water. Water is a cleansing agent. In the Bible, the work of God’s Spirit is compared to the work of water. See Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:5; Revelation 1:5

Forgiveness is having your sins washed away! There is something very important to keep in mind. Water portrays the work of the Holy Spirit but it is not a substitute for the Holy Spirit. The water does not save, it’s not magical, it’s just good old clean Ward 2 water. But on the other hand, the Holy Spirit does save us, He washes us clean from the inside out!

Our baptism portrays our . . .
2. Adoption into God’s Family
When Jesus was baptized, He was declared by the Father to be the Son of God. In Christ, we too are declared sons and daughter of God. God adopts us into His family. See John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; 1 John 3:2. Baptism is our public profession of faith that we belong to Christ, we have been adopted by Him. God looks at us in Christ and says, “You are my beloved son. You are my beloved daughter. In you I am well pleased.”

Our baptism portrays . . .
3. Death and Resurrection
In baptism we are identifying fully with Christ who died and rose again. Our baptism pictures our death to sin and resurrection to newness of life. See Romans 6:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17

Summary: Baptism signifies the fact that we’ve been washed clean by God’s Spirit. We are forgiven! Baptism signifies our adoption into God’s family. We are now His children. We belong to Him. And baptism signifies our death to our sins and the old life and resurrection to the new life that God has provided.

I want to close this message with two very important questions.
Two Important Questions
1. Have I Received Jesus Christ As My Lord and Savior?
This is the most important question that I could ask you today.

2. Have I Expressed My Commitment through Baptism?
Although water baptism does not save, it is important for it is your profession of faith. It is the first act of obedience to Christ your Lord. And if you have yet to follow Christ in baptism, we invite you to make that decision today.

Come “Just As I Am”

For His Glory!
Pastor Joe