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Alan Salwei

Matthew 28:18-20 - Get Wet

Baptism is a command, not a suggestion.


 

Matthew 28:18-20


18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”


Matthew 3:11


“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

 

Listen to passage & devotional:


 

Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 34: The Sacrament of Baptism


We believe and confess that Jesus Christ,

in whom the law is fulfilled,

has by his shed blood

put an end to every other shedding of blood,

which anyone might do or wish to do

in order to atone or satisfy for sins.


Having abolished circumcision,

which was done with blood,

he established in its place

the sacrament of baptism.

By it we are received into God’s church

and set apart from all other people and alien religions,

that we may be dedicated entirely to him,

bearing his mark and sign.

It also witnesses to us

that he will be our God forever,

since he is our gracious Father.


Therefore he has commanded

that all those who belong to him

be baptized with pure water

“in the name of the Father,

and the Son,

and the Holy Spirit.”

In this way he signifies to us

that just as water washes away the dirt of the body

when it is poured on us

and also is seen on the body of the baptized

when it is sprinkled on him,

so too the blood of Christ does the same thing internally,

in the soul,

by the Holy Spirit.

It washes and cleanses it from its sins

and transforms us from being the children of wrath

into the children of God.

 

Summary


The closing verses of Matthew 28 are some of the best known amongst Christians. Named the Great Commission, this command of Jesus laid out the marching orders for his disciples. Included amongst these orders is to not only make disciples, but to baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.


The Great Commission commanded the sacrament of baptism for Christians. Earlier, in Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist spoke to the nature of this baptism. He said, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”


There are several things we can take away from John the Baptist's words, one being that not all baptisms are the same. John was out in the wilderness administering a baptism of repentance. This baptism is not the same as the baptism of Christians in response to the Holy Spirit.


John also speaks to how baptism in Christ is more than what one can physically see. While the sacrament of baptism is something we can see, what it signifies is that which we cannot see, the grace of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.



Dig Deeper


Baptism is not something to put off. The command given in the Great Commission was to baptize. In the New Testament, new believers in Christ did not wait around for years to be baptized. When they came to faith in Christ, they were baptized almost immediately.

Because baptism is not a salvation issue, not everyone will see the importance of this sacrament. But being a Christian is about more than doing the bare minimum to earn salvation. We are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. And since Jesus called his followers to baptize and be baptized, we should do likewise.



  • ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit;

  • ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that Jesus' commision will be your top priority;

  • ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

 

Read the New Testament in a year! Today: John 18

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