Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2015)
Illustration
Object:
Genesis 1:1-5
Just like the creation narrative tells of the beginning of life so baptism is the symbol of God's beginning a new creation in the life of the sinner. Out of the chaos of life God enters the scene and brings order and purpose to an individual. He transforms them through his power and word into a person saved by his grace as they become a Christian.
Chuck Swindoll quotes a baptismal statement that Matthew Henry's father, Philip Henry, used for his family:
I take God to be my chief end and highest good.
I take God the Son to be my prince and Savior.
I take God the Holy Spirit to be my sanctifier.
I take the word of God to be my rule in my actions and the people of God to be my people under all conditions.
I do hereby dedicate and devote to the Lord all that I am, all that I have, all I can do.
And this I do deliberately, freely, and forever.
(Charles Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 45)
Baptism helps define for the world that it is God who has led us from confusion to order in our lives.
Derl K.
Genesis 1:1-5
I suppose some would say "in the big bang." I'm not sure it makes much difference how God does things. We should be more interested in why he does them. Leave the how to the scientists whom God has inspired. He has given each of us a different talent and ability, and we should be thankful for that. If all were pastors, who would be sitting in the pews? If all were teachers, who would be sitting in the classrooms? This could go on and on, but God has blessed us with a variety of callings. All we can do is obey God. Our first assignment is to ask God what his assignment for us is.
God first assigned himself the job of creation. Nothing was out there when he began. He created it all, and whether it was done in seven days or millions of years is not important. The Bible says that a day is as a thousand years to the Lord, but let's not use that to say that the Lord created everything in 7,000 years. We can miss much of God's meaning by trying to take things too literally. The Hebrews used poetic language, not scientific language. Our job is to discover what God really means by what he has done.
We also find the name of God spelled differently: Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim. When you read the content you can see that it all means God.
Without God there is only darkness. He is the light. Darkness is only emptiness, nothingness. It is the absence of God. He is the one who filled it.
It makes no difference what we call the darkness. We can call it night, but that won't change the meaning since there was darkness over the world before creation. All that means to me is that darkness is "where God is not." If God created everything, then all we can say about darkness is that it is non-existent. It is the absence of God. His light turns on in our baptism.
Bob O.
Acts 19:1-7
Baptism and the Holy Spirit belong together intimately according to Luke. For John Calvin the Spirit is the power of God (Institutes [Westminster ed.], pp. 142-143). Martin Luther explains the role of the Holy Spirit in creation and how the Spirit uses water to create and give life:
As a hen broods her eggs, keeping them warm in order to hatch her chicks, and, as it were, to bring them to life through her, so scripture says that the Holy Spirit brooded, as it were, on the waters to bring to life those substances which were to be quickened and adorned. For it is the office of the Holy Spirit to make alive.
(Luther's Works, Vol. 1, p. 9)
The Reformer also nicely explains that the significance of the gift of the Spirit in baptism matters in everyday life:
In the first place you give yourself up to the Sacrament of Baptism and to what it signifies. That is, you desire to die, together with your sins, and to be made new at the last day... From that hour he [God] begins to make you a new person. He pours into you his grace and Holy Spirit, who begins to slay nature and sin and to prepare you for death and the resurrection at the last day.
(Ibid., Vol. 35, p. 33)
Mark E.
Acts 19:1-7
Marcus Mariota has been the starting quarterback for Oregon since the 2012 season. In addition to being a superb passer, he holds the school record for yards rushing by a quarterback. He was taking a class in human anatomy when he sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. As a keen observer of the medical procedures to heal his injury, Mariota said he was able to take what he learned in the classroom "and then see what they did for it." He went on to say, "It was kind of a fun way -- well, not a fun way -- but a way to apply what I was learning."
Application: Apollos heard about baptism in the Holy Spirit, but only when he was baptized did he fully understand what he had been taught.
Ron L.
Mark 1:4-11
His message is one of baptism. That seems to be the beginning our Christian walk.
There were many in Nepal who believed in Jesus, but their family was Hindu and they didn't want to destroy the family. We all had the question of whether their faith alone would save them. Some felt that their faith should be strong enough so that they would willingly risk losing their family as many did in scripture. Others felt that their faith would save them since they wanted to be baptized but couldn't do it just then. We discussed where a baby would go if it were killed in an accident on the way to church for its baptism. Only God knows.
It is interesting that so many crowds came out to confess their sins and be baptized, especially since Jesus was not revealed yet. Were they saved? God knows! Did they come back for that second baptism when Jesus appeared?
Even John was surprised when his cousin appeared. They hadn't even met yet, but when Jesus came out of the water and God appeared in the form of a dove, there were no more doubts except among the Pharisees and scribes.
The text talks about a second baptism in the Holy Spirit. Does that mean you will be able to talk in tongues? That doesn't seem to be the point.
The interesting thing that John wondered about is why Jesus needed to be baptized since he had no sin. It seems that Jesus was setting an example by obeying the law. John went ahead and obeyed Jesus' command to be baptized, and the Spirit came down from heaven and confirmed Jesus' request.
There are always doubters and also witnesses of miracles like the voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism. Nothing we can do or even God can do will convince some to believe in Christ. Some will doubt anything.
Bob O.
Mark 1:4-11
The pastor of the church that I attended as a child told the congregation that he would be holding a baptismal service and all who wanted to be baptized should meet with him. As a ten-year-old boy I shared with him that because Jesus lived in my life I wanted to be baptized. He expressed to me that baptism was a symbol of Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection. It symbolizes the mystery of the new birth, and I would be incorporated into the universal church as a brother with all other believers.
Martin Luther writes, "Baptism signifies that the old Adam in us is to be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance and perish with all sins and evil lusts; and that the new man should daily come forth again and rise who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever."
(Living Quotations for Christians by Wirt and Beckstrom, 1974, p. 13)
Derl K.
Just like the creation narrative tells of the beginning of life so baptism is the symbol of God's beginning a new creation in the life of the sinner. Out of the chaos of life God enters the scene and brings order and purpose to an individual. He transforms them through his power and word into a person saved by his grace as they become a Christian.
Chuck Swindoll quotes a baptismal statement that Matthew Henry's father, Philip Henry, used for his family:
I take God to be my chief end and highest good.
I take God the Son to be my prince and Savior.
I take God the Holy Spirit to be my sanctifier.
I take the word of God to be my rule in my actions and the people of God to be my people under all conditions.
I do hereby dedicate and devote to the Lord all that I am, all that I have, all I can do.
And this I do deliberately, freely, and forever.
(Charles Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 45)
Baptism helps define for the world that it is God who has led us from confusion to order in our lives.
Derl K.
Genesis 1:1-5
I suppose some would say "in the big bang." I'm not sure it makes much difference how God does things. We should be more interested in why he does them. Leave the how to the scientists whom God has inspired. He has given each of us a different talent and ability, and we should be thankful for that. If all were pastors, who would be sitting in the pews? If all were teachers, who would be sitting in the classrooms? This could go on and on, but God has blessed us with a variety of callings. All we can do is obey God. Our first assignment is to ask God what his assignment for us is.
God first assigned himself the job of creation. Nothing was out there when he began. He created it all, and whether it was done in seven days or millions of years is not important. The Bible says that a day is as a thousand years to the Lord, but let's not use that to say that the Lord created everything in 7,000 years. We can miss much of God's meaning by trying to take things too literally. The Hebrews used poetic language, not scientific language. Our job is to discover what God really means by what he has done.
We also find the name of God spelled differently: Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim. When you read the content you can see that it all means God.
Without God there is only darkness. He is the light. Darkness is only emptiness, nothingness. It is the absence of God. He is the one who filled it.
It makes no difference what we call the darkness. We can call it night, but that won't change the meaning since there was darkness over the world before creation. All that means to me is that darkness is "where God is not." If God created everything, then all we can say about darkness is that it is non-existent. It is the absence of God. His light turns on in our baptism.
Bob O.
Acts 19:1-7
Baptism and the Holy Spirit belong together intimately according to Luke. For John Calvin the Spirit is the power of God (Institutes [Westminster ed.], pp. 142-143). Martin Luther explains the role of the Holy Spirit in creation and how the Spirit uses water to create and give life:
As a hen broods her eggs, keeping them warm in order to hatch her chicks, and, as it were, to bring them to life through her, so scripture says that the Holy Spirit brooded, as it were, on the waters to bring to life those substances which were to be quickened and adorned. For it is the office of the Holy Spirit to make alive.
(Luther's Works, Vol. 1, p. 9)
The Reformer also nicely explains that the significance of the gift of the Spirit in baptism matters in everyday life:
In the first place you give yourself up to the Sacrament of Baptism and to what it signifies. That is, you desire to die, together with your sins, and to be made new at the last day... From that hour he [God] begins to make you a new person. He pours into you his grace and Holy Spirit, who begins to slay nature and sin and to prepare you for death and the resurrection at the last day.
(Ibid., Vol. 35, p. 33)
Mark E.
Acts 19:1-7
Marcus Mariota has been the starting quarterback for Oregon since the 2012 season. In addition to being a superb passer, he holds the school record for yards rushing by a quarterback. He was taking a class in human anatomy when he sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. As a keen observer of the medical procedures to heal his injury, Mariota said he was able to take what he learned in the classroom "and then see what they did for it." He went on to say, "It was kind of a fun way -- well, not a fun way -- but a way to apply what I was learning."
Application: Apollos heard about baptism in the Holy Spirit, but only when he was baptized did he fully understand what he had been taught.
Ron L.
Mark 1:4-11
His message is one of baptism. That seems to be the beginning our Christian walk.
There were many in Nepal who believed in Jesus, but their family was Hindu and they didn't want to destroy the family. We all had the question of whether their faith alone would save them. Some felt that their faith should be strong enough so that they would willingly risk losing their family as many did in scripture. Others felt that their faith would save them since they wanted to be baptized but couldn't do it just then. We discussed where a baby would go if it were killed in an accident on the way to church for its baptism. Only God knows.
It is interesting that so many crowds came out to confess their sins and be baptized, especially since Jesus was not revealed yet. Were they saved? God knows! Did they come back for that second baptism when Jesus appeared?
Even John was surprised when his cousin appeared. They hadn't even met yet, but when Jesus came out of the water and God appeared in the form of a dove, there were no more doubts except among the Pharisees and scribes.
The text talks about a second baptism in the Holy Spirit. Does that mean you will be able to talk in tongues? That doesn't seem to be the point.
The interesting thing that John wondered about is why Jesus needed to be baptized since he had no sin. It seems that Jesus was setting an example by obeying the law. John went ahead and obeyed Jesus' command to be baptized, and the Spirit came down from heaven and confirmed Jesus' request.
There are always doubters and also witnesses of miracles like the voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism. Nothing we can do or even God can do will convince some to believe in Christ. Some will doubt anything.
Bob O.
Mark 1:4-11
The pastor of the church that I attended as a child told the congregation that he would be holding a baptismal service and all who wanted to be baptized should meet with him. As a ten-year-old boy I shared with him that because Jesus lived in my life I wanted to be baptized. He expressed to me that baptism was a symbol of Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection. It symbolizes the mystery of the new birth, and I would be incorporated into the universal church as a brother with all other believers.
Martin Luther writes, "Baptism signifies that the old Adam in us is to be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance and perish with all sins and evil lusts; and that the new man should daily come forth again and rise who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever."
(Living Quotations for Christians by Wirt and Beckstrom, 1974, p. 13)
Derl K.
