Luke 3:21-22

The Gospel of Luke, chapter 3, verses 21 and 22. Now, when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized and praying the heaven was opened, 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 and thee, I am well pleased. May God bless to us His holy and sacred word this morning. Down through history, there have been various religious leaders who have claimed to be a god. They have claimed to be, the Messiah, they claim to be the Son of God or something of this nature. Scripture tells us in Matthew 24, there shall rise false Christ, which shall deceive many. So with so many religious leaders down through the years, proclaiming to be deity, who certainly have proved to be charlatans, why is Jesus any different? How do you know Jesus is the genuine article? How do you know he’s not lying? How do you know he’s not deluded about being the Son of God? And God manifested in the flesh? Well, our text here provides special proof of the fact that Jesus, is all he claimed to be, there is divine verification of his claims. Who else had God’s voice from heaven audibly declaring this person to be God’s very son? Who else had the Holy Spirit visibly descend upon him as Jesus did at his baptism? the commencement of his earthly ministry. Dr. Luke mentions John’s imprisonment before Christ’s baptism. He looked at in our last study, you’ll recall. Though this actually took place afterwards, it seems like he just wraps up John’s ministry, and now he goes to the beginning, the commencement here of Christ ministry. And so he wraps it up here, but if you look at Luke’s gospel, there’s a little bit of different order. But I think that’s the only reason is because he’s condensing it down and saying, this is what happened to John, and then he jumps into the story of Christ in his ministry. Well, let’s talk about Christ’s baptism this morning. Now, you’ll see the honor placed on baptism here. Christ is your example. Verse 21 says, Now, all the people were baptized. And it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized. Among all those who came to John to be baptized, along comes the son of God to be baptized. Wherefore, in all things, it be behooved him to be made like unto his brother, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. Hebrews 217. Now, when you think about it, Jesus didn’t need to be baptized. He didn’t need to repent of his sins, and so he didn’t need the baptism of repentance, so to speak. So why was he baptized? It wasn’t because he was a sinner. It wasn’t because he had to repent that he had to be baptized. Where other gospels relate that John the Baptist actually said that he didn’t think, he should baptize Jesus. He was reluctant. But Jesus said it be, it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. It’s needed to fulfill all righteousness. So Jesus complies with every divinely given institution as the surety of sinners. Baptism was an ordinance. The Sonnets the Son of God was pleased to use. and certainly remember in the Great Commission, he told his disciples to baptize the nations as they are made disciples. So Jesus was baptized to fulfill the will of God in every sense that he might be the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. Now when you think about it, sadly, even in your baptism, you’re not perfect. And so Christ might be the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. And so, when you think about it, you think about it. must fulfill what is lacking even in our baptism. This being the case, baptism cannot be then considered something of slight importance because Jesus Christ himself was baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness. Part too many people degrade baptism, dishonor God’s ordinance, is something not necessary or maybe not spiritually beneficial, and they discard it. baptism was graciously intended by our Lord to be of help to his people and means of grace when properly and rightly used. If Jesus himself was baptized, then let none of his followers think it’s beneath them to be baptized. So Christ is your example. If there’s anybody who didn’t need to be baptized, it was Jesus, and yet he was, I believe, for our six. Notice secondly here, that Christ portrays for you his death, burial, and resurrection in his baptism. If you look with me at Romans chapter 6, Paul says this when he speaks about baptism, verses 3 to 5 of Romans 6. No you not that so many of us as were baptized were baptized, were baptized, into Christ, excuse me, know ye not that as so many of us as were baptized into Christ, Jesus, were baptized into His death. 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 should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. When you think about it, both the ordinances that Christ gave his church are meant to portray something about God’s repentive work through our Savior, Jesus Christ. When Jesus was baptized, he portrayed in a visible manner, his death, burial and resurrection. It was a picture. Conveyed to the eyes of men, and those with spiritual eyesight will be able to grasp the blessed truth of all this. Watch Jesus tilted back in toward the water and see him laying down his life for his friends. Watch Jesus plunged beneath the water and see him buried in the grave. Watch Christ lifted back out of the water and see him raised emphatically from the dead, resurrected and alive. Forevermore. So your own baptism is meant to show your union with Christ and his death, his burial, and his resurrection. Baptism in our London Confession of Faith Chapter 29, Paragraph 1 says, Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be under the party baptized, a sign of fellowship in his death and resurrection. So your baptism symbolizes your death as a believer with Christ to sin, and your resurrection with Christ to a newness of life. You’re in union with Christ so that whatever he accomplished, you share in it. And your baptism then is an outward visible sign of that union with Christ, that you’re his disciple, and you are part in this death, burial, and resurrection. So Christ portrays for you his death, burial, and resurrection. in this baptism. Christ’s baptism, thirdly, provides for a declaration of the doctrine of the doctrine of the Trinity. There’s another reason why he was baptized. Now, the doctrine of Trinity often is ridiculed in our day as nonsense. You know, our Lord’s baptism provides, I think, a clear demonstration, though, of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. All three persons of the Godhead are represented and engaged on this particular occasion. We have the Son of God who is beginning his public ministry. He’s the one being baptized, and people can see him. We have the God, the Father, speaking with a voice from heaven, declaring that Jesus is a beloved son, and people can hear it. And we have God the Spirit descending in the bodily shape like unto a dove upon Christ, and evidently this could be seen. Now, it is instructive to realize that biblical baptism requires you to believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. When Jesus gave the Great Commission, he said this, go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. So why wouldn’t the Trinity be emphasized when he is baptized? And when we baptized, don’t we emphasize the Trinity? And so in Christ’s baptism, the doctrine of the Trinity is taught, not in some obscure, abstract manner, but in a very clear and practical manner. Let me say this. Even a child could grasp the doctrine of the Trinity by looking at the baptism of Jesus Christ. even a child. You don’t need a master of theology to grasp the doctrine. So when we come to this, this is a very good indication to us. Clear statement about the doctrine of the Trinity force. Notice here that the work of salvation in Christ involves all three persons of the Holy Trinity. We can talk about God the Father, who chooses us to salvation. in Christ. We could talk about God the Son who redeems us from our sins. We could talk about God the Holy Spirit. Who is the one who calls us out of this world? Who is the one who sanctifies us and so forth? So you’re admonished, you’re encouraged to seek access through the Son by the Spirit under the Father. Are we not to pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy ghost would be with us all? Isn’t that part of the prayer? The benediction we make? So all three persons in the Godhead are equally concerned about your salvation, and thus all three persons are the object divine worship. So you see the honor placed on baptism. Christ sets the example. He portrays his death, barren resurrection, and he provides for a declaration of the doctrine of the Trinity, all in his baptism. Secondly, you see the honor placed. on prayer in his baptism. Now, in our text, we read here, when he was baptized, Jesus also being baptized and praying. Let me take a moment and speak about the and praying part. You can’t benefit from any divine ordinance without prayer. If you carefully look at the life of Jesus Christ, one of the things that stands, out he’s a man of much prayer. He’s almost always involved in praying. All his actions are actions of a prayerful man. He’s constantly lifting up prayers to God the Father. And we see the immediate blessing that resulted from the prayer. He’s baptized, he prays, and what happens? Well, the Spirit of God descends upon him, and he has a statement from the Spirit of God. He has a statement from the Heavenly Father concerning his person, that he is indeed the Son of God. We should never think that a divine blessing is automatically granted if we just participate in the ordinance, whether it’s baptism or the Lord’s up. Jesus teaches us, I think, here, there’s a sense in which we should fetch the blessing. There is a blessing that can be gained from it, but we must seek it. and that God would grant it to us by prayer. So don’t overlook this point. The baptism God blesses is the baptism that is accompanied by prayer. Friends, there are no magical powers in the waters of baptism or in the elements of the Lord’s Supper. Baptism cannot remove original sin, nor can it regenerate the soul. In the book of Acts, you remember, Philip, the deacon, also known as the evangelist, goes to Samaria. He’s spreading the gospel of Christ. He preaches there. And there was a great man there. His name was Simon Magus. He was a sorcerer. And we’re told that he made a professor in faith in Christ and was baptized. But soon it became apparent that Simon wasn’t really converted. For he tried the by, the gift of conferring the Holy Spirit. And Peter says to him, Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God, and he tells him to repent. Baptism, in and of itself, didn’t do one bit of good for Simon Mages. Unless there is the prayer of faith associated with it, you have no right to expect any blessing from a divine ordinance. So don’t just mechanically go through the ordinance, but realize that we should seek a blessing. God’s blessing upon us participating in the ordinance, as Jesus does here. Prayer opens the heavens so that God’s blessing is poured out. Because when Jesus prays, the heavens are open, and here’s the blessing that comes upon him. Follow Christ’s example here. You cannot benefit from people. any divine ordinance without prayer. The second thing, you should not commence any service for the Lord without prayer. The baptism of Jesus was the commencement of his public ministry. And so does he start his public ministry without prayer? No. He is going to commence it with prayer. So he’s engaged in prayer on this very important undertaking. Now the Holy Spirit never sets his seal. upon a prayerless religion. It’s important to learn this truth. It’s not by might nor by power, but by spirit, said the Lord of us. Zachariah 4.6. It is the spirit of God and his power that brings to past great things for the kingdom of God. You know, whatever natural gifts you may have, whatever natural abilities you may have. You cannot expect that they will grant you success in spiritual work without the Holy Spirit’s presence. Christ’s example here is that is important because he was promised the Holy Spirit’s empowerment for public service. In Isaiah, chapter 11, we read this, there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Wasn’t that God’s promise to Jesus? And so he prays and receives the promise. For he is gifted powerfully by the Spirit to do the work of the ministry. The Holy Spirit, sins here upon the God man. Even though Jesus had a perfect human nature, he saw the need of the power of the Spirit to enable, even his perfect human nature, to do the work of the ministry. Are we less needy than Jesus Christ? If he deemed it necessary to pray and receive empowerment, do we think we can do it without prayer and empowerment of the Spirit? It’s immediately said upon Paul’s conversion, Behold, he prayeth. And that comes before God’s call to him, that he is a chosen vessel, and that he will bear my name before the Gentiles. He prays. Men who are undertaking to serve Christ in a church office, whether they be an elder or a deacon, should be set apart by prayer. When Paul Bartimus went out of God, for their missionary journey, they were set apart by prayer. But let me put it down on, let’s put it really down on our own level, as common folks. Even the task of witnessing to a neighbor or a friend or a relative, we have to think about it. We have to realize it takes Christ’s power by the Spirit to open their eyes. So that even in this endeavor, we need the Spirit to work. and for wisdom also to what to say. So commencement of public service. Commencement of your Christian life. For many Christians, baptism is like the initiation with regard to how they, and they’re going to join the church and they’re going to follow Christ and so forth. It’s like the beginning of their Christian life. Here you are about to take up your soldier life. the captain of your salvation. You come to be baptized, and this should be an appropriate time for prayer because you are undertaking an ordnest journey on the narrow road to the celestial city. And if you’ve read Pilgrim’s progress, you have an idea of what you may face. And shouldn’t that be preceded by prayer? We ought to pray that we would be faithful to our Savior. That we’d keep the faith once delivered under the saints, that we’d walk worthy of the calling that we have been given. We would not lose our first love. That we would be kept from falling. That we would endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. That we would add to our faith the other Christian virtues. That would be strengthened with might in our inner man. That we would endure until the end. and so forth. These are the things we ought to pray about. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, when he relates his conversion and his baptism, here’s what he said. It was many years ago, but the remembrance of it is very vivid at this moment. And it seems to me as though it only happened yesterday. It was in the month of May, and I rose very early in the morning so that I might have a long time in private prayer. Then I had to walk about eight miles from Newmarket to Owham. Then I had to walk about eight miles from New Market to Malham where I was to be baptized in the river. And I think that the blessing I received that day resulted largely from that season of solitary supplication and my meditation as I walked along the country roads and lanes, thinking about my indebtedness to my Savior. and my desire to live to his praise and glory. So as you start out your Christian life, one of the first public professions of faith you often will make is your baptism because it’s an answer of a good conscience toward God, and you should engage in prayer. So you see honor placed upon prayer here. Thirdly, you see the honor placed on Christ as the mediator in verse 22. and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him and a voice from heaven which said, thou art my beloved son, and thee, I am well pleased. We see the Lord’s office as mediator between God and man pointed out here. You know, only three times in Scripture do we have God’s audible voice spoken here in recognition of Christ. And this is one of those occasions. Mount of Transfiguration, you remember, was another. As Jesus begins his public ministry, his father is signaling in a very special way that Jesus Christ is unique, that he is a man to which you ought to pay careful attention. He is my beloved son. This is not just another prophet. in a long line of prophets or another minister in a long line of ministers. It’s not just another John the Baptist. This is my son. He is the mediator of God’s people. The long-awaited Savior. God, who had sun-dry times and in diverse manners spake in time passed under the fathers by the prophets half of these last days, spoken unto unto us. by his son. God would have you behold to take note of Christ above all the other spokesman that I’ve ever spoken for the name of in the name of the Lord. This is my beloved son. To him, I will grant the Holy Spirit without measure. So the Lord’s office is mediator between God and man is emphasized here. We see how you are blessed in the mediator. You know, you should realize that you enjoy God’s blessing only because you are in Christ Jesus. Is Christ the Father’s beloved son? So are all those who are in Christ. They are his beloved sons. There is no love of God outside of God. Jesus Christ. I remind you of Romans 839 that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Is there any outside of Christ Jesus Our Lord? It is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So the love of God which is declared to be unchangeable is extended to you because of your connection with Jesus Christ. Since you are chosen in Christ, you are beloved of the Lord too. Is Christ God’s son? It is only because you are in Christ that you are adopted into the family of God and are classified as a child of God or a son of God. Ephesians 1, verses 5 and 6 tell us this. Verse 4 tells us about us being chosen in Christ. Versus 5 and 6 talk about our adoption. In yourself, you’re unworthy to be the son of God. Unworthy completely. But in Christ, you have a right. He gave us the right to be called, classified, as a son of God, as John 1 tells us. So because you’re in Christ, you enjoy this benefit in favor. Is Christ well-pleasing to God? Friends, it’s only in Christ that all you’re aware. are well-pleasing to the Father and acceptable to him. Look at 1. Peter 2.5 with me quickly this morning. Let’s see how Peter states this. 1. Peter 2, verse 5. He says, He also is lively stones. Christ is the chief cornerstone. He has lively stones that have built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ. Now, spiritual sacrifices are offered up by believers, but they’re not worthy to be accepted by God, because they’re tainted by sin. The sacrifices, you know, we’re talking about presenting your body as a living sacrifice under the Lord and so forth. What you do to honor Christ and to serve His kingdom, Well, these works are only acceptable by Jesus Christ. He takes away the iniquity that corrupts your offering. So he’s sort of like perfumes your offer, so that it is pleasing to the Lord. Otherwise, all our righteousness are our filthy rags. They’re all tainted. They all have corruption involved in them. Is Christ granted? empowerment and gifts by the Holy Spirit, it is Christ that empowers and gifts his church. It’s in Him that we are blessed. I read in Ephesians 4-8, Wherefore He saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. He gifts his church. Powers them by the Spirit. gives them the various fruits of the spirit, grants them various extraordinary gifts of the spirit at that time. Whatever spiritual gifts that we may have in a common variety today to use for the service of the Lord come from Christ, he gifts his church. If a man is gifted to be a pastor-teacher, it’s because Christ is gifted him to do it. So let us learn to appreciate the mediator, Jesus Christ. as Ephesians and one tells us, all spiritual blessings are wrapped up in Him. In Him. So when he’s baptized here, and he receives these wonderful statements and blessings, we share in that in somewhat, in some way, and some capacity as being in Christ. Well, many charlatans have claimed to be God, or God’s son, or the Messiah, or something of the Christ. this nature, but only under one is divine proof given, the voice from heaven, the visible descent here of the spirit in the form upon him to prove that he was. God would have you pay close attention to Jesus Christ and hear him because he is God’s son. It was at Christ’s baptism that this powerful declaration was made, verifying his ministry and therefore telling us from the very beginning, pay attention to this Jesus Christ because he is bringing the message of God to us. And that is what we see emphasized as well here in the baptism.