Roman 6:3-6
In Honor of Jesus
Tonight we have the privilege of doing something which is rare in our
church, having a baptismal service and the Lord’s Supper. These two
acts are not rituals for the church. They are pictures, symbols
which remind us what Jesus Christ has and is doing for us. Let me
share some thoughts about each.
I. Baptism is a picture of what Jesus HAS done for us.
A. The first time we see baptism is in Matt 3:11.
1. There is no one being baptised there, but John spoke of
what he had been doing.
2. John’s baptism is spoken of as the baptism of repentance.
Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness,
and preach the baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins.
3. Some believe that baptism is Jewish, and that it was
started before John the Baptist began his ministry.
a. I have never seen anything in the Old Testament that
makes me think of water immersion as John practiced.
b. If there was anything like that before John, John
changed the meaning of it.
4. The baptism of John was not the same as ours.
a. John came baptizing men and women unto repentance.
b. That is, if they would acknowledge they were living
sinfully and would quit, they were baptized.
B. Jesus’ baptism was not the same as John’s normal baptism.
1. \\#Matt 3:13\\ John refused to baptize Jesus.
a. John knew that if Jesus was the Messiah, He had no
sin from which to repent.
b. In fact, John wanted Jesus to baptize him.
2. But Jesus had John baptize Him anyway, not because He
needed to repent.
3. \\#Matt 3:15\\ Jesus was baptized to "fulfill all
righteousness."
a. I take it to mean that Jesus was being baptized to
give us a righteous example.
b. Jesus wanted to set the example as to our important
baptism would be.
c. Why? Because baptism took on an even more important
meaning once Jesus died and rose again.
C. Our baptism is different from both of those baptisms.
1. All three of them may look alike, but all three of them
are for different reasons.
a. Our baptism is in a different name.
Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
b. Our baptism is a picture of what happened to Jesus.
c. Our baptism is a picture of what has happened to us.
The believer is saying:
(1) I died with Jesus.
(2) I have buried my old life.
(3) I will live a new life, walking in the power of
Jesus Christ.
2. I would add that the new convert should be saying, "Watch
the new me!"
a. That is why baptisms are not done in private but
public.
b. Your baptism is a public declaration that
(1) …you believe in the death, burial, resurrection
of Jesus Christ;
(2) …that you have also died with Jesus;
(3) …and that the rest of the world better watch
our for a new Christian is coming out of the
grave.
D. Christians today are weak on making commitments.
1. Many never share with others their faith in Jesus.
2. Many do not attend church.
3. Of those that do, many will not join the church.
4. Of those that do, many will not serve in the church.
5. Many will not use the altar.
6. And many will not follow in Believers’ Baptism.
E. But know that baptism was commanded by our Lord.
Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Acts 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.
F. A Christian who does not follow in believers’ Baptism can
hardly say that he is right with God.
II. The Lord’s Supper is a picture of what the Lord IS doing for us.
A. We are baptized once because baptism shows our and Jesus’
death, burial, and resurrection.
1. How many times Jesus die and was buried and rose from the
dead? Once.
2. How many times do we die to sin, burial the old life, and
begin a new life in Jesus? Once.
B. However, we partake of the Lord’s Supper as often as we like.
1. In our church, we normally do so three to four times each
year.
2. Some congregations do so every time they meet. Some less
than we.
3. Why? Because while the Lord’s Supper speaks of several
things in the Christian life, but the number one thing it
speaks of is us filling ourselves with Jesus.
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks,
and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This
is my body which is given for you: this do in
remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying,
This cup is the new testament in my blood, which
is shed for you.
a. This meal is not literally the body and blood of
Jesus.
b. It is a picture of the body and blood of Jesus.
c. But Jesus tells us that this is a picture of us eating
His body and drinking His blood.
4. This is not the first time Jesus told the disciples that.
a. \\#John 6:48-58\\
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down
from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he
shall live for ever: and the bread that I will
give is my flesh, which I will give for the life
of the world.
b. Most of the people there that day took Jesus literally
and the thought of what He was saying was so gross to
them that they quit following Jesus.
(1) Jesus knew all along where His blood was going,
on the heavenly altar.
(2) Jesus knew all along that His body would not see
corruption for He is the Resurrection and the
Life.
c. Jesus was giving a picture what we need to do every
day. We need to feast on Jesus.
(1) When you eat food or drink liquids, your body
absorbs it, digests it. It becomes an
inseparable part of you.
(2) That is what Jesus wants us to do with Him. To
absorb Him, to digest Him. He wants to become
an inseparable part of us.
d. Every time we gather and partake of this bread and
drink, we are saying, "Lord, I need more of you!"
(1) That is not a one-time occurrence.
(2) As often as we gather for this service, we are
saying, "Lord, I need more of you."
C. There is more to having more of Jesus than just partaking of
this meal.
1Cor 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this
bread, and drink this cup of the Lord,
unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and
blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not
discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly
among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should
not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of
the Lord, that we should not be condemned with
the world.
1. In that book, Paul talked about the Lord’s Supper from
20 to 34.
a. That is 15 verses.
b. 6 of the 15, Paul was speaking about being right when
we partake of it.
c. What does that mean? It means we have to have a pure
heart and clean hands when we come!
2. Every Communion Meal is (1) an opportunity to get right
with Jesus and (2) a plea for God to be more a part of
our lives than even before.
These two pictures that we fulfill tonight are not just hollow
rituals. They are acts of our love for Him. Jesus has demonstrated
His love for us. Will we do likewise?
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