Turn with me, if you would, to
Matthew chapter three. Matthew chapter three. Let me
read what will be our text. It's verses 13 to 15. It says, then cometh Jesus from
Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. But John
forbade him saying, I have need to be baptized of thee. And comest
thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto
him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill
all righteousness. Then he suffered him." That's
an amazing thought to me. That is such an amazing thought. Why was our Lord Jesus Christ
baptized? Let's see if the Lord will let
us single in on this question for just a second. Why was our
Lord Jesus Christ baptized? The fact that he was that ought
to prove to us that baptism is not salvation. And I'm going
to repeat that. All right. The fact that he was
the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized that ought to prove to us that
baptism, the act of going underwater in baptism is not salvation. Our Lord didn't need to be saved. He did not need to be saved.
Our Lord came to save, not to be saved. So He was most definitely not
baptized in order to be saved. Most definitely. Baptism is not
salvation. People struggle with this, and
I understand why. It's commanded. We try to get our minds around
this. We try to get our hearts around this. Baptism is not salvation. Going underwater is not salvation. It is not. Well, what is going
underwater then? And why did our Lord do it? Why
did he insist on doing it? Why was our Lord baptized? This scripture will answer that
question for us. Turn with me over to Hebrews
chapter four. Hebrews chapter four, verse 14. Seeing then that we have a great
high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of
God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need." Now, let me explain what that
means and what baptism is. Baptism is an announcement of
something. Baptism is a confession of something
and that announcement and confession is union with somebody. That's what it is. Just like
a wedding ring. Just like a wedding ring. All
right. When you see a wedding ring on
somebody's finger, right? You meet somebody, you look down
at their left hand and you see a wedding ring on their finger.
When you see that wedding ring there, that wedding ring is an
announcement. That's what it is. That wedding
ring is an open confession of the fact that that person has
been vitally joined together with somebody. That's what it
is. That ring is not the actual love
that joined them. And that ring is not the actual
ceremony that joined them. But that ring is an open acknowledgement,
an open announcement to everybody that love and commitment is here. And a covenant has taken place.
That's what this says. A covenant has taken place in
the past. A previous covenant has taken
place. This ring says two have become
one. One flesh, truly. One heart. One name. One home. That ring is an announcement
of union. That's what baptism is. That's
what baptism is. It's an announcement of union. When we are baptized in believers
baptism, we are announcing to everybody our union with Christ. That's what we're doing. This
is what we're announcing. He loved me. That's what we're
saying. He chose me. He paid the price
for me. He bought me. I died being vitally
joined to His death. When somebody, you see them go
down and that's what they're saying. I died and I was vitally
joined to his death. And then they're completely covered
in the water and they're saying, I was buried being vitally joined
to his burial. And then they come back up and
we're saying, I arose being vitally joined to his resurrection. What we're saying to everybody
is because he lives, I live. My life is in him. That's what it's saying. My hope
is in Him. My all is in Him. I willingly, happily, if I can
use the word proudly, confess Him. I acknowledge Him. I plead Him. That's what we're saying in baptism.
That's the reason God's people are baptized. It's because they
want the whole world to know that they have been vitally joined
with Christ. Vitally joined together with
Christ. All right, well then back to our question. Why was Christ baptized? It's because He was confessing
something. He had an announcement to make. He wanted the whole world to
know that he had been vitally joined to his people. Now let's read these verses right
here again. Hebrews 4 verse 14, it says, seeing then that we
have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus,
the son of God, let us hold fast our profession for we have not
an high priest which cannot be touched. That means we have not
a high priest which was not touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
He was. but was in all points tempted
like as we are yet without sin. That's the announcement he made.
Turn with me to Philippians chapter two. Philippians two verse eight,
it says, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
That's the announcement he made. Look right here at verse five.
It says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and
took upon him the form of a servant. the form of a servant, fulfilling
the law for his people, fulfilling righteousness for his people,
serving and doing for them what they could not do for themselves.
Everything God required, he became a servant to do that for them.
Verse seven says, he made himself of no reputation and took upon
him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. That's the announcement that
he made. Look with me at 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. And all things are up God who
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given
to us the ministry of reconciliation." That word means atonement. That's
our ministry, preaching atonement. to know that God was in Christ
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's
stead, be ye reconciled to God. Verse 21 says, for he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. That's the announcement that
he made. That's what he was confessing,
his vital union to his people. He was made to be sin for us
who knew no sin. that we might be made the righteousness
of God. So in our baptism, we are saying,
he loved me. We're announcing he loved me.
In his baptism, he was saying, I love them. In our baptism, we're saying
he chose me and died for me and was buried for me and arose for
me and lives for me. And in His baptism, He was saying,
I chose them and I will die for them. I'll be buried for them.
I'll rise for them. I'll live for them. He did all
that for us. Every bit of that for us. In
our baptism, we're saying, we're in Him. Our life has been made to be
in Him. He's our life. His life is made
to be our life. And in his baptism, he was saying,
I'm in them. You know, Christ in us is the
hope of glory. And that's what he was saying.
We say we're in him. And he was saying, I'm in them
and their life has been made to be my life. We're saying His holiness and
His righteousness has been applied to us. And He was saying, their
sin and their judgment has been applied to me. In our baptism,
we confess our union with Him. And in His baptism, He confessed
His vital union with us. When our Lord came to John the
Baptist and said, I want you to baptize me. And I understand
John's response. I totally understand John's response.
John said, you want to confess union with me? You know, all
who came to John, it says over and over that they came confessing
their sins. Well, this is what we are. It's
what we are. And John, the Lord came to John,
he said, I want you to baptize me. And John said, you want to confess
union with this? You want to confess union with
me? And the Lord said to him, John said, I need to confess
union with you. But the Lord said to him, suffer
it to be so. Do this. What he was saying is, if I don't
confess my union with you, you have no union with me. If I don't
confess my union with you, then you don't have a union with me.
That's the very same thing the Lord told Peter. Look with me
at John chapter 13. John 13, verse 1, it says, Now before the feast of the Passover,
when Jesus knew that His hour was come, that He should depart
out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were
in the world, He loved them unto the end. And supper being ended,
the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot,
Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the father had given
all things into his hands and that he was come from God and
went to God. Now see if you can enter into
the visual of this. All right. See what he's saying.
It says verse four, he rises from supper and laid aside his
garments and took a towel and girded himself. After that he poureth water into
a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe
them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he
to Simon Peter, and Peter said unto him, Lord, dost thou wash
my feet? Our Lord took his coat, his outer
robe, whatever it was off. And he took this big, huge towel
and he girded himself with it. He didn't hold it in his hand.
He wore it like an apron. He was wearing it. And Peter
said, he started washing the feet of the disciples. And Peter
said, you're going to wash my feet. You're gonna take my filth
from the lowest part of me, the bottom of my feet. You're gonna wear that on you.
You're gonna rub that all over you and stand up and be seen
wearing all that filth on you. Coming off of me, me being clean
now, off of me, onto you. Peter said, oh no, you're too
high, and you're too lofty, and you're too holy for that. Verse
six, then cometh he to Simon Peter, and Peter said unto him,
Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto
him, what I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know
hereafter. Peter said unto him, thou shalt
never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, if I wash
thee not, Thou hast no part with me. He said, Peter, if I don't
join myself to you, you will never be joined to me. If I don't
join myself to your filth, you will never be joined to my purity. Verse nine, Simon Peter said
unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
Wash all of me. If that's the case, wash all
of me, crown of my head to the sole of my foot, take everything
that I am upon yourself." In his baptism, he confessed,
that's exactly what I came to do. This is exactly what I came
to do. This right here is what His vital
union to us meant for Him. And then in return, what it means
for us. Turn with me to Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53 verse 1, it says, Who
hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him
as a tender plant. This is speaking of our Lord.
And as a root out of dry ground, he hath no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him, there
is no beauty that we should desire him. Why is that? It's because
he joined himself to us. That's the reason. Verse three,
he is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. And we hid as it were our faces
from him. He was despised and we esteemed
him not. Why is that? It's because he
joined himself to us. Verse 4, Surely he hath borne
our griefs, and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace
was upon him. That's what his union to us brought
to him. BUT THIS IS WHAT OUR UNION TO
HIM BROUGHT TO US. THE END OF VERSE 5 SAYS WITH
HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED. TOTALLY HEALED. JOHN SAID LORD
YOU'RE GONNA CONFESS UNION WITH THAT. EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GONNA
LAY ON YOU YOU'RE GONNA CONFESS UNION WITH SIN. OUR SIN. THE LORD SAID JOHN If I don't,
you will never be able to confess union to my righteousness. Never, never. My sinless holiness. If I don't confess union with
your death, you'll never be able to confess union with my eternal
life. I look back at our text, Matthew
3, Verse 13 says, Then cometh Jesus
from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. But John
forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest
thou to me? And Jesus answering, said unto
him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us. TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS."
THAT'S A GLORIOUS STATEMENT. THUS IT BECOMETH US TO FULFILL
ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. WHEN OUR SIN WAS DEALT WITH AND
THE JUDGEMENT OF OUR SIN WAS CARRIED OUT, THAT'S THE PRICE
THAT HAD TO BE PAID. THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH. OUR
LORD HAD TO DIE The death of the cross, that was the price.
When that happened, he by himself paid that price, by himself. But we were right there with
him, in him, while he was paying that price. We were right there.
He did it by himself. But we were right there with
Him, in Him. And when His righteousness was
earned, all that perfection, the scripture says He went about
doing good. That's all He did was good. That's
all He still does is good. Everything, every day, every
event is good. And He earned holiness and perfection
and righteousness. And when He did that, He earned
it by Himself. There's none good but God. But
while he earned it, we were right there with him, right there in
him. While he fulfilled every bit
of it, we were there. And because of that union, everything
that was reckoned unto him was reckoned unto us. Because of
our vital union, everything that we earned was given to Him, all
of our sin, all of our misery, all of our destruction that was
given to Him, everything He earned, all of His holiness, righteousness,
reward, inheritance, that was given to us. As soon as John
realized that, the end of verse 15 says, then he suffered him. The Lord revealed that to John
and it says, then he suffered him. And I believe what that
means is John ran as fast as he could into that river. I can
see the Lord opening his eyes to that and John as fast as he
could running down into that river saying, Lord, if that's
what you're confessing, please, Let's do it right now, right
now. I want to close with this. All right. I want to show you
something that I believe is so beautiful to see about the actual
moment that our Lord was baptized. We're going to end with this.
Um, I saw this, I've read the scripture many times, but I saw
this a few years ago, not too long ago. And from the time that
I have seen this, I've tried to show this to, tried to remember
to show it to every person who has asked to confess the Lord
and believers baptism. But turn with me over to Luke
chapter three. All right, Luke chapter three,
verse 23 tells us that our Lord was about 30 years old when He
was baptized, 30 years of age. And verse 21 says, now when all
the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also
being baptized and praying. The heaven was open to him. Our Lord being baptized and praying
while he was being baptized in that moment that he was being
baptized, he was praying. And to me, that is special. That's a special moment. I believe
that is a special moment. to communicate with our God,
with our Lord, with our Father. I believe in that very moment,
and I'm saying this now in case any person hears this in the
future, I'm now listening to messages that men have preached
30, 40 years ago on Sermon Audio. And if anybody ever hears this
in the future who has a desire to confess the Lord Jesus Christ,
vital union with Him, And, you know, they want to confess it
in front of brethren and let everybody know this is my hope,
my love, my life, my all. Just remember, knowing what that
means, knowing what that is, knowing what it represents, what
he did, that would be a wonderful moment to end the quietness of
your heart as you're going down, say, Thank you for dying for me. Thank
you for joining yourself to me. Thank you for laying there for
three days in that tomb for me. Thank you for rising for me.
Thank you for living for me. Wonderful moment. Just a wonderful
moment. Thinking about that makes me
want to be baptized again. Makes me want to confess him
every day. I want to confess him every day. Well, I pray the
Lord will bless it. All right, you're dismissed.