I want to found where we’re going from and understand that this is an area of great confusion – perhaps one of the areas of greatest divergence between Christian denominations. I want to address how we as a church stand and practice baptism.
Listen to this two-part sermon here:
Neil Ward, Foothills Church of Christ, 2019
“This Man has done nothing wrong”
Luke 23:41
Jesus was crucified between two criminals and by the admission of one of them, they deserved to be there (v 41). Matthew records that both criminals joined with the passersby to mock and ridicule Jesus (Matthew 27:44) but one of them had second thoughts about who Jesus is after he heard Jesus say “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Both criminals would have heard this statement and recognised that Jesus was claiming deity by calling God His Father. Both heard Him pray for forgiveness for the very people who were mocking and crucifying Him. They did not feel that kind of compassion.
Matthew, Mark and John all record the notice on Jesus’ cross stating that He is Israel’s King. One of the criminals mocked Jesus’ claims to be Israel’s King and deity to by asking, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us” (Luke 23:39). He understood the claims of both the notice on the cross and Jesus’ prayer to the Father. Sad to say, it appears his last words before he died were to mock Jesus.
The other criminal began to think more closely about Jesus. Was it possible that Jesus really is the Son of God and Israel’s Messiah? In the most dire of circumstances he came to the realisation that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised King who would sit on the throne of David forever. Because of Jesus’ words to the Father he also knew he could be forgiven.
Significantly he called Jesus by the name “Jesus” which means Saviour. He understood that Jesus’ death on the cross would not be the end. He believed in resurrection and that Jesus is Israel’s King. He asked, “Jesus, remember me when You come into your kingdom” (v 42). He was immediately told that he would be with Jesus in “paradise” that very day. He had absolutely nothing to offer but himself on a cross condemned and about to die. He had no good works, no church membership, not even baptism but he received the Gift of God (John 1:12). He had fulfilled his part for salvation. He had acknowledged his sinfulness and hopeless situation; he had acknowledged who Jesus is and what He was doing and he appealed to Jesus for the forgiveness Jesus had just offered to those who were mocking and crucifying Him. Jesus then did His part and ever since that day this former convicted criminal has been with Jesus.
“I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease”
2 Peter 1:15
From very young we learn and remember many things as a result of repetition. A parent may often say, “How many times have I told you …!” Repetition was how we learned the “times tables”, and how we memorised verses from the Bible.
Where did Peter get the idea that we needed reminders of the essential truths revealed by God? Since Peter spent more than three years with Jesus and heard him preach some things several times it seems likely that he is following Christ’s example. There are two key examples of repetition given by Jesus that He has commanded His church to observe. These remind us of what He has done for us and what He has done in us.
Communion, or the Lord’s Table, is a reminder of what Jesus has done for us and the church has the responsibility to observe this in a manner that will express true teaching to the unsaved as well as remind the saved how that came about. Paul refers to it as an opportunity to focus and reflect on what Jesus has done for us in remembrance of Him (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The focus is on Jesus but we can’t do that completely without remembering what He has done for us. Remembering Him and reflecting on what He has done will keep our hearts humble and thankful.
Baptism is the other ordinance that He has given to the church (Matthew 28:19) and is given as a living picture of what Jesus has done in us. Baptism tells the story of what has already happened in us from being dead in sin to being created new in Christ and rising to new life in Christ. It reminds us of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
Communion and Baptism tell the Easter story and its application. They are regular reminders for us. Peter writes in this letter that there are those who would corrupt the message. This is all the more reason to keep reminding each other of these essential truths. Some nominally Christian groups have corrupted both these reminders by giving power to the ritual which is only a shadow of that which is real. Shadows have no power in themselves and disappear when the true light comes. Jesus, Paul and Peter all expect us to be continually mindful of the means by which we are saved and the extent of that salvation but primarily be mindful of the One who made it all possible.”I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things” (2 Peter 1:12).