Immersed

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him... And when He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:13–17)

Why do followers of Jesus go down into the water? A look at what baptism is, how it's done, and why it matters.

A One-Week Detour and a Bigger Picture

We've been studying through the book of Hebrews since February, but this week we're taking a one-week detour because of some good and important happenings—one this past week and one coming up.

If you've been part of Cross Connection Church for a year or more, you know we are an independent Bible church associated with a larger family of churches. For the last 32 years we've been associated with Calvary Chapel, which has had a strong history, especially in Southern California, and a great impact on the Christian church worldwide over the last 50 years. There are about 1,700 Calvary Chapel churches in the United States and abroad, and I count it a blessing to be part of that family.

A couple of years ago we added another affiliation—a dual affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention. As I looked at the landscape of Christianity and got to know other Southern Baptist pastors in our area, I realized these brothers and sisters have a doctrinal interface nearly identical to Calvary Chapel and the same philosophical perspective. They want to reach people for Jesus and fulfill the Great Commission. There are 45,000 Southern Baptist congregations nationwide—the largest evangelical Christian denomination in the United States—and God is doing amazing things through them.

When we did this a couple of years ago it was pretty unique. I reached out to my friends Brian Brodersen and David Guzik, and they said they saw no problem with it, but it was still a unique step. I'll be honest—I lost some good friends in the process. Yet many Calvary Chapel pastors reached out afterward, curious about it.

This last week, one of the most well-known Calvary Chapel pastors, who pastors one of the largest Calvary Chapel churches and is hands down one of the most well-known Christian evangelists in our nation besides Billy Graham—Greg Laurie—announced that his church is also entering into a dual affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention. This is big news. We feel like we were a little ahead of the curve.

A Post-Denominational Moment

I think the reason this is happening is really important. As Christian churches and pastors look at our culture, they recognize that the larger church is not doing as good a job reaching the Western world as it should—and one reason is that we don't work together very well. About five years ago, sensing this, we changed our name from Calvary Chapel of Escondido to Cross Connection Church—not because we have anything against the name Calvary Chapel, but to enable us to reach across the lines and link arms with brothers and sisters who may not be Calvary Chapel.

More and more churches and pastors are saying, "We want to reach our culture with the gospel." They may not play the same songs or use the same instruments, but they want to reach people, so they join arms. I think we're moving into what I'd call a post-denominational time in Christian history, and I believe God will bless it. Be praying for Pastor Greg Laurie—he's getting significant kickback over this decision.

Covenants and Sacraments

The third reason we're taking this detour is that we have a baptism this coming Wednesday. About every month I get two or three questions about baptism, so I want to share much of what I share at baptisms—but for the whole church.

We're going through Hebrews, and Hebrews 8 begins to talk about covenants. In our modern vernacular we don't use that word much—unless you're a lawyer, signing contracts, or buying a house with an HOA that hands you a stack of "CC&Rs," covenants, conditions, and restrictions. But the Bible is full of covenants: the Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Aaronic or priestly, and Davidic covenants. There's no pop quiz, but each one has conditions and restrictions.

Most of the first 39 books, Genesis to Malachi, center on the Mosaic Covenant—God's covenant with the nation of Israel, mediated by Moses beginning at Exodus 19 at Mount Sinai. The conditions of that covenant are called the law of God, or the law of Moses. Incidentally, the word Testament is another word for covenant. So the Old Testament is the Old Covenant, and the New Testament is the New Covenant.

Each covenant has sacraments—religious ceremonies or rites associated with it. Under the Old Covenant these included the observance of Passover, circumcision, and the offering of sacrifices at the temple. Under the New Covenant there are sacraments as well. If you came from a Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox background, the word sacrament isn't foreign to you—they observe seven. But within Protestant churches there are only two.

The Two Protestant Sacraments

Why only two? Because of one of the founding principles of the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago this year: Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone. We want Scripture to tell us what to believe and practice. When we look at the Scriptures, there are only two New Covenant sacraments Jesus explicitly instituted and the early church expressly practiced: baptism and communion.

Jesus instituted communion on the very night He and His disciples were observing the Old Covenant sacrament of Passover, the night He would be betrayed. In the upper room He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." Then He took the cup of wine and said, "Drink this, all of you; this is My blood, the blood of the New Covenant. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

The covenant is intangible—you can't see it—but it is symbolized in the bread and the cup. We partake every seven weeks here at Cross Connection. Is there a special reason for seven weeks? Not really; we do it regularly. Some churches do it weekly, some the first Sunday of the month, some once a year. The frequency can change, but the regularity matters—"as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of Me." We get attached to our traditions and then create denominations, saying those people are bad and we're good—caveman Christianity. But the sacrament itself is simply an outward ceremony that is a visible sign of an inward divine transformation of grace.

What Baptism Is and How It's Done

The second sacrament is baptism. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward transformation. That phrasing implies something important: the inward transformation precedes the outward expression. Something happens in us first, before we commit to baptism.

Think of a wedding ring. This ring is an external expression of a covenant relationship I have with my wife, Andrea. It is not the relationship itself—if I lost it, I wouldn't lose the marriage. It shows others I'm in that covenant relationship. Baptism works similarly, displaying an invisible, intangible reality.

How is one baptized? The word itself gives insight. Baptizo is a Greek word meaning to immerse or dip something in liquid for the purpose of washing or purification. The first appearance of the word in the New Testament relates to John the Baptist—a wild character who ate locusts and wild honey, wore camel-hair clothing, and preached in the wilderness of Judea near the Jordan River. Multitudes came to hear his message of repentance—turning away from sin, confessing sin, and bearing fruits worthy of repentance. They displayed their repentance by going down into the water of the Jordan, where John fully immersed them as they confessed their sins.

So one is baptized when fully immersed in water. How do we know John fully immersed people? The Greek word is clear, and when we look at Jesus's baptism, He "came up out of the water," implying He was in it. Wherever it might be—beach, river, pool, spa—they are fully immersed in water.

Why We Baptize: In Obedience to Christ's Command

That brings us to the important question of why. I teach three primary reasons. The first: we baptize in obedience to Christ's command. We find this at the very end of Matthew's Gospel:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18–20)

This is the Great Commission. A few years ago the Southern Baptist Convention considered changing its name to "Great Commission Baptists," because they're committed to this commission—as we in Calvary Chapel are. Every faithful Christian is committed to it. We don't discriminate or segregate when preaching the gospel; we want all people to come to the forgiveness of sins through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and to become His disciples. One issue of obedience is baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In Identification with Christ's Baptism

The second reason: we baptize in identification with Christ's baptism.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water... and a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:13–17)

Jesus the Son of God, God incarnate, came to John the Baptist—just a man—and asked to be baptized. John tried to prevent Him, saying he wasn't even worthy to unlatch Jesus's sandal. Yet Jesus was baptized by full immersion in the Jordan, and it pleased the Father. We baptize because we identify ourselves with Christ in His baptism, and I believe it is pleasing to our Father in heaven. You don't need to be baptized in the Jordan River—though you can, if you come with us to Israel.

In Association with Christ's Death, Burial, and Resurrection

The third reason: we baptize in association with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3–4)

When you put your trust in Jesus, there is an invisible born-again experience that happens in that instant. Jesus spoke of this with Nicodemus in John 3: "You must be born again." Nicodemus couldn't compute it, and Jesus said it's a supernatural act of the Spirit you can't see. When you trust in Jesus, you are baptized into Him—immersed in Christ—and you can't see or feel it, but by faith you trust that God has done it.

We symbolically show this through baptism. Going down into the water associates you with Jesus's death; being under the water associates you with His burial; coming up out of the water associates you with His resurrection, to walk in newness of life. If anyone is in Christ, baptized into Christ, which happens spiritually when you put your trust in Him, he is a new creation—the old things have passed away and everything has become new. Baptism shows that very tangibly.

When Should One Be Baptized?

That leads to a simple, logical question: when should a person be baptized? In Acts 8 there's a great evangelist named Philip, preaching the gospel near Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria. God impressed upon him to walk the road between Jerusalem and Gaza—names still in our vocabulary today.

As he walked, he came upon a wealthy man riding in a chariot, described as an Ethiopian eunuch, part of the royal court of Ethiopia. He was reading from the scroll of Isaiah—not a pocket edition but an eleven-foot scroll. Philip ran up and asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?" The man said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" So Philip did what pastors do—he got up on the chariot and began to explain the Scriptures.

It "happened" that the man was reading Isaiah 53, written 700 years before Jesus, detailing His death for us: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities... and by His stripes we are healed." Philip preached the gospel to him.

Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:36–37)

If you have a New International Version, verse 37 may not be in your text, because some ancient manuscripts omit it—but it's in many manuscripts. That statement—"I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God"—is the bedrock of our faith. In Matthew 16, when Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said, "On this rock I will build My church." The rock is not Peter; it's that confession.

So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:38–39)

That probably won't happen on Wednesday—but the eunuch went on his way rejoicing. There's still an ancient Christian witness in Ethiopia to this day. I wonder if that man wasn't the first evangelist to Ethiopia—amazing.

Baptism as a First Act of Christian Obedience

So point five: we baptize believers as a first act of Christian obedience. On the very first day of the church, in Acts 2, Peter preached the gospel to thousands:

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized." (Acts 2:37–38)

If you've never been baptized and you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross for your sins, you should be baptized. I hope you'll come out this Wednesday to Cardiff State Beach. If you've already been baptized, come down and rejoice with those who will be.

Frequently Asked Questions

What about infant baptism? There are very good Christian brothers and sisters who baptize infants. We don't, because of Sola Scriptura—we don't see that practice in Scripture. We may have something similar in our baby dedications, dedicating small children to the Lord. But we believe in believer's baptism, or credo baptism: as you put your trust in Jesus, you are baptized as a sign of your faith, just as the Ethiopian eunuch was in Acts 8.

What about baptism for the dead? Some coming out of the Mormon Church know of a practice that, honestly, is heretical and unorthodox—baptism for the dead, or baptism by proxy. One reason the Mormon Church is so interested in genealogies is to baptize for dead relatives. Why don't we do that? First, it's not taught in Scripture; second, you cannot believe for someone else. As much as you'd like to believe for your kids or dead relatives, you can't, and baptism by proxy doesn't fit with Scripture.

Is baptism essential for salvation? No. The greatest illustration is the thief on the cross. As they hung beside Jesus, one thief put his trust in Him and said, "Remember me when You come into Your kingdom." Jesus said, "Today you will be with Me in paradise." He didn't come down off the cross, wasn't sprinkled, wasn't baptized—he simply trusted in Jesus and was saved. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward transformation. If baptism were essential for salvation, Scripture would explicitly say so.

What about "Jesus only" baptism? There's a circle of people who question your baptism, asking whether you were baptized "in Jesus' name." They say if you weren't, your baptism isn't good enough, and some even say you're not a Christian—or not a Christian unless you were baptized in their church. We don't believe that. If you were baptized as a believer at another church, praise the Lord; you don't need to be re-baptized. This group cites four passages in Acts where people are baptized in the name of Jesus. But Jesus said to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you were baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit because of your faith in Jesus, that's right and good—and if you were baptized in the name of Jesus, praise the Lord, as long as your trust is in Him for salvation. Those who hold to "Jesus only" baptism usually have a strange, near-Unitarian view of the triune nature of God—bigger doctrinal issues than baptism itself, better addressed in an apologetics class.

The simple point is this: baptism is an outward expression of an inward transformation, whereby an individual is immersed in water in obedience to Christ's command, in identification with Jesus's baptism, and in association with His death, burial, and resurrection—for those who have put their trust in Jesus for salvation. If that's you, you should be baptized.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You for the clear teaching of the Scriptures You've given us, that we might know how we ought to seek, serve, and follow You. I pray that You would help us to be faithful in our trust of You. Thank You that You have given us tangible sacraments—the bread and the cup to remember Your body broken for us and Your blood shed for us, and the act of baptism, going down into the water to show forth in a very tangible and experiential way what took place invisibly when we put our trust in You. Thank You for these things, given to fuel and give passion to our faith. I pray that this church would have a passionate, on-fire faith for You, seen in our lives.

It may be that someone here this morning has never been baptized—and never put their trust in Jesus for salvation. After hearing this message, you may be asking, "What hinders me from being baptized?" If you've not put your trust in Jesus, I want to give you a chance to do that today. Lord, we thank You for the work of grace You're doing in our midst, and we pray You continue to amplify that work for Your name's sake, that Your light would shine in the darkness of this world. We praise You. Thank You. In Jesus' name, amen.