THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
March 5, 2006 PM
Sermon Outline
MK 1:9-11
INTRO: There are not doubt critical events which punctuate the life of Jesus Christ. During the early years, there was the flight of Jesus and His family into Egypt. Then, there was the visit to Jerusalem and the temple when He was twelve years of age. After John the Baptist's ministry began, there came another of those critical events ... the baptism of Jesus. Already multitudes of people had been going out of the cities to the place where John was preaching and baptizing. Even the Pharisees and Sadducees went out to hear John ... and heard him speak in uncompromising terms of God's judgment upon their contrived religion. Then, there came that day when Jesus appeared to baptized of John.
I. THE RELATIONSHIP OF JOHN AND JESUS
A. Begin with Elizabeth and Mary ... the mothers
1. Lk 1:36 - cousins - Elizabeth was "6 months" when became pregnant
2. Lk 1:39-44 - "...the babe leaped in her womb..."
3. notice that Elizabeth said of Mary, "...the mother of my Lord..."
4. how much did the two women understand? (Lk 2:48-52)
B. Then, of John and Jesus?
1. although cousins, did John know "always" about Jesus? His Deity?
2. John certainly knew he was the preparer of the way and that the Messiah would follow him - Mk 1:7
3. John and Jesus were very different in manner - Lk 7:33,34
4. John, because of his likeness to Elijah, certainly arrested attention!
C. Mark reminds us that "Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee"
1. Jesus apparently lived most of his life in the town of Nazareth
2. people there knew him as "the carpenter" (Mk 6:3)
3. Nazareth was not an important town - unsophisticated, etc.
4. Jno 1:45,46 - this was its reputation
II. BUT JOHN DID RECOGNIZE A SIGNIFICANCE ABOUT JESUS
A. Mt 3:13,14 - "I have need to be baptized of thee..."
1. remember, Elizabeth had referred to unborn Jesus as "my Lord"
2. could John be remembering something his mother had told him?
3. whatever, at this point John is seeing Jesus as his "superior"
B. From this time forward John will attest to the Messiahship of Jesus
1. Jno 1:29,30,35,36 - "Behold the Lamb of God..."
2. Jno 5:32,32 - "...he bare witness unto the truth"
3. John apparently never sought any glory, attention for himself ... what an amazing trait in such an important, significant person ... true humility
III. WHY WAS JESUS BAPTIZED?
A. John's baptism necessitated repentance
1. Mk 1:4 - "...of repentance for the remission of sins"
2. it was evident, of course, that the Son of God had no sins to confess
3. is there more to this, then, than the problem of sin?
B. Mt 3:15 - "...it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness"
1. notice Lk 7:29,30 - rejecting baptism was rejecting the counsel of God
2. keep in mind, too, Ps 119:172 - "for all thy commandments are..."
3. had Jesus not been baptized, He would have sinned - righteousness necessitated His being baptized
IV. THE HEAVENLY TESTIMONY TO THE SONSHIP OF JESUS
A. Mk 1:10,11 - The unmistakable testimony!
1. Mark's gospel began with "Jesus Christ, the Son of God..."
2. his recording of this amazing testimony gives credibility to his assertion
3. notice "Thou art my beloved Son..." - Markand Luke note the very person nature of these words ... to Jesus!
4. fulfilling all righteousness, he is well pleasing to the Father
B. The power of the testimony?
1. I have no idea how many people may have seen and heard
2. but John the Baptist saw and heard ... and could give assurance that Jesus was indeed the Son of God
3. Jno 1:32-34 - perhaps the most credible eye witness of that time!
4. and he was not timid about sharing that testimony and his belief that Jesus was indeed the Son of God
CLOSE: The baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of His public life and ministry. From the time the work of John the Baptist and the preaching of Jesus overlap somewhat. But John's ministry will begin to diminish as the Son of God engages in His great, redemptive work.
Cecil A. Hutson
12 February 2006