Jesus' Baptism | A Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17

Introduction
Today, we continue our journey through the beginning parts of the Gospel of Matthew.  Last Sunday, we were introduced to John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin.  He was called the Baptist because he preached repentance and baptized those who repented—turned away from their sin.

John came to prepare the way for Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lord and Savior of the world.  Today, Jesus comes to be baptized by John.  Let’s read the story.

Matthew 3:13-17
¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,^[a] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,^[b] with whom I am well pleased.”

Introducing Jesus
This is the first time in Matthew that we meet Jesus as an adult.  The earlier chapters show Jesus as a baby.  But now Jesus comes down from Galilee to be baptized by John and he is probably 30 years old (according to Luke 3:23).

John preached about repentance—that everyone needed to turn away from their sins and turn to God because the God’s Kingdom was at hand. When they repented, John baptized them as a sign.  But Jesus doesn’t need to repent.  1 Peter 2:22 tells us Jesus “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”  Jesus did not need to repent.  And so, John is taken aback.  He says, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

John recognized Jesus was special.  Of all the people who ever lived, Jesus is the only one who never sinned.  Think about that.  Everyone you have ever known has sinned.  And you know yourself; and you know you have sinned.  Even if it was only a small sin, you sinned.  You have been angry at someone in your heart. Or you have lusted in your heart.  Or you have been jealous or coveted what you neighbor had.  Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glorious standard of God.”  Everyone has sinned in one way or another.  But not Jesus.  Jesus was absolutely perfect and Holy, just as God is perfect and holy.  Yet Jesus was baptized for other reasons.

Jesus was Baptized “…to fulfill all righteousness.”
In Matthew 3:15, Jesus says He is to be baptized “…to fulfill all righteousness.”  What does that mean?  Jesus’ baptism was part of God’s plan and symbolized His obedience to God and His identification with humanity.  Though Jesus was sinless, He was baptized to fully identify with us—the people He came to save. His baptism symbolized taking our sin and dying in our place.

Jesus was Baptized To Mark the Beginning of His Ministry
Baptism is a sacred ceremony that marks the beginning of a spiritual journey.  For Jesus, baptism served as the launching point for His public ministry.  Immediately after His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and the Father declared from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:16-17). This was a clear affirmation of Jesus’ divine identity and mission.  And it was the starting point for His ministry.

Jesus was Baptized To Set an Example for Us
Jesus’ baptism was an example for us to follow. We are baptized when we start following Jesus.  At the end of His ministry, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize others (Mt. 28:19-20), signifying a commitment to God and new life in Jesus and their beginning of a new life.

Lessons for Us Today
Jesus' baptism matters to us today because it shows His humility and His willingness to identify with sinners, even though He was sinless. We often struggle with pride.

We don’t want people looking down on us or to feel like people are judging us.  We may even avoid coming to the altar to pray in church just because we wonder, “What will people think?”  Jesus’ humility to be baptized right alongside all the other sinners of His day—even though Jesus was innocent without any sin in his life—should be an example to us.  Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks.  Just be obedient to God.  Listen to His voice and obey.

Jesus’ baptism also marks the beginning of His public ministry and sets an example for us.  How do you officially mark the beginning of your faith journey?  It is through baptism.

Some are baptized as infants, a sign that they are part of God’s family from the very beginning.  What a beautiful and sacred thing to seek God’s grace to raise our children in the Christian faith.  But even children who are born into a Christian family that promises to raise them in the faith must confirm their faith for themselves when they are old enough to make their own decisions.  In the Christian church, we call this ceremony “confirmation”, because the person who was baptized as an infant “confirms” they have decided for themselves to follow Jesus as Lord.  And those who were not baptized as infants and decide to follow Jesus as adults, begin their discipleship with the sacrament of baptism.  Baptism is the beginning for us, just as it was for Jesus. 

For us, baptism is a symbol of repentance, cleansing, and a new life in Christ.  It is an outward sign of something real God does inside us.  Jesus didn’t need to repent, but He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15), showing us the importance of obedience to God. His baptism also foreshadows His death and resurrection, reminding us that through Him, we too can be made new.  Ultimately, Jesus' baptism points us to our own need for salvation and a relationship with God. It’s a call to follow Him, turn from sin, and live as citizens of His Kingdom. 

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and God the Father affirmed Him, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).  This moment reveals the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—all present together.  But it can reveal something else too.  It reveals how God see us when we walk with Christ. 

There are several Scriptures that teach when we are in Christ, God sees Jesus in us. For example:
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The mystery of the Christian faith is that our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ.  When God looks at us, He doesn’t see the dark and shameful deeds of our past.  Instead, He sees Christ in us.  And the affirmation the Father spoke of Jesus, He speaks over us:  “This is my beloved Son [or daughter], with whom I am well pleased.” 

Now, if you’ve ever had your earthly father or mother affirm their love and admiration for you, it is a tremendous blessing.  But now imagine the Father of the whole universe affirming His love for you.  Wow!  What a blessing!

If you are a Christian—meaning, you have repented of your sin and decided to follow Jesus—God looks at you and affirms you just as He affirmed Jesus:  “This is my beloved Son (or daughter), with whom I am well pleased.”  Take a moment to imagine God the Father saying these words to you right now…  If you follow Jesus, this is how God sees you.

There may be some reading this message who have not yet decided to follow Jesus.  Maybe you don’t believe because something about the story is really hard to believe: that God could overlook your sins, or that God would become a man and die for us, or that Jesus could rise from the dead.  I understand that it is remarkable and hard to believe.  I can't prove the Good News about Jesus to you the way a scientist can prove gravity, but I'm not asking you to believe blindly.  There is plenty of evidence for a Divine Creator God and for the Love of God reaching out to us.  And there is plenty of evidence for the real difference faith in Jesus makes in a person's life and the hope.  Being a Christian requires a leap of faith.  It's not blind faith, because we have evidence that we can trust God, but we need faith to leap across what we can see and know to full trust in God.  But it is so worth it.  I encourage you to take that leap.

Maybe you are afraid, but I pray you will be bold and courageous.  Maybe you are too proud and don't want to admit your mistakes.  But don't let pride deter you from something so important.  Turn to Jesus today and be saved.

The saddest and most dangerous reason some people don't follow Jesus is because they don't care.  They are just fine with living their life however they want.  They don't care about God or even if there is a God.  They don't care about what will happen once they die.  They just want to live their life however they please and don't care what God or anyone else thinks.  I pray that God's message through Jesus and John the Baptist will shake those who don't care to the core.  I pray that God will send whatever trials or tribulations necessary to wake people up so they do care. 

John and Jesus preached the same message. They said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  God has extended an offer of grace and mercy.  He will forgive your sin.  He will give you a new and perfect heart—one that is full of love for God and your fellow man.  And He will welcome you into His Kingdom if you will accept Jesus as Lord.  And He will look at you too and say with genuine love:  “This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.”

But if the Kingdom comes before you repent and you are found still to be in rebellion, then there will weeping and gnashing of teeth and eternal punishment.  Jesus and John both said there would be hell to pay for anyone who doesn't repent of their sins and enter into the Kingdom of God.  For only those who accept Christ as Lord can dwell in the eternal Kingdom of God where there is eternal love, and joy, and peace, and life.  For all others, their will be eternal punishment. 

The choice is yours.

Return to Nazareth | A Sermon on Matthew 2:19-23

Introduction
I have preached on a lot of different Scriptures over the 25 years of my ministry. I figure I have preached at least 1,000 sermons at this point in my life. But I have never preached on the passage I will speak about today. It is near the beginning of Matthew, but not the very beginning. During Advent, we studied to story of the Wisemen coming from the East to visit Jesus at His birth.  They gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  But evil King Herod wanted to kill the newborn king of the Jews.  So Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt with the baby Jesus. And then we come to Matthew 2:19-23.

Matthew 2:19-23
¹⁹ When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ²⁰ “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

²¹ So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. ²² But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. ²³ So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus Return to Nazareth
I’ve never preached on this passage.  It falls between the story of Christ’s birth (which we study every Christmas) and the stories about John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism.  Those stories are so interesting and we focus on them again and again.
But, we just take this little section of Matthew in between for granted as a transitional passage. 
Now, we know Jesus fled to Egypt and then he came back to Nazareth, so we just skim over these 4 verses that tell us the details how he got back to Nazareth.  But one thing I’ve learned in 25 years of preaching the Word of God, every section, every verse, every word is important and packed with significance and meaning.

The Gospel of Matthew intentionally connects Jesus with the story of the Israelites in the OT.  You will remember that another “Joseph” ended up in Israel.  The Joseph of the Old Testament was a dreamer. This was Jacob’s son, Joesph, back in Genesis—the Joseph who wore the coat of many colors.  That Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, but God was with that Joseph and gave him the power to interpret dreams and he rose to power as second in command to Pharoah.  And then Joseph’s father and his brothers and all his family—the Israelites—escaped a terrible famine by moving to Egypt, where they lived for 400 years.

And here in Matthew, we have another Joseph—Mary’s husband, Jesus’ earthly father—who has now had three important dreams.  In the first dream the Angel of the Lord told Joesph not to divorce Mary because Jesus was God’s Son.  In the second dream, the Angel of the Lord told Joseph to flee to Egypt because Herod was trying to kill Jesus.  And now in this third dream, the Angel of the Lord tells Joseph to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel.

This fulfills the Old Testament prophecy from Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.”  This passage from the prophet Hosea speaks of both Israel and God’s Son.  God brought the Israelites out of Egypt through Moses in the Exodus.  And God also brought His Son, Jesus, out of Egypt back to the land of Israel.  But what does this have to do with us today?

First of all, Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy.
You cannot separate the Old Testament from the New Testament. The OT & NT are intrinsically connected as one whole story of God’s salvation plan. And there are connections there you cannot even imagine.  Even parts you think don’t matter, do. And the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament.  Don’t ever forget. This grand plan stretching across thousands of years glorifies the power and wisdom of God.

Second, Jesus fulfilled everything the Israelites failed to do right in the OT.
And that might not seem important to you personally, but it is.  You can probably think of some regrets you have in your life, things you wish you’d done differently, mistakes you’ve made, sins you’ve committed.  I want you to know that somehow through the mysterious power of God, Jesus fulfilled everything you were supposed to do but didn’t.  It’s not just that Jesus’ blood washes away your sins; it does, but Jesus is also your righteousness.  He completes you. In Christ, your broken past is made absolutely right so you can stand before God fully vindicated.

Third, this passage shows God's ongoing guidance and protection in our lives.
Just as God guided Joseph to protect His family, God is actively involved in our affairs. When we walk with God daily and seek to be in His will, He shows us the way. God’s Holy Spirit is there to guide you to avoid danger, to make good decisions, and to accomplish His plans for you.  But it is His plans, not your own selfish ambitions. Therefore, give yourself to God.  Let Him be in charge and listen to His voice guiding you.

Fourth, this passage shows God cares about the poor and the humble.
By settling in Nazareth, a humble and obscure town, Jesus' life aligns with the lowly and humble. God doesn’t just focus on the power centers of our world—Jerusalem & Rome in the ancient world or DC & Wall Street in our modern one.  No, God’s son was born in the small town of Bethlehem, lived as a refugee in Egypt, and then returned to grow up a Nazarene from an unimportant, backwater town in northern Israel, far from the centers of power and influence. This shaped His ministry among ordinary people rather than the elite.

Holy Communion
Jesus’ journey back to Nazareth wasn’t just a transition or insignificant detail of history. It is part of God’s great salvation plan.  A small, seemingly unimportant town became the place where the Savior of the world was raised.  And that should be an encouragement to us.

Many of you may feel like your life is far from the center of power or influence. Maybe you think your work, your home, or even your struggles seem small in the grand scheme of things. But this passage reminds us that God is at work in the ordinary. Jesus didn’t grow up in a palace. He wasn’t raised in a wealthy family. He lived among humble, hardworking people like you and me. And yet, He was the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise.

That same God is working in your life. He is guiding you. He is protecting you. He is calling you to follow Him. Like Joseph, you may not always see the full picture, but if you trust God, He will lead you where you need to go.

As we come to the Lord’s Table today, remember that Jesus is our righteousness. He fulfills everything we have failed to do. He washes away our sins and makes us whole. And He invites us to follow Him—not to the great cities of power, but into a life of humble obedience and deep faith.

Come to the Table.  Receive His grace.  And trust that wherever you are, no matter how small or ordinary it may seem, God is working in your life.

A True Disciple

Introduction
I’ve been preaching through Jesus Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapters 5-7.  These are the key precepts of Jesus’ message, revealing His core values for  His followers

My sermons for the last three weeks have been quite challenging.  I assure you, I would rather preach cheerful sermons.  But the texts from Jesus Sermon on the Mount have required I speak some harsh truths.

• Matthew 7:13-14 revealed the highway to hell is broad because many people follow it, but the pathway to life is very narrow and only a few ever find it.
• Last week I preached about telling true prophets from false prophets based on their fruit. We are called to bear love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.
• My message today is just as challenging (maybe even disturbing). It comes from Matthew 7:21-23.

Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

A True Disciple
In these 3 verses, Jesus warns about a terrible reality many people will face on judgment day.  He says many people who thought they were following Jesus and going to Heaven will be shocked to find out Jesus never knew them, and they are turned away from Heaven. 

And that’s disturbing, because it makes you question: “Am I one of those who will be horrified to find out Jesus never knew me?  Will I be one of the unfortunate souls turned away when Jesus says:  Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.”

This brings us back again to the concerns raised in Matthew 7:13-14.  “The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” 

Friends, the Message of Christ is very serious.  And we need to take it seriously.  So many dabble in religion as if it was an after thought of life.  They go to church whenever we feel like it.  If they pray, it is only when they are desperate and need something.  God is only an after thought if He is a thought at all.  Everyone has more important things to chase after than God.  

Friends, our relationship with God is the most important thing!  It will literally determine where you spend eternity--whether you will spend it in heaven with God or in Hell eternally separated from God. 

“I never knew you…”
Jesus warns one of the claims the damned will say on judgment day is, “We prophesied in your name…”   In other words, they said all the right things.  Maybe they even spoke on behalf of Lord Jesus—sharing His Word with others.  Others who are damned will claim, “We cast out demons in your name and did miracles in your name…”  These too will be cast into hell.  Why?

Jesus gives the answer in simple terms.  “I never knew you.”  Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven starts with a real relationship—a relationship with Jesus.  It’s not about what you know.  It’s Who you know.  Jesus left the glory of Heaven to come to our broken world to be with us.  That’s the definition of one of His names we often sing about at Christmas is Emanuel; it means "God with us." 

Jesus did ministry with 12 Disciples.  He could have done it alone.  He didn’t need help.  But Jesus chose to work with 12 people to have relationships with them.  Furthermore, Jesus ate with sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, and other notorious sinners.  Jesus interacted with people.  He got to know people and built relationships.  Relationship is the most important thing to Jesus.  That’s how He knows people and saves people and heals people.

 

And that’s what Jesus wants with you—a relationship, to know you.  It’s what God has always wanted from the very beginning when He created us—a relationship.  But, because of sin, we turn away from God.  We chase after our own selfish ambitions instead of a relationship with God.

Matthew 11:28
Jesus came to invite us back.  He said:  “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  (Mt 11:28)

 

Jesus wants a real relationship with you—one where you talk every day and walk together, eat together, live together, serve together laugh and cry together.  Part of that relationship may include prophesying in His name and casting out demons and doing miracles in His name.  But it’s the relationship that’s really important.

 

It starts with a choice. Jesus wants a relationship with everyone. Some may think Jesus wouldn't want a relationship with you. Maybe you feel like you're not good enough or you've done something terrible and Jesus wouldn't want to be around you. But Jesus showed He loved everyone. He never shied away from anyone, no matter how bad they sinned.  Rich, poor, sinners, saints--Jesus loved them all and He still does today. There's nothing you have done or could ever do that would keep Jesus from wanting a personal relationship with you.

 

He stands at the door of your heart knocking.  But you have to open the door and let Him in.  And once Jesus comes onto your heart, you've got to walk with Him every day.  Are you spending time with Jesus every day in a real, personal relationship?  Some ways you can do that are through:

• Prayer and Bible study, which are the heart of a relationship with Jesus.  Through prayer and Bible study we talk to Jesus and hear from Jesus.  We learn who He is and how He wants us to live.
• Worship and Fellowship with Other Christians.  Just like Jesus called 12 Disciples to follow Him as a group, Jesus calls us to follow Him in a group with other believers.  We fellowship and and worship as a Church (which is a community of faith).  We have a relationship with each other adn with Jesus, together.
• Serving.  Jesus came to serve, not to be served.  His followers serve alongside Jesus--giving ourselves to make more Disciples who also have a relationship with Jesus.  Jesus doesn't need our help, but graciously invites us to work alongside Him.  Serving together is part of how we relate with Jesus and each other. 

Matthew 7:21
The other key part of Jesus warning is in His statement in verse 21, which says, “Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”  This statement connects to all the lessons we’ve studied from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

(as well as everything Jesus taught in the Gospels and through His servants in the Bible).  Jesus tells us in the Bible how we are to live.  These are His teachings.  The Bible is the will of His Father in Heaven.  Are we living it?

 

God is gracious.  He understands we often misunderstand. We may read one thing in the Bible and totally misunderstand what Jesus wants us to do.  We may do the wrong thing.  But most people aren't even reading it to try and figure it out.  Most people aren't even trying.  Do you think willfully ignoring Jesus’ teachings in the Bible is “doing the will of God?”  Of course not.  It’s no wonder there will be so many people on Judgment Day crying,  “Lord! Lord!” and Jesus will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Walking with Jesus and Doing God’s Will Go Together
Something else important needs to be said.  It’s this: Walking with Jesus and doing God’s will go together.  You really can’t separate them.  

You would think prophesying, casting out demons, and doing miracles in Jesus name must be “doing God’s will.”  Right?   Yet Jesus said many will tell Him they did all these very things in His name and Jesus will reply:  “I never knew you.”  Why is  that?  Maybe because Jesus didn’t tell them to do those things. 

Walking with Jesus means staying in tune with His daily instructions.  If He didn’t tell you to prophesy, don’t do it.  If He didn’t tell you to cast out a demon, don’t do it.  If He didn’t tell you to do a miracle, don’t do it.  Just because something sounds holy and impressive, doesn't mean Jesus told you to do it.  But do whatever He tells you to do--even if it's simple and unimpressive.

And if you truly have an intimate relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit will lead you to do everything Jesus wants you to do.  A true relationship with Jesus leads you to live for Him.  As you walk with Jesus, you become more accustomed to hearing His voice through the Holy Spirit.  And the Holy Spirit directs us exactly how to obey Jesus if we are listening.  Are you listening? 

Conclusion
Jesus words are unsettling today in His Sermon on the Mount.  “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” 

It’s troubling.  It’s unsettling.  But that’s good. 
Because maybe it will motivate us to take our relationship with Jesus seriously.

Let me conclude with a summary of some practical things you can do to ensure you’re traveling on the pathway to eternal life and not blindly following the highway to hell.  

• Ask Jesus to save you – decide to follow Him as Lord and start walking with Him. This is the very first step.  If you haven't already done so, please do this right now.
• Pray and read your Bible – these are the heart of our relationship with Jesus. They are how we talk to and hear God.
• Immerse yourself in Christian fellowship and worship.  If we are truly following Jesus, our most important social group will be other followers of Jesus.  We need each other.  
• Listen to how the Holy Spirit is leading you to live and do it.  Practice following the Spirit's guidance every day as He:
• leads your to forgive people who wrong you, just as Jesus forgave you,
• teaches you to be kind and compassionate
• enables you to be honest and ethical
• prompts you to be a witness who share how Jesus is changing your life
• calls you to serve.  God gives each one of us special gift so we can build up His church. Use them for the glory of God.

Prayer

"Lord Jesus, forgive us for the ways we have pushed You aside in favor of other things.  Thank You for inviting us to have a relationship with You so that we can know You and be known by You.  Help us to walk with You each day as we pray and study Your Word.  Surround us with Your people, so our fellowship and worship will honor You and build up our faith.  Lea us to know and obey God's law and live for You every day.  We ask these things in Your most holy name.  Amen."