Sermon Tone Analysis

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God., 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:,

See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;

he will prepare your way.,,

3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

Prepare the way for the Lord;

make his paths straight!,

4 John came baptizing, in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6 John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me.

I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.

8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus’ ministry began in baptism intentionally.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God., 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:,

See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;

he will prepare your way.,,

3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

Prepare the way for the Lord;

make his paths straight!,

4 John came baptizing, in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

In baptism, we admit that we are messed up.

4 John came baptizing, in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Illus: In the days which Jesus walked the earth, the temple was still in place.

They could have gone to the temple, and made sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins.

And they did.

But this wasn’t enough.

God both raised up John to baptize and placed in the hearts of the people a need that didn't seem to be fulfilled in the temple.

THis was part of placing in the hearts of the people a desire for Jesus.

The first step of baptism is the desire to be washed.

It is the admission that you are messed up and you need hope greater than yourself.

We get a picture of in Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus.

Illus: (even in talking with nicodemus, baptism was understood.)3

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him.

“Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

In baptism, we point to our greater hope.

4 John came baptizing, in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6 John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me.

I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.

8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Illus: John’s baptism was an empty baptism.

JOhn knew it.

He baptized in a way that was a temporary recommitment, but lacked the power for lifelong change.

He knew and told the people that there was something better coming.

Many times we make commitments at church we want to be free from our past mistakes, but those decisions will be empty if we do not connect with the greater hope Jesus offers.

Baptism is the start, but if it not directly connected to faith in Christ, it is just a bath.

Just as John’s baptism points to Christ, so our baptisms must lead us to Christ.

Illus: Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

From the beginning of Jesus ministry, there was no doubt of who Jesus was.

7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me.

I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.

8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John knew his job was to deliver the mail.

7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me.

I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.

8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Illus: John was not given a feel good message.

He was called to confront the sin of the age and tell people to turn back to God.

Many did.

Many were baptized and turned their lives back to God… but not all accepted John’s message.

Some heard the confrontational message and hated John for it.

Remember, when God calls us to be messengers, his call may not be to make friends.

It will always be to tell the truth.

Let’s look at what John’s ministry got him….

Illus: For Herod had arrested John, chained him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 since John had been telling him, “It’s not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Though Herod wanted to kill John, he feared the crowd since they regarded John as a prophet.

6 When Herod’s birthday celebration came, Herodias’s daughter danced before them and pleased Herod.

7 So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.

8 Prompted by her mother, she answered, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

9 Although the king regretted it, he commanded that it be granted because of his oaths and his guests.

10 So he sent orders and had John beheaded in the prison.

11 His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

John knew his job was to fade into the background.

7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me.

I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.

8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Illus:There is a temptation we face in the way we view Jesus.

We might think, If I make much of Jesus, Jesus will make much of me.

We buy into a false idea that we can ride the coat tails of Jesus through ease and fame.

When John was given the temptation to become famous, he said his job was to fade.

IN a time where we want to make much of ourselves, perhaps the call of the christian life is to obscurity.

Illus: Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification.

26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.”

27 John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.

28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’

29 He who has the bride is the groom.

But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice.

So this joy of mine is complete.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Jesus’ ministry was completed in baptism.

7 He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me.

I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals.

8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Remember that one must be baptized both with water and spirit, Jesus began with water, and left us with the spirit.

Illus: what does it mean to be baptized both in water and spirit.

It means that we begin in repentance, through faith in Jesus Christ.

But just as John’s baptism was empty without Jesus, so ours is as well.

When you trust Christ, God gives you the Holy Spirit, which was baptized into the lives of believers at the pentacost, so that our following of him will not be in our own power, but in His.