Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

John preaches of sin, wrath, the need for a payment and repentance.

When John sees Jesus he calls him the lamb of God

Passover, lamb to atone for sins

Sin is only paid for by blood

Jesus’ baptism

Not confessing sins, but conferring (?) them

Not seeking salvation, but supplying salvation

Not with heavy guilt, but with humble glory

Baptism was for sinners and now john was told to baptize the sinless one— What??

But, in this God would complete all righteousness.

Jesus was willing to go where the sinner should be, walk where the sinner should walk, where humanity like all sinners do, and still be obedient to complete all righteousness.

He became a servant.

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“All righteousness”- not in that moment.

But, from the starting line looking forward, He knew what was going on.

The value of watching Jesus be physically verified as the Savior, the Messiah, the Lamb of God is HUGE

The Entrance of the Holy Spirit

The power of jesus’ ministry

The ministry itself was not active before hand

All events of Jesus’ life were had through the Spirit

“Baptism”-

We see Jesus begin with a baptism and then end with a “baptism” as he goes into death and then is raised in newness of life

In the same way we experience baptism:

We obey God and this shows a picture of what is going to happen

We live and are used as ministers

Final baptism: we die going down, we come back up in new life

Baptism for us

It is commanded that we do it- not to earn our salvation- but to be obedient

Can you go to heaven without being baptised?

Yes.

But, why would you?

Isn’t that a weak faith?

A faith that refuses to obey the command right out of Jesus’ mouth probably won’t stand up under much weight.

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Baptism was based on the ritual cleansing- It is admitting that you are dirty and you need God to make you clean

Why is this new?

Because of repentance.

Jesus said “Repent and be baptized.”

John say bear fruit of repentance.

People would get cleaned, but then return to what they were doing.

There was no real change, just cleaner skin.

Then Jesus shows up and His baptism has the Holy Spirit involved.

His Holy Spirit changes hearts.

His baptism shows that now, they have some place to turn to.

Repent from sins, be cleansed of them, and walk in this new life.

Notes 2

The bible is clear that we are saved by grace, through faith.

Baptism is not a pre-req.

But, salvation is holistically transforming.

We confess with our lips, we believe in our hearts, we know and decide in our minds that Jesus is Lord.

All are necessary because they can’t exist in little bits.

When we fully believe in Christ, then we live that way.

All of our being and all of our actions.

Within baptism, this action is a symbol the way a ring is an engagement ring is a symbol.

It only is real if it is real and its only really given if it is really given.

You can give a ring to someone and not love them, but that isn’t the full symbolism of the ring.

When I see the real ring on the real fiance, I see the physical sign of the reality of her heart: she is in love, she is promised, she is bound to another.

Baptism is the engagement ring to Christ.

Baptism is the physical expression of the reality of the heart.

I think it is fitting because what happens in becoming a Christian involves the body as well as the heart.

In conversion the heart is freed from sin to be enslaved to God.

But in Romans 6, Paul really stresses that our bodies too are involved in this change over.

For example, verse 13: “Do not yield the members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life and your members to God as instruments of righteousness.”

it makes sense that God asks us to do something with our body to reflect this reality, because he asks us to do so much with our bodies.

shows us that we should offer our bodies as weapons of righteousness.

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Every part of us is a Christian, so be a Christian with every part.

Piper, J. (2007).

Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989).

Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

Intro

This sermon is kind of tricky.

Because we are looking at Jesus, what he did and at the same time we are looking at us and what he asked us to do.

They are kind of different, but a the connector piece is that Jesus changes us.

How will be able to change our whole life around?

How will we be able to stand up against temptation?

How will we be able to follow all the rules?

How will we be able to do everything He asks? and why would we want to?

Matthew 3:

*Jesus comes down to be baptized*

How will be able to change our whole life around?

How will we be able to stand up against temptation?

How will we be able to follow all the rules?

How will we be able to do everything He asks? and why would we want to?

So here is John preaching.

And He is preaching to repent.

And he is preaching to confess.

And he is preaching to be baptized.

All of these things are known by Jewish people listening.

These are common religious practices.

You just came out to hear him cause you heard he was crazy, but he is actually making a lot of sense

HOWEVER, he isn’t preaching about what is going to be used to pay for the sins.

Everyone is used to these teachings plus killing something, like a lamb, to pay for the mistakes.

He talks about how you know you aren’t perfect— You feel that.

He talks about how you know you should live differently— You feel that too.

John tells everyone why he is doing this: Judgement is coming, things are going to get real, learn this, I am saying it “so that (the Savior) might be revealed to Israel”

You feel that.

He talks about how you are seperated from God— You don’t like it, but that one hits home too.

His purpose was not to get people washed off to go back and live the same way

His purpose was to get them to look to the King who was coming, the Savior, their salvation.

John the Baptist is a bit scary.

He is loud.