Baptist Catechism 102

Q. 102. What is the Lord’s Supper?

A. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to His appointment, His death is shown forth, and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of His body and blood, with all His benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace. (1 Cor. 11:23-26; 10:16)

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23–34

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–34, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

*****

The question, what is the Lord’s Supper? has been somewhat controversial throughout the history of the church and especially at the time of the Protestant Reformation. Over time, four views emerged concerning the substance of the bread and the wine. These four views each differ in their opinion concerning what Christ meant when he said, “this is my body”, and “this is my blood”. How are we to take that?

The Romanist view is called transubstantiation. It is the idea that when the priest blesses the elements they do actually turn into the body and blood of Jesus. The Reformers dismissed this as unbiblical and superstitious. 

The Lutherans, following Luther, hold to a view called consubstantiation. The idea here is that the elements remain bread and wine, but that the real body and blood of Christ are present all around the elements when they are blessed. 

Those following the Reformer, Ulrich Zwingli, hold to what is known as the memorialist view. The idea here is that Christ is not present at all in or around the elements, but that the church is merely called to remember the work of Christ in the Supper. 

And finally, the Calvinists walk a middle road between the memorialists and the Lutherans by insisting that though Christ is not present bodily, he is present in a special way spiritually when the church assembles to observe the Supper. The Calvinist position agrees with Zwingli that the Supper is a memorial and that there is no real presence of Christ bodily. And the Calvinist position also agrees with the Lutherans,  that the Supper is more than a memorial, for Christ is present in a special way according to his divinity. We hold to the Calvinistic position here at Emmaus.  

When Christ said, “this is my body”, and “this is my blood”, it should be clear to all that he was not speaking in a literal way, but rather meant, this signifies or represents my body and blood. That would have been the natural way for the disciples to take it, for they sat with him and watched him hold the bread and cup with his hands. They could easily distinguish between the bread and his body, and the wine and his blood. Add to this the fact that Christ also said “this cup is the New Covenant in my blood”. Clearly, he meant that the cup represented the New Covenant with all of its promises and terms, just as the bread and cup represented his body and blood. The disciples must have known that he was speaking figuratively. 

And when Christ instituted the Supper he did call his disciples to remember him. “Do this in remembrance of me” he said. So the Supper is a memorial. It is a time for remembering and for giving thanks. 

But we say that it is also more than a memorial. The Supper is to be viewed as a means of grace through which God nourishes his people by the Spirit. That it is a means of grace is proven, in part, by the fact that to eat and drink in an unworthy manner results in judgment. That is what Paul clearly said in 1 Corinthians 11: “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.” If the Supper were only a memorial — if it is true that Christ is not really present at all — then why the judgment? I think we must view the Supper as more than a memorial. Christ is present. The Supper is sacred, therefore, not because Christ is present bodily, but because he is present in his divinity and by the Spirit. The Supper is to be approached with reverence, therefore. 

This is what our catechism teaches. 

“The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament”, it says. True, the Lord’s Supper was instituted as Christ celebrated the last Passover with his disciples. But the Lord’s Supper is distinct from the Passover. It is a new thing, “an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ.” So then, if we wish to know what the Lord’s Supper is and how it is to be observed, we must go to the New Testament scriptures and listen to the words of Christ and his Apostles. 

The word “wherein” indicates that we are about to learn what happens in the Supper. “[W]herein by giving and receiving bread and wine…” So these are the elements: bread and wine. 

And these elements are to be given and received, “according to [Christ’s] appointment”, that to say, in accordance with his instructions. 

When this is done faithfully, “[Christ’s] death is shown forth”. The breaking of the bread is a symbol of Christ’s broken body, and when the cup is presented, it is a symbol of Christ’s shed blood. We are reminded of the incarnation, of Christ’s sinlessness, of his substitutionary sacrifice. We also remember his resurrection, his ascension, and the hope of his eventual return. 

And those who receive the elements in a worthy manner are “made partakers of [Christ’s] body and blood”. Listen to 1 Corinthians 10:16 which is listed as a proof text in our catechism. “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16, ESV). So there is a sense in which when we partake of the bread and cup we participate or have fellowship or communion with, Christ. Sounds like more than a memorial to me! 

But notice the qualifications that our catechism makes to help guard us against the errors of the Romanists and the Lutherans. “[W]orthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of His body and blood…” “Corporeal” means fleshly. “Carnal” means bodily. The point is clear, isn’t it? When believers partake of the Supper worthily and by faith, they feast on Christ, not in a fleshly way, but spiritually to the nourishment of the souls. They partake of Christ and receive “all His benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace.”

*****

Conclusion

This is a wonderful summary of what the scriptures teach regarding the Lord’s Supper. 

One, It should move us to never neglect the sacrament, but to partake each Lord’s Day, knowing that it is a means of grace. God nourishes his people through this ordinance. Christ is really present with his people in the covenant meal, but not in a fleshly way. 

Two, it should move us to partake worthily. That is to say, by faith and with repentance.

Three, it should move the church, particularly the elders, to guard the table. Elders must warn Christians to come worthy, and warn the faithless to abstain, for here our union with Christ is signified and enjoyed. The Lord’s Supper is a sacred meal to be enjoyed by Christ’s church. It is not for the world.  

Q. 102. What is the Lord’s Supper?

A. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to His appointment, His death is shown forth, and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of His body and blood, with all His benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace. (1 Cor. 11:23-26; 10:16)

Old Testament Reading: Malachi 3:1–5

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1–5, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:24-30

“When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)” (Luke 7:24–30, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

The passage that is before us today is rather straightforward. Here we learn that Jesus testified concerning the goodness and greatness of John the Baptist. So, just as John the Baptist was faithful to testify concerning Jesus as the Messiah, so too Jesus was faithful to testify concerning John, that he was indeed the great prophet who prepared the way for the Messiah. As I said, the text is rather straightforward and simple, and yet I think there is a lot to glean from it if we would only slow down enough to reflect upon what it says. 

Friends, you and I are living a long time after the Messiah has come to accomplish salvation and to inaugurate the New Covenant. We have the Holy Scriptures – the Old Testament and the New. And we also benefit from nearly 2,000 years of church history wherein men and women have reflected on the Scriptures, the Christ who is revealed within and have written great works of theology. I think it is important for us to remember the uniqueness of the time in which we live. We live under the New Covenant. We live a long time after Jesus the Messiah has come to accomplish our redemption. It is especially important for us to remember these things when we consider passages like the one that is before us today. Luke 7:24-30 tells us about things that happened as Jesus Christ was just beginning his earthly ministry. Men and women were just beginning to recognize him as the Messiah, therefore. What exactly he would be, and what exactly he would do to bring salvation to his people, was still a mystery to them. 

The word “mystery” is very important. It is a word that is used often in the Bible, especially in the writings of Paul. Particularly in Ephesians and Colossians, Paul uses the word “mystery” to describe the information that people had about the Messiah before he lived, died, and rose again (see, for example, Ephesians 3:8-11). Did people know about the Messiah before he was born? Yes. Did they know that he would accomplish salvation? Yes. Did some place their faith in him for the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting? Yes. Abraham, for example, “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3, ESV). And there were many others who had the faith of Abraham and were saved. But what did those who lived prior to the coming of Christ believe in? They believed in God’s Word. They trusted in the promises of God concerning the Messiah who was to come. They believed in God’s promise that redemption would someday be accomplished, that sins would someday be atoned for, and that Satan, sin, and death would someday be overthrown and defeated. But who the Messiah would be, when he would come, what he would be like, and how exactly he would accomplish our redemption, was mysterious to them. Some who lived prior to the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ received light from God concerning the coming Messiah, but the light was very dim when compared to the light that we enjoy now that Christ has come. 

In fact, we know what it is like to believe in truths cloaked in mystery. I’m thinking here of what the Scriptures say regarding the return of Christ. Do we know that Christ will return? Yes. Do we know that he will judge? Yes. Do we know that he will bring his people into the new creation? Yes. But many of the details remain a mystery. When will Christ return? What exactly will he and we be like? What will be the glory of the new creation? It is hard to say, exactly. But we will know when it happens. Until then, we trust in Christ and in the promises of God’s Word. And I am saying that something very similar was experienced by the people of God concerning their knowledge of the Messiah prior to his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. They knew he would come. They understood some things about who he would be and what he would do. They knew enough to place their faith in him! But the picture they had of him was not nearly as clear as the one that we have, now that he has come.   

So why am I reminding you of these things in the introduction to this sermon on Luke 7:24-30? Well, so we might recognize that the events and sayings recorded here took place during a time of great transition. There have been a few great transitions that have taken place in human history. Man’s fall into sin was a great transitional moment. The global flood in the days of Noah was a great transitional moment. By it, the world that once was was separated from the world that now is (2 Peter 3:6-7). Israel’s redemption from Egyptian bondage was a transitional moment. For then the kingdom of God was pictured (or prefigured) on earth for the first time. The greatest of all transitions is still in our future. It will happen when Christ returns to usher in a new heaven and new earth. Then, the first heaven and earth – the one in which we now live – will pass away, and the new will come (Revelation 21). But of course, the new creation that will be brought into existence at Christ’s second coming was earned and inaugurated (or begun) at his first coming. And that is what we are now considering in Luke’s gospel – Christ’s first coming. The period of time that Luke records for us was a time of great transition, for in those days the Christ, who was promised by God from long ago, was coming into the world to accomplish salvation for God’s elect, to inaugurate (or begin) the kingdom of God on earth, and to begin a new creation. 

In those days, Christ was coming into the world.  I say, “was coming” to stress that his first coming was progressive. The eternal Son of God became incarnate by being conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. He was born. He grew in wisdom and stature. At about the age of 30, John the Baptist introduced him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He lived in perfect obedience to the Father, and, after about three years, he was unjustly crucified. He died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. After showing himself to be alive for 40 days, he ascended to the right hand of the Father, from wince he will return. His first coming was progressive – it was a process that lasted about 33 years. The progressive nature of Christ’s first coming can be compared to the redemption that was worked for Isarel from Egyptian bondage through Moses. That act of redemption was also progressive. It began with the birth and calling of Moses and culminated in the outpouring of ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. That act of redemption was a picture or type of the greater act of redemption that Christ has worked. The two acts share this in common – they were both progressive. Friends, Christ’s second coming will not be progressive. It will happen in a moment and without warning. Christ’s second coming can be compared to the judgment of the flood that came upon the earth in the days of Noah. In fact, Jesus is the one who makes this comparison in Matthew 24:38, saying, “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:38–39, ESV). When Christ came into the world the first time, he came to accomplish our salvation. And like the redemption worked through Moses, he redeemed us progressively through his whole life. When Christ comes into the world again, it will be for judgment and for consummation. There will be nothing progressive about his second coming. No, he will come like a thief in the night.   

With all of that as an introduction, let us dive into our text for today being mindful of the fact that was a time of great transition. In these days, the Christ was coming to the world to accomplish redemption for all whom the Father had given to him in eternity. John the Baptist had faithfully testified concerning Jesus. He told everyone he could that Jesus was the Messiah and urged them to turn from their sins and follow him. Now John is in prison. And here in our text for today, Jesus testifies concerning him – his goodness and his greatness.   

*****

Jesus Declared John The Baptist To Be The Greatest Of The Old Testament Prophets

First, in verses 24-28, Jesus declares that John the Baptist is the greatest of the Old Testament prophets.  

In verse 24 we read, “When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John…” He did this because the people likely had questions concerning John. Not long before this great masses of people were going out into the wilderness to listen to John’s teaching and to be baptized by him. The people regarded him as a prophet. Some wondered if he was the Messiah. He insisted he was not, but that Jesus was. And now John was in prison. I’m sure many wondered what to make of John. They wondered how they were to interpret this change of events. Some slandered him, I’m sure.  And so Jesus spoke up to defend him. 

He said,  “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.”

When Jesus asked,  “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?”, he was asserting that John was not a person who was easily shaken. A reed is easily shaken. A soft breeze will make it quiver. The obvious answer to the question, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?”, was, of course not. The multitudes did not flock to John because he was a man easily shaken. Instead, they flocked to him because he was a man of substance, resolve, and strong faith. 

When Jesus said, “What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts”, he was asserting that John was not the kind of person who would compromise when faced with hardships. John had already decided to separate himself from the world and to forsake the pleasures of this world. He lived in the wilderness, wore rough clothing, ate locust and wild honey, and devoted himself to fasting and prayer. John had already forsaken the world for the sake of Christ. He would not compromise when threatened with discomfort or death. He would not be tempted by the pleasantries of this life, for he had already died to them. 

So, the answer to the first two questions posed by Jesus was “no”. But the answer to the third question, was “yes”. “What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.” Jesus declared John to be a prophet – a prophet like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. When he declared him to be more than a prophet, he meant that he was a prophet like no other, for he was a prophet about whom other prophets had prophesied. Jesus then quoted from the prophet Malachi 3:1, saying, “This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’” John was more than an ordinary prophet. He was the prophet who was blessed to prepare the way for the immediate arrival of the Messiah, Christ the Lord.  

Jesus then made this remarkable comment: “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.” He is to be regarded as the greatest of all the prophets and people who had ever lived up until then.

A question we should ask is, what made John the Baptist so great? The answer is that it was Christ who made him great. By the grace of God, John was born to be the one who prepared the way for Christ. By the grace of God, John was given the gift of faith to know that Jesus was the Christ. By the grace of God, John forsook all of the pleasures of this world and even life itself to be the forerunner for Christ. And by the grace of God, John was uniquely blessed to say the words, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV). The prophets who had lived before John were blessed to speak of Christ, but they spoke of him from a distance. John was blessed to see him with his own, to touch him with his own hands, to baptize him with water, to witness with his own eyes his anointing with the Holy Spirit, to hear with his own ears the declaration of the Father, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22, ESV), and to point with his own hand while uttering the words, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, ESV). By the grace of God, John was a great man who was strong in faith, hope, and love, but it was his proximity to Jesus that set him apart as truly great. He was a prophet. But he was more than a prophet. He was the prophet who was blessed to minister at this time of great transition to announce that the Messiah was coming into the world to finally accomplish our redemption in fulfillment of the promises of God previously made. 

*****

Jesus Declared That John The Baptist Was Lower Than The Least In The Kingdom Of God 

That this is what made John the greatest of all the prophets of Old – his proximity to Christ –  is made clear by what Jesus says next. Look at the end of verse 28. There Jesus adds, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

This is a mysterious saying, wouldn’t you agree? 

And yes, I am intentionally playing off of the word mystery as it was used earlier in this sermon, for I do believe that the key to understanding the meaning of this saying of Jesus is to interpret it in light of the doctrine of the mystery of Christ once concealed but now revealed.

What does Jesus mean by the words, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” You should know that there are many interpretations found within the commentary tradition. Some think that Jesus is speaking of the angels – the least of the angels is greater than John. Though true, I doubt that this is the meaning. Some think that Jesus is speaking of those who have died and gone to glory. The least in paradise are greater than John who is on earth. Though this is, in a way, also true, I doubt it is the meaning. 

Instead, to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than [John]”,  we must remember that both John the Baptist and Jesus preached that the kingdom of God (or of heaven) was at hand. According to Luke 1:33, Jesus was born to establish an eternal kingdom. According to Matthew 3:1-2, “John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’”. In Luke 4:43 we were told that Jesus went about preaching the “good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43, ESV). And in Luke 6:20 we hear the words of Christ as he came down from the mountain with his disciples to preach in that level place: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” 

So, the kingdom of God (or of heaven) of which John the Baptist and Christ spoke not confined to heaven, but is present on earth. And it was not present on earth before Christ came, but was at hand in the days of John and Jesus’ earthly ministry. In other words, it was very near. Clearly, the arrival of this kingdom was associated with the arrival of the Messiah, for Jesus is the King of this eternal kingdom. 

When Jesus said that none was greater than John the Baptist, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he”, he was not comparing John with the angels in heaven or with the saints who had died and were in paradise. No, Jesus was comparing the greatness of John, who lived and would die before the death, burial, and, resurrection of Christ, with the far surpassing greatness of those with faith in Christ who would live after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. 

You see, this is a comparison between the Old Covanant and the New, the kingdom of God prefigured within Isarel and the Kingdom present in power in the church of Jesus Christ. The comparison is not a vertical one, comparing John on earth with the angels in heaven, but a horizontal, redemptive-historical one. 

When Jesus said, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he”, he meant that the lowliest disciple of his who lives after his death and resurrection will experience something greater than what John the Baptist ever experienced on earth, namely life in his inaugurated kingdom. Though it is true that none who lived up till then was greater than John, it is also true that John would never experience life in the inaugurated kingdom of God on earth. He preached about the arrival of the kingdom –  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, he said –  but he would die before it was present with power. In this way, John the Baptist was like Moses. Moses prepared the people to enter the promised land where the kingdom of God would be prefigured on earth, but he himself never entered in. 

When did the kingdom of God come to be present on earth with power?

It was after Christ lived a life of perfect obedience to God the Father as the second and greater Adam. It was after he suffered and died in the place of those given to him by the Father in eternity, to bear the wrath of God in their place, and to atone for their sins. It was after Christ died and was raised, thus defeating sin, Satan, and death. And it was after he ascended to the Father’s right hand to sit down on the throne of his eternal kingdom. You see, it was through the suffering of the cross and the victory of resurrection that Christ bound Satan so that he could no longer deceive the nations. He bound Satan so that he could plunder his house. The nations belong to Christ the King! They will be held captive in idolatry and in bondage to the evil one no longer, for Christ is risen. Satan has been cast down and bound, and Christ has ascended to his rightful throne. He has opened up the way in the very presence of God for his people. He has set the captives free. And he has poured out the Holy Spirit on all flesh. Indeed, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. Disciples will be made nations. These will baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, thus marking their entrance into Christ’s eternal Kingdom. These will be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded. And behold, he will be with us, to the end of the age. Then his kingdom, which is now here in part, will be here in full (see Matthew 28:18–20).

John the Baptist was the greatest of the prophets of Old given his proximity to Christ. More light was given to him than was given to all who preceded him. But he still lived in the age of darkness and mystery. Though he knew that Christ was “the one who is to come”, he still did not know what exactly he would do to accomplish our redemption or what the result would be. 

After Christ died, rose again, and ascended, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Peter, and Paul– indeed all who have heard of Christ, his finished work, and have believed in his name – have received a revelation that is much greater and brighter than the revelation that John, the greatest of the prophets of Old, had received. By God’s grace, John walked confidently in an age of relative darkness by the light of the full moon. He could see Christ clearly so as to believe in him and proclaim him. But those who have heard the good news of Jesus Christ after his death, resurrection, and ascension walk in the light of the noontime sun. One needs only to compare the writings of Paul the Apostle with the writings of all of the prophets of Old, to observe the difference that the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ has made.    

The revelation we have received now that Christ has risen is much greater, and so too is our experience. What should I say about this? I could go on for a long time. Our redemption has been accomplished. We are united to Christ by faith. The way into the presence of God has been opened up through Christ’s mediation. We are invited to come boldly before the throne of grace, therefore! We have been set free from the rigor and curse of the law. We have a sympathetic high priest who intercedes for us uninterrupted by fatigue, sickness, or death. And Satan, our advisory, has been bound. That is what passages such as Matthew 12:29, Matk 3:27, and Revelation 20:1-3 so clearly teach. People may wonder what it means for Satan to have been at Christ’s first coming when he is so clearly active in this world. He is bound so that Christ may plunder his house. He is bound so that he cannot deceive the nations any long. He is bound so that disciples of Jesus can be made of all nations!  Think of how the nations were bound in the darkness of idolatry prior to the resurrection and ascension of Christ. And think of the progress that the kingdom of God has made! The gospel of the kingdom has gone to the ends of the earth! This is the result of Christ’s victory, the binding of the strongman, and the pouring out of the Spirit of God on all flesh. 

I hope you have a better understanding of what Christ meant when, after declaring John to be the greatest of the prophets of Old, then said, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” The insights into the mystery of Christ are greater. The benefits that we have received are greater. Why? Because Christ, his Kingdom, and the Covenant he mediators are greater than all that came before.   

*****

Some Of The People Received John, And Therefore, Jesus – Others Rejected Them Both 

The last observation I have is that in those days some of the people received John and therefore, Jesus, whereas others rejected them both. 

Look at verse 29: “When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.” (Luke 7:29–30, ESV)

To reject the testimony of John was to reject the Messiah, for John testified concerning the Messiah. And the same can be said for the prophets of Old. To reject them was to reject the Lord, for these prophets spoke God’s word to the people. 

We should remember the history of Israel, and how often the true prophets of God were mistreated while the false prophets were shown honor. Christ made mention of this in his sermon on the plane, remember? “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets” (Luke 6:22–23, ESV). And a little later he said, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26, ESV).

We should not be surprised, therefore, that John the Baptist was imprisoned (and Christ crucified!). Nor should we be surprised that it was the “Pharisees and the lawyers” who “rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by {John]”, while it was the common people and even the tax collectors people who “declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John”. In their self-righteous pride the “Pharisees and the lawyers” rejected God purpose of salvation in Christ Jesus. But God showed mercy to sinners to draw them to faith and repentance. 

*****

Suggestions For Application

How might we apply this text to our lives? I have two suggestions. 

One, I would urge you to learn from John the Baptist and to imitate his unwavering faith, his forsaking of the pleasures of this world, and his willingness to suffer – yes, even to die – for the sake of knowing Christ. He was not reed shaken by the wind. He was tempted by soft and luxurious clothing. He was a man of strong faith and unwavering conviction, and he is to be imitated.  

Two, I would urge you to think of the many blessings that are ours through faith in Christ with special attention given to the blessing of the New Covenant. It would be a great error to think that salvation was not possible under the Old Covenant, or that it was obtained in some other way than through faith in Christ alone. The Scriptures are very clear that Abraham was justified in the same way that we are – through faith in Christ alone. But it would also be a great error to think that there is no difference between the Old Covenant and the New. The New Covenant and its blessings are far superior to the Old (see Hebrews). I will not repeat all that I said earlier about the superiority of the New Covenant. I think it will suffice to encourage you to reflect upon the knowledge we have of Christ, his finished work, his victory, and his eternal reward. These truths were revealed in a dim way under the Old Covenant, now we see them clearly. Let us think often of Christ and our salvation in him. Let us draw near to him. And let us rejoice. 

Baptist Catechism 101

Q. 101. What is the duty of such who are rightly baptized?

A. It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (Acts 2:46,47; Acts 9:26; 1 Peter 2:5; Heb. 10:25; Rom. 16:5)

Scripture Reading: Romans 16:1–15

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.” (Romans 16:1–15, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

*****

So why have I tortured myself with the task of reading all of these unfamiliar and hard to pronounce names that are found at the end of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome? The reason I’ve done this is to remind you that those who have faith in Christ are to be baptized and join themselves to churches. These names are names of real people who believed in Christ, were baptized upon their profession of faith, and were members of the church in Rome. Isn’t that awesome to think about. These hard-to-pronounce names represent people — real people, who lived real lives, a long, long time ago. They lived in a very different time and place from the time and place we live in today, but we share this in common — our faith in Christ, or baptism, and our membership in Christ’s church. They were members of the church in Rome. They heard the word read and preached there, and they celebrated the Lord’s Supper there, much in the same way that you and I do in this place today. 

The question that we are considering from our catechism today reminds us of the same thing. Those who have faith in Christ are to be baptized, and those who are baptized are to join themselves to a local church where they will be taught to obey all that Christ has commanded us. 

Let’s consider question 101 of the baptism catechism piece by piece. First the question: “What is the duty of such who are rightly baptized?” In other words, what are those who are baptized then to do?

That is a really important question. Baptism is to be applied near the beginning of the Christian life. It marks one’s entrance into the kingdom of God and shows that we are partakers of the Covenant of Grace. It should be applied not long after someone makes a credible profession of faith. So baptism is applied at the beginning of the Christian life… but what then?

Our catechism is right to say that “[i]t is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ…

What does “particular” mean in this context? Here “particular” refers to a local, or visible, church. 

Is there such a thing as the universal, or catholic, church? Yes, of course, there is. When we speak of the universal church we are speaking of all who have true faith in Christ throughout the world. The universal church is sometimes called the invisible church because we cannot see it with our eyes. God sees it, but we cannot. The universal church cannot assemble on earth. It assembles in heaven now, spiritually speaking. And it will assemble for all eternity in the new heavens and earth after Christ returns. But it cannot assemble on earth today, for the universal church is too large, and it is separated by geographical distance, not to mention language and even culture. When a person places their faith in Christ they are automatically joined to this universal and invisible church by virtue of their Spirit-wrought union with Christ. All who have faith in Christ are joined together in him. 

But that is not the church that our catechism is talking about. No, our catechism is teaching that the one who has faith in Christ out to join themselves to a particular church, a local church, a visible church, consisting of officers and members,  where the Word of God is preached and Sacraments are administered as the church assembles each Lord’s Day. That is what the word “particular” means in this context. 

You know, as you read the New Testament, you’ll find that references to particular, local churched are everywhere. You just need to look for them. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were to be circulated amongst the churches and they contain instructions for life in the church. The book of Acts is all about the local church. We hear of churches being planted, of elders and deacons, and of members. Most of Paul’s letters were written either to local churches — churches in Rome, Ephesus, Colossi, etc. — or to men who were serving as ministers within these churches. Even the book of Revelation was addressed to seven particular churches. 

The topic of the local church is so pervasive in the NT that it is really hard to imagine the Christain faith being practiced apart from it… and yet so many try in our day and age. Many claim to love Jesus, but they want nothing to do with the church. These seem to have forgotten that Jesus did not merely die for them individually — no, he laid down his life for the church. It is the church, and not you and me as individuals, that he calls his bride (see Eph 5:25ff.).

So, we must acknowledge that this is what the Scriptures call us to do. After believing upon Christ, we are to be baptized. And having been baptized, we are to join ourselves to a particular church (preferably the one we were baptized in, but people do move, don’t they?).

Notice also the word “orderly”. “It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ…” An orderly church is ordered (organized) according to the Scriptures. No church is perfect. But a church that is well ordered will have officers and members. The Scriptures will be faithfully taught there, and the Sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper will be faithfully administered. And lastly, an orderly church will be disciplined. And by this I mean that the church — its elders and members together — will be faithful to do what is commanded in Matthew 18 and described is 1 Corinthians 5. Those who are struggling with sin will be lovingly and patiently called to repentance, and those who persist in sin will, in an orderly manner, be removed from the church.  

“Orderly” means properly ordered. And properly ordered implies that there is a standard to which we are to conform.  I’m afraid that many churches have forgotten this. So many take it upon themselves to decide how they should “do church”, but that is not our place. Some decisions are naturally left to us, but our main concern should be to conform ourselves to the order prescribed by Christ which is found in the Scriptures. If I can offer a word of wisdom to my brothers and sisters in Christ who are outside of this local congregation who may happen to be listening in: stop looking for a hip church, and start looking for a faithful church — one that is well ordered according to the Scriptures.

The words “give up themselves” are also important. “Church” is not a service to attend, but a body to join. Are you following me? When someone joins a church they make a commitment to that congregation, and the congregation makes a commitment to them. And what is that commitment? Well, in brief, we commit to be the church together, to assemble for worship, to receive the word together, to partake of the ordinances, and to do, and even be subject to, discipline. When someone joins a church they make a commitment to love the members of that congregation, and they receive a commitment to be loved. The Scriptures teach that new members are to be received (Romans 14:1), and that does imply some formality. Please remember this: Christains are not merely to attend church, as if attending a conference, or worse yet, a concert or comedy club. Christians are to give themselves up to a local church. They are to entrust themselves to the elders, deacons, and members of that church, and they themselves are to endeavor to use whatever gifts God has given to them for the building up of the body of Christ in that place, for we are all members one of another (Romans 12:5).

Lastly, our catechism says, “that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”

The Christian life is a walk. It is a journey. Where we end up matters more than where we begin. And Christians are to walk with others. They are to walk by faith in the church. 

And in this walk, we are to be concerned with keeping the commandments of God. Remember what Jesus said when he commissioned his disciples?  “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV). One of the primary responsibilities of the church, with elders at the lead, is to teach Christians to observe all that Christ has commanded them. This is a process. Sometimes it is a grueling process. We must be patient and kind towards one another. 

God’s commands are to be obeyed, and Christ’s ordinances are to be kept. Here we are to think primarily of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. 

You know, the Reformers had to wrestle with the question, what constitutes a true church after breaking from Rome. For those in Rome, that question was easy to answer. Rome is the true church. Anything outside of its structure with the Pope at the head is to be rejected. The Reformers were right to reject this organizational approach and to put the stress elsewhere. True churches are those churches that preach and teach the Word of God accurately, administer the Sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and baptism faithfully, and some would also add, are disciplined. True churches may be strong or weak, pure or impure, relatively speaking. But these three marks characterize true churches. And I think they were right.  

Remember, this catechism that we are working our way through was compiled by Particular (Reformed) Baptists. Isn’t interesting that they did not say, it is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly Particular Baptist Church, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. My point is this: our Particular Baptist forefathers felt and thought strongly about their particular church tradition, just as we do. But they were also charitable. They knew that there were many churches outside of their tradition that were true churches of Jesus Christ, and we should rejoice whenever a person turns from their sins, is rightly baptized, and gives themselves up to one of these true churches to walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 

*****

Conclusion

Q. 101. What is the duty of such who are rightly baptized?

A. It is the duty of those who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (Acts 2:46,47; Acts 9:26; 1 Peter 2:5; Heb. 10:25; Rom. 16:5)

Baptist Catechism 100

Q. 100. How is baptism rightly administered?

A. Baptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the party in water, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, according to Christ’s institution, and the practice of the apostles, and not by sprinkling or pouring of water, or dipping some part of the body, after the tradition of man. (Matt. 3:16; John 3:23; Acts 8:38,39)

Scripture Reading: Acts 8:26-40

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.’ And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.” (Acts 8:26–40, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

*****

The question before us today is, “How is baptism rightly administered?“ In other words, how is a baptism properly done?

You know, in some traditions baptisms are administered by the pouring or sprinkling of water. And the question is, is this right or proper?

Our catechism is quite direct, isn’t it?  At the end, it says, “not by sprinkling or pouring of water, or dipping some part of the body, after the tradition of man.” In our opinion, this practice of sprinkling, pouring, or dipping some part of the body into the baptismal water is not from Christ, but is the tradition of man. 

Where did this tradition come from?  Well, I have not studied that question in detail, but I wonder if it did not develop along with the tradition of applying the sign of baptism to infants and to those on their deathbeds. Sprinkling, pouring, or dipping only a part of the body in situations like these would certainly be more convenient. 

However the tradition developed, we are saying that it is not from Scripture, which means that it is not from God. It is the tradition of man, and it is to be rejected. 

Notice again that the question is “How is baptism rightly administered?“ In other words, what is the correct way to do it? 

As is usually the case, it is helpful to compare our catechism with our confession to gain a fuller understanding of the doctrine being presented. Our confession teaches in chapters 28 and 29 that those who have faith in Christ are the only proper subjects of baptism — never should those who do not profess faith be baptized, and this includes infants. Infant baptisms are invalid baptisms, therefore. Water is always to be used. And those baptized are to be baptized in the name of the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by one who is qualified and called to administer the sacrament, according to the commission of Christ (2LCF 28.2). A baptism that lacks these things should be considered invalid. But our confession says in 29.4 that “Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance.” In other words, the right way to do it is by immersion, or the dipping of the person in water. But what about those who have been baptized as believers, with water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by one who is qualified and called to administer the sacrament, but by sprinkling, pouring, or dipping o a part of the body into the water. What should we think of that baptism? Is it valid?

This is a question that comes up from time to time even today, but it was a very common question for the Particular Baptists living in the 17th century. They had to wrestle with the question, should we receive the baptisms of those who were baptized as believers, but by sprinkling. Many thought yes. Though their baptisms were improperly done, they were to be considered valid.  And that is why 29.4 of our confession says that “Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance.” Due means proper.

Would we consider an infant baptism valid? No, never. For that one was not baptized upon profession of faith. The one who was baptized as an infant was not really baptized. They should be baptized properly as a believer now, and thus say to God and to the world, Jesus is Lord. 

Would we consider a Roman Catholic, Mormon, or a Jehovah’s Witness baptism to be valid? No, never. For those are different religions with different conceptions of sin and salvation. In the case of Mormon and JW doctrine, their view of God and Christ is fundamentally different too. Those who were baptized in these religions were not baptized into Christ’s church, but into something else. 

Would we consider the baptism of one who was sprinkled with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit upon profession of faith, let’s say,  in a Reformed or Presbyterian church to be valid? Yes, I think we would. Our view would be that it was improperly done, but may be regarded valid. 

So why do we say that “[b]aptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the party in water, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” Why is this the right way to do it?

The answer is rather simple. One, this is what the word “baptism” means – to immerse or submerge. Two, this is what Christ taught. And three, this is what the Apostles did. In other words, baptism by immersion is what we find in scripture. 

Read the New Testament and see. Baptisms were performed in bodies of water —  rivers, lakes, and such. People “went down into the water” to be baptized. 

The passage that I read from Acts 8 regarding Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is a good example. Philip preached the gospel to him from Isaiah the prophet. The Ethiopian believed. And after believing he said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.”  

If ever there was a time for baptism by sprinkling or pouring, it was here, for they were in an arid region. But baptism was made possible by the body of water. It was large enough for them to go down into it and to come up out of it again. Read the New Testament and see that this is always the case. It is always baptism by immersion that is described. 

Add to this the symbolism of baptism. Baptism signifies cleansing. It signifies our union with Christ in his death and resurrection. Through immersion, the who body is washed. Through immersion, our death in Christ, and our resurrection in Christ are signified as we go under the water and come up again. Baptism by pouring or sprinkling doesn’t quite capture this, does it?

*****

Conclusion

And this is why we say, “Baptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the party in water, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, according to Christ’s institution, and the practice of the apostles, and not by sprinkling or pouring of water, or dipping some part of the body, after the tradition of man. (Matt. 3:16; John 3:23; Acts 8:38,39)

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 35

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:18-23

“The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ And when the men had come to him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’’ In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’” (Luke 7:18–23, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me”, Jesus says. To be offended by Jesus is to fall back from him. To be offended by Jesus is to recoil from him. To be offended by Jesus is to stumble over him. Many, as I am sure you know, are offended by Jesus. 

And people are offended by Jesus for many different reasons. Some fall back from him because he opposes their way of life and exposes their sinfulness. Others recoil from him because of who he claims to be – the Son of God incarnate, and the only way to the Father. And others stumble over him because he was so lowly and humble in his incarnation. He claimed to be the promised one, the King, the Messiah, and yet he was poor, despised, and rejected by men. He suffered in this world, and he calls his followers to suffer in this world too. These are only a few examples of reasons that people are offended by Jesus.

Now to be clear, Jesus was not an offensive person in the way that we typically use that word – never was he obnoxious or rude. But in another sense, Jesus is the most offensive person ever to live. When men and women are told about Jesus – his person and work – when they are exposed to his teachings and confronted with his claims – they are forced to make a decision. They must choose to either receive him or reject him, to run to him or recoil from him, to follow him, or to fall back from him. And we know that Jesus is offensive to many. 

Good friends, we should remember that if God were to leave us to ourselves, we would all reject, recoil, and fall back from Jesus. Left to ourselves we would all be offended by him. The Apostle John explains why. In John 3:19, he speaks of Jesus, saying, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19–20, ESV). Again I say, if God were to leave us to ourselves in the darkness of our sin, we would all run from Jesus, just as darkness runs from light. But God, by his grace, has determined to call some to himself by his word and Spirit through faith in Jesus the Messiah. This is what Jesus refers to when he says in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44, ESV). Left to ourselves, we would all be offended by Jesus. But God, by his grace, draws some to himself through Christ, and these will be raised up on the last day. 

When the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus to ask if he really was the one, he sent them back with these words: “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” I take this to be both a statement of fact and an exhortation. First, it is a statement of fact. Those who are not offended by Jesus are blessed of God. God has shown mercy to them. God has called them (externally by the word, and internally by the Spirit). God has opened their eyes to see that Jesus is indeed precious and beautiful, so they are drawn to him. It is a fact that those not offended by Jesus are blessed. But these words are also an exhortation or a warning. It is as if Jesus had said to these disciples of John, be careful that you are not offended by me. Do not fall back from me. Do not recoil from me. Draw near to me instead. Friends, this is a message that you and I need to hear, for I would imagine that many who follow after Jesus are, from time to time, tempted to be offended by him. We must remember the words of our Lord, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 

*****

The Question: Jesus, Are You The One Who Is To Come, Or Should We Look For Another?

So the question is, why did Jesus say this to these two disciples of John the Baptist? The answer must be that some who followed John the Baptist were tempted to pull away from Jesus. How could this be? 

We should remember that John the Baptist was a pretty big deal. Luke tells us about his ministry in chapter 3 of his Gospel. It was “during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, [that] the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:2–3, ESV). Luke tells us that this was in fulfillment of things written by Isaiah the prophet. Crowds of people came to be baptized by him. He called them to repentance and preached good news to them. They even wondered if he was the Messiah. He insisted that he was not, but that Jesus of Nazareth was, and so he directed the people to follow Jesus. At one point he spoke of Jesus, saying, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV). And finally, in Luke 3:18 we read, “So with many other exhortations [John] preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison” (Luke 3:18–20, ESV). So John the Baptist was in prison when, looking now at Luke 7:18, “The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” (Luke 7:18–19, ESV). This is a very important fact to remember as we seek to understand why there was doubt amongst the disciples of John. In a very short time, John and his disciples were thrust from extreme popularity into obscurity. 

Let us also pay close attention to the question asked by John’s disciples so that we are clear concerning the meaning. The question asked of Jesus was, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” A more literal translation of the Greek is, are you the coming one? This language of “the coming one”, or “the one who is to come”, should remind us of the preaching of John the Baptist. He said, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16, ESV, emphasis added). And this language of “the coming one” also reminds us of the Old Testament prophesies that use this language in reference to the promised Messiah. For example, in Malachi 3:1-2 the Lord says, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap” (Malachi 3:1–2, ESV). So, the Messiah was the one who “is coming”. Listen also to Psalm 118:26 which speaks of the Messiah when it says, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Psalm 118:26, ESV). Based upon these prophesies, you can see why the promised Messiah was called “the coming one” or “the one who is to come.” When the disciples of John asked Jesus “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”, they meant, are you really the Messiah, or should we keep looking?

So then, it is clear that some doubts had arisen amongst the disciples of John regarding Jesus, and it is not difficult to imagine some of the possible reasons. 

One reason could be that Jesus and his disciples lived a differnt lifestyle than John and his disciples. Luke 5:33 hints at this when some critics approached Jesus saying, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink” (Luke 5:33, ESV). Matthew also mentions this disagreement in his Gospel, but from a slightly different vantage point. In Matthew 9:14 we read, “Then the disciples of John came to [Jesus], saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’” (Matthew 9:14, ESV). John and his disciples lived an ascetic lifestyle. They lived simply in the wilderness and devoted themselves to fasting and prayer, but Jesus and his disciples lived amongst the people. They ate and drank even with tax collectors and sinners. It seems clear that some of John’s disciples were troubled by this. There question was, why don’t you live like we live? And so some were offended by Jesus. 

Another reason could be that Jesus did not live up to their Messianic expectations. John said Jesus was the Messiah. John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV). But it is possible that many of John’s disciples were expecting the Messiah to be a strong King who would conquer the Romans, etc. Perhaps many of them did not expect the Messiah to be a lowly, humble, meek, and mild servant who would suffer. We know that many were offended by Jesus because of this. They were ready to follow him so long as he would feed them and meet all of their needs in an earthly way. But when it came time for him to suffer, they fell back. It is certainly possible that there were many among the disciples of John who were struggling to follow Jesus because he was not turning out to be the kind of Messiah they were expecting. 

I’ll mention one other possible explanation for the doubting of John’s disciples: John was in prison. Jesus did not seem interested in setting him free but allowed him to suffer there. And we know that John’s death was near. This must have been a great disappointment to the disciples of John. They knew that Jesus was to increase and John was to decrease – but this? Would Jesus allow John to be diminished to this degree?

And so I imagine that it was for all these reasons (and possibly more) that the disciples of John began to question if Jesus was really the one. Many of them were perplexed, disappointed, and discouraged. 

One question I have is,  was it only the disciples of John who were questioning if Jesus was the Messiah, or did John have doubts too? In previous sermons, I suggested that John had doubts too. I must have been taught this at some point and assumed that this was the case – it was John who was plagued with doubt as he languished in his jail cell with no hope for release, and so he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask this question for his own sake. But as I read commentaries in preparation for this sermon I was struck by how many commentators, ancient and Reformed, took a different view. Many of them insisted that John did not waver in his faith at all, but sent his disciples to Jesus so that their faith in him would be strengthened as they interacted with him.      

John Calvin represents this commonly held view in his Commentary On A Harmony Of The Evangelists:

“The Evangelists do not mean that John was excited by the miracles to acknowledge Christ at that time as Mediator; but, perceiving that Christ had acquired great reputation, and concluding that this was a fit and seasonable time for putting to the test his own declaration concerning him, he sent to him his disciples. The opinion entertained by some, that he sent them partly on his own account, is exceedingly foolish; as if he had not been fully convinced, or obtained distinct information, that Jesus is the Christ… It is very evident that the holy herald of Christ, perceiving that he was not far from the end of his journey, and that his disciples, though he had bestowed great pains in instructing them, still remained in a state of hesitation, resorted to this last expedient for curing their weakness. He had faithfully laboured… that his disciples should embrace Christ without delay. His continued entreaties had produced so little effect, that he had good reason for dreading that, after his death, they would entirely fall away; and therefore he earnestly attempted to arouse them from their sloth by sending them to Christ. Besides, the pastors of the Church are here reminded of their duty. They ought not to endeavour to bind and attach disciples to themselves, but to direct them to Christ, who is the only Teacher. From the beginning, John had openly avowed that he was not the bridegroom, (John 3:29.) As the faithful friend of the bridegroom, he presents the bride chaste and uncontaminated to Christ, who alone is the bridegroom of the Church. Paul tells us that he kept the same object in view, (2 Cor. 11:2,) and the example of both is held out for imitation to all the ministers of the Gospel.” (John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 7–8)

The common interpretation which is found here in Calvin is that it was not John who was doubting, but some of his disciples. Being confined to a prison cell, and being near the end of his life, the best thing that John could do for his disciples was to send them to Jesus so that they might speak with him and witness his deeds. And you will notice that Jesus, after performing many miracles in the sight of these disciples of John, and after speaking with them, sent them back to John, so that John could exhort them further to follow after Jesus the Messiah. I must admit, I like this view and find it compelling. I was always a bit troubled by the thought that John, the one who was set apart from conception to be the forerunner to the Messiah,  would be so easily shaken near the end of his life.

*****

The Answer: Yes, For The Sick Are Healed, The Dead Are Raised, And The Poor Have The Good News Preached To Them

Whether it was John who was doubting, or the disciples of John only, is somewhat beside the point. The point is that there was some doubt amongst the band of John’s disciples and the solution was to run to Jesus and ask, “are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And you would do well to notice that Jesus did not answer in word only, but first through deed, and then through word. 

Verse 21 says that in the hour after the disciples of John asked their question, “he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight” (Luke 7:21, ESV). In other words, Jesus answered their question by first performing signs and wonders. And only after this did he answer them with his words, saying, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:22–23, ESV).

These miracles performed by Jesus were signs that he was indeed the Messiah. He performed these miraculous deeds to confirm that his claims were true. These miraculous deeds were not random but were carefully chosen to fulfill Old Testament Scriptures, particularly Isaiah 35 and 61. 

We read Isaiah 35 at the beginning of this sermon. That prophesy is about the Messiah and what he will accomplish, especially at the consummation. There God speaks to the prophet saying, “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert…” (Isaiah 35:4–6, ESV). These things will be accomplished in full at the consummation when Christ returns to judge and to make all things new, but you would do well to notice that Christ gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, cleansed lepers, made the deaf to hear, and even raised the dead, to demonstrate that he was the one of whom Isaiah spoke. And perhaps you noticed the language of “coming” in that prophesy too. The Lord spoke through the prophet saying, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4, ESV). The disciples of John asked, “Are you the one who is to come”. Jesus answered in the affirmative, not by saying “yes”, but by performing the very miracles mentioned in that same prophesy.

Isaiah 61 also stands behind Jesus’ answer. “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:22–23, ESV). Isaiah 61 is about the Messiah. It says, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:1–3, ESV). When Jesus said,  “Go and tell John what you have… heard… the poor have good news preached to them”, this was a reference to Isaiah 61.  Clearly, Jesus was claiming to be the one Anointed by the Spirit (the Messiah) of whom Isaiah 61:1 spoke.

What an incredible answer to the question, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” I suppose Jesus could have simply said, “Yes, I’m the one.” But he gave the disciples of John so much more. In that very hour, he performed miracles before their eyes. And they were not random miracles, but the very miracles mentioned in Isaiah 35. And not only this, he mentioned the proclamation of the gospel to the poor using the language of Isaiah 61. So in this way, he sent these disciples of John back to the evangelist with an exhortation to compare what they had seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears with the word of God delivered to the prophets long ago. God promised through the prophets that the Messiah would come, and Jesus demonstrated by his actions and his words, that he was the one who was to come.  

*****

The Exhortation: Blessed Is The One Who Is Not Offended By Me

Finally, Jesus sent these doubting disciples of John back to their teacher with an exhortation or warning: “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:23, ESV). In other words, Jesus said, do not be offended by me. Do not recoil or fall back. Instead, obey the words of your teacher John, and follow me. If you do, you will be truly blessed. 

I think it is worth noting that there is a connection between Jesus’ statement, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me”, and the Isaiah 61 passage that Jesus alluded to when he said, “the poor have good news preached to them.” As you know, Isaiah 61:1 says,  “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor”, etc. (Isaiah 61:1, ESV). But the rest of the passage does speak of the blessing that will come to those who belong to this Anointed One. Verses 8 and following are of particular interest. They say, 

“I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations” (Isaiah 61:8–11, ESV).

The point that I am attempting to make is that Jesus’ words, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me”, were filled with a lot of meaning. They were an echo of Isaiah 61:9 and the reference that is found there to “the offspring the LORD has blessed.” 

When Jesus sent these disciples of John back to their teacher (whom Jesus regarded as the greatest of all the prophets) he set them up to receive one heck of a Bible lesson. Can you imagine it? The disciples of John returned to him in the prison, and they said, here is what we saw and heard from Jesus: “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.” And Jesus also said, “blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:22–23, ESV). I would like to think that John grinned and said, bring me the scroll of Isaiah the prophet, have a seat, and get comfortable. Or to put it in a different way, I would like to think that John used this as an opportunity to do something like what Jesus did with his disciples after his resurrection in the town of Emmaus – “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27, ESV).

*****

Suggestions For Application

How then does this portion of Scripture apply to us who live so long after these things were accomplished?

One, this passage should prompt you and me to ask, am I offended by Jesus? Are tempted to put back from him? Are you ashamed of him for any reason? The world mocks followers of Jesus. And it may be that you are tempted to pull away from him for this reason. You must remember the words of Christ, “blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Two, the way to not be offended by Jesus is to grow ever more certain that he is the promised Messiah –  the one who was to come. If Jesus is nothing more than an example to you – if he is simply a teacher or some religious guide, then you will easily pull back from him when following him is unfashionable, when the heat of persecution is turned up, or when life does not go the way you wanted it to go. Why? Because you can easily find another more popular and palatable religious teacher or moral guide. But if you are certain that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the only Savior of the world, the way, the truth, and the life, through whom all must come to the Father, then you will not be so easily offended by Jesus and tempted to turn back. Do not forget that Luke wrote his Gospel for this purpose, “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV). Those who are uncertain concerning Christ will easily fall away. Those who are certain will stand. 

Three, your certainty will grow in at least three ways. One, your certainly will grow as you consider Jesus’ works – he healed the sick, raised the dead, and was even raised from the dead himself. Two, your certainty will grow as you consider his words. His teachings are full of truth and light. His claims were marvelous indeed – he claimed to be God with us! And do not forget that his claims were confirmed by the miracles he performed. And three, your certainty that Jesus is the promised Messiah – the only mediator between God and man – will grow as you consider Jesus’ words and works in light of the Old Testament Scriptures, for he came in fulfillment to promises and prophesies previously made. Brothers and sisters, we ought to love the Scriptures. We ought to read the Scriptures often and listen attentively when they are read and preached. We should especially love to see the way that Christ is revealed in the Scriptures, first in the Old Testament, and then in the New. The more we know the Scriptures the more certain we will be that Christ is the Messiah. And the more certain we are concerning his person and work, the more blessed will be in him. 

Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 17:8–24

“Then the word of the LORD came to [the prophet Elijah], ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’ So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.’ And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’ And she said, ‘As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.’ And Elijah said to her, ‘Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’ And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah, ‘What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!’ And he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. And he cried to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?’ Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again.’ And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives.’ And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.’” (1 Kings 17:8–24, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 7:11-17

“Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’ And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.” (Luke 7:11–17, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

At our youth study last Wednesday evening one of our young people asked a good question about the Gospels in general: should we think that every miracle that Jesus ever performed is recorded for us in one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? My answer was, I don’t think so. In fact, the last verse of the Gospel of John says, “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25, ESV). So then, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were selective in their reporting of the deeds of Jesus. This is a significant observation, for it helps us to see that the Gospel writers – Luke included – did not intend to provide us with an exhaustive chronological account of everything that Jesus said and did. Instead, they told us the truth about what happened in a very careful, selective, and artful way, so as to communicate a message.

Stories – at least the good ones – do this, wouldn’t you agree? Good storytellers know how to introduce characters and develop themes in such a way so as to convey a message. And there is something like this going on in the Gospels. The Gospels are a record of true history, but the sayings and events recorded are carefully selected and stitched together so as to convey a message.

I attempted to show you this in the sermon last Sunday on Luke 7:1-10. There Luke tells the story of the healing of a Roman Centurion’s servant. He tells this story right after his account of Jesus’ sermon on the plane, not merely because the one event happened after the other, but to hold this Roman Centurian up as an example of one who lived according to the ethic that Jesus had just preached about. This Centurion was commended by Jesus for his great faith. And what was so great about his faith? One, he believed that Jesus could heal, even from a distance. Two, he believed Jesus could heal because he knew something about who Jesus was – a holy man with great authority; the Messiah; the Word of God incarnate. And three, his faith was great because he did not only talk the talk, he walked the walk. He lived the kind of life that Jesus called all of his disciples to live in that sermon that he preached on the plane. The Centurion was humble. He loved even his political enemies. He was gracious, generous, and kind to others – yes, even to this lowly servant, and the Jews, over whom he ruled. Furthermore, when Jesus commended the Centurion for his great faith he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith” (Luke 7:9, ESV). This comment should prompt us to contrast the great and astonishing faith of the Centurion with the great and astonishing lack of faith of the scribes and Pharisees. Notice that their lack of faith was described immediately before Luke’s account of Jesus’ sermon on the plane.  So then, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ sermon on the plane is bracketed by examples of those who, on the one hand, lacked faith in Christ and lived self-centered, self-righteous, judgemental, and un-loving lives, and on the other hand, a man who was humble and lowly, who loved even his enemies, and treated others with generosity, kindness, and respect. And what is so astonishing about these two examples? Well, they are the opposite of what you would expect. You would expect the religious elite of Israel to have great faith and to live humble and godly lives, but they lacked it. This Roman Centurion, on the other hand, possessed great faith and lived a humble life before God and man. It’s astonishing, isn’t it? And that is the point. God’s grace is astonishing. It is astonishing to see how Jesus takes everything and turns it on its head. 

So, all of the stories that Luke tells about Jesus – his words and his deeds – are carefully selected and placed. They are stitched together so that they convey a message – a message bigger than the individual stories themselves. Ultimately, Luke wrote what he wrote, so that Theophilus (and all who love God along with him) “may have certainty concerning the things [they] have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV). 

So now I ask, why does Luke tell us the story of the raising of a widow’s only son from the dead?  Three reasons come to mind: 

*****

So That We Might Know For Certain That Jesus Is The Promised Messiah

First, so that we might know for certain that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The miracles that Jesus performed, including this one, were signs. They were signs to confirm that Jesus was who he claimed to be – the promised Messiah – and that his words were true.

By the way, the Apostles of Jesus were also enabled by God to work miracles in the days of the early church after Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. The Book of Acts tells us about this. The letters of Paul also make mention of those who had miraculous gifts in the early church – the gift of healing, etc. And these miracles performed by the Apostles of Jesus (and some who were associated with them)  functioned in the same way. They were signs that confirmed their word was true. Take Acts 14:3 for example. This is about Paul and Barnabus in Iconium. They had a hard time in that city. We are told in verse 2 that “the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.” In verse 3 we read, “So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” (Acts 14:3, ESV). 

And we should remember the  1 Kings 17:8–24 text that we read at the beginning of this sermon. In that story, a great miracle was performed through Elijah the prophet. A widow’s son was raised. And at the conclusion of that story, the widow spoke to Elijah, saying, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17:24, ESV).

So then, the miracles performed by the prophets of old and the Apostles of Jesus (and their associates) in the early days of the church were intended to confirm that the word they spoke was true. And the same must be said of the miracles performed by Jesus. They were signs – signs that confirmed his message – signs that confirmed his claims. Jesus is the Promised Messiah. The miracles he consistently performed demonstrated that it was so.    

You can see that this was the effect that this miracle had on those who witnessed it and those who heard about it. In verses 15-17 we read, “And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’ And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country” (Luke 7:15–17, ESV). 

It hardly needs to be said that ordinary men do not have the power to raise people from the dead. And this young man was certainly dead. He had been dead long enough to make preparations for a funeral procession. When Jesus touched the bier (which was more like an open cradle or couch than a closed casket) and said, “Young man, I say to you, arise”, the young man was raised and even began to speak, which indicated that he was truly alive and restored. It is no wonder that this got everyone’s attention, for God alone has the power to give life to those who are dead, and yet Jesus raised him by the word of his power.  

That the miracle of the raising of the widow’s only son functioned as a sign that Jesus was truly the Promised Messiah and God with us, is also seen in the passage that follows. That passage is about the question that John the Baptist sent to Jesus. Verse 20: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Jesus’ answer is found in verses 22-23: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Notice that Jesus did not relieve John’s doubts by saying, Go and tell John what you have… heard, but rather, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard.” The good news of the arrival of the Messiah and of God’s Kingdom was accompanied by the signs and wonders worked by Jesus, and these signs confirmed that the words of Jesus were true. Here Jesus raised a young man from the dead – a marvelous and powerful sign indeed. 

*****

So That We Might Know For Certain That Jesus Is Compassionate And Kind To Poor Sinners Plagued By Sin And Its Awful Effect 

But this is not the only reason to be observed. Secondly, we should see that Jesus raised the widow’s only son (and Luke tells us about it) so that we might know for certain that Jesus is compassionate and kind to poor sinners plagued by sin and its awful effects. 

Truly, this is a heartbreaking story. Here we are told of a mother grieving the death of her son. A situation like this is very sad under any circumstances. But we are also told that this woman was a widow. And that this was her only son. And that he was a young man. This is a terribly sad story, isn’t it? J.C. Ryle, whose little commentary on Luke I have come to appreciate, says, 

“All funerals are mournful things, but it is difficult to imagine a funeral more mournful than the one here described. It was the funeral of a young man, and that young man the only son of his mother, and that mother a widow. There is not an item in the whole story, which is not full of misery. And all this misery, be it remembered, was brought into the world by sin. God did not create it at the beginning, when he made all things ‘very good.’ Sin is the cause of it all. ‘Sin entered into the world’ when Adam fell, ‘and death by sin’ (Rom 5:12).”     

The effects of sin are truly awful, and we are reminded of this by the story that is before us to today. Our catechism also helps us to remember this in question 22 by asking, “What is the misery of that estate whereunto man fell?” Answer: “All mankind, by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.” This is true. And our catechism reminds us of this terrible truth to prepare us for the good news of Jesus Christ. The very next question – question 23 – asks, “Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?” Answer: “God having out of His mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation, by a Redeemer.” And from there our catechism tells us all about this Redeemer – he is Christ the Lord. We learn about his person, the salvation he has accomplished, and how this salvation is received – through faith in him alone!

Brothers and sisters, can you see that these truths which are stated so beautifully in our catechism about our sin and misery and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, are pictured here in Luke’s Gospel as he tells the story of Jesus raising the only son of a widow from the dead? 

The situation was a miserable one. Death had ravaged the life of this woman. And death, we know, is the result of sin – Adam’s first sin, and also ours. This scene of miserable sorrow and morning illustrates the miserable and mournful condition of the human race, now that sin has entered the world, and death through sin. Left to herself, this poor woman had no hope concerning the death of her son. And so it is with the human race. If God were to leave us alone in our sin and misery, we would be without hope. Death would swallow us up, and after death, there would be only judgment.   

But notice that in our story, Jesus is present, and this makes all the difference. 

Why did Jesus decide to go to this small town called Nain? Luke does not say. Perhaps we are to think that he traveled to this town for the very purpose of drawing near to this woman in her misery and to raise her only son from the dead. In fact, I wonder if this little story is not meant to be a picture of a much larger story – the Son of God’s entrence into the world in the incarnation to accomplish our redemption.   

The text says in verse 12: “As [Jesus] drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.” (Luke 7:12–15, ESV).

Why did Jesus enter Nain? Well, perhaps we should also ask, why did the eternal Son of God come into this world by taking to himself a true human nature through the womb of the virgin Mary? 

Answer: He came to show us compassion, love, and grace.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16–18, ESV)

Jesus came into this world to touch us and to remove the sting of death. 

As Paul says, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56–57, ESV). It is because of the victory Christ has won that, “Death is swallowed up in victory” and we are able to confidently say, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54–55, ESV).

Furthermore, Christ came into this world to say to those who trust in him, “do not weep”. 

Indeed, “He will wipe away every tear from [the] eyes [of those who trust in him], and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things [will] have passed away” (Revelation 21:4, ESV).

And Christ came into this world to say to those who trust in him, “arise”.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 says, “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

The point that I am here making is that this little event in the life of Jesus wherein he willingly entered the town of Nain, had compassion on a woman trapped in hopeless grief and despair because of sin and death, drew near to her, touched death, and by the word of power, defeated death, bringing life out death, is a small picture of his mission from God the Father. It is through of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of the only and eternally begotten Son of God, that God has shown compassion to sinners, that the sting of death is removed, and that Christ will be able to say to us, “do not weep”, and “arise” on the last day. This grieving widow in Nain was given a taste of this gift. All who have faith in Christ will enjoy the full benefits of the victory that Christ has won when at death and especially when he returns to make all things new.   

*****

So That We Might Know For Certain That Jesus Has Power And Authority Over Death

Why did Jesus raise the widow’s son, and why does Luke tell us about it? Firstly, so that we might know for certain that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Secondly, so that we might know that he is compassionate and kind to poor sinners plagued by sin and its awful effects. And now, thirdly, Jesus raised the widow’s only son so that we might know for certain that Jesus has power and authority over death. 

Death is a terrible thing. In fact, it is worse than most people understand. Many think only of the physical. They forget about the soul. When a person dies physically, they do not cease to exist. Their souls live on. Those who die bodily in their sins and apart from Christ go to eternal punishment in their soul. This is what Paul means in 1 Corinthians 2:16 when he speaks of those not in Christ passing from death to death. If you are not united to Christ by faith, you are in a state of spiritual death (see Ephesians 2:1). And when your body dies, your soul will continue to exist. But you will not pass from death to life (as so many think). Rather, in not in Christ, you will pass from death to death. Stated differently, things will go from bad to worse for those who die in the guilt of sins. This is the clear teaching of Holy Scripture. When you attend a funeral for someone who did not trust in Christ and you hear someone confidently say, “they are in a better place”, you have been told a lie. The Word of God says otherwise (see Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11–15). The souls of those who die in their sins do not go to a better place, but go to punishment and torment (see Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11–15). 

Question 42 of our catechism tells the truth by asking, “[W]hat shall be done to the wicked at their death?” By the way, all are wicked by nature. But those with true faith in Christ cannot be called wicked, for they have been washed and renewed. The word “wicked” here refers to those who do not have Christ as Lord and Savior. Answer: “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)” 

Question 43 then asks, “What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?” Answer: “At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28,29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 25:41)”

As I have said, death is a terrible thing. It involves far more than the death and decomposition of the body. The soul continues to exist. Those who die in their sins transition from death to death. And these will be raised bodily on the last day, and will be judged, sentenced and banished from the presence of God, body and soul forever. 

But death for the Christian is different. I will not say that it is a pleasant thing. It is still a trial. It is still a grievous thing, both for the one who dies and for the loved ones who are left behind. But the sting and victory of death are removed for all who are in Christ Jesus. Death for the Christian is like the bite of a snake whose fangs and venom have been removed. It is still an unpleasant thing. It is a troubling thing. But it is not a damaging or deadly thing, for all who are in Christ Jesus will pass from life to life through the doorway of death, unless we are alive when the Lord returns. 

Listen to Baptist Catechism 40: “What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?”

Answer: “The souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection. (Heb. 12:23; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8; Luke 23:43; 1 Thess 4:14; Is. 57:2; Job 19:26)”

Question 41 then asks, “What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?”

Answer: “At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20,21; 1 Cor. 15:42,43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)”

How is this possible? How is it possible that the sting and victory of death has been removed for these? It is possible because of the victory that Jesus has won. He lived for those given to him by the Father. He died for these. He was buried for these. And he was raised again from the dead on the third day for these. Christ has defeated sin, Satan, and death for his people. All who trust in him share in his victory. 

To quote Hebrews 2:9, Jesus Christ is the one “who for a little while was made lower than the angels,… crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10, ESV). Christ tasted death for everyone, that is, for the “many sons to glory” given to him by the Father. 

Or consider Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:20–26, ESV). All who are in Adam are in a state of death and will remain there. All who are in Christ, united to him by faith, are in a state of grace and life. 

Notice that when Jesus touched the dead son of the widow, he spoke with personal authority. “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Notice that he did not pray that God would raise the young man. Contrast this with the story of Elijah raising the widow’s son as recorded in 1 Kings 17. Elijah the prophet did not speak with personal authority, as Jesus did. No, “he cried to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?’ Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again.’ And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah.” You see, it was not Elijah who raised the widow’s son in those days, but the Lord working through him. But Jesus spoke as if he himself possessed authority over death and had the power to give life. He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Jesus could raise the dead by the word of his power because he is the Lord God. He raised the dead by the word of his power three times in his earthly ministry – he raised this widow’s son (Luke 7:14), the young daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:54), and his dear friend Lazarus (John 11:43). He was able to raise them up by the word of his power because he is God incarnate. And he is able to raise the dead on the last day and to impart eternal life to all who come to him by faith, because he is the Lord’s Messiah, the God-man, the second and greater Adam, who has won the victory over sin, Satan, and death. By his victory, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him (Matthew 28:18). And it is because of his victory that he is able to show compassion to his people, lay his hand on them, and say, “do not weep”, and “arise”.  

*****

Reflections

I’ll move this sermon toward a conclusion by asking you a few questions that I hope will help you to apply this text to your own life. 

First of all, do you believe that Jesus did in fact raise this widow’s only son from the dead by his own word and authority and that he himself was raised from the dead on the third day after being crucified and buried for the sins of others? Do you believe that what the Scriptures say is true?

If so,  secondly I ask you, do you understand the significance of these things? If Jesus raised the dead, and if he himself was raised from the dead to an incorruptible and eternal life in glory, then he has conquered death – and this can be said of no other man. The son of the widow that was raised by God through Elijah was truly raised, but not to an incorruptible life in glory. He was raised to live in this world and in this life again. He died again, therefore. The same is true for the son of the widow in Luke 7, for Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus. But Jesus was raised to glory. Jesus was raised, and afterward, he ascended into heaven. This means that he does not only possess the power to raise us from the dead so that we might die again. No, he has the power to raise those who are his bodily and to bring them to glory, body, and soul, and to keep them incorruptibly forever and ever in the place that he has prepared for them. Do you believe that Christ rose from the dead and ascended? And do you understand the significance of this event?

Thirdly, I ask, have you turned from your sins and placed your faith in this Jesus who was crucified, buried, raised, and then ascended? For it those who trust in Jesus and have him as Lord that benefit from the victory over sin and death that he has won. You see, it is through faith in him that we are united to him in his death and resurrection. It is through faith in him that our sins are washed away. It is through faith in him that we have the hope of life everlasting. Faith, or trust (which is always accompanied by obedience), is the thing that links us to Jesus. Do you trust in him? Or are you still trusting in some other thing? 

The fourth and final question is for all who have professed faith in Christ. Do you have joy, hope, and peace in your hearts today, and will you have it, even at the moment of death? I’m afraid that many who have sincere faith in Christ lack joy, hope, and peace in life and in the face of death, in part, because they have not reflected deeply on the truths that we have considered this morning. Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to go to the town Nain and to carefully contemplate this scene of misery and morning followed by hope and rejoicing. Better yet, go to the foot of the cross of Christ. Contemplate deeply the darkness and the death of our Savior. Follow his body to the tomb. See that on the third he was raised. And do not forget that forty days later, he ascended to glory. Contemplate these truths carefully, and then ask, what difference should this make for me today, and especially at the hour of my death? Brothers and sisters, if we truly believe that these things happened, grasp their significance, and have personal and heartfelt trust in Jesus, the result should be unending joy, hope, and peace – yes, even at the moment of death.

Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief. 

Baptist Catechism 98-99

Q. 98. To whom is baptism to be administered?

A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

Q. 99. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?

A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such. (Proverbs 30:6; Luke 3:7,8)

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:36–41

“‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:36–41, ESV).

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

*****

As I’m sure you know, the Baptist Catechism and the Westminister Shorter Catechism (the Catechism used by many who are Reformed Presbyterians) are very, very similar. The same thing can be said of our confessions of faith – the Second London Confession and the Westminster Confession are very similar documents. The similarities are important and encouraging. They remind us that we have a lot in common with our Reformed Presbyterian brothers and sisters. This should encourage Christian unity and love.  

Now obviously, there are differences between these standards. The primary difference is our answer to the question, to whom is baptism to be administered? 

On the one hand, I do not want to over-emphasize the importance of this question. Indeed, there are other doctrines more foundational to the faith than the doctrine of baptism. To be a Christian one must hold to orthodox views regarding God, Scripture, the fall of man into sin, and salvation through faith in Christ, for these doctrines are foundational to the faith. They carry much greater weight, therefore, than questions about baptism. Stated differently, I do believe that it is possible for Christians to differ over the question of who should be baptized and to regard one another as true and dear brothers and sisters in Christ, their unity being rooted in Christ, and in their agreement on the foundational doctrines just mentioned. There is something to be said for the approach of majoring on the majors and minoring on the minors. 

But on the other hand, I do not think it is wise to dismiss this question as unimportant. Baptism is very important, brothers and sisters, for Christ has ordained it. He has commanded that disciples be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Furthermore, baptism is connected to other things. Maybe you have heard me say that all theology hangs together. The meaning is that errors in one area will lead to errors in other areas. Errors in foundational doctrines (like the doctrines of God, Scripture, Man, Sin, and Salvation in Christ) are potentially catastrophic. And errors made in less foundational points of doctrine, though they might not disturb the foundation of the faith, will have a ripple effect on other doctrines too. Our understanding of baptism will impact, in some way, our understanding of the church. It will impact our understanding of the nature of the New Covenant. Who are members of the New Covenant? Is the New Covenant breakable? These are a few related questions that come quickly to mind. 

Question 95 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “To whom is Baptism to be administered?” Their answer is, “Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the

visible church are to be baptized.”

Contrast this with question 98 of the Baptist Catechism: To whom is baptism to be administered? Answer: Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

This is the clear teaching of the New Testament. 

Firstly, we should remember what the NT says that Baptism signifies. We considered the symbolism of baptism last week with the help of Baptists Catechism 97: What is Baptism? Answer. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him; of remissions of sins; and of his giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.” If it is true that baptism signifies, union with Christ in his death and resurrection, new birth, cleansing from sin, and a resolve to walk in a new way, then it is most reasonable to think that this sign is for those of whom these things are true! Baptism is for those who have been united to Christ by faith, cleansed by his blood, who have died to their old self, and raised to new life.  

Secondly, we should remember what we say through the waters of baptism. It is through baptism that we profess our faith. It is through baptism that we say, Jesus is Lord! Yes, we say that Jesus is Lord with our lips. But that profession is to be made through baptism. To be baptized is to say, I believe. To be baptized is to say, I have been forgiven. To be baptized is to say, I have died to my old self and raised to a newness of life. Through baptism, we make a profession and a commitment. Baptism is for those of whom this is true. 

Thirdly, we should remember what God says to us in baptism. In baptism, God’s name is placed on his people (we are to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit). In baptism, God says, through Christ you are forgiven and adopted as my own. Again I say, baptism is for those of whom this is true. 

In fact, a careful study of the New Testament Scriptures reveals that it is only those who make a credible profession of repentance and faith who are to be baptized. 

Perhaps the most important text is the one we call the Great Commission: “And Jesus came and said [to his disciples], ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV, emphasis added). 

When baptisms are described in the New Testament we see that it is those who believe who are baptized. Sometimes those who believe in infant baptism will point to the household baptisms found in the Book of Acts and say, there must have been infants in these households! Two things can be said in response. One, it is not wise to build doctrines on the foundation of assumptions and speculations. Two, most of these passages where “households” are mentioned suggest that those in these households heard the word and believed – something infants and small children cannot do (i.e.  Acts 11:13-18,  16:29-32).

I think it is very safe to say that not one text in the New Testament clearly teaches us to baptize infants. But we are not biblicists. We reject the idea that in order for something to be true there must be a verse that says it. No, we are not biblicists. We agree that some doctrines are to be believed because they are taught by way of necessary consequence. This means that the whole of what the bible says on a subject is to be taken into consideration when forming our doctrines. The most famous example of this is the doctrine of the Trinity. The Bible in some places teaches that God is one. In other places, the Bible teaches that God is three. No one verse can be found that teaches that God is three in one but when all is carefully considered, we are moved by the testimony of the totality of Scripture to confess that God is Triune. 

Never does the New Testament command infant baptism – only the baptism of those who profess faith and repentance.

Never does the New Testament describe infant baptism – only the baptism of those who profess faith and repentance.

But do the Scriptures require us to believe in infant baptism by way of necessary or certain consequence? In other words, does a theological reading of Scripture require us to baptize the children of believers? Stated one more way, is infant baptism taught in a similar way to how the Trinity is taught in the Scriptures – no one verse of Scripture teaches it, but when the whole Bible is considered on the subject, we are bound to believe that babies are to be baptized? 

If we are to be consistent in our interpretation of the Scriptures we must be open to the possibility (for we are not biblicists!), but the answer is no.

Listen to Baptist Catechism 99 and afterward, I will explain why.  Question 99: Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized? Answer: The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such.

So why are we to baptize those who make a credible profession of repentance and faith in Christ only, and not the infants of those who make such a profession?  

1. The Scriptures nowhere command infant baptism. 
2. The Scriptures nowhere describe infant baptism. 
3. A careful, theological, covenantal, redemptive-historical study of the totality of the Scriptures – Old Testament and New – does not necessitate the practice of infant baptism. To the contrary, a careful examination of the Old Testament Scriptures agrees with the teaching of the New Testament, that baptism is for those who profess faith in Christ alone. 

Those familiar with the debate between Reformed paedobaptists (paedo means child) and Reformed credobaptists (credo refers to a profession of faith) will know that the Reformed paedobaptists do not argue for their practice of infant baptism from the New Testament but from the Old. 

They argue like this:

1. The sign of circumcision was applied to infants under the Old Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants. 
2. The Old Covenant was a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace, and the New Covenant is a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace.
3. Given that the sign of admission into the Old Covenant (circumcision) was applied to the infants of covenant members, it must necessarily be that the sign of admission into the New Covenant (baptism) be applied to the infants of covenant members, namely, of those who believe. 

So you can see that the Reformed paedobaptists do not typically argue for their position by pointing to this verse or that in the New Testament. They argue from the Old Testament by reasoning that if circumcision was applied to infants under the Old Covenant, then it must be that baptism is to be given to infants under the New Covenant, even though the New Testament never says so.  

With all due respect to our Reformed paedobaptsit brethren (many of whom we esteem very highly), we reject this reasoning. 

One, we do not agree that the Old Covenant was a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace. The Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants were mixed. They were covenants of works that could be broken (and they were). But they carried within them promises, prophesies,  types, and shadows that pointed forward to Christ, his kingdom and the covenant that he mediates – the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace. The Abrahamic and Mosaic anticipated and pointed forward to the Covenant of Grace, but they were not the Covenant of Grace, properly speaking, for they did not have Christ as head and mediator. We could talk about this for hours. And we have before in other studies. For now, let me say that our particular articulation of covenant theology, which differs from the typical paedobaptists’ articulation of that doctrine in important respects, leaves no room for the argument from infant circumcision to infant baptism that the paedobaptists are so fond of making. Do circumcision and baptism share something in common? Yes! They are both signs of their respective covenants, Old and New. But it does not necessarily follow that because one was applied to infants, then the other must be applied to infants also. The two covenants, though certainly interrelated, differ substantially from each other. It should be no surprise, therefore, that the signs of the covenants also differ substantially.   

Two, (and this point deserves much more time and attention than what we can give to it today) while we agree that it is appropriate to argue from necessary consequence in many matters of theology, it is not an appropriate thing to do with the positive laws which God added to the various covenants that he has entered into with man, which are sacramental in nature. The signs that God attached to the various covenants he made with man – trees, the rainbow, circumcision, and baptism – are arbitrary. By that I mean, they are simply based on God’s choice. We cannot necessarily reason from one to the other to figure out what they are and how they are to be applied. With positive laws, we are completely dependent on God express command. And this is why we look to Christ, his words, and to the New Testament to know what baptism is, what it signifies, how and to whom it is to be given. We are not biblicists. We acknowledge the validity of the interpretive principle of necessary consequence (Trinity). But we deny that it is appropriate to use with positive laws and sacramental things, for it is impossible to reason from one sign to the other.

Now,  I suppose we are right to expect that signs will be attached to Covenants, for this is God’s established way. And of course, we should expect that the sign of the covenant will agree in its symbolism with the substance of the given covenant. It makes perfect sense that the sign of the Covenant of Works made with Adam in the garden would be two trees representing two choices – but God could have chosen a different sign. And it makes sense that the sign given to Abraham in the covenant that he made with him and all his physical descendants would be applied to the male reproductive organ, that it would involve the removal of something, thus symbolizing the threat of being cut off from the covenant (a covenant of works!) through disobedience, and that it would be bloody, signifying the crosswork of Christ who would be cut off for his people. This Christ was promised to Abraham and his children. He is the promised seed of the woman, the offspring of Abraham and David. Circumcision fit the Old Abrahamic Covenant, and it made perfect sense that it was to be applied to all of the male children of Abraham at eight days old irrespective of faith, for the Old Abrahamic covenant was made with them by virtue of the birth. For what it’s worth, it seems to me that circumcision was an excellent choice for the sign of the Old Abrahamic covenant, for it agreed with the substance of that covenant.

But the sign of circumcision does not fit the substance of the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace. Think of it. The New Covenant is not made with an ethnic group. It is made with God’s elect. It is made with all who are born again and believe. It is those who have the faith of Abrham, not the DNA of Abrham, who are members of the New Covenant. And there is no threat of being cut off from the New Covenant. All who are true members of it will be preserved. And Christ, the seed of Abraham and David has come. He was cut off for us on the cross. He shed his blood to atone for sin. For all of these reasons, circumcision has been fulfilled and taken away, and baptism has been given as the sign of the New Covenant instead.

And baptism agrees with the substance of the New Covenant and thus serves as a fitting sign. Baptism signifies many things – union with Christ in his death and resurrection, the washing away of our sin, death to our old self, and new birth. This sign is to be given to those of whom these things are true.

The point is this: our Reformed and paedobaptist brethren error when they look to the sign of the Old Covenant to figure out to whom the sign of the New Covenant is to be applied. These are two different covenants made with two different groups of people (though there is some overlap, thanks be to God). We cannot reason from the one to the other, therefore. To know the answer to the question, to whom is baptism to be administered? To Christ and the New Testament we must go, for there this positive law is revealed. 

*****

Conclusion

Q. 98. To whom is baptism to be administered?

A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

Q. 99. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?

A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such. (Proverbs 30:6; Luke 3:7,8)