We are now on our third study of elementary Christian teachings as listed in Hebrews 6:1-2. We have learned the foundational principles of repentance from dead works and faith toward God.
This morning, we will build our understanding of the "instruction about washings."
As we did last week, we should have a quick and easy Greek lesson. The word for "instruction" here is a noun that means "teaching." With only two exceptions, the NAS translators render this word as "teaching," while the King James translators, with one exception, used the word "doctrine."
Now, the word "washings" is "bap-tis-MOS," which should be immediately recognizable to you. It speaks, as you might suspect, of baptisms. But also the word is used to describe the washings used in the Law given to Moses.
So, while "instruction about washings" is a good translation, we would also be justified saying, "teachings about baptisms."
Now the word "baptism" means "to submerge for the purpose of change."
If I baptize a white shirt into a vat of blue dye, I am producing a change in the shirt - turning it from white to blue.
If I baptize my laundry into soapy water, I am producing a change - from dirty to clean.
An ancient Greek recipe from 200 BC described the process baptizing a cucumber into a vinegar solution. The change brought about was that the cucumber turned into a pickle!
Well, with those lessons under our belt, let's move on to see what the Bible instructs about washings, and teaches about baptisms.
There are several different kinds of baptisms and washings talked about in the Scripture, four of which we will cover this morning. They are: Levitical washings, the baptism of repentance, the baptism of death, and Christian baptism.
The first time that the Bible mentions a baptism-type washing was when the people of Israel had come to the base of Mount Sinai in Exodus 19. God was going to meet with them, but they had to first be purified.
Moses was commanded by the Lord,
Exod. 19:10 ..."Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments;
"Consecrate" means to sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate, be set apart. The people were to be consecrated for the next two days. The washing of their clothes was a symbolic act, representing that their character and spiritual condition had been washed.
After the priesthood was established, the priests were washed for the same reason: consecration, being set apart for God. First, their bodies were washed, (Exod. 29:4), then in the process of making offerings, they were to wash their hands and feet before entering into the tent of meeting (Exod. 30).
These cleansings were outward demonstrations of what was going on in their hearts. But these things were corrupted by the Israelites as the years progressed, so that by the time of Christ on earth, the symbolic nature of consecration had been replaced by legalistic rules and regulations about washings. Mark tells us in his gospel,
Mark 7:3-4 ...The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, {thus} observing the traditions of the elders; and {when they come} from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.
They had no heart for God, but dogmatically followed the ceremonies of washings.
When the Pharisees tried to confront Jesus about His failure to observe these traditions, the Lord rebuked them, saying,
Mark 7:6-9 ..."Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." He was also saying to them, "You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition."
Although Jesus always obeyed the Law of God, He felt no obligation whatsoever to keep the religious tradition of men. It was offensive to Him.
Jesus did, however, participate in a washing. The next washing, or baptism, found in Scripture was instituted immediately before Jesus began His earthly ministry.
Mark 1:4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People were coming out, confessing their sins, and being baptized by John.
Matt. 3:13-16 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan {coming} to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit {it} at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water
When Jesus tried to be baptized, John said, "I should be baptized by you, not the other way around!" But Jesus was baptized with this baptism of repentance to "fulfill all righteousness." What does this mean? I believe that Jesus is saying that repentance is necessary for righteousness. Indeed, Jesus said,
Luke 5:32 "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
Of course, since Jesus had no sin to be repented of, Matthew and Mark both tell us that He came up immediately from the water.
Jesus had another baptism - another submersion into something that would bring about change. He told the disciples before His crucifixion,
Luke 12:50 "...I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!"
When James and John requested high positions in the Kingdom of God, He asked them,
Mark 10:38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"
This baptism of which He spoke was death. When He died upon the cross, He was submerged into death, and His body was enveloped by the ground when they buried Him in the tomb.
Of course, death could not hold Him, and He rose again.
After Jesus was resurrected, He commanded the disciples,
Matt. 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
There is the Great Commission: preach the gospel, baptize new believers, teach them to follow the Scriptures.
We've seen three different kinds of baptism already: the Levites' washing of consecration, John's baptism of repentance, and Jesus' submersion into death. What does this fourth baptism mean? What is this "Christian" baptism? May I suggest that it means all three.
Romans chapter six tells us,
Rom. 6:3-11 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with {Him} in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also {in the likeness} of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with {Him,} that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
When you as a Christian are baptized, you are demonstrating that your old self has died with Jesus. You have raised up again in new life. You are demonstrating that you have repented of your sin. You are showing that your life is now set apart, consecrated, for God.
Having now been instructed about washings, about baptism, consider this: If you have been baptized already, are you walking in the demonstration that you have made? Is sin making its way back into your life? Are you living with the conscious understanding that you have been set apart for God?
If you have been born again, but not yet baptized, how come? The Scripture is clear in its command. What is keeping you from stepping forward and making that public statement of commitment to Christ?
Finally, if you have not yet been born again, why not? You know that you have sinned. You know that you must be washed clean from that sin to enter into God's presence. That only comes from believing in Jesus' death on the cross. Maybe you've been trusting that since you were baptized as a young baby, you're okay. But that won't do it. You need to give your life to Jesus.