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May I turn in your Bibles to 
Matthew chapter 3? Matthew chapter 3, as I've already 
mentioned, we have a baptism this morning, the baptism of 
Julie Lawson. I thought by way of a reflection 
upon the Scriptures, we'd look at the baptisms of Jesus Christ. There were two. I'm not speaking 
about Jesus baptizing others or Jesus' disciples baptizing 
others. but the two baptisms that Christ 
underwent on behalf of his people. Those baptisms, interestingly 
enough, answer to what our confession says in terms of justification 
by faith alone. We rest upon the work of Christ, 
the active obedience and the passive obedience. This first 
baptism highlights his active obedience when he would fulfill 
all righteousness. The second baptism is when he 
refers to his death, his impending crucifixion, as a baptism. So that answers to the passive 
obedience, something sinners desperately need. The active 
obedience of Christ, the passive obedience. We not only need pardon 
from our sin, but we need a righteousness that avails with God. And in 
Christ, we have both aspects. The Westminster Catechism asks 
the question, what is justification? The answer is, justification 
is an act of God's free grace wherein He pardons all of our 
sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness 
of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. So sinners undone, 
those in Adam, those who are depraved, those who are unable 
to merit God's favor in and of themselves must have Christ. We must have the removal and 
pardon of our sin and we must have this imputed righteousness 
that is received by faith alone in order to stand before a thrice 
holy God. So these two baptisms of Christ 
demonstrate this aspect of justification by faith alone. So I'll just 
pick up reading in chapter 3 at verse 1. In those days John the 
Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, 
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he who 
was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of 
one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, 
make his path straight. Now John himself was clothed 
in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his 
food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and 
all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized 
by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many 
of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said 
to them, Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath 
to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy 
of repentance. And do not think to say to yourselves, 
we have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is 
able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones, and 
even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree 
which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the 
fire. I indeed baptize you with water under repentance, but he 
who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not 
worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the 
Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand, 
and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and gather 
his wheat into the barn, but he will burn up the chaff with 
unquenchable fire. Then Jesus came from Galilee 
to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent 
him saying, I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to 
me? But Jesus answered and said to 
him, permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us 
to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed him. When he 
had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water. 
Behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit 
of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him. And suddenly 
a voice came from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom 
I am well pleased. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you for the Word of God. We pray 
now for the ministry of the Spirit of God, that you would lead us 
into truth. We pray, Father, that you would 
encourage our hearts and strengthen us as we appreciate afresh the 
work of Christ on behalf of his people. We pray, God, that as 
we witness another baptism, we would give all glory, all praise 
and honor to you. We know that salvation, first 
to last, is of the Lord. We pray that you would be exalted 
in this time. We ask as well that you would 
be merciful to those in our congregation that are hurting, that are trying, 
that are suffering. We pray that the word of God 
would be the balm of Gilead to encourage each one of us. For 
those who are strangers to you, Lord God, we pray that word of 
God would be powerful, that it would cut deep, that it would 
show them their sins and their need for the Lord Jesus Christ. 
And we ask in his most blessed name, amen. The word baptism 
simply means immersion. When we think of immersion, we 
look at this pool of water behind us and the function of this ordinance, 
this thing ordained by Christ for the life of the church, is 
a means of grace. It is a means of encouragement, 
primarily to the person baptized. We get the privilege, of course, 
to witness and to watch and to glorify God for His redemptive 
work in the lives of His people. But baptism means immersion. God speaks to us, not only audibly 
through His Word, but He speaks in these ordinances. The baptismal 
water preaches certain truths concerning Christ. The Lord's 
Supper preaches certain truths according to the gospel of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. And so as we come to witness 
this ordinance, let us first discover what baptism signified 
or how it functioned in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus. The context here is specific. 
John the Baptist is preaching. You remember he is the forerunner, 
the one who would come to announce the coming of the King. The one 
who would announce the Lord of Glory had dawned upon them. He calls sinners to repentance. 
He baptizes them in conjunction with their confession of sin. 
And then Jesus Christ himself comes to be baptized by John. And John is puzzled about this. 
tried to prevent him. The tense of the verb means that 
he continually tried to prevent him. He understood that the people 
that he was baptizing were confessing their sins. He knew that Jesus 
was sinless, or he knew that Jesus was a great man. He knew 
that Jesus far exceeded him, and so he says, I need to be 
baptized by you, and are you coming to me? And then that brings 
us to consider the Lord's response in verse 15. Jesus answered and 
said to him, permit it to be so now. In other words, John, 
let me go ahead with this. Don't stop me, don't bar me, 
don't prohibit me. This is absolutely crucial in 
my plan and purpose in coming to fulfill the Father's obligations 
laid upon me. He says, "...permitted to be 
so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." 
Jesus was not a sinner. He is not being baptized as a 
sinner. But rather Jesus is identifying 
with His sinful people. Jesus is representing His sinful 
people. And what verse 15 underscores 
is the demarcation or the application or the beginning of what I've 
already mentioned. the active obedience of Christ. Jesus would fulfill the entirety 
of God's law. Jesus would fulfill every precept. Jesus would fulfill every statute. Now just for a moment reflect 
upon that statement. Do you fulfill every commandment? Do you fulfill every ordinance? 
Do you fulfill every statute? As a Christian, how far do you 
get into the day with perfect perpetual obedience? I hope you're 
willing to say, not very far. You might say, the moment I open 
my eyes, and depending upon the dreams that we actually have, 
even before we open our eyes, consider who this person is. It is absolutely essential that 
we have a righteousness. We cannot earn it. We cannot 
merit it. We do not obey God's law. We 
have trouble getting out of bed without sinning against God and 
offending and transgressing His holy law. We need a representative. We need a public head. We need 
a federal head. And this is Christ's response. 
He says, permitted to be so now for thus it is fitting for us 
to fulfill all righteousness. This is in the plan of God. This 
was prophesied concerning the Lord Jesus. In Isaiah 53, in 
verse 11, it says, See, we oftentimes focus on the bearing of iniquity 
for the forgiveness of sins, and well, we should, but we need a righteous 
servant. We need the imputation of righteousness. We need God to take something 
that is not intrinsically ours and put it upon us. That's what 
imputation means. The Bible says that at the cross, 
God took our sin and put it on the Son. He then punishes the 
Son and then takes His righteousness and puts it on us. He declares 
us. It is legal in nature. And Christ 
here, at His baptism, is beginning this life. Not to suggest that 
the prior 30 years were sinful. It is just this is the public 
declaration and affirmation of His messianic role as the servant 
of the Lord, as the Son in whom God is well pleased. He is going 
to fulfill all righteousness. He represents His people. He lives in perfect obedience 
to the law and to the will of God. Again, just consider that 
for a moment. People irritate us, don't they? 
People bother us. People bug us. What is the response 
generally? I'm gonna pray for you and I 
love you. No, not generally. Hopefully that finds its way 
in our hearts sometimes. But the general response is when 
people irritate us to get mad, to get sinful, to get outraged. Consider the Lord Jesus as a 
child, as a young man. Remember that instance when he 
was separated from his parents at about the age of 12. They 
find him theologizing in the temple. It's a beautiful scene. 
Twelve-year-old kids you ought to engage in theology. The Lord 
Jesus Christ did. And what does the text say after 
he left with his parents? He continued in subjection to 
them. to an ungodly, and I'm not dissing 
Joseph and Mary, that's an old word, in a weird way, he's not 
suggesting, or it's not suggesting, I'm not suggesting they were 
the most horrible people in the world, but they were in Adam. 
They were sinners. When Mary finds out she's going 
to bear the Messiah, she rejoices in what? God my Savior. She's not sinless, she's not 
holy, harmless, and undefiled, only the fruit of her womb was. 
So Jesus continued in subjection for that space of time to people 
that weren't perfect, to people that weren't altogether righteous, 
and he never once sinned. And here this is a declaration, 
an affirmation, a public reference to the reality that his life 
would be one marked by righteousness and obedience to the law of God 
Most High. You see, he doesn't trash the 
law, he doesn't dispel the law, Rather, he fulfills the law and 
shows its beauty and its original intent. Christ is the second 
Adam or last Adam that fulfills all of the obligations laid upon 
the first Adam forfeited in the Garden of Eden. So as well, Romans 
5.19 says, so also by one man's obedience, many will be constituted 
righteous. That's the thrust. When he says, 
permitted to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill 
all righteousness, he is doing what we could never do. That baptistry behind me does 
not testify to the one baptized's righteousness. That water does 
not signify a specific holy character of the one who enters it. That 
water preaches the cleansing power of Christ Most High and 
an imputed righteousness that avails with God Most High. That's 
the thrust. That's the emphasis. Jesus makes 
this statement concerning His purpose as the God-man in this 
lower world. And then what follows in this 
baptism of Jesus is the affirmation, the declaration from on high, 
the approbation of His Father in terms of this particular purpose. Notice in verse 16, when He had 
been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water. John 
the Baptist already announced. I baptize you with water, but 
He's going to baptize you with the Holy Spirit." So you see 
in this public activity, the baptism of Jesus, He not only 
declares His purpose in terms of fulfilling all the righteousness 
of God, but what we find as well, the confirmation, or the affirmation, 
or whatever you want to call it, God's approval of His man 
to do the task of redeeming His people from their sins. This 
dove falls upon Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes in power. This is 
according to the written word of God. The prophet Isaiah said, 
the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of 
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, 
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. He also 
declares, behold my servant whom I uphold, my elect one in whom 
my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him. 
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. Jesus, quoting 
Isaiah 61, "...the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because 
the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He 
has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, 
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." It's 
not that prior to this Jesus knew nothing of the presence 
of the Spirit. But again, as the servant of 
the Lord. As the Messiah, as the Redeemer, 
as the victor, as the Savior, He is invested with the Spirit 
of God in great power, so that when He goes about His task of 
fulfilling the righteousness of God, as He goes about His 
task to the cross, the Spirit is upon Him. The Spirit does 
not depart from Him. He is the most Spirit-filled 
man. You know, you oftentimes hear 
about, what does it look like to be filled with the Holy Spirit? 
It looks like Jesus. It looks like holiness. You know, 
there's some sections of the church that suggest that to be 
filled with the Holy Spirit, you must speak in tongues. To 
be filled with the Holy Spirit, you must prophesy. To be filled 
with the Holy Spirit, you must do mighty deeds. To be filled 
with the Holy Spirit means Christ-likeness. holiness, righteousness, godliness. This is what characterized, this 
is what typified, this is what was manifest in the spirit-filled 
nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. So he is equipped for the task. The spirit falls upon him, but 
then that voice of approval from heaven. Notice in verse 17. And 
suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, this is my beloved son 
in whom I am well pleased. Notice the triune God is here. 
You turn to Genesis chapter 1, the triune God is there. In the 
language of J.C. Ryle, there they say, let us 
make man. In Matthew chapter 3, the triune 
God is present and he says, let us redeem man. Turretin says 
that the ancients told Arius, if you want to see the Trinity, 
go down to the river Jordan. You see Christ go into the water, 
you see the Spirit descend upon him, and you hear the voice of 
the Father saying, this is my beloved Son. Notice, in whom 
I am well pleased. Christ is going to fulfill all 
the obligations. Christ is going to obey the Father. 
Christ is going to give Himself up as a sacrifice in substitution 
for His people. And the Father is pleased with 
this activity. The biblical background of this 
statement, Genesis chapter 22. Remember when God tells Abraham, 
take your son, your only son, whom you love, take him up to 
Mount Moriah and kill him. What's He teaching us there? 
In Psalm, the lesson is God will provide a land. This is Him. The background also is Psalm 
2. The Lord has said to me, you are my beloved son or you are 
my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give 
you the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth 
for your possession. Psalm 2, Isaiah 42 as well, this 
idea that Christ as the son, the servant of the Lord would 
fulfill the righteousness of God in behalf of his people. That's the point of the baptism. The theology of this passage 
is not for us to come and learn specifically how Christians ought 
to get baptized. Christians ought to get baptized. 
Absolutely. It's an obedience to the Lord. But the theology of Jesus' first 
baptism is far more than that. It is the declaration of His 
purpose. I am going to fulfill all righteousness. So that Paul, 
theologizing in Romans 5, said, by the one man's disobedience, 
sin spread to all. So by the one man's act of obedience, 
righteousness is constituted to them. That's the significance. Your acceptance with God hinges 
upon Jesus' first baptism. or is largely impacted by Jesus' 
first baptism. But as well, it is the divine 
approbation, the divine affirmation, this is my beloved Son in whom 
I am well pleased. This is the task the Father gave 
Him and He executes it fully. That is the first baptism. Let's 
look at Matthew 20 for the second baptism. Those who have been in our church 
for any period of time have heard this material. I'm not going 
to lie to you. Wow, I got this this week. And 
I was just thinking as well, if we keep baptizing Lawsons 
and Joneses, the whole Jones family ought to just join up 
with us. I've seen you more in the last couple months than I've 
seen you in the 15 years that I've been here, so why don't 
you all just come on over? I'm sure your pastors are loving 
that. It's the second baptism as well. 
See, we need the righteousness that Jesus says He is going to 
fulfill. But we need pardon for our iniquity. We need cleansing from our sin. 
You see how these two elements are essential? You see how these 
two things answer specifically to the sinner's need? We in Adam 
have plunged ourselves into sin and depravity. We in Adam are 
undone. We in Adam are defiled. We in 
Adam are at enmity with God Most High. We need that sin atoned 
for. We need that sin covered, is 
what atonement means. We need that sin purged and cleansed 
and washed. As well, we need a righteousness. 
So Jesus answers to both aspects of our justification before God. The second baptism takes up is 
death. Notice in chapter 20, beginning 
in verse 17. Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, 
took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 
Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed 
to the chief priests and to the scribes. And they will condemn 
him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and discourage 
and to crucify. And on the third day he will 
rise again." Is Jesus missing his purpose here? Is Jesus confused 
about what the Father is As for him, is Jesus puzzled by what events 
lay in his future? Notice the divine imperative. 
He must, he must, he must. He must go to Jerusalem. He must 
be tried. He must be delivered up. He must 
be crucified. It's in that particular context. It is with having said that statement 
that what follows is absolutely amazing and reflects upon the 
sinfulness of our hearts. Notice, verse 20, then the mother 
of Zebedee, Zebedee's sons, came to him with her sons, kneeling 
down and asking something from him. And he said to her, what 
do you wish? She said to him, grant that these 
two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and the other 
on the left, in your kingdom. It's amazing, isn't it? What if you told somebody, you 
know, I've got an MRI scheduled today. I'm really concerned because 
a preliminary scan showed something of a mass on my brain. More than likely, it's a tumor. 
They just need to hone in on it. They just need to figure 
it out, perhaps go in, do a biopsy, whatever it is that they need 
to do. And that person to whom you are talking says, can I have 
your baseball card collection? Can I get that cake recipe, that 
cake you made for us last week? Because it was yummy. What would 
be your tendency? I just told you that there's 
more than likely a mass on my brain and you want my cake recipe? That's kind of what's going on 
here. The Son of Man must go to Jerusalem. The Son of Man must be delivered 
up. The Son of Man must be crucified. Hey Lord, can my son sit on your 
right hand and on your left? It is to utterly disregard the 
weight of the moment. It is to utterly disregard the 
gravity of the situation. When someone announces impending 
doom, please, don't jockey for position when they're gone. That's 
the context. And instead of us saying, wow, 
I can't believe these men. I can't believe James and John 
are jockeying for position. Later on it says the disciples 
are greatly displeased with the two brothers. Because the disciples 
were holy, noble, righteous, and didn't think the Lord should 
have to answer such things in a grave moment of his own distress 
and suffering? No, probably because the other 
disciples wanted to be on the right hand and on the left. We're terrible. We're a lot worse than we've 
ever imagined, I'm convinced. Well, I don't like that. That 
bothers me. That man said I'm terrible. No, 
the Bible says you're terrible. The heart is deceitful above 
all things and desperately wicked. Who can understand it? All we 
like sheep have gone astray. Sheep aren't known for their 
wisdom and prowess and ability. There is no fear of God before 
their eyes, Paul says in Romans 3. This is interesting because 
the prophet Jeremiah says, who would not fear thee, O king of 
the nations, for indeed it is your due I mean, it is right, 
it is meet, it is fitting for the creature of God to revere, 
honor, worship, and esteem God. But we don't do that. We jockey 
for position. We want the right hand. We want 
the left hand. We hear the grave words. We hear 
the announcement that the cross is impending. We hear these things, 
and yet we say, Lord, can I sit at your right hand? Can I sit 
at your left hand? Jesus seizes upon the opportunity. And in this we can be thankful 
for the mother of Zebedee's sons because what Jesus does here 
is indicate something about his second baptism. Notice in verse 
22. Jesus answered and said, you 
do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup 
that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism 
that I am baptized with? So the first baptism was water 
in the Jordan. This baptism is still immersion, 
but it's into something other than water. We learn what he 
means when we compare terms. The cup here. What is the cup 
that Jesus speaks of? Are you able to drink the cup 
that I am about to drink? He's not talking about a physical 
cup. He's not talking about water, 
he's not talking about wine, he's not talking about anything 
else. He is talking about the wrath of God. So whatever he 
means by baptism, we have to locate it in the context where 
the wrath of God is looming. You don't know what you're talking 
about. You want to sit on my right hand and my left? You want 
a jockey for position? Are you able to drink the cup 
that I am about to drink? If you reflect upon this idea, 
you'll see that God takes the cup of His wrath and pours it 
in judgment upon the nations, specifically of Babylon in the 
Old Testament. The prophets, the psalmists, 
refer to this cup of God's holy wrath. Jesus himself refers to 
this cup of God's holy wrath. Remember Gethsemane. What does 
Jesus say? Lord, if it is possible. Lord, 
if it is possible. Father, if it's possible, let 
this cup pass from me. What's he talking about? wrath 
of God, the fury of God. You see, if you're here this 
morning and you don't know God, you don't know the Lord Jesus 
Christ, you might think your trouble is just one of, you've 
got to fix a few things in your life. You've got to try a little 
harder and be a little better and God will receive you approvingly. That's not your issue. The issue 
according to the scripture is God's wrath, his fury, his anger, 
and his hatred toward all sin. You just reflect upon the Old 
Testament scriptures and you get evidence of God's wrath. 
What does the story of Noah's flood teach us? Yes, God is merciful 
to Noah and his family. But he's wrathful and angry and 
judges everyone who wasn't Noah and his family. Right? Sodom and Gomorrah. What does 
God do? He opens up heaven and He rains 
hell down upon those people. That's God's wrath. It's His 
fury. Do not leave here this morning 
and say, I've got to try a little bit harder. I've got to fix my 
life. I've got to get better. I've 
got to try and earn God's favor. You are under his wrath, his 
fury, and his curse. The only hope of salvation, the 
only refuge to take comfort in, is in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
This is what he's referring to. Are you able to drink the cup 
that I am about to drink? And then notice, he says, and 
be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. Remember 
we defined baptism as what? Immersion. It means to overwhelm 
something. Extra-biblical literature. That 
means stuff outside the Bible. Use this particular word, baptize, 
with reference to ships being sunk. They weren't sprinkled 
with a little problems. They weren't poured with a little 
bit of difficulty. They were capsized. They were 
plunged. They were overwhelmed. They were 
baptized through destruction. That's what Christ is referring 
to here. The first baptism is water baptism, 
a public affirmation of his role as the servant of the Lord, the 
beloved Son, who would fulfill all the righteous requirements 
placed upon him in our stead. The second baptism refers to 
the cross. It refers to his death. It refers 
to his suffering. It refers to Him satisfying divine 
justice at the hands of the wrathful God who is angry with sinners 
each and every day. This idea is captured in Luke 
12 and verse 50. He says, I have a baptism to 
be baptized with and how distressed I am until it is accomplished. You see, it was no game for the 
Messiah. It was no child's play for the 
Lord. You see the true humanity of Jesus in that declaration 
in Gethsemane. It's possible. Here he says in 
human language, I have a baptism to be baptized with and how distressed 
I am until it is accomplished. His baptism here refers to being 
overwhelmed by some difficult experience or ordeal. His death 
and suffering are compared to a raging flood of sorrow. That's what that tank That water preaches Jesus in 
his perfect righteousness, in his substitutionary curse bearing, 
in his resurrection from the dead. Note what Jesus goes on 
to say, you will indeed drink my cup. You will indeed be baptized 
with the baptism that I am baptized with. But to sit on my right 
hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it is for those 
for whom it is prepared by my Father." This would be fleshed 
out in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 12, what happens 
to James? He's beheaded by Herod. You see what Jesus is saying? 
You will suffer. You will be overwhelmed with 
distress. You will have a flood of sorrow. It happens to James 
in Acts 12. It happens to John in Revelation 
1. Where is John? He's on the island 
called Patmos. for the Word of God and the testimony 
of Jesus. We hear island, we think palm 
trees. We hear island, we think water. 
We hear island, we think fun. We hear island, we think see-doos. We hear island, we think volleyball. Island for John did not mean 
that. It was a rock out in the middle of the ocean where he 
was confined for the crime of preaching Christ and Him crucified. History says he was ultimately 
murdered or ultimately died by being boiled to death in a vat 
of hot oil. You see, he was baptized. James 
was baptized. At this particular time, though, 
that was to come. Jesus is highlighting the emphasis 
of what he's already announced in chapter 20, verses 17 to 19. 
Here is what I'm going to do. For you to jockey for position 
in this moment really misses the point. Notice, he goes on 
then to instruct them and us concerning this issue of pride 
and arrogance and our need for humility. Beautiful. Jesus is 
teaching something concerning redemption and gospel and blessing 
and salvation. But you know, disciples, you've 
got a fundamental problem with pride. You need to be humble. 
If you're going to represent me in this world, after I ascend 
into heaven, you need to be identified as my representatives. He says, 
you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and 
those who are great exercise authority over them, yet it shall 
not be so among you. But whoever desires to become 
great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires 
to be first among you, let him be your slave. You want to be 
great in the kingdom? Be the least of all. This is 
a tough lesson for us, isn't it? This is a difficult one, 
isn't it? These calls to humility, these 
calls to self-sacrifice. I mean, who's most important 
in the world but us? What do you mean I need to sacrifice 
myself? What do you mean I need to put 
others first? Jesus says if you want to be 
great in the kingdom, you need to become least of all. You want 
to be first in the kingdom? You become last of all. You know, 
brethren, when we learn this lesson, when we understand what 
Paul encapsulates later in Philippians 2, let this mind be in you, which 
was also in Christ Jesus our Lord, who being in the very form 
of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but he 
humbled himself. He made himself of no reputation. He was obedient to the point 
of death, even the death of the cross. That's the model, that's 
the paradigm, that's the example for the Christian in terms of 
pride and humility and demanding upon our rights. Prior to that, 
Paul says, let each esteem others as better than himself. Do not 
simply look out for your own interests. So Jesus, in his kindness, 
in his grace, in his preparation of his disciples, uses this opportunity 
to instruct them concerning humility. Notice he comes back to the cross. He comes back to redemptive truth. He comes back to the cup of God's 
wrath. He comes back to the baptism. 
He's being overwhelmed by death. He says, just as the Son of Man 
did not come to be served, but to serve. Next time you insist upon your 
rights, put your nose in Matthew 20, 28. I was thinking about this. How 
many times do we read the Bible to find out how people should 
treat us? How many times do we read the 
Bible to find out how people should treat us? Oh yes, they need to esteem me 
as better than them. They need to consider my interests. They need to love me. They need 
to exhort me. They need to be kind to me. They 
need to give preference to me. Not asking for a show of hands, 
and perhaps you're the exception to the rule, but how many of 
us legitimately and regularly search the scriptures and study 
the Bible to find out how everybody should treat us? It's terrible. If we sounded like Jesus, if 
we looked like our master, if we considered our Lord, Our minds 
would be riveted to Matthew 20, 28. Just as the Son of Man did 
not come to be served. And get this, He deserved to 
be served. You don't. I don't. We're vile offenders of God's 
holy law. Christ only ever did what was 
pleasing to the Father. He deserved everybody to bow 
before Him. He deserved everybody to give 
Him stuff. He deserved everybody to praise 
and worship and honor Him. We don't. But He says, just as 
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but notice, but to 
serve, and here it is, the cross, the cup, the baptism, and to 
give His life a ransom for many. Now when we follow out this train 
of thought, the remainder of Matthew's Gospel, we see the 
Garden of Gethsemane. We see the betrayal by Judas. You know what's interesting? After the betrayal by Judas, 
we oftentimes consider how wicked and abominable Judas was, and 
I'm not suggesting otherwise. But we forget the last verse 
in that section, all the disciples forsook him too. that a reprobate, 
God-hating, money-loving, greedy wretch forsook Jesus really shouldn't 
surprise us. The interesting thing in that 
narrative is not Judas' activity. What's amazing is that the disciples 
who were in him, the disciples who loved him, the disciples 
who vowed their allegiance to him, forsook him. You see, when Jesus says, I'm 
going to drink a cup and be baptized with a baptism, you simply don't 
understand. He really meant it. The trial 
before the Sanhedrin, the so-called experts in the law, perverting 
the law, taking a just man, a holy man, a righteous man, an innocent 
man, and delivering up to the heathen. He stands before Pilate. Pilate recognizes there's no 
fault in him, and a testimony to his cowardice is that he appeases 
the crowd. When he says, what do you want 
me to do with these two men? They said, give us Barabbas, 
this notorious robber, this murderer, this insurrectionist. Give us 
Charles Manson. Give us that horrific specimen 
of a human being. Give us the man that is public 
enemy number one. He says, what then shall I do 
with Jesus who is called the Christ? Away with him, away with 
him, crucify him. We get it in our mind that this 
was said one time by this pretty dignified mob that just said, 
away with him, away with him, crucify him. They chanted it, 
they shouted it, they roared it. Get him out of here. We don't 
want anything to do with this man. Deliver him up. They even 
invoked the curse of God upon themselves that the Lord visits 
on them. Let his blood be on us and our 
children. Well, within the span of a generation, 
they saw that come to fruition when the Roman army surrounded 
their beloved city, destroyed the city, and destroyed the temple. 
They brought down the wrath of God. They brought down the curse 
of God. You see, when Jesus says, I have 
a cup and a baptism that you don't understand, we need to 
take notice of this fact. The mocking of the soldiers. 
They slapped the face of the Son of God. It's amazing, isn't 
it? The lengths to which he went 
on our behalf. Yes, he fulfilled all righteousness, 
but he also bore the weight of God's wrath due to sinners. And 
in doing so, he takes the slap of a Roman soldier. The hand 
he made, the person he made, the person he sustains by the 
word of his power slaps him in the face. They mock him, they 
ridicule him, they put a gorgeous robe upon him. Oh, if you're 
a king, let's see you do some amazing things. And then ultimately 
the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. What's the high point of his 
suffering on the cross? Was it the mocking by the soldiers? 
Was it the mocking by the chief priests and the religious leaders? Was it the taunts of the crowd? 
None of that made him cry out. There was one time on the cross 
when he cries out on his own behalf and he says, my God, my 
God, why have you forsaken me? You see, when he says the Son 
of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his 
life a ransom for many, that ransom sacrifice, that atoning 
work, that redemptive act on the part of Jesus Christ cost 
him to the uttermost on our behalf. So you see, we have the act of 
obedience of Christ represented, symbolized in water baptism in 
Matthew 3. We have the passive obedience 
of our Lord Jesus, represented, symbolized, signified by his 
baptism unto death at Calvary. Praise God for Jesus. Praise 
God for the Lord of glory. Just because it's her getting 
baptized today with no specific emphasis on how wicked she is, 
Julie could never do enough good things to honor God. She could 
never atone for her sin on her part. You see, we get that idea, 
right? I'll do 15 good things and then I'll do my 5 bad things. Isn't that the world's religion? 
Isn't that every false system? You do more good than bad and 
God will let you in? Now you see, what we have in 
the scripture is that every sin deserves God's wrath and curse, 
both in this life and that which is to come. It's the Westminster 
Shorter Catechism, but I think it accurately depicts the penalty 
for sin. You can't do enough. You can't 
earn your way to heaven. You can't atone for your own 
sins. If you don't have the active obedience and the passive obedience 
of our Lord Jesus Christ this morning, you're under the wrath 
of God. You're under His fury. Thank Him. Praise Him that Jesus 
did what Jesus did. You see, it's common in the world. 
Unfortunately, it's common in the church to reduce Jesus to 
an example. Notice I showed, or I tried to 
show, how Jesus used his teaching to humble the disciples. But 
the stress does not fall there. The stress and the emphasis of 
the passage is on verse 28. The stress and the emphasis on 
the passage is the connection with the preceding context, that 
he's going to Jerusalem to die. You need Christ. You need the 
Savior. You need the Lord of glory who 
fulfilled all righteousness and who took the wrath of God on 
behalf of sinners. I mentioned our confession. In 
summary, conclusion, I mentioned our confession of faith. When 
it talks about justification by faith, it says, but by imputing 
Christ's active obedience under the whole law and passive obedience 
in his death for their whole and soul righteousness." That's 
the Christ of the Gospel. That's the Christ that everyone 
here desperately needs. The baptism of Jesus, or the 
baptisms, plural, demonstrate his active and passive obedience 
for his people. The baptism of believers demonstrates 
the application of Christ's work in the lives of his people. You 
see, it is faulty advertising. It is not biblical. It is not 
righteous. It is deceptive to baptize someone 
that doesn't have a saving interest in the Lord of Glory. We are 
saying something is true of them that isn't. That's why we ask 
for and we call upon the believer to give a profession, a faith, 
to talk about how they were saved so when they identify with the 
Lord of Glory, we can have the peace that what is happening 
in the water has already happened in their hearts. A second thing 
I want to mention. We've had several, for us, You'd 
have several, and then you'd have brackets for us. Baptisms. In the last while. Now I know 
several for a big church is like a hundred, two hundred, oh we 
had thirty people, forty people baptized. For us, several isn't 
quite that high. But for us, several has taken, 
or have taken place of late. And interestingly enough, peculiarly 
enough, several of them have been younger people. Younger 
people brought up in a Christian home. Younger people discipled 
from their youth or taught from their youth. Younger people that 
in the space of time and history believed on the Lord Jesus, but 
they didn't necessarily come from out of the world. They didn't 
smoke crack. They weren't engaged in sex trafficking. They weren't engaged in what 
we might call the great big sins. And there is a tendency on the 
part of God's people to sort of downplay those who don't have 
this amazing testimony. I've seen it in my own life, 
talking to people. I believed the gospel and God 
saved me. I wasn't into crack. I wasn't 
into prostitution. I wasn't even addicted to internet 
pornography. I just was brought up. I was 
a sinner to be sure. No one without sin. But in God's 
providence, in God's kindness, he placed me into a home. He 
called me unto himself and I bless his holy name. In fact, there 
was a discussion board I was a part of at one time and somebody 
mentioned the life and ministry of C.H. Spurgeon. And how C.H. Spurgeon at the age of 16 started 
preaching the gospel. It's amazing. And how he understood 
depravity and the total influence of sin in the hearts of people. 
And somebody said, he's only 16, he doesn't really know what 
sin is yet. It's a faulty understanding. 
That's incorrect. Anyone who understands the Bible 
at least this much realizes that every sin is horrible in the 
sight of God. But back to the original point. 
There's an interesting statement concerning Timothy in 1 Timothy 
chapter 6. Paul says, fight the good fight 
of faith. We all know that one. Lay hold 
on eternal life, and here it comes, to which also you were 
called and have confessed in the presence of many witnesses. This is beautiful. If you're 
a young person who by God's grace passed into a state of grace 
that wasn't as radical or transformational or perhaps as popular as the 
guy who's on the testimony circuit, be of good cheer. You're in good 
company with Timothy. You know, we do that in our churches. 
We're going to hear a testimony from a guy today. Boy, he did 
this and he did this and he did this. And certainly it magnifies 
the grace of God. I'm not downplaying it. But when 
a Julie Lawson is saved, it magnifies the grace of God! When anyone 
is saved, When anyone passes from death 
to life, the power is the effectual call of God unto salvation. In fact, Gordon Clark, commenting 
on 1 Timothy 6.12, highlights what I'm trying to get across 
here. He says, we note the fact that God called Timothy out of 
his state of original unrighteousness into his present state of grace. 
Such effectual calling is obvious in spectacular conversions. such 
as Paul's, but is just as real and necessary for those who learn 
the gospel from their mothers and grandmothers." Shouldn't 
Paul reflect upon this in 2 Timothy chapter 1? You have heard the 
truth from Lois and Eunice. Never despise God's working in 
the hearts of people because they don't have some awe-inspiring 
testimony. We understand sin, we understand 
the Savior, we understand God, and we understand a little bit 
of our own hearts. We will stand in awe that we 
are heaven-bound. Brethren in the church, pray 
for Julie, encourage Julie, love Julie, do all that the Bible 
says concerning another person in the life of our church. And 
Julie, specifically, going to our Confession of Faith, it speaks 
of baptism, one of the things that it symbolizes. I'll read 
this again in just a moment. And of his, we can be gender 
kind and say or her, and of her giving up unto God through Jesus 
Christ to live and walk in newness of life. This isn't just a memorial, 
it isn't just something Baptists do, it is a means of grace to 
function in 20 years for you to reflect upon what God's done 
in your life. This is the thrust and the emphasis 
of Romans 6. Paul can take baptism and use 
it as shorthand to illustrate for us the reality that we've 
died and we're buried and have risen again. And based on that 
reality, don't go out and sin. So the baptism that you undergo 
today is a public declaration that you are giving up unto God 
through Christ to live and walk in newness of life. Do not take 
it lightly. Rejoice in the blessed pool and 
rejoice in the Savior who brought you here. Well, brethren, We 
will in a moment close, we'll sing amazing grace to celebrate 
once again God's kindness and his mercy in the gospel. I just 
want to make a final appeal for anyone that perhaps hasn't understood 
a word I've said. If I could just get you and say 
there's just three things I want you to get this morning, three 
brief things. I know you hear a preacher say three, you think 
30 minutes. I really am not going to do that. You know what finally means when 
a preacher says it? Nothing. What does that mean, dad? It 
means nothing. Three things you need to know. God is holy. We 
read that in the psalm at the outset of worship. God is holy. That doesn't just mean he's morally 
pure. He is morally pure, but he's separate from us. He is 
in heaven. He is over us. He made us. He upholds us. He has sent his 
son to die and rise again. God is a sovereign being. The 
Scripture also says concerning you, that you're a sinner. You haven't done what God says. 
Now, the best of you in here could say, well, I'm not as bad 
as other people. Israel in the Old Testament tried to do this. 
I'm not as bad as those Canaanites. Yeah, but you're still unrighteous. 
Still got stiff-necked hearts. You're a sinner. You violated 
the Ten Commandments. You're undone. If you were to 
drop dead right now outside of Christ, you would stand before 
him and be cast off to hell. That's Bible. That's the Scripture. That's not Reformed Baptism. 
That's not 1689. That's what the Scripture says 
concerning your state before God. You are a sinner. But then 
as we've tried to open up in this message this morning, Christ 
is a Savior. I love this because He's a real 
Savior for real sinners. Paul is able to say to the Corinthians. After he talks about homosexuality, 
and drunkenness, and thievery, and deception, and covetousness, 
and all manner of wickedness, he says, those who practice such 
things will not inherit the kingdom of God, but such were some of 
you. But you were washed, you were 
justified, you were sanctified. That's what I mean by real Savior 
for real sinners. If you are in here this morning 
and you do not know God as Savior, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe what the gospel says 
concerning Him. And the Bible says you will have 
everlasting life. Of course, with belief, what 
is enjoined with that is a change of mind about sin. The Bible 
calls that repentance. You believe on Christ, you leave 
that garbage, and God Almighty will receive you. It's a blessed, 
wonderful statement of the graciousness and the mercy of God Most High. All that the Father gives me, 
Jesus said, will come to me. And the one who comes to me, 
I will certainly not cast out. Believe, and you will be saved. 
Well, let us pray. Father, thank you for your word. 
Thank you for the baptisms of Jesus Christ. Thank you for his 
righteousness on behalf of sinners. Thank you for his death and his 
resurrection. As Paul says, he was delivered 
up because of our offenses and he was raised up because of our 
justification. We give you praise and glory 
and honor and adoration and ask that you would just extend mercy 
today to those here that do not know you as Lord and Savior. 
And we ask through Christ the Lord, amen.