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LESSON 2 OF 12

Jesus Commanded Baptism

18 min Before the Water 3 Quick Checks
Lesson purpose

Baptism matters because Jesus Christ commanded it. A believer does not need baptism to become God's child, but a child of God should care deeply about obeying the Lord who saved him.

In this lesson

  • Read Christ's Great Commission carefully.
  • See baptism in the pattern of making disciples.
  • Understand the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in the baptismal command.
  • See why love for Christ should move a believer toward obedience.
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QUICK CHECKIn Matthew 28:19, what did Jesus command His disciples to do after teaching all nations?
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Baptism belongs to the Great Commission

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus gave this command under His authority: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. The church is to reach people with truth, baptize disciples, and continue teaching them to observe Christ's commands.

Baptism is therefore not an invented church tradition. It comes from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

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QUICK CHECKMatthew 28:19 names whom in the baptismal command?
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The command is explicitly trinitarian

Matthew 28:19 names the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Biblical baptism honors the one true God revealed as three distinct persons. The wording of Acts that speaks of baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus emphasizes Christ's authority and identification with Him; it does not erase the Father or the Holy Ghost from Christ's own command.

Jesus Himself submitted to baptism

Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Jesus had no sin and needed no salvation. His baptism therefore cannot be explained as a ceremony that washes away personal guilt. He said it was fitting to fulfil all righteousness. The sinless Savior willingly submitted to baptism; His followers should not treat the command lightly.

Love for Christ leads to obedience

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Baptism is a wonderful opportunity to say with your actions that Jesus Christ is your Lord and that His Word matters to you. Obedience does not purchase His love. It is the fitting response of someone who has already been loved and saved by Him.

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QUICK CHECKBaptism is optional in the sense that Christ never commanded believers to do it.
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FOUNDATIONS MASTERY

Compare Scripture with Scripture

Scripture trail: Matthew 28:18 • Matthew 28:19 • Matthew 28:20 • Matthew 3:13 • Matthew 3:15 • John 14:15 • Matthew 28:18, Matthew 28:19, Matthew 28:20, Matthew 3:13 • Matthew 28:19-20

Do not rush past the references. Open them, read the surrounding verses, and make the Bible carry the weight of the conclusion.

Think it through

  1. What happens before water baptism in the passages, and what happens after it?
  2. What does baptism picture or publicly identify without making the water the cause of salvation?
  3. How would you explain both truths strongly: baptism matters greatly, and baptism does not purchase eternal life?

Teach it back

Without looking at the lesson explanation, summarize Jesus Commanded Baptism in two or three sentences and support your explanation from Scripture. If you cannot explain it simply yet, return to the passages and work through them again.

STUDY IT FOR YOURSELF

Slow down and work the text

Reopen Matthew 28:18, Matthew 28:19, Matthew 28:20, Matthew 3:13. Read enough before and after each verse to see the setting. Do not settle for remembering a slogan when you can inspect the wording for yourself.

  1. Write the main claim of Jesus Commanded Baptism in one sentence.
  2. Underline or write down the exact words in the passages that support that claim.
  3. Compare at least two of the passages. What truth becomes clearer when they are read together?
  4. Ask what could be misunderstood if one phrase were isolated from its context.
  5. Explain where baptism belongs in relation to salvation and why obedience matters after a person believes.
Before you continue

  • Where does belief occur in relation to baptism?
  • What does the passage teach baptism means or pictures?
  • What should a believer do because Christ commanded baptism?
KEY TRUTH

Baptism is worth doing because Jesus Christ commanded it. The authority behind baptism is Christ's authority.

UP NEXT

Who Should Be Baptized?

18 min

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