Baptism in the Great Commission

Introduction

Would you grab your New Testaments and go with me to the book of Matthew, chapter 28? Matthew chapter 28. Our Bible reading this morning was from Mark chapter 16. And I wanted to begin our lesson with its corresponding passage in Matthew chapter 28. I’m positive it did not escape your attention that we recently observed the 75th anniversary of D Day. I just completed in remembrance of that day, I just completed reading a book that highlighted the true stories of many women’s role in that invasion. Spoke of some British spies who lived and worked in France with the resistance and the role that they played in not just freeing France, not just winning the war, but in particular the role they played in the lead up and in the victory of D Day.

It’s always amazing when you study that part of history to realize how important that day was. It hinged the war, the success of the Allies in the war, hinged on that one day and the execution of all the multiple parts on that one day. And how possibly how vastly different our world today would be if the instructions given were not carried out properly on that day, some seventy-five years ago. It would be hard to overestimate the importance of that day, and of the instructions that were given by the military and political leaders that led up to that day.

But that day pales in comparison. The instructions that were given down the chain of command pale in comparison to the instructions our Lord gave to these eleven men. If you think about the Great Commission, it should boggle the mind that our Savior would come at the end of the ages to fulfill all of the prophecy, all of the plan of God, in his own person, to sacrifice, to give himself upon that cross for our sins, so that a message could be preached, a message of salvation, to not just those of that present time, but up until today. And that all of that hinged upon the instructions that he would give these eleven men.

They were often accused of being untrained and uneducated, not up to the task, in other words. They often fought among themselves as to who was going to be the greatest. I don’t know that we would have been much better, but they weren’t always the most perceptive group. Because Jesus had told them on numerous occasions what he was there to do. That he was not there to set up some earthly reign, some earthly kingdom, but he was there to die. And to be fair, sometimes that language was somewhat cryptic. He would say, destroy this temple and I’ll build it again in three days. But it was also at many times very pointed and we would think unmistakable. But they didn’t get it. As soon as a month before the giving of this great commission, they were a rattled group.

I don’t know that we truly appreciate what the death of Judas would have done to these remaining eleven men. What the betrayal of one of their own.

Jesus was denied by Peter himself. And the others who were maybe not as open in their denial, denied him as well by fleeing in the time of trial. And as to this group, Jesus says, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Look with me in Matthew chapter 28 in verse 16 beginning. Matthew 28, verse 16 says, Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted. Then the eleven disciples came to Jesus, and Jesus spoke to them, saying in verse 18, all authority hath been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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 things that I have commanded you.

And lo, I’m with you always, even to the end of the age. This morning I want to talk to you about that commission that we call the Great Commission. It is great because, compared to its predecessor, it is unlimited in its scope, but it’s also great because of what it accomplished. Go into all the world and make disciples. But I don’t want to just talk about that great commission. I want to talk about the role that baptism played in that great commission. If we think about the importance of this event, the earth shattering importance of a commission given to these poorly qualified men who were to do the unthinkable, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everybody, making disciples of them. If we think about the fundamental, the foundational importance and impact of this Great Commission, it stands to reason that baptism and the role that baptism played in this fundamental and foundational and earth-shattering commission is equally important.

1. By Its Very Inclusion, Baptism Is of Unique Importance

So let’s spend our time this morning talking about baptism, but more specifically, baptism in the Great Commission. One thing that we notice about baptism in the Great Commission, it should stand out to us, is that by its very inclusion, baptism is of unique importance. To argue otherwise is to diminish the importance of this commission itself. Its very inclusion in this commission. That when Jesus said to these eleven soon to begin to be 12 men, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And that gospel, he said, that good news was, again, he said, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Mark’s account would tell us specifically what Jesus said, that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

The inclusion of baptism speaks of its unique importance. Because if you think about it, as important as this text is, as important as the Great Commission is, it really takes up very little text in our New Testament, doesn’t it? If you combined the words of Matthew 28 with the words of Mark 16, it would still be a short reading, wouldn’t it? And in this short, albeit ultimately important commission, recorded in very few words, that the Holy Spirit decided that among the few words that we’re given at least, baptism is included. That says something, doesn’t it? Just the fact that it’s included says that it’s important. But that it is included for us in both accounts, Matthew and Mark’s account of the giving of this great commission, speaks of the unique importance that baptism played.

It is singled out and separated. That is not to say, and it’s not our argument this morning, that baptism is the only thing, nor is it the only part of this Great Commission, but it stands to reason that because it is not only included, but it is singled out and separated, that it in the eyes of God holds ultimate importance. Baptism is important. It’s not, are you still there in Matthew chapter 28? Verse 20 would go on to say, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded. Baptism is not a part of the all things. The other stuff that Jesus said that I’ve told you that you will tell them. Is that important? The all things that I’ve commanded? Absolutely, it’s important. But baptism, it could be argued, is of utmost importance, of unique importance, because it is not a part of the all things that I’ve commanded you.

That it is singled out and it is separated, and it’s included uniquely. There are other New Testament passages that speak to the importance, the unique importance of baptism. We could spend our entire three hours together this morning looking at those passages, couldn’t we? But let’s just look at a couple others. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. There are many other New Testament passages where baptism stands apart and takes some place of unique importance in the gospel message. And one of those places in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, interestingly enough, I’m going to make the argument that baptism stands as a place of unique importance in a passage of Scripture that many people turn to to diminish the importance of baptism. First Corinthians chapter 1, beginning in verse 10, he says, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

For it has been declared to me concerning you, brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now, this I say, that each of you says, I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I baptized in my own name. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be of no effect. Again, this is a passage that some of our religious friends would point to to say, see, baptism’s not all that important.

Because Paul said, I’m glad I didn’t baptize but a couple of you. But if you really look at this passage in its context, it says just the opposite. It is saying that baptism is of such unique importance that in an area such as carrent, where you have this tendency to have this party spirit, to line yourselves up with people, that if I would have had baptized physically, literally done the act of immersing you in water, that if I’d done that to more of you, that would have just increased the party spirit. You see, what Paul is saying is baptism, Corinthians. Baptism is so important, and you understand its importance, that you have so understood its importance that to some degree that you have misunderstood it in saying that it’s important who actually did the act of baptizing.

Paul says baptism’s important, yes, but not the one who physically administered it. But do you see how baptism was elevated in their minds by the preaching of the gospel? In fact, in this verse, look there in verse 13. This passage teaches that baptism is so important that it’s in the most exclusive company. The body of Christ and Christ’s crucifixion. Look in verse 13. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? You see the exclusive company there in verse 13, the body of whose body is it, he says.

Who was crucified? Was it not Jesus Christ? And into whom were you baptized? It was not Paul, but you were baptized into Christ Jesus. Do you see that this passage actually argues for the importance, and I would say the unique importance. And we would understand that Paul’s commission could not be materially different than that of Jesus Christ, who said, go into all the world, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This same Apostle Paul, turn over to Ephesians chapter 4. This same apostle Paul would put baptism in another important list. In Ephesians chapter 4, beginning in verse 4, he says, there is one body, one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.

Do you see the company that baptism is keeping? The body again, God, the Father, faith, hope, baptism. And so from the very beginning of the preaching of the gospel, of the sending out of this important commission, we understand the unique importance that baptism plays.

While frankly admitting that this does not put baptism in a category by itself, because it is coupled with faith. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. We recognize the unique importance that faith plays in the Great Commission. The unique importance that faith plays in becoming and being a child of God. And so baptism is the only important thing, but it stands in a list of important things. And so we make no apologies. We make no apologies when preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We too put unique importance upon the subject of baptism. It’s not us, it’s our Lord in the Great Commission who said, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That’s the next thing that we see about importance and its role in the Great Commission, that Jesus said that they were to go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, and baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

2. Baptizing Them Into the Name Of

What does it mean to baptize them into the name of? Well, we understand that the name intrinsically is related to the person himself. And so when it says baptizing him into the name of the Father, it’s baptizing him into the Father. Baptizing into the name of the Son is baptizing them into the Son. Baptizing them into the name of the Holy Spirit means that we’re baptized into the Holy Spirit. This makes it, again, of unique importance. And it puts us into an ownership relationship with God in Christ Jesus. Look with me in the book of Romans, chapter 6, again, this apostle Paul, who would, by his own omission, Romans chapter 6, by his own admission would become late to the commission, but who nonetheless preached and lived under this same great commission, who went into all the world and preached the gospel to every creature, and who taught baptism as a part of that great commission.

Notice what he said in Romans chapter 6 in this familiar text to those who had responded and benefited from that great commission. He says this, Romans 6, beginning in verse 3, or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. That’s what it means to be baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We were baptized into him, into his death. Paul would say the same thing to the Galatian brethren in Galatians chapter 3.

3. Baptism Becomes a New Condition

That we put on Christ in baptism. Another thing that we noticed about the Great Commission and the inclusion of baptism into the Great Commission is that this becomes a new condition. The Great Commission, again, cannot be cannot be overstated the importance of this commission. It was a new instruction. Because everything had been changed. And although you could easily argue that baptism existed before the giving of the Great Commission, historians tell us that maybe even Jews in some way practiced some kind of baptism to the proselytes. Certainly the baptism of John, who went about in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, predated the baptism of the Great Commission. But the baptism of the Great Commission was a new condition. Because even John’s baptism, which was a baptism for the remission of sins, even John’s baptism was not into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Baptism into Christ Jesus that Paul would so eloquently discuss is something brand new. In fact, it could be argued that the faith of the Great Commission is a new condition. As Bible students, you know, faith has always been important to God. Faith has always been required. Faith even predated the old covenant, the law of Moses. But the faith of the Great Commission is still new. Look in Romans chapter 10. This condition is new because it’s not just faith in God as the creator. The faith of the Great Commission is new because it is faith in Jesus Christ. Never before had that been placed as a condition of God’s rewards and blessings. In Romans chapter 10 and verse 9 says, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

That’s why the faith of the Old Testament is no longer good enough. Because we have to believe not just that there is a God and then he created this world, but we have to believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. And so when Jesus sent these men off and told them to preach, and that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He was declaring a new message, a new gospel that we now live under. We recognize the importance, the absolute importance of faith to the relationship of God and Jesus Christ. Let us also recognize the importance of baptism to that relationship. What’s interesting to note that in there in Matthew chapter 28, when Jesus gave that great commission, he told them to go into all the world and make disciples.

4. Make Disciples

Make disciples. That was the operative term. The word disciples just simply means a follower. Someone who learns about and then therefore follows the message and the person who ultimately delivered that message.

He said, make disciples.

I’m also not saying they cannot be reasoned. But it’s not up to us to decide what’s important.

It’s not up to us to decide and to reason what condition makes sense and reconciles with other things that God tells us to do. We were called to be disciples. And a disciple simply says, speak, for your servant hears. When Jesus tells us to believe and to be baptized. When those men who carried out that great commission said, Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins. What is my responsibility? Is it my responsibility to analyze that and see if that fits with my view of the grace of God and the conditions of God? Which I believe can easily and effectively be done. But is it my job to simply say, Yes, Lord? That’s what those on the day of Pentecost who first heard that great commission declared, did.

Conclusion

That’s what those over and over and over again in the book of Acts. That’s what those Roman brethren to whom Paul says you were baptized into his death. That’s what they did. They heard the message and they obeyed it. That’s our responsibility is to preach the message and obey it. Would you bow with me?

Dear God and Father in heaven, we’re so thankful. We’re thankful ultimately to you, our Father, for the love, the wisdom that you had. And we can see that manifold wisdom through your Son and through His body, the church. We’re so thankful for your Son and our Savior. His willingness not to be a part of that plan of salvation, but to be that salvation. We’re so thankful for His love, His sacrifice, and His willingness. Father, we’re thankful for these men who accepted their commission and who preached that message to the whole world.

Gave them the words to say. Preserve that word for us up until this time, that where we can read and understand and be your disciples. Father, give us a heart of humility, that we may simply obey, that we might come to you for that salvation and for that life. And put within us, Father, a spirit of eagerness to spread that message to others, to not be selfish with the blessings that we’ve received, but to boldly yet meekly declare your word and your love to this dying world. Be with us this day. May your name be honored. May we praise you in the presence of not only the people here, but the angels in heaven. We’re thankful again for your love and for your salvation. In your holy son’s name we pray.

Amen.