
A Baptism that is Pleasing to God
April 23rd, 1967 @ 10:50 AM
Matthew 3:13-17
Related Topics
Blood, Lord's Supper, Ordinances, Public Confession, Regeneration, Salvation, Sign, Transubstantiation, Trinity, Life Of Christ - Matthew, 1967, Matthew
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QUMRAN AND JOHN THE BAPTIST
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Matthew 3:1-13
1-19-69
I. Introduction
A. John the Baptist in the wilderness (Matthew 3:1-6, Luke 3:1-2)
B. Where he grew up, preached and baptized was Qumran
C. Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran
II. The
community of Qumran compared with John the Baptist
A. Asceticism
1. Of the Qumran community
a. Separate from the corruption and evil of the world
b. Came as a result of Maccabean degeneration
2. Of John the Baptist
a. A man in communion with God before he is sent out (1 Kings 19:15-16)
b. He was conversant with whole stream of history (Mark 6:18, Matthew 14:8)
3. It is God’s will that we be salt and light
B. Ablutions of Qumran and baptism of John the Baptist
1. Qumran had many ceremonial washings, ritualistic bathings (John 3:23-26)
2. Baptism of John an initiatory rite, not repeated
3. First time world saw a man baptize another was when John did it
III. The
meaning of the ordinance
A. To John, a sign of purification
B. It signifies the death, burial, resurrection of our Lord
C. God gave him the pattern (John 1:19-21, 33, Exodus 25:9, 40, Matthew 21:25)
D. No burial and resurrection, no gospel and no
baptism (Romans 6:4)
E. Jesus put the baptism of John into the heart of
the church (Matthew 3:13-17, 28:19, Acts
8:36-39)
F. We can’t do much for God; but what we can, we
ought (Psalms 50:10-12, Haggai 2:8)