AVBC - Sunday 03/01/26 - Sermon Title: “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” (Part 2 of 7) - John 3:1-17

Sunday 03/01/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” (Part 2 of 7) - John 3:1-17

 

(Welcome Picture)

          I have a question for us to think about this morning. This question might not be directly connected to us, but it will connect more to us as this message goes on. The question is this, were all of Jesus Christ’s followers on earth all regular working-class people? Meaning, were all of Jesus’ followers’ “regular people”? Or were some of Jesus’ followers very high up in society, and very affluent? You may have never thought about this question before, as the fisherman that Jesus called were hard working, and what we would often call “blue collar” workers. Were all of Jesus’ followers on earth like this though, or did and do all sorts of people follow Jesus?

          The answer is all sorts of people did and do still follow Jesus. For these reasons, and more, my message this morning is called of Jesus, “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him.” This is part of this sermon series called “The Path to the Empty Tomb,” as this sermon series will end with the empty tomb of Jesus on Easter or Resurrection Sunday.

Getting back to the sermon title of “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him” though, if all sorts of people followed Jesus, and if wealthy and affluent people also followed Jesus, this means in our country and around the world there must be wealthy and prominent people that claim to be devout Christians and followers of Jesus Christ. There are people that believe in and love Jesus, it included people from all walks of life. In fact, having shown some of the portraits at in the entrance area to the sanctuary, this church has had some very significant and prominent members over the years. I say all of this to point us to the fact that Jesus calls everyone, and that people of all walks of life respond to that call. It begs the question then, who is part of the Christian Church? Historically and even today, all sorts of people are part of the church, for we all need Jesus. Amen.

          In doing a little research of very wealthy and prominent people that followed Jesus just during his life here are on earth, here is a brief list that I found:

“Wealthy and prominent followers of Jesus during his lifetime included Joseph of Arimathea (a wealthy Sanhedrin member who provided a tomb), Nicodemus (a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews), and women supporters such as Joanna (wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward) and Susanna. Other notable followers included Zacchaeus (a wealthy chief tax collector) and likely Lazarus of Bethany” (https://www.google.com/search?q=wealthy+and+prominent+followers+of+jesus+when+he+was+alive).

 

          For those that do not know, when Jesus was put in the tomb on that first Good Friday, after he died on the cross, it was not his tomb. The tomb that Jesus was buried or laid in belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, who was a wealthy member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. Meaning that Jesus was literally put in another man’s tomb on Good Friday. Since Jesus was buried or laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and since Joseph of Arimathea was part of the Sanhedrin, just what is the Sanhedrin? Here is a good definition:

“The Sanhedrin was the supreme Jewish legislative, judicial, and administrative council in ancient Israel” (https://www.google.com/search?q=did+the+sandherin+try+Jesus+on+Good+Friday).

          This means that early in the morning on that first Good Friday that this was the same group of leaders that tried Jesus and determined that he needed to die for claiming that He was God in the flesh. In fact, they tore their robes, which they only did in response to the most grievous of religious blasphemy.

(Joseph of Arimathea taking Jesus’s body - Picture)

          After Jesus was taken off the cross on Good Friday, at the request of the Sanhedrin member Joseph of Arimathea to Pontius Pilate. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus then prepared Jesus’ body and buried or entombed him together.

Nicodemus though is who I want to focus on this morning, as “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him.” Before getting into talking about Nicodemus though, who here honestly has never heard of the character in the bible named Nicodemus?

(Nicodemus/Jeff Foxworthy - Picture)

If you do not know who Nicodemus is, you will be by the end of this sermon! For he is important.

          Nicodemus was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were teachers and interpreters of the Jewish Law and beliefs. Nicodemus was a very influential man, and likely of man wealth and certainly influence. Nicodemus also could not deny everything that he saw Jesus do and could not fully explain Jesus’ teachings. As a result, Nicodemus came to Jesus in the middle of the night to figure out once and for all, just who is this Jesus.

(Nicodemus at the Table with Jesus - Picture)

          In looking at our gospel of John 3:1-17 reading for this morning, it says, once again:

Nicodemus Visits Jesus

3 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ ³ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ ⁵ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶ What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” ⁸ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ ⁹ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹ ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶ ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷ ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (Jn. 3:1-17, NRSV).

 

So, to summarize and explain John 3:1-17 once again:

Nicodemus was a first-century Jewish Pharisee, and also a member of the Sanhedrin council, like Joseph of Arimathea and a "teacher of Israel" who secretly revered Jesus. Featured only in the Gospel of John, he is known for visiting Jesus at night to learn about the kingdom of God, prompting Jesus to explain the necessity of being "born again" (John 3:1-21).

Key Interactions and Role:

·       The Night Visit (John 3): As a cautious seeker, Nicodemus approached Jesus at night, acknowledging him as a teacher from God. Jesus taught him that seeing the kingdom requires being born of water and the Spirit.

·       Defender of Jesus (John 7): When the Pharisees sought to arrest Jesus, Nicodemus interrupted to demand a fair trial according to the law

·       Burial of Jesus (John 19): Following the crucifixion, Nicodemus openly identified with Jesus by helping Joseph of Arimathea bury him, bringing a massive, expensive mixture of myrrh and aloes (about 100 pounds) to prepare the body. 

 

Specifically, it says this of the burial of Jesus in John 19:38-42, which mentioned just a minute ago:

The Burial of Jesus

 

³⁸ After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. ³⁹ Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. ⁴⁰ They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹ Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. ⁴² And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there (Jn. 19:38-42, NRSV).

          Not only did Joseph of Arimathea follow and love Jesus, but so did Nicodemus. It has always made me wonder, as well, if there were other Pharisees, members of the Sanhedrin, and the Sadducees who also secretly followers of Jesus? I mean everyone has but one life to give up, but when people of wealth and prominence follow Christ, sometimes historically they have given up a lot.

          At the one of the churches that I served for five-years, there was a Christian Men’s organization that every year would offer, for free, lawn signs saying something about the coming birth of Jesus Christ. As I was writing this sermon, I thought of a lawn sign we were given one year that spoke of so much of this sermon for this morning. You see, one year the lawn signs that we had said of Jesus, “Wise Men Still Seek Him:

(Wise Men Still Seek Him - Picture)

You see the Wise Men or Magi were men of wealth and influence, and yet they traveled a long distance to see this Christ, this savior that came into the world. The hope of Jesus Christ is universal, and we all need His love, His grace, His mercy, and the hope that only He can offer everyone.

To me Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were Godly men. They were both willing to admit when they were wrong, ask tough questions, and they were both willing to learn and grow. Nicodemus once again went to Jesus in the middle of the night because he just had to know. I still believe, once again, without knowing for certain that other wealthy affluent people secretly believed in and followed Jesus but did not want to pay the price of what following Him meant. You see my brothers and sisters to follow Christ as Lord and Savior will and continues to cost us something. If much of the world is against the gospel, then we will pay a price for those that oppose it.

For example, if you look at the painting up front here in the sanctuary of the “Rich Young Ruler,” which is a parable in the gospels of Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18. In this parable, the “Rich Young Ruler” sees Jesus and tells Him that he has done everything right religiously, followed all the scriptures to the letter, etc. So, he asks Jesus, what else he needs to do to have eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell everything he owns, give the money to the poor, and follow Him. The “Rich Young Ruler,” looks sad and walks away from Jesus. Then Jesus says in Matthew 19:23-24 this:

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God’ (Matt. 19:23-24, NRSV).

          It is not a sin to be successful, and it is not a sin have wealth, but it is a sin to put anything before Jesus. It is a sin worship wealth and possession over God, and pastor that painted this portrait with chalk reminded us that Christ has to be first in our live. The “Rich Young Ruler” however, loved his possessions and wealth more than Jesus. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea risked a lot to follow Jesus, as do many. However, sometimes it seems that the more possessions and the more someone has, it can make it harder to choose Jesus first.

          Further, the ministry of Jesus, and of many in the early church, was assisted financially by people of wealth and influence. For “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him.”

          To bring this all home the, why is Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea for that matter, important the life of Jesus, and why do “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him?”

Here is why:

Nicodemus is a crucial figure in the Gospel of John, representing the intellectual, religious elite who journeys from cautious skepticism to open discipleship. As a Pharisee and Sanhedrin ruler, his nighttime visit (John 3) highlights the need for spiritual rebirth, while his later defense of Jesus (John 7) and assisting with the burial (John 19) mark his transition from darkness to light.

 

Key Reasons for Importance:

 

·       The "Born Again" Discourse (John 3): Nicodemus serves as the foil for Jesus to explain the necessity of being "born again" (spiritual regeneration) and belief in the Son of Man to enter the Kingdom of God, providing the context for John 3:16.

·       Symbol of Transformation (Night to Light): He starts by coming at night (symbolizing ignorance or fear) but gradually moves toward the light, representing a journey of faith that moves beyond rigid legalism to understanding.

·       Representative of Seeking Elite: Unlike many Pharisees, Nicodemus acknowledges Jesus as a teacher sent by God, showing that even within the religious establishment, some were drawn to Jesus.

·       A Voice of Reason (John 7): He advocates for fairness within the Sanhedrin, asking if the law can judge someone without hearing them, demonstrating his growing courage.

·       The Burial of Jesus (John 19): Alongside Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus provides a large amount of spices to bury Jesus, showing his open devotion and wealth, defying the typical "secret disciple" status. 

 

Nicodemus represents a personal, intellectual, and ultimately committed journey to faith, contrasting with the superficial belief of others. 

 

          So, on this “Path to the Empty Tomb” of Easter morning, may we understand why “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him,” along with every walk of life. For truth, hope, love, and salvation are available to all through Jesus Christ. We seek Him, may we service Him, and may He be the very center of our lives and beings. Amen.

AVBC - Sunday 02/22/26 - Sermon Title: “First Comes the Trial and the Training!” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” (Part 1 of 7) - Luke 4:1-13, Romans 10:8-13

 Sunday 02/22/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “First Comes the Trial and the Training!” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” (Part 1 of 7) - Luke 4:1-13, Romans 10:8-13

 

 

(Welcome Picture)

          I have a question for us all to consider this morning. Here is the question, how many of us have ever had to train or prepare for something? I think of the Winter Olympics, as Olympians from all over the world have been training for years to represent their countries, this year, in Italy, and hopefully win a medal. Some of us, when we started a new job, went through training for that job. Some of us might have gone to college, vocational school, or something else in order to train and to be qualified for a job, or something else. In fact, I went through the training to lead our upcoming “Grief Share” class to be better prepared to lead that group. Further, athletes in our schools practice, train, and get ready to compete. After all, who does not love a Spartan victory, right South Jeff. folks! The original Spartan soldiers from centuries ago were some of the fiercest and well-trained soldiers in the known world at the time.

          Training and preparing are natural parts of life. As I talk about this, we can probably think of the various training and preparations that we have had. What were they? What are they? What will they be? If someone wants to become a doctor they go to medical school and then spend at least three years of training as a resident doctor, before they become full medical doctor. For example, I am currently taking a ten-week class to learn even more about the history and the heritage of the Baptist movement. Am I doing this because I have too? No, but I am learning, training, and preparing, as we all are in various ways.

What if I told you all, that in a way Jesus also went through His own training, preparation, and certainly His own trials? I have given this type of sermon before at the beginning of this season of Lent that we now find ourselves in. I will talk a little bit more about what Lent is a little later in this message though.

(Show Basic Training Picture)

One year though I called a sermon similar to this, “Jesus’ Basic Training!” You see, before a soldier is officially in the military as a full enlisted soldier, they must first complete basic training. Which means it is possible to fail basic training and have to then re-take basic training again! This training though, once again, is required, and prepares soldiers to serve in the various branches of the armed forces in which they have enlisted. No doubt this basic training has its challenges and its trials. No doubt you will be pushed, made better and prepared. In a way, Jesus goes through His own training and His own time of preparation.

In our gospel of Luke 4:1-13 reading for this morning, Jesus had just been baptized by His cousin John the Baptist. Yet, before he started his three-year public ministry here on earth, as my sermon title for this morning is called, “First Comes the Trial and the Training!” In fact, in the first part of Luke 3:23 this is what the gospel says:

²³ Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work                         (Lk. 3:23a, NRSV). 

After this, in the rest of the gospel of Luke chapter 3 we read of Jesus ancestors, going back to the very beginning. This no doubt was done to prove Jesus’ lineage, further proving that he was indeed the Messiah, the savior of the world.

          Then right after this, we hear in Luke 4:1-2, subtitled in my bible,                    “The Temptation of Jesus,” once again:

4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished                       (Lk. 4:1-2, NRSV).

We have accounts of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but not John’s gospel. The purpose of this forty-day temptation is to show us that Jesus prepared and trained, in a way, for His three years of preaching, teaching, healing, and loving on this earth. Or as my sermon title for this morning is called, once again, “First Come the Trial and the Training!”

          Some of us so often can think of Jesus and gentle and mild, and He was and is those things. The same Jesus though, is also as tough as nails, as this same Jesus stood toe to toe with the greatest evil that this world has ever seen, and He won! While was Jesus the pinnacle of love, compassion, mercy, and kindness on this earth, he also was and is a spiritual warrior. Dare I say, “Spartan” like. This Jesus never taught or advocated violence or war, but no doubt Jesus had spiritual strength stronger than the mightiest warrior.

As we continue to look in our gospel reading from Luke 4:1-13, we pick back up Luke 4:3, where Jesus had just spent forty-days fasting and being tempted by the devil, This is what is says, once again:

(Show Picture of the Three Temptation of Jesus by the Devil)

³ The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ ⁴ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.”’ ⁵ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. ⁷ If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ ⁸ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’ ⁹ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, ¹¹ and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’ ¹² Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ ¹³ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time         (Lk. 4:3-13, NRSV).

          The gospel of Luke 4:1-13 reading for this morning tells us that Jesus fasted and was tempted in the wilderness for forty-days. The Bible says that Noah was on the waters in the ark for forty days. The Bible says that Israelites wandered the wilderness for forty-years. Moses was on the top of Mount Sinai for forty-days communing with God before he brought the ten-commandments down, etc. and etc. In fact,

“In the Bible, the number 40 signifies a period of testing, trial, probation, or preparation, appearing over 150 times to mark significant transitions or judgment” (https://www.google.com/search?q=number+40+meaning+in+the+bible&rlz=).

          This is why, once again, my sermon title for this morning is called, “First Comes the Trial and the Training!” I guess it would also be a very biblical reason to make military basic training 40-days, as well! Jesus could have fasted and been tempted by the devil for 20-days, 60-days, and so on and so forth, but in the Bible

“the number 40 signifies a period of testing, trial, probation, or preparation”.

This means that even the number of the days that Jesus fasted and was tempted in the wilderness, in and of themselves, was significant. It also means that Jesus was and is the Christ. He was the only person that ever crossed the horizon of this world and overcame all evil and sin. He therefore is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.

          For us though, how would we do in the wilderness for forty-days being tempted by the devil? Would we make it through forty days of fasting and the temptations? Most people would die without food after a month. Further, if we were starved and that hungry, would we take the devil’s offer to turn stones into bread? In that weakened and emaciated state would we accept the offer to bow to the devil and pledge our loyalty to him in exchange for wealth, power, and more? If so, what would our price be? Would it be $50,000 dollars, one million dollars, or something else? Lastly, if the devil took us to the top of a building much taller than this church, and told us to throw ourselves off because angels would save us, would we do it? Even more, why does the devil get so mad when we do some much good? We live in a world that has both good and evil in it, and we must prayerfully, individually, and as a church resist evil and anything opposite of the love of Christ. So, if we were in the place of Jesus, how long would we make it in the wilderness? Jesus is strong, and is Lord of all, because He passed every test, stayed true, and died our spiritual death for us on the cross.

          I also remember years ago when It was teaching a social studies lesson, when I was a social studies teacher. I was teaching my students about the cause and effect we as people and as countries have on each other. I was also talking about greed, war, and power. I asked my students as part of this lesson, this question:

“If one-hundred people in a third world country that you have probably never heard of, and will never visit, had to die for you to be given ten-million dollars, would you do it?”

          To my shock as a young high school teacher at the time, about 10-15% of my students raised their hands, and unbelievably they had assorted reasons why they would be ok with this. Of course, one or two of the students raised their hands just to be funny, but some would actually be ok with one hundred people they met dying for them to get ten million dollars. I remembered that story, because when the devil took Jesus to the cliff’s edge after his forty-days of fasting and temptation, he offered Jesus the entire world if He would just worship him. The big question then is what is your price? What is my price? I hope all of us will say that our integrity, that our souls, and that our humanity is not or will even be for sale.

          The second scripture that I read this morning was Romans 10:8-13, once again. In this scripture, it says this, once again:

⁸ But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ¹¹ The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. ¹³ For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Rom. 10:8-13, NRSV).

          Anyone who believes in Jesus, has an eternal future, and has an eternal hope. We are called to live and love like Jesus, but sometimes it seems like that things in this world might try to tare us down. This morning, Jesus resisted and fasted for forty-days, and then He bested the devil and everyone else that sought to destroy Him. For these reasons and many more, my allegiance to Jesus is absolute, because He has never failed us, and He never will. This same Jesus taught us a radical new way of living and loving. In this, wait for it, in this forty-day season of Lent, we are called to be more and more like Jesus. For the more we live and love like Him the better Adams is, the better we are, and the better the world will be.

          With this said, this past Wednesday on February 18^th this year, we started the season of Lent. This season goes through Maundy Thursday or as it is called in some traditions Holy Thursday, ending on Good Friday. The way we get away with the forty-days, is Sundays are “freebie days” that do not count as part of a Lenten observance. So then, “What is Lent?”

(Show the “What is Lent” picture)

Here is a good definition of what the season of Lent is:

Lent is a 40-day (excluding Sundays) Christian liturgical season of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, starting on Ash Wednesday and ending before Easter. It signifies a period of repentance, spiritual renewal, and preparation for Easter, mimicking the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness (https://www.google.com/search?q=What+is+lent&rlz).

          Is Lent or Advent in the Bible? The answer is no. However, there are many number forties in the Bible, and as we know this is a period of “testing, trial, probation, or preparation.” Studying for a Regents exam is a period of “testing, trial, probation, or preparation.”

          Over the first centuries of the early worshipping Christian Church, early Christians began developing Christian seasons of the year. The season Advent that leads up to Christmas, and the season of Lent that leads up to Good Friday, and then Easter, we created and developed. Why? As opportunities to prepares ours hearts, our souls, our minds, our hands and our feet for the birth and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. In this season of Lent, and always we are called to grow closer to Christ and move deeper into the love of Christ. Hopefully, our Lenten devotions we have at the back of the church sanctuary can help with this. We can also give up, give away, serve, sacrifice, and abstain, but not to hurt and or punish ourselves. Instead, we are invited to this during Lent to grow closer to Christ, grow deeper in the love of Christ, and in deeper in our love and service to others. Some Christian traditions begin the season of Lent on what is called “Ash Wednesday,” and on this day people get ashes on there foreheads that look like a cross. These ashes are from the palms that were waved on Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem. They are burned into ashes and are used in churches that celebrate “Ash Wednesday.” So, the triumph turns into a tragedy, if you will.

          All this to say, this season that we find ourselves, this season of Lent is an opportunity, but not a requirement. I am observing this season, as I want to grow closer to Christ, and be better equipped to serve Him and others even better. So, as result, and this will be hard for me. I am giving up Pizza for Lent. No pizza until Easter for me. This mean next month when we have pizza with the pastor, you have a pastor and a pizza, but no pastor eating that pizza. I hope this draws me closer to Christ and does not just depress me!

          So how does this forty-day trial and temptation of Jesus, the season of Lent, and our lives connect to all of this. Or to put it another way: how does this message of “First Comes the Trial and the Training!” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Series (Part 1 of 7), matter to us today. Here is summary and application points from this morning’s message:

In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus fasts for 40 days in the wilderness, filled with the Holy Spirit and tempted by the devil to abuse his power, seek worldly glory, and test God. Jesus overcomes these temptations by quoting Scripture, demonstrating faithful reliance on God. This passage frames the season of Lent as a 40-day, spirit-led journey of fasting, prayer, and spiritual warfare.

 

Summary of Luke 4:1-13: The Temptation in the Wilderness

 

·       The Setting: Immediately after his baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert for 40 days, symbolizing a period of preparation and testing.

 

·       The Three Temptations:

1.    Physical Need (Stones to Bread): Satan tempts a hungry Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus replies, "One does not live by bread alone" (Deut. 8:3).

 

2.    Power and Authority: Satan offers all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. Jesus responds, "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only" (Deut. 6:13).

 

3.    Testing God (Temple Jump): Satan urges Jesus to throw himself from the temple to prove God's protection. Jesus replies, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test" (Deut. 6:16).

 

·       The Outcome: Having failed, the devil leaves until a more opportune time, and Jesus begins his ministry strengthened.  

 

Connection to the Season of Lent

 

·       40-Day Parallel: Lent mirrors the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, serving as a time for Christians to retreat, reflect, and prepare themselves spiritually.

 

·       Preparation for Ministry: Just as Jesus prepared for his mission, Lent is a time for Christians to renew their baptismal identity and focus on their calling.

 

·       Overcoming Temptation: The season calls for confronting personal temptations—pride, greed, and selfishness—through prayer, fasting, and Scripture, just as Jesus did.

 

·       Focus on God: It is a time to move away from worldly desires (the "desert" experience) and rely solely on God's word (https://www.google.com/search?q=how+is+Luke+4%3A1-3+and+lent+connected&rlz).

As we move forward in this season of Lent on “The Path to the Empty Tomb” of Easter, may we train, equip, and become more and more like Jesus. Happy Lent! Amen. 

AVBC - Sunday 02/15/26 - Sermon Title: “Why Baptism Matters!” – Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:19

 Sunday 02/15/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “Why Baptism Matters!” –

                                Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:19                                                  

 

          I have a question for us all to consider this morning. The question is this, how many of us have been baptized? Further, how many of us have been baptized as an infant or a child? Even further, how many of us were baptized when we were old enough to understand and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior for ourselves? Even further still, how many of us were baptized as a baby or a child, and then baptized again by immersion, or going under the water, again later in life? Or to say another way, who here has been baptized twice?

          I ask all of these questions, because dear brothers and sisters, in the Christian faith, Baptism matters! Baptism historically is the mark of a Christian, and the entry point into the church here on earth. The way that a Jewish baby boy would historically be circumcised on his eighth day of life, as a sign that he was a Jew, baptism in the mark or the sign of a Christian. It is the “new circumcision” if you will.

In this church we practice what we often call “Believer’s Baptism.” By this I mean that we wait until someone is old enough to understand faith in Christ, to the extent that they can come to Christ as Lord and Savior. In response to repenting, coming to Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, we baptized this person who has professed their faith in Christ. This profession is before us all here, and then in response, we baptize the person by immersion in our baptistry. We baptize by immersion because Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River in the same fashion.

          While many traditions of Christianity baptize infants and children, we believe that a person should have the choice to not only believe in Jesus Christ but should also have the choice to be baptized. If someone has faith in Christ, they have been forgiven, and they receive salvation and eternity. The next step is then getting baptized as a sign, or a symbol that we are new creation in our Lord Jesus Christ. In serving as a pastor in another tradition for a number of years I have baptized babies, children, and adults. While I respect traditions that practice baptism differently, I believe in “Believer’s Baptism” because it gives the person the choice to be or not be baptized. Since Jesus was baptized by immersion or going under the water and coming back up, I believe this is the way that we should baptize. There can be exceptions if someone is gravely ill or paralyzed for example. In fact, our church constitution says of baptism that the person has the choice of “immersion or sprinkling.” In being baptized we spiritually die with Christ, we go under the water, similar to Christ going into the tomb, and then we comb out the water to new spiritual life. This symbolizes Jesus rising from the dead.

          You might have noticed that I lifted my hand at the beginning of this sermon as being baptized as an infant, but not by immersion. I was baptized at month old in 1981 by mother’s childhood Roman Catholic Priest. This priest was a veteran of World War II, was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army, and was part of the famed “Bataan Death March” in the Philippines, where soldiers marched from April 9–17, 1942. Many American soldiers died during this march to the POW camp. This changed this person that became my mother’s Childhood priest, and he was a man of great love and compassion, even though I do not remember him at all.

          When I pastored two churches at the same time in the Finger Lakes region of New York, one of my piano players, and a dear friend, was and is part of the Salvation Army. In the Salvation Army, he taught me that there is no water Baptism. In Matthew 3:11 it says this:

¹¹ ‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:11, NRSV).

          In my friend’s tradition, there is no water baptism of any kind, yet they believe in having a powerful experience with the Holy Spirit as baptism. My mother Susan tends to lean more in this direction, and after some strong conversations, we have decided to agree to disagree. Once again in the scripture that I read this morning from Matthew 28:19, Jesus gives us what many call “The Great Commission.” Once again Matthew 28:19 says:

¹⁹ 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, (Mt. 28:19, NRSV).

          The vast majority of Christians for nearly two-thousands because of scriptures like Matthew 28:19 and others, have believed in some sort of water baptism. Further, the vast majority of Christians for nearly two-thousand years, have believed upon Jesus’ command or “Great Commission” to His disciples and to us to baptize in the name “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The variations of water baptism, in which the vast majority of Christian traditions practice are based upon tradition, interpretation of scripture, and theological reasons.

          Our reading for this morning from Matthew 3:13-17 says for this morning, once again:

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ (Matt. 3:13-17, NRSV).

          Jesus is baptized by his cousin John the Baptist by immersion. Some might say “came up from the water” might mean that Jesus was walking up the banks of the Jordan River after he was baptized by the sprinkling water, but the vast majority of people think that Jesus was immersed in the Jordan River by His cousin John the Baptist. In this baptism scene of Jesus, we have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all present, as we baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

          The practice of waiting to baptize someone until they are of the age to be able to understand and believe in Jesus, and to chose to be baptized, or “Believer Baptism,” is only about 400-500 years old, depending on where in Europe someone lived at the time. These Christians were reading the scripture intensely, as they wanted to get the Christian faith right. In their minds, Jesus was baptized by immersion in the Jordan River, and the people that John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan river before he baptized Jesus’s willingly chose to repent and to be baptized. It is true that in the New Testament there are some scriptures where entire households got baptized from the oldest to youngest, implying infant baptism, but immersion baptism is about our free choice. We get to choose Christ, and then we get to chose to be baptized. Further, since many want to “get it right” we get baptized the same way that Jesus was baptized. In fact, every baptism that I have even done as a pastor, and there have been many, I always put some water from the Jordan River in the baptismal waters, as Jesus was baptized in the Jordan.

(Water from the Jordan River)

Since the goal of our faith and our life is to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior, and to be like Jesus, we chose faith in Him, and we chose baptism, whereby we get baptized the exact same way He did.

          Since I have been preaching and pastoring in this tradition for about four months now, I realize that I myself was never baptized by immersion. My older sister Gail was, as she was also baptized as an infant. In talking with Pastor Bud and Pastor Cathy, I was told that I do not have to be baptized by immersion, but in general this is our understanding of baptism. As I am working to get my ordination recognized in this tradition, I can or cannot be baptized by immersion. Pastor Cathy and Pastor Bud would be more than happy to help me with this, and in fact, Pastor Cathy is willing to hold me under the water for at least five minutes, just in case!

          The point of all of this, is this is “Why Baptism Matters!” Different traditions do baptism differently, and as I learned thirteen years ago, some do not even use water. Our understanding of baptism in our tradition is biblical, is the way that Jesus was baptized, and it allows the person by themselves and through their own conscience and faith to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. They then get baptized by immersion as a sign or a symbol of there life in Christ, and them being a brother or sister in Christ.

          Just to show the variety of baptism that I have been talking about, I found short video, about 30-seconds long of an Eastern Orthodox Christian Church infant baptism. I think this is the Russian Orthodox Church. In this video, the baby is dipped in the baptismal waters three times. One for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit. Why? Well because Jesus said in Matthew 28:19 or what is commonly called “The Great Commission,” once again:

¹⁹ 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, (Mt. 28:19, NRSV).

 

(Video of Eastern Orthodox Infant Baptism)

 

This is why the vast majority of Christian traditions that practice water baptism and baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Further, I will only perform the ordinance of baptism by saying “I baptized you (Name) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, as this is what Jesus told us to do.

          So, if you have never been baptized, or if you have never been baptized by immersion or going under the water, pray about that. If you have never prayed about becoming a member of this church, which we call “The Right Hand of Fellowship” pray about that, as well. As I said, I myself am praying about getting my own immersion baptism in that baptistry, or as some of my friends still jokingly call it, “the dunk tank.”

          How then can we take everything that we have heard, learned, and are prayerfully mulling this morning out into the world with us? Here are some sermon application points on “Why Baptism Matters”:

Baptism is considered highly important in Christianity as a symbolic act of dying to an old life and rising to new life in Christ, union with Christ's death and resurrection, and entry into the Christian community. It's often seen as a commandment from Jesus, an outward testimony to an inward faith, and a public declaration of one's commitment to Christ and the Church.

Key Meanings and Importance:

·       Union with Christ: 

Symbolizes being buried with Christ (water immersion) and rising to new life (coming out of water), reflecting His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). 

 

·       New Life & Transformation: 

Marks a spiritual rebirth, a transition from a sinful life to one dedicated to God. 

 

·       Obedience & Discipleship: 

A direct command from Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20), showing a believer's willingness to follow Him. 

 

·       Identification: 

An outward sign of an inward faith, identifying with Christ and His body, the Church. 

 

·       Entry into the Church: Traditionally, baptism brings a person into the visible family of God (Acts 2:41).

 

With all of this said, and in part because we do not have a church choir this morning, I have a special music video that I want to show you this morning called “Living Water” by Anne Wilson. This song was taken from the movie that we watched at our church movie night last month “Jesus Revolution.” It is not only about “Believer Baptism,” or baptism by full immersion, but it also shows why in our tradition we practice “Believer Baptism.” Once again, this is “Why Baptism Matters!” Let us watch this video together:                                                                                                                 (Show - Special Music: Anne Wilson - “Living Water” (Official Music Video)

Brothers and sisters, this is “Why Baptism Matters!” Amen.