1. Explain two symbols associated with the birth of Jesus. 2KU 4AE

2.’For a Christian it is important to believe that Jesus was born of a Virgin’. Explain two ways a Christian might respond to this statement. 2KU 4AE

. Explain two symbols associated with the birth of Jesus. 2KU 4AE

Jesus is born in a stable – not a palaceMary and Joseph are ordinary people –

highlighting he is here for ordinary people

Shepherds visit – He is here for the poor and humble

Wise Men – rich and powerful people bow before him.

.’For a Christian it is important to believe that Jesus was born of a Virgin’. Explain two ways a Christian might

respond to this statement. 2KU 4AE

• Some say yes – it is important as Jesus had to be born without Original Sin otherwise how does He bridge the gap between God and Man? – Roman Catholics believe this has to be a fundamental belief.

• Some say that it is not important – in fact the Church did not worry about it in the early days. William Barclay (p101 in the book) says that Christians should decide for themselves what to believe.

• Jesus perhaps was conceived in the normal way but was special to God which meant He was more than just human.

• Others say that as a human (regardless of how he is conceived) He is Gods son like everyone is and could fulfil the special role given to Him be God.

Lesson Objectives:

1) To identify the role of John the Baptist in the story of Jesus.

2) To explain the

symbolism and significance of Baptism.

Question

• What do you know about Baptism?

The Baptism of Jesus

• The turning point for Jesus was his baptism in the River Jordan. This would have been sometime in his late twenties or early thirties.

• Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. He appears suddenly in Matthew and Mark’s Gospels, something of an enigma, a strange holy man.

• Luke’s Gospel has more background, describing his parents and his birth. According to Luke, John was the cousin of Jesus, born to Elizabeth and Zechariah (see Luke 1:5-25; 57-80).

Waiting for the Messiah

• At the time of Jesus, the Jewish people were waiting hopefully for the arrival of the Messiah.

• This Messiah would hopefully drive out to the Romans and free Palestine from Roman rule.

• The Jews would know who the Messiah was because a messenger would come before him, whose job was to prepare the people for the Messiah.

• At this time, Jesus’ cousin, John, was living a life of simplicity in the desert.

• He was passionate about the need for people to give up their past wickedness and make a fresh start and could be quite rude to people who he thought needed to change their ways.

• John thought people should treat each other with kindness and believed that people should do something special to show that they wanted to change so he asked people to be ‘baptised’.

• The word ‘baptised’ comes from the Greek meaning ‘immersing’; an act of cleansing in water.

• Because he preached with such conviction and urgency, many people wondered if he could be the Messiah.

• John denied this and said that he was just a messenger sent to prepare them.

…”A voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Isaiah

Repentance and Baptism • The idea that people can say sorry for

their sins is known as repentance. It means that people promise to try and change their thoughts, words and actions to be forgiven.

• John used to take people to the river Jordan and duck them under the water as a sign that they had changed. The water was symbolic that they had literally washed away their sin and past life.

• John believed that if people made this promise publically, they were far more likely to stick to their promise to try and be better people. Because John Baptised so many people he became known as John the Baptist.

• One day Jesus came to his cousin John and asked to be baptised. John knew that there was something very special about Jesus and said that he wasn’t even good enough to touch Jesus’ feet.

• John was reluctant to Baptise Jesus – a good man without sin and said, “I should be Baptised by you!” Jesus told him to Baptise him though so he went ahead with it.

• Why do you think that Jesus insisted on being Baptised?

The Bible says that God’s spirit of peace came in the form of a white dove.

This event obviously has great significance in Jesus’ life – and it has inspired many works of art.

• Jesus had an intense religious experience at this time.

• He heard a voice, confirming him as the Son, or Messiah, and the Spirit descended from heaven. This appeared symbolically as a dove.

• The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) state that it was Jesus who saw the vision of the dove; John’s Gospel suggests that John the Baptist saw it, too. Jesus withdrew to the desert wilderness for a period of time (about 40 days) and then appeared preaching the Kingdom of God.

Significance of Jesus’ Baptism

• Following his baptism, Jesus was led by the ‘Holy Spirit’ into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.

• He was tempted to reveal that he was the Messiah but resisted the urge because he knew now was not the time. Jesus began his ministry after these events.

For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

(1 Corinthians 12: 13)

Baptism is a sacrament that involves either the pouring of water on a person’s head or total immersion and a blessing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is used as a rite of initiation (entry) into the Christian community.

Different Interpretations of the Gospel Stories about the

BAPTISM of Christ Political

• This interpretation of the Gospel stories sees these accounts as being an expression of the struggle of the oppressed people of Israel. The people of Israel had been expecting a great ‘Messiah’ (Christ in Greek) – which means ‘anointed of God’ to come and save the Jewish people.

• Some expected this great Messiah to be a King like King David or King Solomon, who would set free the Jews from oppression and establish God’s Kingdom in their land. Others expected this Messiah to be like one of the Prophets of old. Perhaps someone like Elijah, or Jeremiah, or Moses.

• The Baptism of Jesus is something they point to where Jesus is doing two things. First He is identifying himself with the oppressed Jews by being baptised just as those who are expecting the coming Kingdom are being baptised in readiness for it.

• Secondly He is being set apart for this special work of telling others about the coming Kingdom of God and the Baptism of Jesus is a sign that He is approved by God with the words ‘this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased

Literal and Historical

• People who would hold to this interpretation would be Christians who believe that these stories are accurate accounts of His life, trustworthy and reliable because it has been written by Luke and others under the guidance of God and the Holy Spirit.

• The Baptism of Jesus is interpreted by these Christians as another ‘sign’ that Jesus actually is who He says He is, that is the Son of God.

• That He is both fully human in His humanity, but also has a ‘Divine’ nature, which is God, the Son. They also point to the teaching claims of Christ about Himself to His own belief that He is the Son of God, and the miraculous signs as evidence of his divinity and power as the Son of God.

Christian understandings of baptism

St Augustine saw baptism as removing the stain of Original Sin. He saw the Holy Spirit at baptism giving sanctification through grace. These effects could not be reversed and therefore the rite needed only to be done once.

Should babies be baptised?

Should ministers refuse to baptise children whose parents are not regular church

attendees ?

Baptism is . . .• a participation in the death and

resurrection of Christ• a washing away of sin• a new birth in Christ• a renewal by the Holy Spirit• the experience of salvation• a freedom from prison• a new humanity in which barriers and

divisions are overcome• a sign of common discipleship.

Historical Views• Catholic, Orthodox Christians• – The act of baptism brings regeneration.

• Church of Scotland. (Protestant)• – requires faith for baptism to be effective.

– Unconscious faith (infant faith)

• • Vicarious faith (proxy faith) of sponsors (usually parents)

• • Anticipated faith (the child at a later time)

Infant and adult baptism

One of the main differences between Christian understandings and practices of baptism involves the differences between those who baptise infants and those that reserve the rite for adults who have made a conscious decision to turn to Christian faith. Often full immersion is used in adult rites.

• Some Churches baptise infants.

• Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Anglican Lutheran, Methodist and United Reformed Churches baptise young children. The parents have to make promises to bring the child up in the Christian faith. The child can have godparents, who also make these promises

• (The Church of Scotland does not officially have godparents but the practice is still quite popular). The parents and godparents have to make a confession of faith.

The practice of infant baptism is not found in the New Testament.

There are at least three positions on the status of infant baptism.

(a) Infant baptism washes away the stain of Original Sin

St Augustine was a defendant of the practice of infant baptism on account of the fact that all people, including babies, were stained with Original Sin, and Christ was the savior of everyone.

b) Infant baptism illustrates fellowship between God and members of the Christian community

Infant baptism includes children into the community of faith. Jesus himself preached that the Kingdom of God belonged to little ones, so the importance of children in the Christian community of faith should not be underestimated.

.

c) Infant baptism should be rejected

Tertullian (160–225) said that baptism should be reserved for those old enough to make a conscious decision to turn to Christ and be born again in Him..

So some reject infant baptism. The see baptism not as causing forgiveness, but rather a declaration of something that had already taken place.

A ‘believer’s baptism’ is a public declaration of faith on the part of a converted individual. Babies are not capable of making decisions such as these for themselves

What is Baptism What is Baptism about?about?

• Baptism is a SACRAMENTBaptism is a SACRAMENT• The water symbolises being made The water symbolises being made

cleanclean• Not in a physical way like a bath or Not in a physical way like a bath or

showershower• But spiritually cleanBut spiritually clean• Being washed clean of sinBeing washed clean of sin

It’s also about joining the It’s also about joining the Christian family – the Christian family – the

ChurchChurch

• Which is why the font is Which is why the font is sometimes by the door sometimes by the door of a churchof a church

• Symbolising that Symbolising that baptism is the way into baptism is the way into the familythe family

Many Christian couples Many Christian couples choose to have their baby choose to have their baby

baptisedbaptised• They want their They want their

children to grow children to grow up in the up in the Christian familyChristian family

• So they make So they make promises on the promises on the child’s behalfchild’s behalf

• And ask for God’s And ask for God’s help in bringing help in bringing them up wiselythem up wisely

• Methods of Baptism– Immersion (fully submerged in water)– Pouring– Sprinkling

Believer’s baptism can be done all 3 ways, although immersion is most common.Most common mode for infant baptism is sprinkling, but Orthodox immerse.

Questions

1. How might a Christian support the view that adult baptism is more meaningful than infant baptism 6AE

2. ‘To be considered Christian, you must be baptised.’ How far would a Christian agree? 8AE