Our first lesson is on baptism in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God tells us that there is no other name given among men whereby we can be saved (Acts 4:1-12). So the Church of God that keeps the commandments and has the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 12, 17, 12, 14), believe in and teach and preach salvation – saving from sin. In other words, deliverance from the penalty of sin which is death (Romans 6:23). We see the love of our heavenly father revealed by Him giving His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on Him (Jesus¬), shall have everlasting life (John 3,15,16 15-21).
How did this deliverance begin? It started when God sent his angel to a certain priest named Zacharias of the course Abia (Luke 1:1-24). He brought the message that Zacharias’ wife Elizabeth would bear a son and that his name would be called John. Six months later the same angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin who was espoused to a man called Joseph of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. She was told that she would conceive and bring forth a son whose name would be called Jesus (Luke 1:26-35). She was told that he would be great, that he would be called the son of the highest, and that the Lord God would give unto him the throne of his father David (Luke 1:32). Mary asked the angel how this could be seeing that had not known any man? The angel explained that the Holy Ghost would come upon her and the power of the highest would overshadow her, “therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:34, 35). Joseph, Mary’s husband was told by the angel that he should not fear to take Mary for his wife for that which was conceived in her was of the Holy Ghost, and that his name should be called Jesus “for he shall save his people from their sin” (Matt. 1:18-25).
So we can see that there is no other name given under God’s heaven by which any mortal can be saved, but by believing, confessing and calling on the name of Jesus from the heart. Call on the Lord’s name from your heart, and you can be saved (Romans 10:6-15).
After the resurrection from the dead (Rev. 17-19), Jesus who has the keys of hell and death, gave the Great Commission; to go into all the world and teach and preach the gospel and the good news of salvation to all nations and baptise in the name (NOT NAMES) of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matt. 28:18-20, continuation in Luke 24:45).
This is the last part of the Great Commission (Acts 1:4-9). The Great Commission began in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus opened their understanding to the Scriptures which He could not tell them about before He paid the price for sin. According to what He said in John 16:12, 19-28, now He was going back to His Father, and His disciples must carry on the kingdom work (Acts 1:3). He expounded all the Scriptures beginning at Moses, all the prophets and psalms concerning himself (Luke 24:25-27, 44-49).
These are some of the Old Testament Scriptures that refer to Jesus:
Gen. 3:15, 12, 3, 49, 10 – seed of the woman bruise the head of the serpent (Satan), the seed was Jesus; the sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver until Shiloh (Jesus) come; Num. 24:16-17 – Jesus Christ the light; Deut. 18:15 – God raising up a prophet like unto Moses from the children of Israel (that was Jesus); Ps. 2:2 – the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel to gather against the Lord (Father) and against His anointed (Jesus) the son; Ps. 45:2 – grace is poured into his lips, therefore God has blessed thee forever; Ps. 68:18, 69:21 – vinegar to drink; Ps. 110 – The Lord said unto my Lord (Jesus) fruit of David’s body will sit upon his throne; Prophet Isaiah 2:4, 7, 14 – a virgin conceived a son, and called his name Immanuel (Matt 1:23); Is. 9:6,7 – the son that is given called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince of peace. Who said he would give this power? The Father. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
What did Paul have to say about this matter? This is what he said in Col. 1:19: “For it pleased the Father that in Him Jesus the son should all fullness dwell”. Col. 2:9 “For in Him [Jesus] dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”. So after Jesus opened their understanding to Holy Scripture they were told to wait for the promise of the father, that is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the teacher (John 14:24-26, 15:26). The Spirit would lead them into all truth (John 16:13-14). Jesus told them in Acts 1: 8 that they would receive power after the Holy Ghost came upon them, and that they would be witnesses unto Him both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. So on the day of Pentecost, Peter being filled with the Holy Spirit preached Jesus and how God had made “that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ”. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said unto them “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:1, 36-42).
Here we see that the first baptism carried out by the apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit was in the name of Jesus Christ, not in the titles of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. In Acts 8::5-16, Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them, and they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.
In Acts 10:1, 31-48, after Cornelius had sent for Peter, Peter preached Christ to his household and baptised in the name of the Lord. Paul in Acts 19:1-5 baptised the disciples in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Paul himself was told by Ananias in Acts 22:12-16: “Why tarriest thou? [in other words, ‘why do you wait?] Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord”. So we see that salvation can only be obtained by faith and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, and expressing that faith openly in baptism.
“Know ye not that, so many of us as were baptised onto Jesus Christ were baptised into death? Therefore we were buried with in baptism into death, that like Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4) This is why the Word (Jesus Christ) came into the world (John 1:1-14). “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4) He came unto his own and his own (the Jews) and his own received him not. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name (John1:11-12, 1John 3:1-3)
This transformation was wrought also in the Gentile believers. Jews and Gentiles became one in Jesus Christ because Salvation is in no other name that The Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:12-22, Phil. 2:1-11) God has also hath highly exalted him and given him a mane which above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11) So what ever we do I the words or deed we do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father by him ( Col.3:17).
In Isaiah 53.10 we read “yet it pleased the(Father) LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” So our redemption is only in Jesus. So in Baptism we put on Christ (Gal. 3:27 and 1 Tim. 3:16) Paul revealed who Christ is, with out controversy that is without and dispute, debate, discussion great is he mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit, seen of angels believed in the world, received up in glory, so the same Jesus, the apostles were told by the angels will come in the same manner as they saw him go into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). In Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Amen and amen.
Note: Pastor L A Pinnock
Note: Pastor L A Pinnock
