Jesus filled his teachings with parables. A parable is a “word picture” that adds light to the understanding of an important lesson. The parable itself might be a simple thing. For example, he spoke of the word of God as being like seed scattered on the earth. The seed was good seed, but it falls on different kinds of soil, rocky, hardened paths, shallow soil, or good soil. It represents the scriptures being taught to mankind. Some have hardened their hearts, others have filled their lives with worldly things; only a few eagerly listen and apply what they hear to themselves. A parable has only one proper meaning. One runs into problems when he tries to change and adapt a parable to other than the author's intended illustration.
The same thing is true when men change the two living ordinances that Jesus left for us to be observed until he comes for his own. They both illustrate the lesson of the Gospel; Paul tells us this when he writes, “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures: and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3. The Gospel, or "good news" is, (1) Our Lord died for our sins, (2) he was buried in the tomb, and, (3) he arose again. To change these three facts in sequence or in any other way not only ruins the illustration, but it also makes one guilty of disobeying his commands.
CHRIST LEFT US TWO ORDINANCES TO BE FOLLOWED UNTIL HE RETURNS.
Both present the "good news" of the Gospel.
The FIRST is how one becomes a Christian, a follower of Christ. Scripture says, we “put on Christ.” To make certain we understood his commandment, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Matthew 28:19. To confirm his right to command this, he prefaced the command with, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18. He had set an example by being baptized himself by the hand of John the Baptist. “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17.
The word itself, “baptize” means "to wash." In this case, it was in the river Jordon. Philip baptized the Ethiopian 1n “water” Acts 8:35-39. Clearly, the Ethiopian repented of his sin, (turned his back to his former way of life; died to sin), and asked to be baptized. Just as you bury a deceased person, the believer is buried in water, representing that burial, receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, and is born again, (lifted from the water), never to die to sin again. What we call death is only our departure from our physical body, the Christian lives on for eternity with God. The illustration is repeated every time we witness a baptismal service. The Gospel is being illustrated, the death, the burial, and the resurrection.
The SECOND is repeated weekly and this will continue until he returns for His bride, the church. There, he will observe it with all the family. “And when they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins, but say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:26-28. This too, represents His death for our sins, our being a part of the body, partaking of the bread and the vine, and looking forward to eternity when we will partake it with him.
The wonderful good news is shown in action; his death, burial and resurrection. We may forget what we only hear, but we will remember what we hear and do regularly.
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