In our previous study, we reviewed what we had learned in the Old Testament about the seed of Eve, Abraham, and David. We wanted to know if we could identify this seed based on his qualities and work. When we read what the Gospels say about Jesus we find that he had the qualities of the seed and did the work which the prophets said he would do. Isaiah noted:

"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:10-11, NIV)

As we think about all we have seen about this Seed, the underlying message has been that through him, "all families of the earth will be blessed." If someone died to carry the punishment for others, would that be a blessing from those who are now free from that guilt? What about your own life; do you think you have sin in your life? If you think you do, would it be a blessing for you to have the weight of that sin removed by someone choosing from love to take that burden? Do you want that burden removed in your life? If you do the question becomes, 'how do I touch the blood of Jesus'?

This question has been asked by many over the years. The first to ask the question was the crowd of Jerusalem not long after Jesus' death. Notice the Apostle Peter's first sermon:

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' 36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:29-36, NIV)

Peter's sermon has the same idea of a seed of David which we have been studying "God had promised on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne..." (verse 3). He ties together Jesus' death (verse 36) and resurrection (verse 31). Jesus died but was raised from the dead. Now notice how the crowd responds to Peter's words in verse 37: "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (NIV).

How did the story of Jesus sit with those who heard Peter's teaching? What question did they ask? Weren't they searching for the appropriate way to let the story of Jesus touch their lives? Weren't they wanting to know how they could touch the blood of Jesus, so to speak? Are you asking this question? Notice how Peter answers the question:

"38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." (Acts 2:38-41, NIV).

What is the answer that Peter gives to the question "what shall we do?" What is the purpose Peter says for doing so (verse 38)? What else does Peter do in this passage (verse 40)? Those in the crowd who believed Peter's teaching, what did they do? Based on Peter's response to the original question, "what shall we do?", do you find an answer to your question, 'what shall I do'?

Peter's answer has two parts "repent and be baptized" he adds "everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins". The first part of the answer is to "repent". What does this word mean to you? We often associate "repent" with feeling bad for something. But the word translated "repent" means to "change one's mind" with the idea of a 180 degree turn in thinking. In other words, changing how we view the world.

The second part is to be baptized. This word literally means "be immersed". What does being immersed have to do with "touching the blood of Jesus?" The Apostle Paul answers this for us in Romans chapter 6; notice how it connects the dots between being baptized and "touching the blood of Jesus". He begins by answering a rhetorical question about whether or not Christians have a license to sin:

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (Romans 6:1-3, NIV)

What's Paul's reason for saying that Christians don't have a license to sin? Isn't his answer the statement, "We died to sin;"? But notice how he says we died to sin, "all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" Paul draws the connection of dying to sin with being baptized into Jesus' death. We might also ask the question, who are the ones "baptized into his death"? The answer: "all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus". Does this sound like Peter's teaching "repent and be baptized...in the name of Jesus Christ..." (Acts 2:38)? Paul continues to explain the relationship between being baptized and Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection:

" 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (Romans 6:4-7, NIV).

What are we buried with Jesus through (verse 4)? What does Paul say is the purpose of being buried with Jesus through baptism (verse 4)? How does Paul describe the connection in verse 5? "If we have been united with him like this..." ? What does Paul say is the result and importance of this uniting act (verse 6)? "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin..." We can ask the question a little differently, when does verse 6 say our "body of sin" is "done away with"? Is it not when we are "united with him like this in his death" (verse 5)? Again, verse 3, "all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death."

 

 

Do you believe you have a body of sin? What does Paul say in this passage is the thing which does away with that sin? What does Paul say is the thing that connects you with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection?

Notice briefly as we move on from this passage, the connection of baptism and repentance. Paul continues answering the question as to whether Christians have a license to sin. He writes,

"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:8-14, NIV)

To whom is a Christian to live his or her life (verse 11). Does this sound like the "repent" Peter mentioned in Acts 2:38 - a changing of the mind to live to or for God?

How does Paul say we view how we use ourselves (verses 12-13)? Now notice how Paul brings it all together in the final phrase, "you are not under law, but under grace." As Paul has this lengthy discussion about baptism uniting us with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection - crucifying the old self, the body of sin; he ties it up by saying that doing so puts us under God's grace!

Let me ask you, do you feel a burden of sin in your life? Do you believe that Jesus is the seed or Messiah the Old Testament spoke about from Eve to the prophets? Would it be a blessing in your life to have Jesus carry the weight, the guilt, and the consequences of that sin? Do you want to live with Jesus for an eternity? What do these passages say are the way you can touch the blood of Jesus? Is it by repenting, changing your mind to follow God, and by being baptized, united with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection?

How can you do that? Notice three quick passages from the New Testament:
 
As Peter was teaching a man named Cornelius (Acts 10), the power of God came in a unique fashion upon Cornelius' family. Notice Peter's response: "Then Peter said, 47 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." (Acts 10:47-48, NIV)
 

What is the substance Peter baptized Cornelius' family with? What did Peter associate this water baptism with (verse 48)? 

Philip was told by an angel to go meet a man from Africa traveling through Israel. The man was reading from Isaiah 53, the same passage we have studied, notice the interaction:

"The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away...," (Acts 8:34-39a, NIV)

What impact did Philip's teaching have on this man from Ethiopia (verse 37)? What was the man wanting to have done to him (verse 37)? What was the substance in which the man was baptized or immersed (verse 38-39)?

Paul retells his story of turning toward God in Acts 22. He was first on his way to attack Christians but then had a vision of Jesus. Notice what transpires:

"'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. 12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him. 14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' (Acts 22:10-16, NIV)

When did Paul decide to believe Jesus? Does the fact he followed Jesus' instructions to go and wait in Damascus imply he believed what he heard from Jesus himself? Did Ananias deliver a message to Paul about what his mission in life would be? Did Paul still have his sins in his life even then? Notice verse 16, the end of the conversation. What does Ananias say to Paul - what did Paul still need to do after seeing Jesus and after being instructed by Ananias? "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' "

What response do you want to make to Ananias' question, "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' "

Are you wanting to be free from sin you feel you have in life? Are you ready to change your mind to follow God in your life? God told that serpent so many years ago a seed of Eve would crush the serpent's head, destroying his power of deception and death over men. That seed is Jesus. The seed that God told Abraham would be a blessing for all nations, He can be a blessing for you if you choose to be united with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection through baptism. Do you want to do that?

If you do we, would love to help you do so. If you are in the Fort Worth, TX area; we can help you directly. Or, if you need help finding a Christian who can help you close to where you live, whether in the United States or in your another country, we will do our best to help you find one. Maybe you have further questions? Please e-mail our minister at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. we would be glad to help you.