Jesus was baptized as an example to us. – Matthew 3:13-15 – ¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. ¹⁴And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” ¹⁵But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

Our Perfect Example
Jesus did not receive baptism as a confession of guilt on His own account. He identified Himself with sinners, taking the steps that we are tot take, and doing the work that we must do. His life of suffering and patient endurance after His baptism was also an example to us. DA 111

Belief that leads to baptism saves us. – Mark 16:15 & 16 – ¹⁵And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

The Great Commission to Serve
Service to God includes personal ministry. By personal effort we are to co-operate with Him for the saving of the world… All who are ordained unto the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men. Their hearts will throb in unison with the heart of Christ. The same longing for souls that He has felt will be manifest in them. Not all can fill the same placed in the work, but there is a place and a work for all. COL 300, 301

Death, burial, resurrection. – Romans 6:3 & 4 – ³Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴Therefore we are buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the d e ad by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Buried and resurrected by faith. – Colossians 2:12 – Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

A symbol of a new relationship with Christ. – Galatians 3:27 – For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

We receive the Holy Spirit at baptism. – Acts 2:38 – Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We become part of Christ’s body at baptism. – 1 Corinthians 12:12 & 13 – ¹²For as the body is one and has many members, but hall the members of the one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews of Greeks, whether slaves of free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

On being baptized again after receiving new truth. – Acts 19:1-7 – ¹And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ²he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” ³And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” ⁴Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” ⁵When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. ⁷Now the men were about twelve in all.

Rebaptism of Some
When [the Ephesians] received baptism at the hand of John they did not fully comprehend the mission of Jesus as the Sin Bearer. They were holding serious errors. But with clearer light, they gladly accepted Christ as their Redeemer, and with this step of advance came a change in their obligations. AS they received a purer faith, there was a corresponding change in their life. In token of this change, and as an acknowledgement of their faith in Christ, they were rebaptized in the name of Jesus. AA 285

Jesus came up out of the water. – Matthew 3:16 – When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water. – Acts 8:36-39 – ³⁶Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” ³⁷Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” ³⁸So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. ³⁹Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

The record of the original Lord’s Supper. – Matthew 26:26-28 – ²⁶And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” ²⁷Then He took the cup, and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The Reason for Communion
As the Lord’s disciples gather about His table, they are not to remember and lament their shortcoming. They are not to dwell upon their past religious experience, whether that experience has been elevating or depressing. They are not to recall the differences between them and their brethren. The preparatory service has embraced all this… The love of Jesus, with its constraining power, is to be kept fresh in our memory. Christ has instituted this service that it may speak to our senses of the love of God that has been expressed in our behalf. DA 659, 660

Before the Lord’s Supper came the foot washing. – John 13:12-15 – ¹²So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ¹⁴if I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

A Consecrated Ordinance
In these words Christ was not merely enjoining the practice of hospitality. More was meant than the washing of feet of the guests to remove the dust of travel. Christ was here instituting a religious service. By the act of our Lord this humiliating ceremony was made a consecrated ordinance. It was to be observed by the disciples, that they might ever keep in mind His lessons of humility and service. DA 650

The communion service of bread and wine. – 1 Corinthians 10:16 & 17 – ¹⁶The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷For we, through many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

Jesus established the symbol of the Lord’s Supper. – 1 Corinthians 11:23-30 – ²³For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵in the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance, of Me.” ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. ²⁷Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. ³⁰For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

Speaking to Our Senses
Christ has instituted this service that it may speak to our senses of the love of God that has been expressed in our behalf… The ordinances that point to our Lord’s humiliation and suffering are regarded too much as a form. They were instituted for a purpose. Our senses need to be quickened to lay hold of the mystery of godliness. T is the privilege of all to comprehend, fare more than we do, the expiatory suffering of Christ. DA 660