1. BAPTISM & CHRISMATION
SERVANTS PREP CLASS

2. What is baptism?
Action of the Holy Spirit through the water and the oil so that we may be reborn from the Father in the likeness of Jesus Christ
A Holy Sacrament by which we are born again by being immersed in water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Why do we need it?
Baptism is a redemptive Sacrament, necessary for redemption and entry to eternal life
John 3:5-6: Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

3. What does baptism do for us?
Through baptism, the believer is reborn (a spiritual birth) from the Water and the Spirit
Why did Christ needed to be baptized and how are we baptized in Christ?
The Lord Jesus was baptized in order to institute the sacrament of baptism
Romans 6:4-5
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection”

4. You can’t understand baptism without understanding the Holy Trinity
Access to the Father can only occur through the Son
Anyone who loves Christ and obeys Him, the Father will love him and dwell with him
Son shared the glory with the Father before the world began
FATHER
Proceeds from the Father
Testifies of the Son
The Advocate who will teach believers about the Trinity
Christ is the way, the truth and the life
Christ is the vine
Christ’s betrayal and suffering
SON
HOLY SPIRIT

5. You can’t understand baptism without understanding the Holy Trinity
We believe in the Holy Trinity (Matt 28:18-19)
Christ said, “Go and disciple all the nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit”
Shows one glory and one God
Not in the “names” (i.e., not in the names of three separate gods) OR
Not in the “name of” the Father, in the “name of” the Son and in the “name” of the Holy Spirit
In the old tradition, the priest asked converts in the baptism, whether they believed in the Father, Son and the Spirit. They replied “yes” to the questions.

6. You can’t understand baptism without understanding the Holy Trinity
God desired to have fellowship with us (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Definition of fellowship and ultimate goal of creation
to have a special relationship
to be adopted to the Father like His Son and to be the temple to the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:28-30)
Sin broke the relationship
Son took our nature to recreate and renew our nature again to be worthy of our relationship with the Holy Trinity
We need someone to forgive our sins as we experienced death and we need life again
We are called to be the brethren of Jesus and he called us to be our Father
Baptism is the gate to enter into this special relationship with the Holy Trinity

7. Baptism is foreshadowed in the Old Testament
Genesis 1:2
“darkness was upon the face of the deep”
Symbolizes our nature
“the Spirit of God was hovering over the water”
Represents our baptism (baptism of the Spirit and baptism of water)
According to Genesis 1 – The earth was created and received light
Same action occurs during the baptism of Christ
the Father receives the Son (the light of the world) by the action of the Holy Spirit who hovers over the water

8. Baptism is foreshadowed in the Old Testament
Baptism of the Lord
Jesus was baptized for us – to give us the typical example of how we can return to the Father (find the water and the Holy Spirit hovering over the water and Jesus is the light)
One baptism for Spirit and the water
Father witnessed the baptism – so when I get baptized, the Father witnesses my baptism, I will be like the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit will come upon me

9. Baptism is foreshadowed in the Old Testament
Genesis 6:13 - the Flood
Lord said to Noah to build an ark
Ark represents the Lord Jesus Christ
Door of the ark represents the spear that pierced the side of Christ
Ark was painted in black - symbolizing the death of Christ
½ the ark was covered by water and ½ the ark covered by the rain
Symbolizes baptism
1 Peter 3: – “in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism”
Genesis 8: 7-11
The black bird (a raven) was released from the ark and it didn't return
Represents exorcism
The dove with an olive branch returned to the ark
The dove represents the Holy Spirit and the olive branch represents the Lord (He is both the ark and the olive branch)

10. Baptism is foreshadowed in the Old Testament
Genesis 6:13 - the Flood
1 Cor. 10: The Hebrews were baptized through Moses in the Red Sea
The water stood like walls; the cloud overshadowed
Represents baptism through the immersion
The Lord carrying the cross
The Red Sea is the gate through which the people left Egypt to the land of Sinai – representing their transformation from slavery to freedom
Baptism transforms us from the bondage of Satan to freedom

11. Chrismation
2 acts take place
being united to the church
the seal of the grace-given power of the Holy Spirit for strength and growth in spiritual life
Why chrismation? Because Chrisma and Christos both mean anointing
Chrism is myrrh used at the burial of Christ, transferred from batch to batch
Made by the apostles and bishops through prayer and fasting
Ex 28:41, 1 Sam 16:13, 1 Kings 1:39

12. Ritual
Simple oil
Exorcism
Renunciation of Satan; accepting Christ
Oil of marriage
Immersion
Chrismation
Wearing of new white garment and red ribbon

13. QUESTIONS?