In last days of Jesus’ ministry on earth, He gave His disciples a commandment - He said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you...” (Matthew 28:19,20a) It is in obedience to that command that we are here this morning.

Jesus said, “Go make disciples” - And this means telling others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ - the forgiving of our sins - the salvation and life He offers us. And to be a disciple means that we make a decision - to trust Jesus as our Savior. One is not born a disciple of Jesus Christ. We choose to turn from following our path in life - and choose to follow God’s path for our life.

Baptism - Jesus said - is the next step. Become a disciple - then be baptized. Baptism symbolically shows the relationship we have with Jesus Christ. This is why we call it “believer’s baptism” - because a believer in Jesus Christ - trusting Him as their Savior - in obedience to the Jesus’ command - testifies of that relationship through baptism. Baptism identifies us with Jesus - His death and resurrection.

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 6:3,4: “....all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death. Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

In a few minutes - when _____ and _____ are placed under the water - symbolically they will be identifying with the death of Jesus Christ. That they have died - or turned - from following their path in life. And their old life - sinful and separated from God - has been buried - is dead. Just as Jesus took all of our sins on the cross - died for them and was buried. Their old life is dead.

And now - trusting Jesus - seeking to be His obedient disciples - they are brought out of the water - out from the grave - into new life. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead.

In Acts 8:26ff, we read about Philip - who was told by an angel to go to the desert road leading south out of Jerusalem. And on that road he met an Ethiopian eunuch - the Queen’s treasurer - a very important man - who had come to Jerusalem to worship and now was going home.

And while the Ethiopian was going home he was reading from the prophet Isaiah - a passage from Isaiah which describes the death of Jesus. And Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” And the Ethiopian answered Philip that he needed someone to explain - who did this prophecy refer to?

And so Philip explains the Gospel. This man was religious. He worshipped God - he read and studied the scriptures. But he was still following his own path in life - he was a sinner - under the judgment of God for his sins - and he needed the Savior. Many today are like that Ethiopian. Religious - but not knowing Jesus as their Savior. But on that day - on this desert road - leading out of Jerusalem - this Ethiopian chose to trust Jesus as his Savior.

At some point - as they traveled on the road together - Philip and the Ethiopian passed some water. And the Ethiopian said to Philip, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” He orders the chariot to stop - they both go into the water - and Philip baptizes the Ethiopian.

This is what we are doing here this morning. Not a religious thing - for people who go to church. But a testimony. _____ and _____ are testifying this morning that they have chosen to become disciples of Jesus Christ.