Simply Put: "Sacrament"

Host: Barry Cooper
Date: December 9, 2025
Podcast by: Ligonier Ministries

Main Theme and Purpose

In this episode of Simply Put, Barry Cooper unpacks the term sacrament, demystifying its meaning, biblical background, and spiritual significance for Christians. Drawing vivid personal and biblical parallels, Cooper explains why sacraments—namely, baptism and the Lord’s Supper—are essential practices commanded by Christ, making spiritual realities tangible, memorable, and communal for believers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of "Seeing" in Understanding Faith (00:00 – 01:18)

• Barry begins with a relatable analogy: how seeing a live football (soccer) game, rather than just hearing about it, made him a fan for life.

• He uses this to illustrate how participating in sacraments makes spiritual truths more real and compelling, not just intellectually, but experientially.

  “That’s the difference between being told about football and the power of actually seeing it with your own eyes. In a similar sort of way, sacraments help us to see spiritual realities that would otherwise be hidden from us. And the seeing of these things helps our believing.”
  — Barry Cooper (01:05)

2. Definition and Biblical Roots of "Sacrament" (01:18 – 02:37)

• The word sacrament doesn’t appear in Scripture; it’s shorthand for certain practices Christ commanded the church—sometimes called ordinances.

• Protestants typically recognize two sacraments:

  • Baptism: Commanded by Christ (Matthew 28:19–20), symbolizing death to the old life and rising to a new one.

  • The Lord’s Supper: Commanded by Jesus (Luke 22), sharing bread and wine in remembrance of His sacrifice.

    “They recognize those two, because they were both explicitly commanded by Christ.”
    — Barry Cooper (01:40)

• Baptism: One-time event.
  The Lord’s Supper: Ongoing ritual.

• Purpose: Both are visible, communal acts marking invisible spiritual truths.

3. Sacraments as Communal, Not Individualistic, Practices (02:37 – 03:13)

• Sacraments are celebrated with other believers; they mark membership within the faith community.

• Their communal nature emphasizes the shared identity and fellowship of God’s people.

  “They’re not individualistic actions carried out in isolation from other believers. They’re carried out in community, and they mark us out as members of that community.”
  — Barry Cooper (02:49)

4. Why These Symbols? Parallels with the Old Testament (03:13 – 04:33)

• The sacraments mirror Old Testament signs:
  • Baptism parallels circumcision (OT initiation rite).
  • The Lord’s Supper parallels the Passover meal.
• These rituals served not just as signs but also as seals—physical, sensory acts confirming trust in God’s covenant, far more memorable and holistic than just signing a contract.

5. Sacraments Engage the Whole Person (04:33 – 05:21)

• Old and New Covenant signs are sensory: sight, taste, touch, smell, hearing, mind.
• They dramatize spiritual realities, making truths immediate and real.
• Sacraments are living representations—not just reminders of the past, but affirmations for the present community and anticipations of future promises.

6. Building Faith: Sacraments as Visual Gospel (05:21 – 06:22)

• Sacraments not only memorialize Christ’s work but also underscore believers’ present status and future hope.

• Barry quotes a theologian:

  “As the preaching of the Word makes the gospel audible, so the sacraments make it visible. And God stirs up faith by both means. Seeing really does affect our believing.”
  — Barry Cooper (quoting another theologian, 06:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the relationship between sacraments and faith:

  “Sacraments are not only visual demonstrations of our faith in Christ, they also help to feed that faith, just as going to football matches has kindled and kept aflame my lifelong love of the game.” (01:00)

• On the physicality of sacraments:

  “Instead, God required them to mark their membership in the covenant by means of a visual aid that engaged them in a way that no mere contract signing could. It was something physical, something that demanded the involvement of a person's whole body, their sense of smell, taste, touch, hearing, and sight, not to mention their minds.” (04:00)

• On the purpose of sacraments:

  “They’re not just memorializing what God has done for us in the past, but also emphasizing our status as his people in the present and anticipating our inheritance in the future, building our faith that God's promises are real and trustworthy.” (05:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00: Analogy of football fandom—impact of "seeing"
• 01:18: Defining “sacrament”; biblical roots in Christ’s commands
• 01:55: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper explained
• 02:37: Sacraments as communal practices
• 03:13: Old Testament parallels: circumcision & Passover
• 04:00: The meaning of "signs" and "seals"; why God uses rituals
• 04:33: Whole-person engagement; sensory nature of sacraments
• 05:21: Sacraments as living, ongoing gospel
• 06:00: “Making the gospel visible”—memorable theologian quote

Overall Tone and Engagement

Barry Cooper adopts a warm, personable, and slightly playful tone (e.g., “Come on, America, you can't just go around rebranding sports you didn't invent anyway!” at 00:31). He combines storytelling, biblical teaching, and practical connections that make complex theological terms approachable for all listeners.

For further reflection:
If you ever wondered why Christians gather for baptism or share in communion, this episode paints a vivid, down-to-earth picture—reminding us these aren’t just rituals, but God’s creative means of making His promises seen, touched, remembered, and believed.