But I will confess that I don't think deeply about the sacrament of baptism when the pastor is holding the little one over the baptismal fount. I certainly don't think about how baptism connects us to Jesus' death. Take a look at Paul's words in Romans 6:3: "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" No, I'm focused on the sweet little baby, not on the deeper meaning of what this sacrament means.
A quick google search tells me that there are more than 30 references to baptism in the New Testament. John the Baptist baptized Jesus, and God our Father was pleased with his Son. (Matthew 3). When Jesus appears to his disciples after his crucifixion, and before he ascends to heaven, he tells his disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28).
This passage is a challenging one, but the message of baptism is clear: when we are baptized, we are buried with Jesus 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. (Romans 6:4).
Baptism gives us new life. We will be united with Jesus in his resurrection (v. 5). Our old self is crucified with him and we are no longer slaves to sin (v. 6). In our new life, we live to God, not to our sinful self (v. 10).
Theses promises won't be fulfilled until eternity, but what joy it is to know that we can begin the exciting journey of living a new life now - today, as a matter of fact! Thanks be to God for the gift of baptism. The next time you see a baby being baptized, take time to thank God for the gift of new life that he has already given you.
No comments:
Post a Comment