Baptism

“I t came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ”

Your mother admonished you to wash your hands, and she was right. She had you take a bath or a shower, and even though you may have hated the daily ritual, she was looking out for you. If you've ever spent time in a place where there are no sinks or showers, no baths or any way to get clean, and you couldn't wash, you may realize why she was so adamant about your cleanliness. Cleanliness is, after all, next to godliness.

For the Jews, washing was preparation to meet God. Cleansing the outer body was symbolic of cleansing the soul, and you want to meet God with a clean soul. This symbol is also what it stands for, if done with the right heart and intention. Aaron the first priest of the Old Covenant had to wash before he did anything else, as God told Moses. “…he shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.” Leviticus 16:24 At a time just prior to Jesus' appearance in Israel, the Jews began a great deal of ritual washing for purifying themselves. The Essenes, a sect that sought the purification of Judaism, practiced ritual washings as their initiation and spiritual walk.

John the Baptist used a familiar method, then, of preparing the Jews for their Messiah to come. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets, for he had an Old Testament message and was foretold in the ancient texts. He was to hand off to the New Messiah, and he knew it. The One who he baptized would have the Spirit of God visibly fly down from heaven and land on him in John's sight. Later John would proclaim, “I did not recognize Him, but [God] said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' John 1:33 He waited for this Anointed One, proclaiming His day and the changes it would bring, as the One who came after would baptize not with water alone, but with the fire of the Holy Spirit of God. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11

Jesus arrived at the Jordan, but John felt unworthy to baptize Him. He thought it should be the other way around. “But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he permitted Him. And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'” Matthew 3:15-17

Jesus would lead His disciples to baptize as well, and His parting instruction to His Church was to “Go therefore 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 28:19-20 In St. Peter's first sermon on Pentecost the Apostle told his astonished audience, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 St. Philip baptized the Samaritans, and the Ethiopian's high servant of their queen on the Gaza strip. Quite early, this washing was extended to those beyond the children of Israel.

Baptism is the beginning of Sacraments. Sacraments are the outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual graces established by Christ in His Church. Most of these signs were started by Christ Himself in His life, and two were commanded by Him of all His Church, Baptism and Communion. Other such signs He simply performed Himself, such as laying on of hands for healing and blessing. He blessed matrimony by turning water to wine. He heard confessions and forgave people's sins. The Sacraments are simply the extension of His life on earth to ours. He not only gave these blessings, but came under them Himself, as He did with Baptism. Our God becomes subject to His creation in Jesus, and is not ashamed to do so.

But Baptism has many interpreted meanings, and the inward and spiritual grace may be seen a number of ways. The manner of Baptism, and the age and state of belief of the recipient have come under scrutiny and controversy since the Reformation. Baptism, once the sign of Christian unity in the One Holy Church, has become the symbol of our disunity, and a cause for much misunderstanding between members of Christ's Body. That's sad. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism,” Ephes. 4:5 has given way to strife and novel teachings. Most of the Protestant world now follows a minor reformer named Zwingli, even though they've never heard of him. He said the Sacraments had no spiritual power, but were mere ordinances for showing that God had already acted spiritually and without the sign.

Here is what we believe about Baptism, and may charity cover our differences with other believers in our Lord. Baptism may be done at any age, but to children only with godparents ready to help the child grow in faith and understanding until he or she is confirmed. The Sacrament is still effective, however, even for an infant. Clean water is used, and may be poured over the head, or the subject be submerged in it, but always with the Name of God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as Jesus commanded.

Here is what happens spiritually. Baptism means washing or immersing, and stands for a cleansing. Our sins, therefore, as St. Peter said, are washed clean. All we ever did wrong is now gone. The very mark of Adam is removed and we have a fresh start. Now the Holy Spirit of God comes within us, and fills that place He was meant to fill. This begins a new life and our own spirits, which were dead before God, now become alive and active, ready to listen to God's voice inside us. And finally, we are grafted into the Body of Christ, the Church, joined in a spiritual union with all who Christ calls His own.

Baptism is not simply something added to our lives, like a college degree or a driver's license. It is also a break, the end of our old lives. We can't go on living as we have. St. Paul wrote the Romans, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that 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. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Romans 6:1-7

We enter a new life, the life of Jesus, who now lives in this world through His Church, the Baptized members on earth. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:27 “Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Col. 2:12

We studied the Holy Spirit in depth in our mid-week adult classes last year, and discovered hundreds of truths about Him in Scripture. This wonderful Third Person of God's Holy Trinity has condescended to come and live within us, and makes potential the entire power and wisdom and grace of God inside us and empowers our lives. The very power of any miracle is available to our church at any moment, as He determines. This miracle has become available through the order of Baptism, and all who are baptized here possess, or rather are possessed of, this Gift. What are we doing, Church, with the power of God? What is God doing with us?

The fire of the Holy Spirit, the divine wind, has taken residence in you through the simple act of Christian initiation, in being washed by water in the Name of the Trinity. You are new creatures. The only reason you may not feel so, that you may not be seeing wonderful and new life and power in your existence is that the enemy has convinced you it isn't so. God has left an enemy to our hearts here on earth who is able to convince you it's all a fable, a lie, an ancient thing for superstitious backward people who needed to believe such stories to comfort themselves. We're more grown up. We can cope with mediocrity in religion, and call it patience, good taste, reality, and humility. We can assume God has no real need for us to do wonders, for the day of such humiliating acts is over for us. We can live in doubt, and call it openness. We can curse the gift through simply never opening it.

But I assure you that something indeed wonderful has happened to you, all you who have received the Baptism Christ established at the Jordan River, down in the water with His cousin John. His ministry began at that moment. The Spirit drove Him into the desert to fast, to pray, and to defeat the devil. Baptism took on a new reason, a new life in Jesus. God blessed it that day, as Jesus rose from the riverbed. And as you rose from the font, He blesses you too. And still He blesses you: “A nd there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:11

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