Baptism 2025
Mark 1:9-11
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Why are we baptized? And what is the purpose of being baptized?
As we see, Jesus was baptized and as he was coming out of the water, a heavenly voice declared, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” This voice, believed to be God’s very voice identified Jesus as his own Son, who is loved and in who God was pleased.
Before Jesus’ ascension, he also commanded his disciples to go and to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
We therefore, are baptized following the example of Jesus. We are baptized in obedience to his commandment that those who believe in his name should be baptized. But also, just as Jesus’ baptism preceded his mission, our baptism announces out commitment to obey the Lord in proclaiming his holy name to the world.
In Galatians 3:26-29, Paul says the following:
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Today, we witnessed the baptism of Suzi, after which, we all welcomed her into our church family. Family is, actually, the entity the Apostle Paul uses to describe the new relationship of those who have been baptized into Christ. In Romans chapter eight, verse 15, Paul says that those who are clothed in Christ Jesus—those who have been given the Holy Spirit, are God’s adopted children. Therefore, in Paul’s language, today Suzi was adopted into the family of God. Suzi acquired a new identity in God’s family, where “Christian” as in belonging to Christ, is her and our last name. (Don’t worry Suzi, your last name remains) In this new family, the local congregation is the family in which God has placed the newly baptized person. As is the case for every new birth, the family provides care, support, and guidance as the child grows in the family. And just as the family is the place where a child is taught through the example of the parents and older sibling, we as a congregation have the responsibility to teach by example the ways of the Lord to those God places amongst us. Also, just as the child participates in the family’s activities it learns and grows into becoming a contributing member for the wellbeing of the family. In this family, God is the Father of everyone. In this family, Jesus is the only Lord we have. He is above all. In this family, we are all equals. We are brothers and sisters.
Also, in this passage, Paul says that for those baptized in Christ two major changes happen. The first is that they are now clothed with Christ. That is, they all wear Christ, his character, spirit, and way of being as a robe. We who are baptized wear Christ as our garment. Therefore, whenever people see us, they should be able to see Christ reflected in our actions. They should hear the glorious Christ present in our speech. That is because Christ has become our identity.
The second major change that takes place when we are baptized is that every distinguishing marker is erased. In the case of Paul’s Christian friends in Galatia, it should not matter anymore whether they were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free persons, male and female. They were all brothers and sisters in Christ. The implication of this major change might not be readily understood today, but it was a radical social shift that baptism made in Paul’s day in the church. In that time, when Jews preferred being caught dead than mingling with Gentiles and Gentiles had bitter hatred toward Jews, where slave and master never sat together, and where men were lords and owners of women, seeing a group of people where Jew and Gentiles, slaves and masters, women, men, and children worshipped, ate, served together was an admirable sight. The church was light and shone brightly the beauty of God’s redemptive power, which all began with baptism.
Therefore, Paul says that those who have been baptized into Christ are baptized into his death so that they will also be raised to live in newness of life. As the apostle would say to the church in Corinth: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2Conthians 5: 17, 18).
We who are in the Lord, let us remember that we are God’s beloved children. Let us remember that we have been clothed with Christ. Let us remember that we are God’s new people who give witness to his transforming power. Amen!