Day Twenty-One

As we wrap up a week sitting with the image of water in both Scripture and song, it would be a huge omission if we didn’t spend some time thinking about the most prevalent use of water in the New Testament: baptism.

Baptism can be a difficult thing to talk about, because it has been an issue that has frequently divided Christians through the centuries. The question of infant baptism/adult baptism is one that raises a lot of passionate voices and spurs a lot of passionate debate.

For our purposes, though, I’d like to encourage us to look beyond that for a moment. If it’s an issue that is important to you, I’m not asking you to compromise your beliefs or position, only to take some time to sit with a truth with which I think we all can agree:

Baptism is important.

In fact, baptism is so important that Jesus himself included it in what we call “The Great Commission,” which is part of a post-resurrection appearance:

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”—Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)

Baptism is a command from Jesus. And as you read the stories in the New Testament that involve baptism, you can’t help but feel a bit of excitement when you see that command being lived out as people put their faith in Jesus.

In fact, baptism should always be a cause for excitement and celebration. No matter how your church might practice it, baptism is a picture of so many things that should encourage joy in our hearts, like commitment, cleansing, new life, and discipleship.

In many churches, when someone is baptized a call goes out from the pastor:

Remember your baptism and be thankful.

Of course, not everyone can do that. But there may be a better way of phrasing it we can all embrace, encouraged by a Methodist pastor:

Remember that you are baptized and be thankful.

For those who have been baptized, whenever it took place, it’s a worthwhile practice to build into our life with God: occasional moments to reflect on its meaning and to hear again the call to discipleship . It’s an act of recommitment, claiming once again for ourselves the promises spoken over us when we are baptized:

You are known.
You are loved.
You are called.
You are chosen.
You are cleansed.

So for today’s song and time of reflection, you are going to be invited to spend some time thinking about baptism. The song for today is instrumental, and Scriptures are provided below for reading and meditation.

If you haven’t yet been baptized, consider this an opportunity to think about God’s invitation and spend some time in conversation with him about what it might mean to take that step.

For those who have been baptized, this is an opportunity to “Remember that you are baptized and be thankful.” Perhaps spend some time considering ways you can make remembering your baptism a regular part of your walk with God. To read some suggested ways of doing that from the United Methodist Church, click here.

May God bless you as you think about the waters of baptism and the promises, call, and love that they represent.

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyLiving water · Fernando Ortega℗ 2011 Vi Ray PublishingReleased on: 2011-01-01Auto-generated by YouTube.

Time of Reflection

Here are some passages of Scripture about baptism to reflect on as you sit with God today.

All readings are from the ESV translation.

John 3:3-7

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

Acts 2:38-39

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Acts 8:35-38

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Romans 6:1-4

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Galatians 3:24-27

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Titus 3:4-7

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

1 Peter 3:18-22

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.