Sunday Thoughts: What is Baptism?

Today three of our young people got baptised in our local river.  Why?  Jesus doesn't command us to follow many rituals - our faith is about a new heart and relationship.  So what is Baptism?

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.’”

Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (Matthew 3:1-5)

Baptism first arrived with the aptly named John the Baptist.  John's role was to prepare the way for Jesus coming to earth, and people came to him to repent of all the wrong that they had done.  Now all of us have done wrong, and what is more we all live in a world that is wrong, and however hard we try we can't help picking up the dirt around us.  When John was baptising people they were symbolising their commitment to wanting to wash all the wrongdoing out of their lives and live a new life.  And this was more than just about being washed.  When they were being dunked in the river this was symbolising dying to their old life and being raised into a new life.   There's nothing magical about the water - it is just a symbol of what is going on in their hearts.

But if this is just a symbol, does it really mean anything more than just our determination, through our own efforts, to just make a fresh start and try extra hard to be good?  Does it mean that our young people being baptised today are just going try extra hard to follow all the guidance in the Bible on what it means to live a good life and be a good person?   No, it's not about that.

[John said] “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.  John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”  But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  (Matthew 3:11-17)

Jesus' baptism was a symbol as well, showing what he was going to do for the world.   You see, Jesus was going to take all of that badness, all of that dirt, with him and put it to death.  All the burden of sin that we bear, he was going to take with him, when he died on the cross.  

[You were] buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.  And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.  (Colossians 2:12-15)

And so when we talk about Jesus' baptism of fire and the holy spirit, this is what we're talking about.  Without Jesus, dying to sin would mean dying.  The guilt that is within us is so entrenched that it's impossible to escape.  We know this - we all die eventually, regardless of what kind of life we've lived, because ultimately we are part of a world that is marred by sin and evil.  But because Jesus is life itself, we can die to our brokenness and be raised to new life with him!  We can be the wheat gathered up by Jesus.

What's this new life?  It's both now and not yet.  We are still living here in a broken world - they're not going to be perfect.  But God promises his Holy Spirit who works in our live and he will work on their motivations and desires and produce fruit in their lives, and ultimately help them love God and others more and more.  But their ultimate life will come when they go to be with God forever - either when they die or Jesus comes back to earth, and that is what they can look forward to, where they will be made perfect.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.  (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Finally, they are part of a family.  Being 'in Christ' means also being united in a family - that is our church here.  We're all sisters and brothers, not just because we share a belief, but we are in Christ.

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.  (Romans 6:3-4)

So, our young people being baptised today will be walking in newness of life.  This means living free from guilt - knowing that they have not only been forgiven in the way that we might forgive each other, but that their sin and everything that separates them from God has been taken away.  And they have a new purpose, and a new identity and a new hope.