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The Sacrament Of Holy Baptism -- The Nature Of Baptism
Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's word. Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Matthew: Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost ... [Baptism] works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare. Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

After Jesus rose from the dead, He sent His disciples on a mission. Jesus told them to make disciples wherever they went. A disciple in the Bible is a student. So, Jesus told His students to make the class bigger by adding more students to it. He also told them how they make disciples of people. At the head of the list is baptism. "Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." Baptism is closely connected to Jesus' rising from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead to save us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Jesus promised that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved. Baptism somehow makes the resurrection of Jesus from the dead known to us.

First, let's review what it means to baptize someone in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. To baptize means to wash something. Jesus once pointed out that the Pharisees baptize everything: cups, pitchers, kettles, and recliner chairs. The author of the letter to the Hebrews pointed out that the hand and foot washings of the priests were temporary regulations until the coming of Jesus. Washing happens when you dip something in water. But the thing washed doesn't have to be dipped. Sometimes it is. Sometimes only a washcloth is dipped. Many people wash dishes and the kitchen table with the same washcloth. The dishes were dipped, the table wasn't. Both get baptized, according to the way the word was used in Bible times. The same is also true when we take a bath. You can take a bath in a tub, or in a sink (ever hear of a sponge bath? -- nurses give them all the time in hospitals). Christian baptism is a sacred bath. The quantity or depth of water is not the issue. The purpose is the issue.

The purpose of Christian baptism is connected to the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We are supposed to make disciples by baptizing people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Now, we wash clothes in the washing machine. We wash dishes in the sink. We wash ourselves in the shower, the sink, or the bathtub. We wash the car in the driveway or carwash. We baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So the name of God is the place where Christian washing happens. A close look at the name of God, here given in three parts, tells us what will happen in that sacred bath.

The name of the Father is branded on creation. Father is what we call the man who gave life to us and uses his strength to protect and care for us. God the Father is the Maker of heaven and earth. He is our maker, our Father. The name of the Son is branded on the church (we call it the "Christian" church, don't we?). If one is a son, he has a father. Together, that makes a family. The church is the family of God. Jesus is our big brother. God the Son was willing to sacrifice himself to bring and keep the family together. The name of the Spirit is branded on our lives. A spirit is air that moves. The wind keeps the air from getting stale. Wind moves in and out of our bodies to keep our bodies alive. The Holy Spirit gives us life by breathing into us the Word of God that heals the heart and mind and breathing out of us sin and death.

We should not be surprised, then, that Jesus wants us to baptize everyone. Baptism brings a person into the family of God. Baptism joins us to the saving work of Jesus. Baptism gives us a new start in life. For most Christians, this happens very near the beginning of their human lives. That's because we know people are sinful from the moment they are microscopic dots inside their mothers, doomed to die. We know they need to hear the message of forgiveness of sins and eternal life as soon as possible. Baptism acts out the message -- we actually see God forgiving sins. That makes baptism a very good teaching tool to use for people who are not ready to learn by listening to Bible stories. That's why we baptize babies or those who are babylike in mental development. For those who learn about Jesus later in life, baptism adds "Amen" to the spoken word.

When water is used according to the command of Jesus, a miracle happens. The water carries to us the cleansing power of God's Word and carries away the dirt of sin. Anyone who is baptized owns a place in God's eternal family. May God grant that we live up to that family name.

Prayer: We thank You, Lord Jesus, that You sent people to make disciples of us, who baptized us. We know that baptism joins us to You and sets us apart from sin, death, and the devil. When we are bothered by shame, remind us that all our sins were washed away at our baptism, even those we had not yet committed. Help us believe that, whether spoken or acted out, as in baptism, Your Word of forgiveness touches our whole life, not just the part we have already lived. Amen.