Taking Baptism Seriously

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The examination of the Baptism of our Lord today prompts one to ask this question: How have you treated your own Baptism?

In Baptism, you have a mighty work of God, by which your sinful nature is drowned, and a new man in the image of Christ is brought forth. So Baptism is not merely a minor event that happened in your past. It is a great treasure with deep meaning for your life as a Christian.

Have you treated your Baptism as a sacred thing? Or not?

Our dilemma is that we are surrounded by Church bodies that do not believe that Baptism is an act of God. They say instead that it is merely obedience to the command of God, which symbolizes new life, but does not actually give it.

Many of our friends and family members belong to these Church bodies.

Now, if this disagreement on Baptism was only a matter of human opinion and tradition, then it would not really be vital what someone thinks.

But Baptism is not of human origin. Christ our Lord commanded Baptism, and gave it a promise, in Matthew chapter 28: "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." Baptism is in the Name of God, at His command, and by His instruction. So we must listen to what He says about it, not what we decide. It is His, and it works as He says.

So what does God say? "No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit," John 3. "Be Baptized and wash your sins away," Acts 22. "Baptism now saves you," 1 Peter 3. "Whoever believes and is Baptized will be saved," Mark 16. "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit," Titus 3.

This salvation that comes through Baptism is not separate from the work of Christ, as it says in Ephesians 5: "Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word." And again, Galatians 3: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."And so forth.

Many passages point to the saving power of Baptism. Let us add just one more: Mark 1, our Gospel today. Even the Baptism of John was a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Does our Christian Baptism have less power than John's? Surely not! But you see your own Baptism in the Baptism of Jesus, when the heavens were split open, and the Father declared His loving approval for His Son, and the Spirit descended on Him. That is the power of your Baptism, because you were Baptized into Christ. The heavens were split open, and the Father declared His love for you, His beloved child.

Since there are so many Scriptures attesting to God's mighty work in Baptism, therefore, to deny Baptism's power is to deny the Word of God. Likewise, it is to deny the grace that He pours out in these grace-filled waters. Even though we hesitate to say anything for certain about a person's salvation, yet it is at the very least dangerous to deny the forgiveness of sins in Baptism. To deny the way that God gives His grace is to refuse that Gift. Do you want to tell God that He is wrong?

Should we not give a clear confession of God's unequaled mercy? Souls are in danger.

Yet, it is difficult to proclaim the Truth, when the Truth indicates that some people are in error. If we say that Baptism saves, we are also saying that the Baptists and others are wrong who say that it does not save. You cannot go both ways. It either saves, or it does not. And you cannot say that it does not matter. This is a matter of God's Word, and a matter of salvation. It really matters, for the consolation of your eternal soul.

Nevertheless, you sometimes hold your tongue. You sometimes keep silence, when you should give a clear confession.

You sometimes fear that you might hurt someone's feelings.

You sometimes fear that your lives will become more difficult. If you confess the Truth, your family or friends may avoid you, or treat you differently. You may lose them, and no one wants to lose friends. It is painful, for everyone.

But we must count the Word of God as more important than any friendship or kinship. We must be willing to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from the true confession. That is what we promise at Confirmation.

You ought to be proud of your Baptism, and boast of the great gifts that you received from God. For this is boasting in Christ, not in yourselves.

We should also treat our children in the same fashion. We should bring them quickly to the Font, soon after their birth, and encourage others to do the same. For do we not wish for our babies these great gifts of God?

Even in this, you are sometimes lax or slow. You are so unlike the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea, who eagerly rushed out to be Baptized. You sometimes treat Baptism as a nice little extra, or a nice occasion for a family get-together, or a good tradition. You should treat it as the water of life, and the salvation of souls, for that is what God says of it.

There is another part of Baptism that we neglect. In Mark's Gospel, the Sacrament is called "a Baptism of repentance." He adds these words: "They were Baptized by John, confessing their sins." Confession and repentance are tied to Baptism. Once you have the new birth, you strive to live in a way appropriate to the new life. When you fail, you are able to return to your Baptism, but not by getting re-Baptized. Re-Baptism is never hinted at in Scripture, and can only indicate that there is no confidence in the first Baptism.

No, you return to your Baptism in Confession. As Martin Luther wrote in our Large Catechism, "Baptism . . . both in its power and meaning, includes the third Sacrament, which has been called penance," that is, private confession. "It is really nothing other than Baptism." Luther also calls Confession "a return and approach to Baptism," and "walking in Baptism," in order to "attack and restrain the old man," which is your sinful nature.

Let's face it. We Lutherans for the most part have rejected private confession. Few of you in this room have ever gone to confess your sins to your Pastor. This is because you are only taking your Baptismal life half-seriously.

Our example should be Jesus Christ, who was more willing to be called a sinner than we are. He embraced a Baptism of forgiveness, even though He was without sin. And after His Baptism, He went into the desert to wrestle mightily against Satan and temptation. Compared with Him, we do nothing at all.

If you take this Baptismal Life seriously, and if you truly fear God, then you should learn to be horrified by your sins. Rather than hide your sins, you should unload them; have the burden of your guilt removed by your pastor applying the sweet message of the Gospel to the individual sins that you know and feel in your hearts.

But if we treat sin lightly, then how could we be said to have repentance?

If we think we are doing well, then how could we say that we need Jesus at all?

When you repent, Christ is gracious and merciful. He gives you His image, so that the Father calls you His beloved Son. The Spirit descends and remains on you, giving faith and repentance and forgiveness.

Although you have faltered in piety and repentance, God opens heaven's door to you. For He has written His Triune Name upon you, and will never abandon you. The Name of God is engraved upon you with the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God who was slain upon the cross for your sins. His Baptism effects the joyous exchange that happens in your Baptism. His love is as everlasting as the life He has bestowed on you. His forgiveness is deeper and richer and broader than your sins could ever be.

This gift of Baptism has poured out upon you all these blessings of your God. May the Spirit remind you of how great this Sacrament is, and how rich is the grace of your God. In this holy gift, you were united with the Blood and the Death and the Resurrection of Christ. The whole salvation that Christ purchased for you with His Passion is found in these precious drops of water. The Light of the World shines forth through a watery lantern.

The water has long since evaporated from your skin. But the Blessing remains, now and forevermore. And you can take that, hang it up before the devil, the world, and your sinful nature, and tell them to go to hell.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.