“Christ’s Resurrection and our Baptism”
Sermon Title: Christ’s Resurrection and our Baptism
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:18-22 ESV
Introduction
“For Christ also suffered[a] 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 (v.18).”
Today’s passage fixes our gaze to the pivotal moment in human history, the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. On Good Friday, we celebrated his selfless act of sacrifice, Jesus Christ the sinless Son of God, bore the weight of our sins and he has paved the way for our reconciliation with God. However, Easter is the ultimate triumph of love over darkness. It is the ultimate triumph of redemption over sin because Jesus emerges victorious from the tomb, opening up a new reality of hope and salvation for all humanity. Jesus’ resurrection extends beyond a mere historical event and has practical implications for us today – one of them being our baptism.
Christ’s Resurrection and Our Baptism
Just as Christ died on the cross and was raised to new life, we too experience the same death and life when we embrace the waters of baptism.
· In the water of baptism, we are symbolically burying our old self, characterized by sin and disobedience, just as Jesus was buried in the tomb. The old sinful self is buried in the waters of baptism, and what comes up out of the water is a new creation.
Cleansing through Water
The idea of being renewed and cleansed by water is a running theme throughout the Bible.
· Moses and the Israelites walked through the parted Red Sea and came out of the waters as a nation of God; Joshua and the Israelites walked through the Jordan river into the promised land as the heirs of the land; special ceremonial cleansing laws were given to the Israelites (Lev.15).
· “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 (v.20-21),” In the example of Noah, Peter illustrates how Noah’s family found salvation through the waters of the flood. Symbolically, we are also saved through the waters of baptism, so that we may embody a fresh journey of faith and discipleship.
· Therefore, Easter serves as a profound reminder of the transformative power of resurrection and baptism allows us to partake in this transformative power in union with Christ in his death and resurrection and being clothed with his righteousness.
· “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you…” Peter is not saying that the ritual itself brings salvation for baptism cannot guarantee salvation for we are saved by faith alone. Peter is saying that genuine baptism is a public declaration of one’s genuine faith in Christ, an external sign of one’s internal faith.
Baptism as Initiation into God’s Family
Another implication of Jesus’ resurrection on our baptism is that we now belong to God’s family.
· Through Jesus, the veil that once separated us from God has been torn from top to bottom. Through Jesus we have been invited to come before the presence of God as his sons and daughters. Baptism symbolically ushers us into God’s family.
· Baptism is not merely an individual affair but a communal one. Just as Noah and his family found refuge together in the ark, we also find solidarity and support in the community of believers. We share in each other's joys and sorrows, where we bear one another's burdens, and celebrate each other's victories. And it is within this community that we are nurtured and supported on our spiritual journey.
Conclusion
Let us not just spectate but participate and renew our commitment to our own baptismal vows. Let us remember that through our baptism, we have been marked as children of God, sealed with the promise of eternal life. This profound reality has taken effect only because of what Jesus has accomplished through his life death and resurrection.
May we remember our own baptism and the vows we made before the Lord. Let us strive to live lives worthy of this calling, bearing witness to the transformative power of resurrection in our daily walk.
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20).”
In light of the Easter spirit, may we live our lives crucified with Christ in our baptism and raised to newness of life in His resurrection, and may the joy and hope of Easter fill our hearts and inspire us to live as faithful disciples of our risen Lord.
Happy Easter. He lives!