Baptism
John 1:29-34
John took a daily purification ritual and made it the touchstone of a new religion.
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” - John 1:29-34
The Jewish people already had a ritual to distinguish themselves through their covenant with God. They had the ritual of male circumcision.
Purification was another ritual that set them apart from everyone else. It provided a dividing line between the ordinary and the godly.
John took this ritual and used it as a rite of passage from ordinary life to extraordinary life, free of the errors and influences of the past. But his baptism wasn’t the ultimate transformative act. That would come with Jesus.
He would baptize with the Holy Spirit of God.
Jesus’ baptism is symbolic, marking the moment he chose to show the world who he was and why he had come. John was the witness, and the people who came to John were given a greater experience, to be in the presence of God.
When I was young, baptism was a requirement for every new birth. Without it, the child would not be protected in death. People baptized their children out of fear.
In fact, nearly every ritual and practice one did as part of their faith was done in fear, rather than in awe and love.
The baptism of Jesus should have marked a new beginning for us as followers of Jesus and children of God, but like most good and meaningful things in our lives, we turned it into something required and built a wall of fear around it.
Today, infant baptisms are declining at an alarming rate. But it is not alarming for all Christians, only for those who continue to see it as a requirement for eternal life.
So, what should we do about it?
Many would say we should do nothing, that it is an outdated ritual of a church that is no longer relevant.
Maybe it will die off and go the way of confirmation and other sacraments. Do we not need them anymore?
Or have we simply rejected the fear and placed our focus on the individual’s need to make a conscious choice when they can do so on their own?
I wonder if that is the case. And if it is, what are we teaching the children about God, so they can make that decision wisely?
When there is a God-sized hole in our hearts, minds and souls, something will come along to fill it.
More to come...