Yesterday, we recognised that choosing to be a follower of Jesus is no small matter, but it is a choice that is well worth the cost.
From the beginning of the Church’s existence, those who chose the Christian life undertook a ritual of baptism to signify that their old, sinful self had died with Jesus on the cross
and their new, redeemed self had risen to new life with the risen Jesus. This tradition was not new to the Jews who heard Paul speak of it, but its full significance was new to them. Instead of a ritual of repentance and preparation for God’s coming kingdom, baptism now celebrates oneness with Jesus, who has opened God’s kingdom to us.
Some Christian traditions today enact this ritual as a full immersion of the body in water,
much as the Jews did. Other traditions choose to sprinkle water over the forehead, after which the priest anoints the person with the sign of the cross. Most traditions view baptism as a Sacrament, meaning it is an outward sign of a special way of receiving God’s grace.
By receiving baptism, we are not saying, “Look how good I am”. Rather, it is a surrender to a life in which we offer everything in our lives to the praise,
reverence and worship of God. It is a choice that can realistically be lived into only with the grace and help of Jesus through the Holy Spirit.
Do you still celebrate the date of your baptism with joy?
As you look back on your life, when have you felt that your old self has gone and your new self has come?
What may be one thing today
you wish to ask Jesus to help you let go of so that you can live fully in him?
