By: The Very Rev. Robert S. Munday
Baptism is not man’s idea. It was God’s idea. It is not a denominational thing. It is a Biblical thing. It started with John the Baptist at the beginning of our gospels. It continued in the ministry of Jesus himself. John 4:1 says, “Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John,” although it was the disciples who did the actual baptisms (John 4:2). And the practice continued in the Church not because of their wisdom, but because of Jesus’ command. At the end of his earthly ministry Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
Baptism is not merely a part of the Church’s mission: Baptism is what gives each of us a mission. It is our commission for service in the kingdom of God. It makes each of us ministers. And, as God gives us the gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, etc.), we are equipped to accomplish what God calls us to do.
Baptism is also referred to as “the sacrament of new birth” because, when we are baptized into Christ’s body, we experience a new birth and a new life. God is vitally concerned with possibilities that exist for each of us as we are born anew in Christ. That is one of the things that make life so precious: none of us knows, the plans God may have for each new life or what each one of us can become. As followers of Christ, we know that every human being is precious in God’s sight. Our calling, therefore, is to insure that each precious human being has the right to life and has the opportunity to experience new life through faith in Jesus Christ.