What Baptism Does for Us

Today we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord.  On Christmas day Jesus was born a man.  In Baptism, He born spiritually as “heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him.”

John the Baptist baptized many but the baptism performed by John only served one purpose.  It was a very important purpose, the forgiveness of sins, but, again, just one purpose.

John knew this.  He knew he baptized only with water.  He knew Jesus would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” 

Jesus was the Son of God.  He did not need to be baptized by John for the forgiveness of sins.  He had no sin.  Jesus accepted Baptism to set an example for us and to “cleanse for himself a people as his own.”  When we are baptized we are cleansed of our sins.  We are also made a child of God.

In Baptism we are called to share in Jesus’ earthly death who died to “deliver us from all lawlessness.”  Jesus died for us not “because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy.”

In sin, we live in a fallen state.  Baptism is for us a “bath of rebirth” in which we are renewed by the Holy Spirit.  We are “justified by his grace” and given the gift of eternal life.

In Baptism we are anointed “with the Holy Spirit.”  We are given “power,” i.e., grace from on high. 

In Baptism we became disciples.  Are you a strong disciple?  How have you embraced what you were given in Baptism?  Everything that is bolded and italics above in this article is something we received in Baptism. 

Some people are more committed to their faith than others.  The following is taken from my homily on the Solemnity of Christ the King in 2021. 

In her book, Forming Intentional Disciples, Sherry Weddell offers five thresholds in our journey as disciples of Jesus’ (Weddell, Sherry A., Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus.  Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, IN.  2012.  For the following see pages 129-130.)

The first is “Initial Trust.”  Because of someone they know or an experience they have had, a person is open to the idea that God exists. 

The second is “Spiritual Curiosity.”  Here, one desires to know more about Jesus but has not accepted him yet as king.

The third is “Spiritual Openness.”  Here, one begins to “be open to possibility of personal and spiritual change.”

The fourth threshold is “Spiritual Seeking” where a person actively seeks to know God more fully.

The fifth she calls “Intentional Discipleship.”  Here, we put God first and reorder our life in accord with his will.

Where are you in your discipleship?  The Lord says to us, “So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).  In Baptism we are “justified by his grace” but if we want to enter Heaven, we need to “reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly.” 

God wants everyone to be in Heaven.  “God shows no partiality.  Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.”  We do not do this on our own.  We need the grace of God to be saved but it is our choice to follow the Lord or not. 

John the Baptist called out “In the desert prepare the way of the Lord!”  I cry out to you today, “prepare the way of the Lord.” 

Jesus comes to restore all things.  He comes to “make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low.”  Do you let Jesus change your life or do you put obstacles in his way (see my recent article “Obstacles We Create”)?

Have no doubt, Jesus wants to save you.  In Baptism, you were given the light of Christ.  He wants you to share the light.  He wants you to help “bring forth justice to the nations” and to help set people free from worldly ways. 

The Lord does not leave us alone to do this.  “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.”  Jesus is always there for us.  Do you let him have the lead?  Do you let him “renew the face of the earth”?

If you would like to know more about Baptism, see the second part of my series, Sacraments:  Channels of the God’s Grace.  You can read more about original sin in my article, “Original Sin and the Question of Limbo.”

Peace,

Fr. Jeff