An Easter Baptism

“Almighty God, through the incarnate Word you have caused us to be born anew of an imperishable and eternal seed: Look with compassion upon those who are being prepared for Holy Baptism, and grant that they may be built as living stones into a spiritual temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

“Lesser Feasts and Fasts,” pg. 57

As a minister, one of the most enjoyable things that I get to do is officiate baptisms. I love baptisms. Partly because they bring together two things together that give me joy: cute babies and profound sacramental theology. What’s more, the atmosphere at a baptism ceremony is often laced with a mixture of jubilation and optimism. Everyone is excited. Babies are adorned in beautiful white gowns — in some cases, heirloom hand-me-downs from previous generations. Afterwards, attendees gather to document the event by taking Christmas card-worthy photos. Additionally, for parents, the baptism of their child marks an important milestone in their parenting journey as baptism makes their child a full member of the church. What’s not to like?

Yet, baptism has another important association that shouldn’t be missed: Easter. Admittedly, it’s a connection that we might not readily make. Most of us know what Easter is about. Easter marks an important — perhaps the most important — event in the life of Christ: His resurrection. Since ancient times, there has always been a strong link between baptism and Christ’s resurrection. In fact, St. Paul spends an entire chapter in his Epistle to the Romans (see Romans 6) establishing the connection. Here’s a short summary of Paul’s argument in Romans 6:

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:4

For this reason, since ancient times, baptism has been associated with resurrection. And since Easter is the celebration of the resurrection, churches have always conducted baptisms on Easter.

So, as we near Easter, let us take time to remember our own baptism. Through the sacrament of baptism, we have died to our old self (buried in the waters of baptism), in order that we might experience resurrected life. This is the life God has purposed for us. It defines for us a new reality. To quote the Scottish theologian Sinclair Ferguson, “Baptism is the rubric under which the entire liturgy of the Christian life is expressed.” (Sinclair Ferguson, "Baptism: Three Views," p. 110).

So, let us, with confidence, embrace the blissful proclamation that since Christ is risen … so are we!

Please visit smec.org/baptism if you are interested in being baptized.