Jan. 12, 2025

“Baptized to Death”

Romans 6:1-11

The baptism of Jesus is a rather perplexing story in the narrative of His ministry here on earth. John says that his baptism was one of repentance, but Jesus, being sinless, has nothing of which to repent. While the mystery of Jesus' baptism can never be fully unpacked in our earthly lifetimes, Paul does give us a clue in Romans 6 about its purpose in relation to us, the faithful believers who come after who are baptized in the same way. Paul connects Jesus' baptism to something we all experience in this life: death. Our baptism, which is like Jesus' baptism, connects us to Jesus' death. Jesus' baptism prepared Him for His saving work on the cross, the very thing which gives our baptism new meaning. In connecting this death of Jesus to baptism, we start to see the death of sin in our own lives, the death of the devil's lies in the world around us, and though the resurrection, the death of death itself in the last days. Through the waters of baptism, we see the gift of life with fuller meaning.

Questions for consideration: 

1.    When were you baptized? If you have not been baptized, what do you know about baptism?

2.    Where do we baptize people, usually? Where was Jesus baptized?

3.    Baptism in Christ connects us to what two things, according to Romans 6:5?