“See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
That was the Ethiopian eunuch’s reply when Philip opened the Scriptures up to him. It has been the natural response of so many over the past two thousand years who have concluded the same thing as the eunuch: Jesus is Lord. Faith, water, and the name of the Triune God are all that are required for this great sacrament of the church. It’s so simple that some may completely miss its significance.
Baptism is not the end but the true beginning of our great faith journey. It is not done in solitude but in the midst of the church, the gathered people of God. This devotional delves into the individuals and communities of six gospel passages and their response to an encounter with Jesus. At the very heart of each story is Jesus’ action. He is always the primary actor, energy, and force of the Good News. We all go into the baptismal waters to share in Jesus’ death and resurrection, but it doesn’t end there. The baptized are then sent out with a clear mandate to live as Kingdom people in this world. Thus, baptism is not only a response of faith, but a call to live as a people washed, renewed, and redeemed by God’s saving work in our communities.
