“Hey everybody! I just got my driver’s licence!” How many times have we heard a family member or a friend burst out with excitement over accomplishing this rite of passage? The fun response is often an elbow in the ribs of a buddy with the expression, “Clear the highways, Sally just got her car licence” or “Look out, Joe is behind the wheel of that big rig!” The written test was taken and the road test was given. With anticipation we waited for the results. After one (or maybe more!!) tries, we became “legal” to drive. A feeling of accomplishment followed and we were on the road, this time behind the steering wheel.
As we burst up out of the waters of baptism, we demonstrate that Jesus rose from the grave! Baptism, the symbol of the death and resurrection of our Lord. What a happy event! What a powerful visual of our Christian faith!
I knew my personal decision to trust Jesus Christ as my Saviour, meant that I had obtained salvation by virtue of the atoning death of Christ on the cross. Yet I also knew that my Lord had a step of obedience in mind for His followers. “Believe and be baptized.” Water baptism by immersion is like a rite of passage for the Christian. It an outward pubic expression that we are so very pleased to be Christians. As we are lowered into the waters of baptism, we declare that Jesus died and was buried. As we burst up out of the waters of baptism, we demonstrate that Jesus rose from the grave! Baptism, the symbol of the death and resurrection of our Lord. What a happy event! What a powerful visual of our Christian faith!
Today we are privileged to watch the baptisms of those who are taking this God-blessed step. Again at the end of next month, others shall join them in this personal and public commitment to Christ. Will you be one of those who participate in this Christian “rite of passage”? Delayed obedience is disobedience. It is time to break through our personal glass ceilings with the public act of water baptism. You too will have the joy of saying, “Hey everybody! I just got baptized!”