Fourth Sunday of Easter

Topical: Holy Baptism

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, what a great a joyous day we have to celebrate the gift of Holy Baptism during the season of Easter. For as we heard during the Baptismal rite, that this sacrament binds us with Christ that we might be joined to Him in his death, that we might then be buried with Christ in order that we too might be raised from the dead. For Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed Alleluia. What a great day to get to proclaim this precious and wonderful gift that places us inside of the Church as the children of God, and bestows upon us many rich blessings.

The New Birth

Jesus refers to it as being born from above.

Now when Jesus first speaks to Nicodemus about it, Nicodemus is a bit confused and trying to figure out what do you mean? For the Greek Word anothen can also mean again. Jesus emphasizes that this is not being born a second time of our earthly mother, but that we are born from on high that we belong to God. Like our earthly birth, this Spiritual birth

It is something that is passive.

You are born, you were born, a child will be born, but we do not birth ourselves, it is something that happens to us. We are part of it, we are present, but it is passive, we are part of it, but not active. This emphasizes our dependence upon others in this life from the moment of our conception, and without help we would perish. What can we as children do? Little to nothing, we are utterly dependent upon our parents.This is why God has given the command that we are to honor our father and mother, for they cared for us when we were helpless. It shouldn’t be surprising that Jesus talks about Baptism as a new birth, for as sinners we could offer and do nothing that was good in God’s sight.

This birth makes us children of God.

This morning God looked down from heaven upon His new daughter and the Holy Spirit descended upon little Rylee, because God has claimed her as His own giving her His divine and Holy Name. So that she might know she belongs to him. It doesn’t seem so spectacular or fantastic when you see a Baptism take place, just a bit of water, and a few words, and a potentially unhappy baby. The power of Baptism is found in the Words and Promises that God has given about Baptism, and what He promises to do for those who believe and are baptized. This is where we have to be on guard when we talk about what Baptism is and why we baptize babies. For there is some confusion about

The Vows and Promises

The baby can’t speak and doesn’t know.

The child cannot confess the Apostle’s, Nicene, or Athanasian Creed, how can it claim to believe the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God when she has not yet read or heard all of them? How can she make any of these vows, and why is the Congregation speaking on behalf of this child on the day of her new birth? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until she can make these promises herself?

Baptism doesn’t require them.

It is not the vows that make the Baptism. It is the Word and the Promise of God that has been attached to that Water that makes a baptism valid, that transforms this plain ordinary water which was gotten from the sink into a washing of regeneration that washes away her sins and binds her to Christ. This is why you don’t need to travel to the river Jordan to be baptized, for it is God’s Word that makes that water a source of everlasting life. So why the vows? Why go through all of these things on this day in Church?

It is good for the parents and sponsors.

For what is the shape of the Christian faith, what does the family, that the child is being born into, believe and how do they conduct themselves? God has entrusted you as parents and sponsors with the care and nurturing of one his children. It is a great honor and responsibility that rests upon your shoulders. There is also great joy when the day comes that this child confirms those vows as their own and joins you at the rail and as you receive together the Body and Blood of Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. The work isn’t done after being baptized, raising them is important. For the Scriptures tell us that Baptism isn’t just alone. The Gospel of Mark tells us that,

Baptism and Faith

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.

Whoever does not believe will be condemned. Which means it isn’t once baptized always saved, a child that is born needs the Word of God to nurture and strengthen the faith God has created inside of them. But what is that food that nourishes the soul. We know to feed and care for a child, but what sustains and strengthens the faith that has been created in the heart of the newly baptized?

Faith comes by hearing.

and hearing through the Word of Christ. For God’s word is powerful, living, and active it is God-Spirited, and strengthens us in the faith. It shouldn’t surprise us that the Word is what sustains those who are born again of water and the spirit, for what was that made the Baptism, a lavish washing away of sin? The Word. God does not deal with us apart from His Word, and any one who goes seeking God outside of the Word will find only the creation, not the creator.

That’s why we want sponsors.

Folks who will not only keep the child in their daily prayers, but also encourage them towards the faithful reception of the Lord’s Supper and grow year by year in the knowledge of God’s Word. It is an important task and a trying one for it means that the parents have asked you to hold them accountable and pester them if they aren’t bringing that child of God to church. For you want the gifts that God has given them today to bear the fruit of everlasting life. For even a small child like Rylee needs that

Faith Created by God through the Word

This isn’t about the mind.

Quite often we get caught up in that, and confuse intelligence with faith. There are some very intelligent people who are faithless, and there are some very simple souls that are very faithful. Because faith isn’t about how smart you are, it’s a gift, it’s why when Peter tells the crowd on Pentecost that they are to baptize, he includes all children, it isn’t about their intellect. So where does it come from?

The Spirit creates it in our hearts.

Faith holds on to the promises that God has given you in His Word. What promise did God make here to Rylee today? That Jesus’ death is her death, that God has clothed her in the robes of Christ Righteousness, and that she is God’s own child because she bears God’s name. That’s the same promise God made to all who are baptized. We trust that God has given her the Holy Spirit as He promised and that she is now safe by His promises, unless we are unbelievers. How does this all happen?

This is only done by the Word.

You perhaps notice a theme here. We have the sure and certain Word of God make no doubt about that, and it is needed for your salvation, but we are flesh and blood, and we have doubts about the Word and wonder did God really mean to save me? When things are going well you don’t worry about this too much, but when you find yourself ensnared in sin, and hear the Law condemning you, and showing your sins, you can begin to doubt and think, God meant to save others, but I’m too far gone. That’s why Jesus gave us the Sacraments, Christ has attached that promise of forgiveness, life, and salvation to physical elements that you know might answer joyfully did Jesus save. Yes, Jesus saved you. You were born into His Kingdom by the water and word. I am baptized.

These Vows Confirmed

Every baptized child should be confirmed.

Many aren’t and this is a great tragedy. They were brought to life by the waters of Holy Baptism, but then they fall away in the intervening years. For those who belong to the Kingdom of God yearn to receive the Sacrament, not just because their parents do, but because they are moving on from the milk of the faith and growing up, and it

It is good for them to have solid food.

There is a difference between Baptism and the Sacrament, there is no threat, no danger with Baptism, a person can set it aside, but they cannot receive Baptism to their judgment. You can take the Lord’s Supper wrongly, and take it to your own damnation, which is why we are careful to examine a person first. Just like you don’t hand solid food to newborn, you don’t hand the sacrament to those who might choke on it to their judgment. We want to remain clear, confirmation

It is not a graduation.

It is a confirmation of the vows that are made on the day of their baptism. It is with joy that those children that have been growing in the faith are then examined, approved and are able to come to the Altar and receive the Body and Blood of Christ safely. It is what each parent longs for, what each Sponsor prays for that the Baptized child of God joins them at the Altar and then receive with them the gifts that Christ gives to us.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we rejoice today that Rylee has joined us as a child of God and we welcome our Sister in Christ, but we also look forward to that day when she joins us at the Altar. For what a great and wonderful day that will be when she receives that precious sacrament that Christ offered up for her salvation. For that is our hope and our desire for every child baptized here that we might be united in the faith and confession of what Christ has done for us, and enter into HIs everlasting kingdom.