A Baptist's View of Baptism

The business of baptism confused me for awhile. Apart from my own baptism at age 12, I first began thinking about what Baptists call this “ordinance” as a biblical teaching during seminary. One day a pastor – I can’t recall his name – came around promoting his book. It argued that Baptists were the Christians who were truest to scripture because they were spiritually descendants of John the Baptist. That seemed like quite a jump to me, but I didn’t have the energy to refute his thinking.

In the liturgical calendar we recall the baptism of Jesus at this time of the year. Luke tells us about it: “The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, ‘I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:15-18, 21-22)

John demanded repentance. He warned his listeners that the axe was already at the foot of the trees, and that every tree not producing good fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire. Then Jesus came to be baptized, but he had a different take on repentance. And here’s where I think we sometimes miss the point. We get stuck on the part about repentance, which is important, but we overlook the kind of baptism Jesus calls us to experience. Our inclination is to dwell on past sins, repeatedly praying for God’s forgiveness. We don’t want to get tossed in the fire, and we are convinced that the unrepentant are headed in that direction. We suppose that by some public act of contrition, namely baptism by immersion, we can persuade God to let us off the hook.

Jesus insists on repentance, but his focus is different. He connects it with belief in the reality of who God is. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15) Repentance is a turning away from one thing toward something else. Jesus demands that we turn away from our belief that God is not loving, that God is “only too ready to cast us into the fires of hell given half an excuse,”[1] and begin living as recipients of forgiveness. “Getting baptized” doesn’t persuade God of anything. That would be salvation by works, not by grace.

For Jesus repentance is no longer maintaining a checklist of wrongs (committed by us, or by others whom we like to keep close tabs on). It’s an affirmation of God’s love for us.

For Jesus the event at the Jordan is a debutante ball, a coming out party, when his true identity is revealed. The words, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased," echo Isaiah’s: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight…” (Isa 42:1) That association defines Jesus not as a punishing judgmental deity, but as the servant who is despised, rejected, crucified, and cut off from the land of the living.

And God affirms his love for him with a sign of peace, the dove. Just like in Noah’s day the dove announces that despite suffering and hardship, everything will be put right in the end. God will wipe the tears away and conquer death. Or as Julian of Norwich put it, “And all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

At his baptism, Jesus is immersed – in the fire of suffering love. That’s what the Holy Spirit bestows. It’s the awareness that as God’s people, we are baptized in the same way. Like Jesus, we are sent out into a hostile world armed with the passion of God’s love and forgiveness. At times it costs us. But underlying the expense are the words that are inscribed on our hearts: “You are my child, my beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And resting in that belief, "all manner of things shall be well."

[1] “Fire and Water,” http://www.laughingbird.net