What Difference Does it Make
preached Sunday July 28, 2013 by the Reverend Jack Williams
I have
a friend who a Lutheran. Ollie gave me a small sticker to put on my bathroom
mirror that says, “When you wash your face, remember your baptism.” I had that
little sticker on my bathroom mirror for a number of years and it was a good
reminder of who we are as a result of our baptism.
Later
on, I picked up a small book written by the Methodist Bishop, William Willimon titled "Remember Who You Are". Willimon tells the reader that when he was in
his teenage years and started dating, just before Will left the house to pick
up his date, his mother would say to him, “Remember who you are. You are baptized.”
Last
Sunday, based on chapter 1 of Colossians, we saw Paul’s divinely inspired words
of who Jesus is. Please bear with me while I read Paul’s words from the
NRSV. “He is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of all creation; for in
him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have
been created through him and for him. He
himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the
church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come
to have first place in everything. For
in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to
reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace
through the blood of his cross. And
you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly
body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable
before him— provided that you
continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from
the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to
every creature under heaven.”
In short, Jesus is the Messiah,
God’s anointed one, Emmanuel, God with us, God’s Son. In Jesus, we see God and the nature of God.
This
week, our reading from the second chapter answers the “so what”. If Jesus is
the Son of God and all the things we heard last week, exactly what difference
does that make to us 2,000 later? More
specifically, how does our belief that Jesus is Lord give us new life in
Christ?
There
are several theological ideas of how we as Christians have new life, or in
another way of saying it, how does Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection give
salvation to you and me?
In
powerful language Paul says that “When you were buried with Christ in baptism,
you were also raised with him in baptism.” We don’t see that as clearly as we
would if we were baptizing people the way the early church did. So allow me to
tell you how baptism was carried out in the early church. In the early church,
preparation for baptism took from 1 to 3 years. Prior to being baptized, the
unbaptized would not be allowed stay for the entire church service. They would
be excused before the Eucharist was celebrated for instruction in theology. The
day of baptism for these Christians in training, was on Easter Sunday. In some
communities, the font was a large eight sided pool of water with steps on one
side leading into the font and steps on the other side leading out of the
font. Women and men were baptized
separately because in many churches, they required the baptismal candidate to
be naked, representing being naked, as when one is born. The person would enter
into the font and be submerged under the water, not just representing but
actually dying with Christ. The baptizer
would say, as the one being baptized was plunged into the watery grave, I baptize
you in the name Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Upon coming up out of the
water, the newly baptized would be raised to new life just as Christ was
resurrected from the dead. After being baptized, new clothing was placed on the
new Christian. Usually it was a white robe and the newly baptized were eagerly
welcomed to full membership in the church which allowed him or her to take part
in the other sacrament of the church, the Lord’s table, or Holy Communion.
So
what is the big deal here? It is more
than just a big deal. Baptism is life changing, life giving, and is an
important part of what gives us new life, or salvation. What is that other part
that gives us new life in Christ? It is
faith, faith in the very power of God that was able to raise Christ from the
dead. Let me say that another way. When you were baptized, you were buried with
Christ in baptism, you were also raised with Christ to a new life. In other
words, resurrected with Christ.
I
have a couple of questions: Do you think that all things are possible for God
to do? Do you believe God answers prayer?
Do you believe God can heal people.
Do you believe God can perform miracles? Do you believe that God raised
Jesus from the dead? Paul states in
Roman’s 10, “If you will confess with your lips, that Jesus is Lord and that
God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved.” It is a simple as that.
Maybe
we could say that together: “Jesus is
Lord and God raised him from the dead.” Our brothers and sisters in the
Catholic church say something similar as the mystery of faith. “Christ has
died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.” I almost can’t say those words without
breaking out in song.
But
there is more. When you were baptized, you took part in a death and a
resurrection like Christ’s death and resurrection. You died in the waters of
baptism, a watery grave, and emerged a new person. In words reminiscent of a
court document, your rap sheet which contained all the sinful things in your
life, that separated you from God. were nailed to the cross. The charges against you were declared
dismissed and stamped null and void and the rap sheet put to death with Jesus
on the cross. Think of it, your charges
on that rap sheet, now dismissed.
So
here is another big question: “Are you
and I convinced enough of the sufficiency of God’s action in the crucified
Christ to gamble our lives on the power of the way of the cross rather than
making compromises with other powers?” Let me say that again: “Are you and I convinced enough of the
sufficiency of God’s action in the crucified Christ to gamble our lives on the
power of the way of the cross rather than making compromises with other
powers?”
How
might we compromise the way of the cross with other powers. I can think of several ways, none of which in
themselves bad. They are only bad when they become a substitute for the way of
the cross. Here are some I have thought
of. Special knowledge that helps you get ahead. Remember Kevin Trudeau who has
written numerous books. Cures the doctors don’t want you to know. Get rich in
real estate. Or the latest health food supplements. Some of the programs we see on TV that
promise health, wealth, or romance. Steve Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly
Successful People”. All kinds of self
help books. Just the right clothing, or
home, or car – all the materialism of our world. I am sure you can think of many other
compromises we can find in other powers.
Money
that we have in our pockets is stamped “In God we trust” but how do we feel
when our supply of money is low? What do
most people really put their trust in?
Money or God?
So
here is why Christ is so important for you and me.
In Christ, through faith and baptism you are a new
creation.
In Christ through faith and baptism you are
born again.
In Christ through faith and baptism you have
the inheritance Christ has.
In Christ through faith and baptism you are
marked as one of God’s own.
When you were baptized either as an infant or
an adult, the priest or minister, immersed you in, or poured water over your
head and saying your God given name, said these words, I baptize you in the
name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy
Spirit. May your name be written in the
book of life and may you forever be held in the palm of God’s hand. The sign of the cross was made on your
forehead and you were marked as one of God’s very own.
So what difference does it make?
Every difference in this life and in
your eternal life to come. So next time, when you wash your face,
remember your baptism. When you go out into this world, remember who you are.
Next week I will talk about “Now
What”. Now that we know who Christ is and now that we know what difference it
makes, now what do we do? And like the
newly baptized of the early church, we will gather around the table and
celebrate the sacrament of communion.
