Baptism

Romans 6:4 NIV: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death…”

Of all the rituals Christians participate in, most are performed repeatedly: worship, communion, prayer, tithing, confession, and repentance. Significantly, there is one that happens only once. Baptism. My reflection is not meant to delve into the nuances of denominational stances; I want to pause so we can absorb the overarching concept and better appreciate it. 

You may not realize that baptism didn’t really exist until John the Baptist appeared. Jews would immerse themselves in water for purification rituals, and it is believed that when a gentile converted to Judaism, they would undergo immersion at the temple. How strange it must have been, then, for a man to appear out of the wilderness, dressed in animal fur, declaring that the Jews needed to repent and be “washed” in a river of all places! 

This wasn’t an act of purification but a way for the Jews to publicly acknowledge covenant failure and express hope in the restoration of Israel. No wonder throngs of people flocked to John, and the religious leaders grew angsty. 

There are a few more things the scriptures tell us. 1) Jesus was baptized by John, and the Holy Spirit was seen to come down and remain on him at that time. 2) Jesus didn’t baptize anyone. John 4:2 says, “Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples.” 3) The symbolism of baptism changed after Jesus’s death and resurrection. 

Clearly, there was something radically new and important about the act of baptism for Jesus to participate in, for his disciples to perform during his ministry, and, more significantly, for Jesus to command us to continue (Matthew 28:19). 

Have you ever wondered why baptism? Weren’t there other rituals that could have been incorporated into repentance, new-covenant adherence, and spiritual rebirth? Something with fire? Or light? Or breaking something or doing a dance? 

Water is the perfect element. In the Bible, water is always present at threshold moments when things change. From creation to the flood to the Red Sea and the crossing of the Jordan River, these moments signify something new. Water also cleanses without destroying. Fire purifies but consumes. Blood seals covenants but costs life. Oil consecrates but does not transform. Water is also universally available; you don’t need a temple, a blood sacrifice, or class privilege. Any river or pool will do. Finally, submerging in water simulates death. Underwater, we cannot breathe, and control is surrendered. But then we are lifted up, returning to the land of light, air, and life.  

Paul expresses this eloquently in Romans 6:4: “Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead…we too might walk in newness of life.”

Baptism is the embodied declaration that I have turned from my old life and am publicly joined to God’s new reign, passing through death and cleansing into a new identity in Christ. My artwork is meant to remind you of your own baptism, so that you might reenter that one significant moment.