Mid-Lent 2
What
benefits does baptism
give?
2/28/24
In
the Small Catechism, Martin Luther approaches the Sacrament of Holy Baptism in
a very simple and direct manner. First,
he asks the question: “What is Baptism?”
We learned last week that baptism is water. However, it is not just plain water. Instead, it is water that has been included
in God’s command and combined with God’s word.
Having
established what baptism is, Luther then asks the next important question:
“What benefits does Baptism give?” Of
course, inherent in this question is the assumption that baptism actually
does something. This was clearly the
belief of the early Church. It was
certainly the belief of the medieval Church. For 1500 years this was the belief
of the catholic Church – the universal Church.
We
know that in the sixteenth century the Reformation took place. Led by Martin Luther, this was a work to
return the church to the truths of Scripture alone, grace alone, and faith
alone. It was a reforming work of
removing those things that had crept in that were not from Scripture and were
contrary to Scripture. But it was also a
work that retained all the that the Church had always confessed that was true
to Scripture.
However,
sadly, this is not all that occurred at this time. There were those who went
far beyond this. Instead of a reformation, they brought about a revolution. There were Christians who began to deny that
God does anything in baptism. They
maintained that baptism was only a symbol.
In doing so they created something that had never existed in the life of
the Church. They created something brand new.
Those
things that we must do are Law. That which God does for us in Christ is
Gospel. If baptism is only a symbol,
then God isn’t doing anything through it.
Instead, it is something that we do to indicate our faith or commitment. It is a matter of our action. It is Law.
However,
baptism is not a matter of Law. Instead,
it is God’s Gospel gift. As the Small
Catechism explains, “It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the
devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and
promises of God declare.” In explaining
this, the Small Catechism quotes the Gospel of Mark which says, “Whoever believes and
is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe
will be condemned.”
God does something through
baptism. Baptism saves. The Large Catechism says, “This is the
simplest way to put it: the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of
baptism is that it saves.” Of course,
when the Large Catechism states this, it is simply repeating what Scripture
says. Peter tells us, “Baptism, which
corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body
but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Baptism now saves you. That’s what
Peter says in a direct and simple statement.
And this verse illustrates what we find elsewhere in Scripture about
baptism. In text after text, Scripture
says that baptism does something.
You don’t have to do any work to make the verses fit what the Small
Catechism says about baptism. Instead, they
just say it.
We confess that baptism works the
forgiveness of sins. We do because Peter
said on Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is the same reason that early
Church confessed in the Nicene Creed, “I believe in one baptism for the
forgiveness of sins.”
Baptism works the forgiveness of sins
because it delivers what Jesus has won for us.
During Lent we prepare to remember Christ’s suffering and death. Last week in our reading of the Lord’s
passion according to St. Luke we heard Jesus say at the Last Supper, “For I
tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was
numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its
fulfillment.”
Jesus quoted words from Isaiah chapter
53 which speak about the suffering Servant.
He identified himself as the One who took our sins in order to receive
God’s judgment. On the cross of Good
Friday Jesus was the object of God’s wrath in our place. God offered his Son as the sacrifice for
us. Because he did, we now have
forgiveness. Paul told the Colossians, “He has
delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the
kingdom of his beloved Son, in
whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Jesus died as the suffering Servant
for us. But he was also raised up by God
on the third day for us. We saw last
week that it was the risen Lord who instituted Holy Baptism as he told his
Church to “baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.” The crucified and risen Lord
now uses baptism to give us the saving benefits of his cross.
St. Paul told the Romans, “Do you not know that all of
us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his
death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order
that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been
united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him
in a resurrection like his.”
Notice how Paul says that through baptism we have been
baptized into Christ’s death. He says
that we were buried with him by baptism into death. The apostle says that something actually
happened through water and the word in baptism.
We have shared in the saving death of Christ. His death has become ours and so we have
received the forgiveness that Christ has won.
Yet baptism is not only about Christ’s death. It is also about sharing in his
resurrection. Through baptism we have
shared in the death of the risen Lord. And so the apostle tells us, “For if
we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be
united with him in a resurrection like his.”
Your baptism is the guarantee that you will share in Jesus’ resurrection
on the Last Day.
And on this we can say even more. Paul told the Colossians that you have “been buried with him in
baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the
powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Through baptism and faith you are in
Christ. You have been joined to
him. Paul says that not only have you
shared in his death but you also already share in his resurrection.
The Small Catechism says that baptism
rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation. Baptism delivers forgiveness. It joins us to the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Because of this we have
been rescued from death and the devil.
We have eternal salvation.
Paul expressed this truth when he told
Galatians, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ.” Through
baptism you have been clothed with Christ.
The saving righteousness that Jesus won by his death and resurrection
now covers your every sin. When God
looks at you, he does not see your sin.
Instead, he sees what Jesus has done for you. You have been cleansed by the washing of water
with the word. You are holy in his eyes.
The Church does two things in order visually
to remind us of this fact. First, at
baptism we place the chrism gown on an infant. The white gown reminds us that
through baptism the child has put on Christ and his righteousness.
Then at funerals we place the funeral
pall on the casket at the beginning of the service. This white parament recalls the exact same
truth. Through baptism the Christian was
clothed with Christ. The person was
baptized into Christ. Therefore, the individual died as a forgiven child of God
who is with Christ, and will be raised up on the Last Day. This is true because baptism works the
forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal
salvation to all who believe this as the words and promises of God declare.
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