Small Catechism: Holy Baptism

Sermon on the Fourth Chief Part of the Catechism

2 Kings 5:1-14  +  Matthew 28:16-20

The first three chief parts of the Catechism teach us (1) about God’s commandments for how His people are to live; (2) who God is, what He has done, is doing, and will do for us; and (3) how God has taught us to pray to Him, and the things for which we should ask. The last three chief parts teach us about three specific ways in which God interacts with us, three gifts He has given to us in the Christian Church. The first of these is the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

First, let’s define a “sacrament.” The word isn’t in the Bible. When Lutherans use the word “sacrament,” we’re talking about outward ceremonies that God has established and commanded, ceremonies in which some earthly element, like water, is used, ceremonies to which God has attached a promise to do something for us, namely, to forgive us our sins and to save us from sin, death, and the devil.

And so we turn, first, to the first sacrament, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. There are four parts to the catechism-explanation of Baptism. First, What is it?

Christian Baptism is always a washing with water. It’s always a “water Baptism.” The Evangelicals have tried to separate “Spirit Baptism” from “water Baptism,” placing a much greater emphasis on “Spirit Baptism.” But, to be blunt, they don’t know what they’re talking about. We’ll get back to that in a moment.

For now, understand that, when we talk about Christian Baptism, Holy Baptism, we’re always talking about water. But not plain water, not just any use of water. The Greek word itself, “baptism,” can be used for any washing. It can refer to dipping someone or something in water, as Naaman dipped himself seven times in the Jordan River in the first lesson you heard this evening, where the Greek word for “dipped” is actually “baptized.” But it can also refer to sprinkling water or pouring water, or to the ritual washing of hands, pitchers, cups, or couches. In those cases, a “baptism” is just a washing with water.

But actually, in Naaman’s case, it was more than that, wasn’t it? Because his washing in the Jordan River was done at the command of God. God, through the prophet Elisha, told Naaman to “go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and you shall be clean.” So Naaman’s washing was done at God’s command.

So it is with Holy Baptism. It’s the water included in God’s command and connected to God’s word. Our Lord Christ says to His apostles in the last chapter of Matthew, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The eleven apostles received the command and authorization from Jesus to baptize, and they, in turn, along with the rest of the Church, later ordained other ministers to carry out this important command. Meanwhile, “all nations” are the ones who are to be baptized, just as Peter commanded the crowds in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you!” God has commanded the washing of Holy Baptism.

Second, What does Baptism do? As Luther says in the explanation of the catechism, it works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation, to all who believe this. This is very important: Baptism does something. Look at what happened with Naaman. God had promised, through Elisha, that washing seven times in the Jordan River would result in his being cleansed of leprosy. When Naaman finally gave in and washed himself according to God’s command, he was cleansed! Because God promised to do something miraculous for him through that simple washing.

So it is with Holy Baptism. God promises to do something through this simple washing. Repent and be baptized, Peter said in Acts 2, for the forgiveness of sin. Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, said Ananias to Saul. Baptism now saves you, Peter declares in 1 Peter 3. He who believes as is baptized will be saved, says the Lord in Mark 16. You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ, says Paul in Galatians 3. God promised physical cleansing to Naaman in that one-time baptism-like ceremony he was to undergo in the Jordan River. He promises to give spiritual cleansing and even greater spiritual blessings to all who are washed in Holy Baptism, no matter where they are or who they are.

But faith is required in order for a person to receive the promised blessing. Baptism works salvation…to all who believe this. Naaman didn’t have a strong, unwavering faith in God’s promise, but it took at least a little faith to do what the prophet had told him to do, or else he wouldn’t have dipped in the Jordan those seven times. So Jesus also says, not, “Whoever is baptized shall be saved,” but, “Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved.”

Third, How does Baptism do all this? It isn’t the water that does it. All the power is in God’s word and promise. With the word of God it is truly a Baptism—a water of life, rich in grace, and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Spirit. Faith comes by hearing, because the Spirit of God is at work in the word that’s preached. So, too, the Spirit of God works in the word that’s preached in connection to water. The word of God says to a person, “Be baptized and have your sins washed away!” And the Holy Spirit convinces the person that, yes, God will do as He has promised. So the person proceeds to the washing of Baptism, takes God at His word, and is born again of water and the Spirit, having his sins washed away.

Let’s get back to “Spirit Baptism” for a moment. The Spirit is and has always been at work where the Word of God is preached. But the original “Baptism with the Holy Spirit” took place on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit was “poured out” on the believers in Jerusalem. That Day of Pentecost was unique. It doesn’t keep recurring. What does keep happening is the giving of the Holy Spirit to the baptized in connection with Holy Baptism. As Peter said at Pentecost, “Repent, be baptized…and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Not necessarily the outward, miraculous gifts of the Spirit, but the Spirit Himself dwells in and with the baptized believer, so that St. Paul can say to each baptized believer, Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?

And that leads us to the fourth part of Baptism. What continual significance does Baptism have in the life of the baptized?

It signifies that the Old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned, and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a New Man should daily emerge and arise again, to live forever before God in righteousness and purity.

We’re only baptized once, because Baptism is like being born. It can’t be repeated. It’s God’s adoption ceremony, an initiation ceremony into the New Testament and into the Holy Christian Church, our initial being clothed with Christ Jesus in the sight of God. It doesn’t erase or remove the sinful nature, the “Old Adam” that we’re all born with. It covers it. It adds something to it. It creates a second nature, a new nature, a “New Man” within the Christian. And it’s the New Man in us whom God calls on continually to “walk with the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit dwells alongside the New Man in us, constantly urging him to drown the Old Adam by daily contrition and repentance, so that the Old Adam dies with all his sins and evil desires. At the same time the Holy Spirit coaxes and guides the New Man to emerge and arise daily, to live before God in righteousness and purity, now, in this life, and forever in the life to come.

That daily dying to sin and arising from the grave to live a new life is pictured in Baptism. Remember, Baptism is not only a picture or a symbol; it actually does some amazing things. But it is also a picture or a symbol, a picture of dying and rising again. God calls on you, His baptized children, to live each day in your Baptism, to count yourself as dead to sin but alive to God in Jesus Christ, our Lord, remembering that it was through Baptism that God united you to the death of Christ, buried you with Christ, so that you may also arise each day and walk with Him in a new life, the new life that began with, the new life that still receives its power from, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Amen.