Christ is risen!! He is risen indeed!! Alleluia
This morning, we witnessed a Baptism and how through the water
and the Word, Kamden was literally raised from the deadness of
his sin. Easter is a very good time to discuss Baptism. Easter
and Baptism go together so well. The are both about life. They
are both about forgiveness. Just as the light of Easter morning
dawned on the empty tomb of Christ our Lord and the world became
a different place, so also, in Baptism, the light of Christ shined
into the darkness of your life and changed you forever.
Easter is about Christ having died and being raised back to life.
In Baptism, our Old Adam drowns and dies in the water and the
Word -- and we are raised to a new life in Christ. After that
first Easter morning, all the sin of the world was paid for and
God’s faithful never need fear punishment for that sin ever
again. So also in Baptism, our sin is done away with, never to
be brought up again.
However, following Christ’s death and resurrection, problems
still remained in the world. There are still wars, famine, disease;
people still suffer injury and many generations have been called
out of this life. Christ’s death on the cross did not turn
the sinful world back into the Garden of Eden. Sin remained and
will remain until the last day when all things come to an end
and Satan and all those in league with him are finally and forever
banished.
The sacrifice made on the cross and the subsequent resurrection
on Easter morning frees us from the guilt of our sin and ensures
us that when we are called out of this life, that the grave will
not hold us either, but we will be joined with our Lord for all
eternity.
Your Baptism is like that also. It certainly washes away all sin.
However, it doesn’t mean that all of Kamden’s troubles
are over. Satan will try all the harder to stand between him and
his Lord. And there will be illness, and injury, and problems,
and unless the Lord returns within our lifetime, even the youngest
among us will grow older and eventually die.
But you see Baptism and Easter are not events that guarantee long
life on earth, they are gifts from our Lord guaranteeing His faithful
children eternal life in heaven. We hear of the glory of Jesus
and the glory of heaven -- the angel who was sitting on the stone
which had been rolled away: “His appearance was like lightning,
and His clothing white as snow [Mt. 28:3].
The great connection between Easter and Baptism is that God’s
baptized faithful -- you are dressed in that same glory and righteousness
in the eyes of our Father in heaven. The risen Christ rolls back
the stone and He is arrayed in the glory of heaven -- His righteousness
shines forth for all to see.
You can’t see it this morning. But that is how God sees
you right now. You are beaming with the righteousness of the risen
Christ. We gave Kamden the white garment to symbolize that this
morning. He is not the only one beaming with the righteousness
of Baptism.
This Easter morning, like every morning since the day of your
Baptism, you arose dressed in the glory and righteousness of Christ.
Amen.
Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia
The peace of God
which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus.
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