Why Christmas? Why Easter? Why Baptism?

If you had gone down to the "Sandy Beach" which is a few hundred metres south of the L.H. Ford Bridge in Dubbo on 22 December 2019 at 12 noon, you would have seen three people being baptised by immersion in the Macquarie River whilst children played in the water nearby.

It is, of course, quite normal for Christian people to be baptised with water, although not all Christian churches consider that total immersion is necessary.

Baptism has been part of the Christian tradition for a very long time. Indeed, John the Baptist was baptising people for the "remission of sins" in the Jordan River when Jesus came along and asked to be baptised. John, recognising who Jesus was, hesitated and suggested the Jesus should be baptising him. However, he did as Jesus requested. After that, Jesus show His approval and the importance of Baptism by telling His followers to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit". (Matthew 28:19). And in Mark He said "go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptised shall be saved". (Mark 16:6)

If you are going to symbolise washing away a person's sins, I see total immersion to be more logical than just placing a small amount of water on a person's forehead. Also, if we are going to symbolise the dying and rising again with Jesus (as stated in Romans 6:4), a complete immersion seems more symbolic of that event, and that also applied to being "cleansed from all unrighteousness". (1 John 1:9)

So much for Baptism. But, as baptism is closely linked to Christmas and Easter, let us consider Christmas and Easter: The birth of Jesus Christ came about because of God's great love for us (His children). Originally, when He created people, they were perfect as was everything else He made. However, they soon sinned and the scriptures tell us that "the Soul that sinneth, it shall die"(Ezekiel 18:4);  which really means that eternal separation from God in Hell. But "God so loved the world" (us) "that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have Everlasting Life". (John 3:16)

However, in order to achieve this outcome, God had to send His Son into the world as a bay. Thus, Jesus grew up as an ordinary human being and as tempted on all points as we are. Nevertheless, He did not sin, and being Divine also, was able to allow Himself to die and pay our debt that He didn't owe, so we could all be freed from the debt that we owed, but couldn't pay. Of course, we celebrate that action of His saving Grace at Easter time, but if He hadn't come as a human baby at Christmas there would never have been that Easter blessing for us, and therefore no value in baptism either.

Some people tell me that they are not sinners as they always treat others with kindness, therefore, they don't see that all the above has any relevance to them as they have nothing to be saved from.

At one stage I felt like that too, after all I had lived a reasonable life; I hadn't killed anyone, hadn't committed adultery, hadn't robbed anyone so I thought that I was OK really. However, it was pointed out to me that the Bible said that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:3). Sin is actually much subtler than we think, Jesus confirmed this when He said that even to hate someone is sin, and too look on someone with lustful thoughts in our mind, is sin, to be resentful is sin, and so on.

In Ephesians we are told, in no uncertain manner, that "it is by Grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the Gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them". (Ephesians 2:9-10) Consequently, you see God made us to do good works and seeing that is what we were designed  to do by God, we really don't get any "Brownie Points' for doing them. Therefore, those good works do nothing to help delete the consequences of our sin. So, we are left with the realisation that our only hope of forgiveness of any sin we have committed during our stay here on Earth (so we can go to Heaven), is to ask God for the forgiveness that Jesus earned for us when he died for us on the cross at Calvary. Indeed, Jesus Himself summed it up when He said: "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me". (John 14:6)

How blessed we are to be able to avail ourselves of this wonderful gift of eternal life by accepting this free offer.   Best wishes, Tom