Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 Holy Baptism: Identifying with the death and resurrection of Christ

St. John 3:1-8
V 3: Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
 
There is an amazing plant called as Resurrection plant or miracle plant. Its scientific name is Selaginella lepidophylla. Native to desert climates in Mexico and the United States, resurrection plant is a spike moss and will grow as a creeper in rock gardens in mild climates. Faced with lack of water, its leaves will turn brown and shrivel up into a seemingly dead tumbleweed. But once it is watered the resurrection plant quickly turns green and comes back to life. It’s like it becomes born again ones it receives life-giving water.

Today’s portion talks about Jesus teaching the meaning of being born again to Nicodemus. St. John says that Nicodemus, the Pharisee, comes to Jesus at night. St. John intends several layers of meaning to be understood here. The night symbolizes that Nicodemus is in the dark and seeks the light of knowledge from Jesus. He seeks to understand Jesus’s message of the kingdom of God. Jesus says that to enter the Kingdom of God, one must be born again. That confuses Nicodemus and so Jesus explains it. The Greek word for being born again is the same for being born from above. So, Jesus means that to enter the Kingdom of God, one must be born from above or in other words, be born of God.

Sacrament is the visible expression of invisible grace that we receive from God. Through the sacrament of baptism, we express the grace of being joined into the body of Christ – the Church. Baptism is the initiation of our journey with Christ, symbolizing being born again, just as how Jesus explained to Nicodemus. As the person undergoing baptism goes through the ritual of being lowered and rising from the water, it symbolizes identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Further, it symbolizes dying to sin and being born to eternal life. As a Christian we undergo baptism only once, whereas dying to sin and being born to new life is a constant action as we strive to turn from sin and repent and turn to God daily.

As we seek to continue our walk with Christ, let us strengthen our resolve to let go of sin and hold on to Christ. Let regeneration to new life in Christ be a daily initiative in our life.

Prayer
Lord, I acknowledge I am sinful and need your touch daily. Help me to continue in my daily walk with you, Amen.

Thought of the day
Baptism is our initiation into our walk with Christ, not the culmination of our Journey with Christ.

 
Rev. Thomas John
St. Peter’s Mar Thoma Church, Delhi

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