"Baptismal Regeneration"

Matthew 3:13-17



Pastor Tom Johnson, January 12, 2014

Almost exactly three years ago, former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at point blank range. Six people died; five others were critically wounded. Early reports said that she was already dead. This past week, Giffords shared details of her rehabilitation. Only recently, has she been able to move her right arm. She has spent “the past three years learning how to talk again, how to walk again.” “It’s gritty, painful, frustrating work, every day,” she writes. She reveals how the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting gave her a renewed sense of mission to try to work for safer communities to live in. Her daily rehab has taught her to work hard on the little things, to pay attention to details, and look for progress no matter how small. This past Wednesday, Giffords went skydiving to celebrate her continued recovery.

There is one story of Giffords’ early recovery that deeply moves me. After the shooting, Giffords was in a coma. She was present in the body but absent in the spirit. She showed no sign of conscious life. Family, friends, co-workers, doctors, nurses, and even President Obama came to pray and talk to her. But she was unresponsive. But on the third day, three of her close friends and husband came to her bedside again. Even though they saw no response—looking as if she were lifeless—they spoke to her as if she could hear and respond—believing—weak as their faith may have been—believing that she could hear and respond. They held her hand. They rubbed her hand with theirs. They told her that she needed to wake up to have pizza with them. They told her that she needed to get up—that there is too much work for her to do. They told her that they loved her. They touched her. They spoke words to her lifeless body—touch and words infused with love. That was when it happened. One of her eyes opened up a slit. Her husband Mark was so excited, he asked her to give a thumbs-up. Unable to do so, she lifted her whole arm. Later, she squeezed her husband’s hand when asked to and even scratched her nose. Her primary doctor said, “Wow. This is incredible progress.” They were all amazed by the power of touch, the spoken word, and human love. These three—touch, the word, and love—raised her from profound unconsciousness. In their televised interview, they said that they are now believers—their faith strengthened in the power of human touch, the spoken word, and love.

When Jesus went down to the Jordan, he was going to rouse the spiritual unconscious. He came to “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus fulfilled all righteousness when He infused the baptismal waters with His perfection and grace. He fulfilled all righteousness when He died and rose again to deliver forgiveness and eternal life. He came to deliver spiritual life and wakefulness. The Heavenly Father also was there. And the Holy Spirit also manifested as a dove. The Trinity was there to give us the gift of Holy Baptism. The Three came “to fulfill all righteousness.” 

Whether we come to baptism as helpless infants or helpless adults—we cannot save ourselves. Apart from the power of the Gospel, we too are present in the body but absent in the Spirit. We are unconscious to God’s love and His Kingdom. We are comatose in our trespasses and sins. But the Three come to our side. We have the touch and splash of water thrown on us. The heavens open up. The Three show up to shower us with water, the word, and divine, unconditional love. The Holy Spirit descends upon us and stirs us awake spiritually. The voice of our Heavenly Father speaks an inviting and good word. He says at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” But his work does not end at our baptismal event.

Like Gabrielle Giffords who is still on the road to recovery but still determined, are we aware of our own baptismal regeneration? Are we diligently and daily working out our Baptism? Are we paying attention to the details of what God is doing in our lives and those around us? Are we longing for progress in our baptismal grace no matter how small? Do we take time to celebrate and give thanks for all God’s baptismal grace? Every time we come to the Lord’s Supper, it is like skydiving into God’s baptismal grace all over again.

In our Baptism, God says of us, “You are adopted. You bear the Name of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are my beloved daughter. You are my beloved son. You are clothed with the radiant righteousness of Jesus!” As God’s people—baptized in Christ’s righteousness—God touches us, God speaks words of assurance to us, and his love bathes and washes away all our sin. In Christ and in our Baptism, we have strengthened faith, rehabilitated hope, and the promise of continued renewal of our lives.