Series: Renewal
John 3:16-18 GNT
John 5:24 NIV
I have a confession to make.
When I was four years old I decided I liked this Jesus fellow my Sunday School teacher talked about.
I liked the stories she told about him.
I liked the pictures she showed us in her Bible book.
I’m not sure but I remember thinking my dad liked Jesus, too and that said a lot.
In the Bible it says in John 3:16-18, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son.”
Year after year I heard those verses, and when I was in third grade my church gave everyone in my class our very own Bible.
I thought I was the coolest person on the planet because I had my own Bible. I have always been a “reader” and I was super excited about having my own Bible to read. In addition to that I had my own flashlight. As I recall Grandma (my dad’s mom) gave it to me. Having my own Bible and flashlight meant I could read under the covers when I went to bed.
Every night I looked forward to getting to read my Bible under the covers using my very own flashlight.
Isn’t it strange how simple things can make a child happy?
Fast forward a few years and I started watching kids I knew put on a white robe and let the Pastor lower them in this tank of water. The Pastor said words (which I did not remember) and then the child went into the water and they were all wet when we saw their head again.
I really really wanted to wear a white robe but I hated getting my face wet so I didn’t tell anyone I wanted to put on a white robe and go under the water.
I took swimming classes during the summer and I didn’t pass because I wouldn’t put my face into the water.
I decided I did not like this water thing in church.
Then my brother (who did pass the swimming classes) went into the tank and got wet.
That made me think I needed to talk with my dad about why we had to get our face wet in the tank.
One day we talked about it and I remember he explained it was symbolic of what Jesus did. Hummm…I had a picture in my Bible about that, so I read about it.
It was really hard for me but I really thought Jesus was cool so I decided if Jesus thought it was okay it MUST be okay. So, I bit the bullet and I got wet. Later I found out everyone doesn’t have to get wet and they just had a few drops sprinkled on them. Hummm…oh well, it really wasn’t awful because after I told the the Pastor I hated getting water on my face he put a white cloth over my face and he told me to keep my mouth closed and the hold onto my nose. I did that and it was okay. I didn’t mess up and I did not get choked.
As I got older I learned more about what it all meant and I was glad I did it. When I watched movies about Jesus and they did baptisms I felt like I understood because I did the same thing they did in the movie.
Fast forward. When I had kids, my daughter came to me when she was really young and she told me she wanted to be baptized but she wasn’t sure about the water. I told her my story and that it was okay. We talked about Jesus and what He did for us on the cross because He loves us. We talked about what eternal life means and why Jesus came (because He loves us). I told her it’s personal.
Her dad was the pastor and he was careful with her.
After that, one by one as they grew older my other children came and told me they wanted to be baptized. Each time we talked about why Jesus came and what He did for them. I told them Jesus really really loves them.
Fast forward…I remember the day my oldest grandchild put on a white robe and got wet. One by one they’ve come to the place where they want to publicly “say” they want to be baptized.
None of us were forced or coerced. They understood baptism symbolized what Jesus did for us…death, burial, and resurrection. I don't think how we get baptized matters. Jesus is good with anything. He's just like that.
Most of all they understood it was personal.
Jesus personally knows them.
Jesus loves them now and forever.
Jesus IN us prepares us to spend eternity in heaven.
John 5:24 tells us, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
That folks is a promise you can rely on!
Spiritual Practice: Hear and Believe
Hear the word that Jesus loves YOU and longs for you to receive His love and forgiveness. In addition to that baptism is a beautiful way to proclaim your love for Jesus and it is an experience to remember.
In God, Deborah
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