The Baptism of our Lord
This week I would like toWe are celebrating the baptism of our Lord in between the end of the season of Advent and the beginning of the season of Epiphany. Every Sunday in worship we celebrate the baptismal anniversaries of our congregants, just as we celebrate their birthdays. Baptism deserves to be celebrated every day. We celebrate the fact that when we are baptized, we are united with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection.
Romans 6:1-11 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Here are a few scriptures that magnify the importance of baptism:
Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
John 3:5 “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
I look forward to seeing you in church this Sunday.
Firmly in His Grip
(Pastor Tim Homan serves both Grace Lutheran and Mammoth Lakes Lutheran churches. Grace Lutheran Church is located at 711 N. Fowler St. Bishop. Sunday services are at 10:45 a.m. Mammoth Lakes Lutheran Church is located at 379 Old Mammoth Road, Mammoth. Sunday service us at 8:45 a.m. For more information, call (760) 872-9791.)