Scripture instructs to understand baptism as a death and resurrection. The world’s story is one of life coming out of death. Nothing followed by something. Seeds becoming harvest. Slaves becoming freemen. Gravestones being rolled away. Every episode of Scripture regales us with the story of death followed by resurrection.
That is most profoundly the case in our personal salvation. In our baptism we’re united to Christ, and this includes not just the person of Christ but all of His righteous works on our behalf. The pinnacle of that work is His death and resurrection. Paul describes baptism in terms of the dying and rising that takes place when a seed is planted: “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection (Rom 6:5).” In baptism you are joined with the story of God’s glorious work of creation & redemption; a story where death is not the final word. Yes, you do die, but you die in Christ, and therefore you also shill rise with Christ into His everlasting life. Resurrection is the final word.
Leave a Reply