The promise of your baptism

Verse for the week: “O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!”  Psalm 8.1

Prayer for the week: Gracious heavenly Father, your name is majestic and holy in and of itself. See to it that your word is taught in its truth and purity among us and that we as your children live in harmony with it. Turn us from teaching or living contrary to your word and thus dishonoring your name. Hallow your name among us; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Colossians 2.8-15

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹ In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ You, who were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision, the pride, of your fleshy will, God has made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the hand-written record of the charge that stood against us with its rightful legal demands. This he set aside, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Prayer for the week: Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for the promise of my baptism: in Christ your fullness dwells and the record of my trespasses is cancelled; in Christ alone your law is fulfilled, my will is buried, and I am raised by your power as a new creation… finally free from my will and its deadly craving. Thank you, Lord. See to it that no human b.s. takes me captive. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKQJJ6xz1K0&ab_channel=drolas94

What benefits does God give in holy baptism?

In baptism, God forgives sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe what he has promised.

What is God’s promise?  In Mark 16.16 Jesus says: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

What does baptism mean for daily living?

It means that my sinful self, with all its evil deeds and desires, should be drowned through daily repentance; and that day after day a new self should arise to live with God in righteousness and purity forever.

In Romans 6.4, St. Paul writes: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”  (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.   Numbers 6.24-26

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.