Title: Romans 6:3-7
We are now in the season of Lent. Lent is a time to meditate on the cross of Jesus Christ, reflect on the meaning of his death, and try to clarify what kind of life the people saved through his cross should live. Therefore, this period is an appropriate period to perform baptism and to explore the meaning of baptism. Because there is a deep correlation between the cross and baptism. Today's text also refers to the natural connection between baptism and the cross. Since today's worship is held together with the baptismal ceremony, we want to consider together what baptism means to us through the text.
What is Baptism? Between the first text and the next verse, verse 8, the expressions “joined with Christ Jesus”, “with him”, and “joined with him” appear at least nine times. Again, “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?/ Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into his death, to the glory of the Father. so that, as through Christ was raised from the dead, so we too may walk in newness of life./ If we have been united in the likeness of his death, we will also be united in the likeness of his resurrection/ we know that we The old man of God was crucified with Jesus so that the body of sin might be put to death, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, because the dead have been set free from sin and have been justified. I believe that I will live with him.” From this we can see that baptism is a sign of union with Christ Jesus.
Baptism at the time of the early church was baptism that came out completely in water. As we do today, it is difficult to properly reveal the symbolism of baptism, which is completely submerged in the water and then comes out of the baptism with water wetted on the fingertips and lightly placed on the head. Full immersion up to our heads symbolized our complete death and burial.
What, then, does it really mean that we are joined to Christ's death and buried with him through baptism? Verse 6 prepares the answer: “We know that our old self was crucified with Jesus so that the body of sin died...”. That is, our old self dies, and our sinful body dies. Also, as we see in verses 10-11, which is a little lower from the text, just as Christ died to sin, so we who die with him in baptism become “dead to sin”.
Baptism means that by the grace of God we are dead to sin. It shows that our sins are forgiven and that we have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. We used to be slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to righteousness, the servants of God. It tells us to give up our old life and enter a new life. This new life is the prelude to the glorious resurrection of the last days and the guarantee of life in the eternal kingdom of God. As those who were baptized, we must live a righteous and holy life diligently.