Holy Baptism: Birth from Above

Holy Baptism: Birth from Above

John 3: 1-8,

V.3. Jesus answered him, “very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” (NRSV)

This text from the Bible presents the experience of the kingdom of God as a deliberate perceptive change prompted by faith in Jesus, the Christ. The text helps us also to build a broader theological understanding of baptism. The stress of the passage here is not on the ritual dimension of baptism, but rather a figurative dimension. The context of the saying is Jesus’ interaction with a Pharisee with the name Nicodemus. He would have been a very learned man with deep knowledge of Jewish law and customs. He was regarded by the people as their teacher and a well approved leader at a very young age. He approached Jesus as he was impressed by the impact that Jesus had on people through his ministry. Jesus’ healing and restoring ministry among  the wounded and broken people of all social categories of Palestine had really amazed him. He acknowledges Jesus as one who “has come from God” . He felt that Jesus' deeds reflected the glory of the divine. The ability to see God and God's reign is a result of the ‘birth from above’ (v.3). It is a qualitatively new and different perception of reality granted because of one’s conscious linking with the ways of God. Here baptism is nothing but an unconditional yielding to the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus as the obedient Son of God, yields to God’s Spirit in his lifting up on the cross and eventual glorification. Jesus said, "and when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself (John 12: 32)." The children after their baptism are lifted up from the font and kept on the air for while by the priest signifying this "lifting up." St Paul explains Christian baptism as solidarity with the death and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:4). Lifting signifies death as well as resurrection. Each Christian through a deeper experience of baptism yields to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be lifted up to glorify God.

Prayer

Loving God, help us to yield to the guidance of your Spirit through a recounting of our baptismal experience. Amen