The LCA provides this sermon edited for lay-reading, with thanks to the original author.
1st Sunday after Epiphany, Year B
Acts 19:1-7
Can or should a person be baptized a second time? This is a question that is sometimes asked of pastors. We know that baptism into God’s family lasts forever. However, God gives us the freedom and the right to turn our back on him and leave the church. But God won’t turn his back on us, and will always welcome us back. There is no need for a second baptism.
In the New Testament there is only one time mentioned where people were baptized a second time. St Paul has travelled way out to Ephesus, in those days a thriving trading post where people travelled from far away places. Paul finds some people there who had been baptized by John the Baptist – or probably one of John’s followers. John the Baptist had practiced a form of washing where people showed they wanted to turn over a new leaf and begin a new way of life. John invited them to a special washing as a sign of repentance and told them to look forward and wait for the Jesus who would come and give them his Spirit. John’s baptism was limited to repentance and not the new life in Christ Jesus. So St Paul baptized the people at Ephesus again, about a dozen of them, in the name of the Lord Jesus, ie. into the name of God. They would never need to be baptized again. In addition he laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit was evident in their speaking in other tongues. They also prophesied - spoke about Jesus. Baptism into God’s family by the Holy Spirit lasts forever.
The baptism into God’s family happens once. It is like the physical birth into a family. We can walk out on our parents, even change our name and turn our back on any inheritance. But nothing can change the fact that we were born into that family. Later in life we might regret this action and change our name back again to the family name. This would no doubt be cause for celebration, but we couldn’t be physically born again into our own family: that would be absurd.
It is similar to being born into the family of God through baptism. One might later turn one’s back on God and even deny God as well as turn one’s back on the inheritance due to God’s children. God respects that decision. God doesn’t force people into heaven! But God’s loving concern continues to follow the person and if they return there is wonderful joy and happiness for the whole family. Being born into God’s family through baptism lasts forever as far as God is concerned.
So what does the Church do when a baby is found, adopted and cared for by Christian parents who don’t know if the child is already a member of God’s family? You can imagine what a problem this was following the world wars and continues to be today in countries torn by war and political instability. What do we do then?
The child is baptised. The child and the family can then be sure it has been accepted into God’s family, is loved by God and will receive eternal life as the inheritance. However, the earthly family know that if the child has been baptized into God’s family before, the second baptism was unnecessary. One baptism into God’s family lasts forever.
Perhaps you might wonder about your own baptism? Some of us may have been too young to remember it – like we can’t remember our physical birth. That is one reason we have witnesses.
The miracle of entering God’s family is 100% the work of God. We can’t add anything to it. So if (for example) there is an emergency in a hospital or there is a car accident, we could take water, even only a few drops on a person’s head and say “I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” That baptism is as valid as if Jesus stood there and did it himself. God’s Spirit works the miracle of baptism. Normally a pastor will say the words and administer water: it is part of his role and what he is called to do. It can also save any arguments in families about who will do it. But, it is important for us all to know what to do – ie. find water – and what to say in case there is an emergency and we are called on to administer a baptism.
What about the terrible tragedy for any family where the child dies at birth, before baptism can be administered? God doesn’t limit entry into his family to just baptism. Baptism is a way he graciously gives us so we can be certain we belong to his family. But it isn’t the only way. The criminal on the cross next to Jesus entered the Kingdom of God the same day and he was never baptized. We might be limited, but God’s love isn’t limited to what he can do in an emergency, like with the thief on the cross and imminent death. There was no baptism.
We baptise into the name of God- “The Father, Son and Holy Spirit”- because this is the instruction in Matthew 28:19. It is fitting the baptised person is given ‘Christian’ names as well as a surname. At baptism, only the Christian names should be used to honour Christ. The surname belongs to the earthly family and a physical birth. Baptism was very costly for Jesus, but great news for us. We read in Romans 6:4 “By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life.”
When a child is born into a family it has no idea about family things like their inheritance, the family name, their parents, their relatives, their neighbours. It can be a long process to get to know all of these things. Similarly, to grow up in the family of God is a process of learning. It is about dying to ones self, receiving undeserved forgiveness, and dressing up in the life of Jesus. It is a time of getting to know Jesus, and the Spirit and the Father, but it happens in stages. Just as we learn from our parents by listening to them and talking with them, we learn by listening and talking to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
When one becomes a member of the family of God one also shares in the inheritance. We become heirs to
§ a new life that continues forever
§ a life in heaven where there is no suffering
§ the perfect love of God
§ direct access to God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
§ a different experience of life on earth
§ new clothes as we dress up in the life of Jesus himself, with no sin or evil showing.
One could never have a better life than the life of one of God’s children. Claim it. Enjoy it. To be baptised is to begin a time of waiting until God chooses the right time for you to enjoy fully all of your inheritance. Praise God that you are a member of his family.
Amen.
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