Excerpt from Following Jesus: Baptism and Communion
“Baptism and communion are critical for Jesus followers and ought to be understood in order to follow Jesus properly.”
BAPTISM
Baptism is sort of an odd tradition where we put people into water and bring them up out of it. Have you ever thought about why we use water in baptism? It’s because it is biblical…
Baptism begins and ends with Jesus’ death and resurrection… It is in the cross that Jesus was baptized in blood, buried in a grave, and then rose from the dead. Baptism represents that very event in history… Therefore, we must always remember, it is not our baptism. It is Jesus’ baptism, and we identify with what Jesus did for us through the shedding of His blood and resurrection from the dead…
The key to baptism is the commitment to discipleship, or, in our everyday language, a commitment to development with Jesus. Following Jesus means we are on a lifelong journey. Over and over we hear the Great Commission: ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you…’ (Matthew 28:19–20). Probably the most overlooked part of the Great Commission is the part where, after baptism, it says to teach those who were baptized to observe all that Jesus commanded. That’s a lot to learn and practice… This shouldn’t scare us, but it should excite us! We get to grow daily with Jesus. Baptism isn’t the end, but a beginning component to our journey…
COMMUNION
Communion is one of the more overlooked elements of the Christian life. It is a sacred act that Jesus gave to us… Communion represents the body that was broken on the cross and the blood that was shed… Jesus was present with His disciples at that first communion table, and His Spirit is still present with us every time we take communion…
There are three key elements of communion that we should remember and reflect on every time we take part in the act. First, remember the past. Communion represents the historical event where Jesus died on a cross to conquer sin and death, thus defeating its power and reign over us… The second aspect of remembrance in communion is that we are being reminded that Jesus is present… Jesus is not some distant, historical figure from the days of the past. Jesus is alive and active in our lives. Communion is a physical reminder that our God is with us… [T]he last thing we remember and reflect on as we take communion [is that] Jesus is coming back as He promised in His Word. In Revelation, it says, ‘the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself’ (Revelation 19:7). One day, as Jesus’ faithful followers, we will dine around the table with our God… There will be nothing like it. Communion is a reminder of this. It’s a beautiful moment of anticipation and hope.”
There are three key elements of communion that we should remember and reflect on every time we take part in the act. First, remember the past. Communion represents the historical event where Jesus died on a cross to conquer sin and death, thus defeating its power and reign over us… The second aspect of remembrance in communion is that we are being reminded that Jesus is present… Jesus is not some distant, historical figure from the days of the past. Jesus is alive and active in our lives. Communion is a physical reminder that our God is with us… [T]he last thing we remember and reflect on as we take communion [is that] Jesus is coming back as He promised in His Word. In Revelation, it says, ‘the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself’ (Revelation 19:7). One day, as Jesus’ faithful followers, we will dine around the table with our God… There will be nothing like it. Communion is a reminder of this. It’s a beautiful moment of anticipation and hope.”
These are excerpts from week 3 of our course called Following Jesus. If you haven’t gone through the whole course yet, you can sign up for it below.