Baptism and the Power of Resurrection

It is not uncommon in our ministry to talk about Jesus with people who have very little, if any, Christian background. Often, they have been connected to us by brand new believers who are still learning how to live their new life in Christ. The good news of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is a new and exciting concept to them, and we spend considerable time talking about what it means. It is natural to move from this into a discussion of baptism as the way we share in the gospel, primarily by working in Romans 6:3-5.  

We talk about God’s love shown through the death of His Son on the cross for our sins. Baptism is the way we share in that death and in that love. We talk about our sins being buried. And lately, we have been talking quite a bit about the power of resurrection and baptism.  

In verse four of the Romans 6 passage, Paul connects what happens in baptism with the resurrection.  

“…just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father…”  

The glory of the resurrection. The power of the resurrection. The good news of the resurrection. We are baptized into the resurrection of Jesus. And we share in His resurrection just as we share in His death.

The first resurrection is to a new life. We walk in a new life. The old life, the old man, the old sins, are buried with Jesus. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave is the power that enables us to be a new person. Power to forgive our sins, power to release us from guilt and shame, power to walk as a new person in Jesus. Power shown in the resurrection of Jesus and now shown in us as we come out of the waters of baptism to “walk in newness of life.”

Then there is the other resurrection, a second resurrection. This is the resurrection not from our old life of sin, but from the grave.  We were united in the death of Jesus in baptism, and “… we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” 

The good news is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and God raised him from the dead. We are baptized into that death where our old man of sin is buried with Christ. And we are raised out of the waters of baptism as a new man, possessing the assurance that someday we too will be raised from the dead to live forever.

And that is the good news we share with our world.