The Institution
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Let us hear our Lord's command concerning the sacrament
of holy baptism. After he had risen victorious from the grave, Jesus said to
his disciples: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt.
28:18-20).
In obedience to this command the church baptizes
believers and their children.
The Promises
Let us hear the promises of God which are confirmed
in baptism.
The Lord made this great promise to Abraham: "I
will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and
your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the
God of your descendants after you" (Gen. 17:7).
In later years, though Israel was unfaithful, God
renewed his promise through the prophet: " 'This is the covenant I will make
with the house of Israel after that time,' declares the Lord. 'I will put my
law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they
will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother,
saying, "Know the Lord," because they will all know me, from the least of them
to the greatest,' declares the Lord. 'For I will forgive their wickedness and
will remember their sins no more' " (Jer. 31:33-34).
In the fullness of time God came in Jesus Christ
to give pardon and peace through the blood of the cross, the "blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matt. 26:28).
After Jesus had risen from the dead, the apostles
proclaimed: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all
whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).
Anticipating the fulfillment of God's promises,
Paul assures us, "If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure,
we will also reign with him" (2 Tim. 2:11-12).
These are the unfailing promises of our Lord to
those who are baptized.
The Instruction
Let us also recall the teaching of Scripture concerning
the sacrament of baptism.
The water of baptism signifies the washing away
of our sin by the blood of Christ and the renewal of our lives by the Holy Spirit
(Titus 3:5). It also signifies that we are buried with Christ (Rom. 6:4). From
this we learn that our sin has been condemned by God, that we are to hate it
and consider ourselves as having died to it. Moreover, the water of baptism signifies
that we are raised with Christ (Col. 2:12). From this we learn that we are to
walk with Christ in newness of life. All this tells us that God has adopted us
as his children, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and
co-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17).
Thus in baptism God seals the promises he gave
when he made his covenant with us, calling us and our children to put our trust
for life and death in Christ our Savior, deny ourselves, take up our cross, and
follow him in obedience and love.
God graciously includes our children in his covenant,
and all his promises are for them as well as us (Gen. 17:7; Acts 2:39). Jesus
himself embraced little children and blessed them (Mark 10:16); and the apostle
Paul said that children of believers are holy (1 Cor. 7:14). So, just as children
of the old covenant received the sign of circumcision, our children are given
the sign of baptism. We are therefore always to teach our little ones that they
have been set apart by baptism as God's own children.
The Prayer of Preparation
Father in heaven, we pray that you will never destroy
us in our sin as with the flood, but save us as you saved believing Noah and
his family, and spare us as you spared the Israelites who walked safely through
the sea.
We pray that Christ, who went down into the Jordan
and came up to receive the Spirit, who sank deep into death and was raised up
Lord of life, will always keep us and our little ones in the grip of his hand.
We pray, O holy Father, that your Spirit will separate
us from sin and openly mark us with a faith that can stand the light of day and
endure the dark of night.
Prepare us now, O Lord, to respond with glad hope
to your promises so that we, and all entrusted to our care, may drink deeply
from the well of living water. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen!
The Vows[The minister addresses the parents] :
Since you have presented these children for holy
baptism, you are asked to answer the following questions before God and his people:
First, do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord
and Savior, accept the promises of God, and affirm the truth of the Christian
faith which is proclaimed in the Bible and confessed in this church of Christ?
Second, do you believe that your children, though
sinful by nature, are received by God in Christ as members of his covenant, and
therefore ought to be baptized?
Third, do you promise, in reliance on the Holy
Spirit and with the help of the Christian community, to do all in your power
to instruct these children in the Christian faith and to lead them by your example
to be Christ's disciples?[The parents respond] : We do, God helping us.[The
minister addresses the congregation] : Do you, the people of the Lord, promise
to receive these children in love, pray for them, help instruct them in the faith,
and encourage and sustain them in the fellowship of believers?[The congregation
responds] : We do, God helping us.
The Sacrament[The minister may say] :
Our Lord said: "Let the little children come to
me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Mark
10:14).[In administering the sacrament the minister shall say] :
(name), I baptize you into the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
A Triumphant Hymn
The Baptismal Prayer
Lord our God, forever faithful to your promise,
we thank you for assuring us again that you will forgive us and receive us as
children in Christ.
Grant wisdom and love to the parents and to us
all as we carry out the vows we have just made.
We pray that you will guide our little ones throughout
their lives. Enable them to respond in faith to the gospel. Fill them with your
Spirit and make their lives fruitful. Give them strength to endure trials. And
when Christ returns, let them celebrate with all the people of God your greatness
and goodness forever in the joy of your new creation. Amen.
