1 Peter 4:12-14
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.
13 But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.
Dr. Bouman, our Systematic Theology Professor, used to say that baptizing a baby is one of the cruelest things we can do. He was a firm believer in infant baptism, but he wanted to be sure that we understood the weight and importance of baptism.
When we’re baptized, we are joined with Jesus in a spiritual and physical way that can never be undone. After we’re baptized, we spend the rest of eternity sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ. In other words, we are permanently identified with Jesus.
Our Baptismal Cross is invisible to the human eye, but it is spiritually visible. This causes those who hate Jesus to hate us as well. Those who feel as though they have been betrayed by Jesus in some way, or who feel threatened by him, feel compelled to take-out their anger, resentment and fear on us.
Once we have been joined with Jesus in baptism, we also take-on his suffering for the sake of the world. When beloved children of God suffer at the hands of others, or through neglect, we feel their pain, because we see the world through Jesus’ eyes of love.
And all this is cause for rejoicing because, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has welcomed us into eternal life in Him. Boldly carrying that cross on our foreheads, and accepting all that the world throws at it, is the greatest privilege and honor anyone can ever be given.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Thank you for the great privilege of being permanently identified with you. AMEN