Wednesday after Quasimodogeniti
Scripture: St. John 3:22-36 (NKJV)
3:22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Devotion
After teaching Nicodemus how sinners are regenerated through water and the Spirit, Jesus and his disciples travel throughout the land of Judea. “He remained with them and baptized.” Can you imagine being baptized by Christ Himself? There would be no doubt then that you were God’s child and that your sins were truly forgiven. There would be no reason to dispute whether or not your baptism was valid if it had come from the hand of Christ Himself.
But John 4:1-2 clarifies this comment. “Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples).” The reason Jesus did not baptize was that He didn’t want anyone making a distinction between His baptism and the baptism administered through His disciples. He didn’t want anyone relying on the person administering the baptism rather than the baptism itself.
The fact that Jesus didn’t baptize, but baptized through His disciples, teaches us that when His called servants baptize, it is Christ who is doing the baptizing. His called servants are His humble instruments who administer the water and Word by which the Holy Spirit makes us reborn, forgives all our sins, and brings us into God’s covenant of grace. It matters not who baptized us, for all true baptisms are done by Christ through His called servants. Because Christ is the one who baptizes us, we should be certain each day of the gifts and blessings it gives.
Prayer: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who have celebrated the solemnities of the Lord’s Resurrection may, by the help of Thy grace, bring forth the fruits thereof in our life and conversation; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
