"What Great Excitement!" - a short reflection on Acts 2:37-42 on the occasion of a baptism

How exciting this all was (Acts 2:37-42)! And I thought today was a good day just to reflect a little on this text.

Peter who had been so empowered by the Holy Spirit on the ‘Day of Pentecost’, despite his chequered past, spoke out with great power and relevance, and people responded in great numbers. Peter had talked to the gathered crowd about whom Jesus was and is, the Son of God, and about the sacrifice that Jesus had made on their behalf – that, he had gone to the cross because of the corruption within their lives. Having heard this, the scripture tells us that many were “cut to the heart”. They had become aware of the void in their lives and the bankruptcy of many of their actions, and they were willing to respond to this good news of forgiveness. How exciting!

But this gift of grace and salvation was not to be toyed with! Peter was appropriately strong in his explanation of where God’s gift of mercy should lead. When asked by members of the crowd, “…what should we do”, Peter replied, that they should “repent” … “be baptised” … and then they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (just as Peter had received it himself). This is not to say that baptism itself produced forgiveness of sins, because baptism is a symbol that points towards something else. Peter was indicating that baptism proved for a fact that repentance had taken place.

Baptism is a physical symbol that testifies to a major inner change. Baptism is a symbol of repentance – that repentance has taken place in a person’s life, and that repentance will continue to take place through the journey of life whenever necessary. Repentance is a turning away from sin and wrongdoing ... to a completely new direction … the direction of following Jesus – the model of grace. C H Talbert defines the decision to repent as “do[ing] an about face in your life’s orientation and attach[ing] yourself to Jesus”. And Peter’s invitation (there in verse 38) and his challenge (in verse 40) is given to everybody.

Baptism represents death to the old life (as we go under the water), and being raised to new life in Jesus as we rise out of the water. Baptism represents that we now live under the covering of forgiveness.

When Jesus himself was baptised, we read of the dove (representing the Holy Spirit) that descended upon Jesus, and the voice from heaven saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).

There is much corruption in the world around us. Yet God doesn’t love the world any less, just mourns the level of turmoil, suffering and violence. We actually know that God doesn’t love the world any less, because God sent his Son Jesus to live in the world, and then Jesus died to offer the depth of forgiveness that could transform the world. Here is an escape from all the destructive entanglements that pull us down and bring us pain. The way to escape the corruption is through the gift of Jesus, and the way to transform our neighbourhoods and communities is through living out the life of Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

And so we baptise people in the name of Father God, Saviour Jesus and Holy Spirit ushering in a new future for the individual, and also another new chance for the world. “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new!” (Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17). And … “the [whole] creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God” (Paul again in Romans 8:19).

The individual benefits greatly from such a gift of salvation (witnessed in baptism), the world benefits too; and the church benefits, as the one being baptised joins themselves with other Jesus followers, in an environment of learning, mutual care, sacramental devotion and prayer. How exciting this is! Let’s head for the beach!!