Last year, we had the joy of a baptism on Easter Sunday. By some coincidence, this year, we will also have the joy of two baptisms on Easter Sunday. Of course, every Sunday is effectively Easter Sunday. We are only ever in church because he is risen. But there seems something particularly apt about having a baptism on Easter Sunday when everyone is minded to particularly focus on the resurrection.
Certainly, it seems, that is what Paul would have us think. Here he is in Romans 6:
are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection
Paul says baptism symbolises our dying with Christ and our being raised to new life in him. We were buried with Christ in baptism and, just as we were buried with him, we have been raised to new life in him as well. Paul links this directly to our baptism.
So, what better day to baptise some folks who have trusted in Jesus, died with him and been raised to new life by the Holy Spirit? On the day when most Christians are especially focused on the resurrection of Jesus, why not carry out a baptism that points to this very thing?
Whatever else you may do with your Easter Sunday, if you’ve got folk to baptise, why not do it on that day? Preach the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then picture it with a baptism. Show them Jesus then show the effects of Jesus’ resurrection. Picture the resurrection with the very picture we have been given of it. Get some baptisms done.