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Baptism Gives Hope
Titus 3:5-7
When I first saw Nancy, she was sitting in the back corner of the church. That particular Sunday I was preaching on Titus chapter three, verses five through seven, where the Apostle Paul writes,
He saved us—not by righteous works that we did ourselves, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified[a] by his grace, we might become heirs in keeping with the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)
After the service that day, she was the last one to leave. And when I greeted Nancy, her eyes were filled with tears, and all she said to me was, pastor, I have not been baptized. In the course of our conversation, I found out that Nancy had been struggling with cancer for quite a while and that it did not look good for her. She had more questions about baptism and Jesus and wanted to talk more. And so we set up a time for the next day to chat. But that morning came and she canceled on me. Weeks went by, I tried to reach out to her again and again, but I never could connect.
And then a few months later, I got a phone call from Nancy’s sister telling me that Nancy was on her deathbed and that Nancy wanted me to come visit her. And when I got to her house, I shared that same passage from Titus with her once again. I shared with her what Jesus has done for her and the blessings of baptism. That through those waters our sins are washed away. What Jesus did on the cross to take away those sins becomes ours personally. That we are forgiven children of God who are heirs, having the hope of eternal life and it’s hope that’s more than just a wish or a want. It’s a certain hope. Life in heaven is ours. Even when our life in this world looks terrible. Even when our life is coming to an end.
Baptism gives that hope. And when baptism is recalled, it reassures the suffering and the dying of their hope of eternal life. When you seem to be struggling through life, or your life appears to be coming to an end, like Nancy, you might have hope that things are going to get better. And by God’s grace, maybe they will. But they don’t always get better. And yet, when you look back to the waters of your baptism, there you find true comfort. There you see something more than just wishful thinking or a desire. There you see that you are a forgiven child of God. There you see your certain hope of eternal life. You are an heir of heaven and nothing, nothing can ever take that away from you. Not even suffering. Not even death.
That day, I finally had the privilege of baptizing Nancy. And this time I saw different tears flowing from her eyes. Tears of joy. Baptism gave her comfort, peace and hope in the face of approaching death. And the very next day her hope became a reality. The risen Lord took Nancy home. He raised her from death to life in her heavenly inheritance where I know I will see her again one day.
Dear fellow baptized children of God. When you are faced with suffering and death, look to your baptism there in those waters you see and find comfort, peace and assurance and reassurance, again and again and again. There you see your hope every day until the day our risen Lord Jesus raises you from death to life in your heavenly inheritance. Amen.
