The Gospel of the Forty Days: Baptism, Part 3
In this third article on Christ’s command
given to the Apostles to baptize, we left off last with the idea that
Jesus Christ, in His glorified humanity, was now able to generate a whole new
sanctified race of those who are incorporated into Him through baptism. What
might Jesus have taught the Apostles during those forty days about being
incorporated into Christ?
Scripture tells us quite a bit actually.
The evening before Jesus’ betrayal and arrest, at the Last Supper He spoke to
His Apostles about their future incorporation into Him in these words – and we
are pointing out the number of ways He expresses it: [1] “You will know that I
am in my Father and you in me, and I in you” (Jn 14:20) and [2] if anyone loves
Jesus, Jesus and the Father “will come to him and make Our home with him” (Jn
14:23). Then He admonishes them to [3] “Abide in Me,” and says that they [4]
cannot bear fruit “unless you abide in Me,” (Jn 15:4). Repeating, He says, [5]
“He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for [6]
apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5) Again, [7] “If a man does not abide
in Me, he is cast forth (Jn 15:6). So in seven expressions Jesus directly
speaks of incorporation into Christ under the image of abiding or remaining,
making one’s home, and a branch bearing fruit. Seven!
This discourse is immediately followed by
Jesus’ prayer to the Father. He prays that the Apostles “[1] may be one, even
as we are one” (Jn 17:12), and [2] that all who believe in Him through the
Apostles “may all be one, even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that
[3] they also may be in us ... that [4] they may be one even as we are one, [5]
I in them and you in me, that [6] they may become perfectly one” (Jn 17:21-23).
Six times Jesus prays for the Apostles’ and believers’ incorporation into Him
as having oneness “even as” He and the Father are one. Six!
Obviously this incorporation into Christ,
this oneness, is Jesus’ most passionate desire. We actually see this “abiding”
theme throughout all of John’s Gospel and his letters, not just at the Last
Supper.
So being incorporated into Christ is the
plea and prayer of Jesus, John, and Paul; and by the Holy Spirit is the first
effect of baptism. One is not baptized first so that he can receiving the Holy
Spirit and his sins forgiven; one is first baptized so that he can be
incorporated into Christ, and then it follows that he receives the Holy Spirit,
forgiveness of sin, etc.
And how is this incorporation possible? To again refer to Fr. Wulstan Mork’s book, Transformed by Grace, Scripture, Sacraments & the Sonship of Christ, we summarize his presentation as follows: Christ took on our real, physical human nature, so we are one with him in a real, physical, and organic union of our shared human nature. By this solidarity with us, He was able to atone for our sins by his loving obedience, suffering, and death. In Christ's Ascension and exaltation, then, His human nature was glorified, and as such, could then be more fully united to His divine nature, so that the Holy Spirit of Father and Son could then be given to humanity which shares the same human nature. So with faith in Christ, one who is baptized is incorporated into Christ and receives the Holy Spirit to dwell within him, enabling him to be one with Christ and so one with the Father. Our life, then, both now and into eternity, is lived through Christ, in Christ, and with Christ. It is not a mere theological idea or legal pronouncement; it is a real, experienced, living spiritual reality.