Reflections on the Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 25th, 2012: “You Will Be Baptized” (Mark 10:39)

We forget the violent, painful, and deadly aspect to Holy Baptism. It kills the Old Adam. It drowns the sinful nature. It destroys the flesh. A death must occur before resurrection. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of His cup and His baptism which described the immense flood of pain, torture and wrath that He would endure in order to save us from our sins. He was willing to do it out of great love and mercy for you and me! What is additionally amazing about this text is that our Lord prophesied that His disciples James and John would undergo a similar baptism. They would know the cross of discipleship; they would be persecuted for following Christ. We too must live in fulfillment of the cup and cross that is laid upon every true disciple of the Living Lord (see Matthew 16:24).

At the same time it is vital not to mistake this cup and cross. This is not the occasion for self-salvation or self-redemption. This is not suffering in order to merit mercy. No way. Furthermore, we must guard against the other extreme. Namely, that we should dismiss this idea of cup and baptism altogether. This is not a popular idea. After-all, what kind of God would permit and even intend for His children to bear a cross?

We must understand that our Lord never desires any of us to suffer for any reason. At the same time, it is precisely on account of our sinful nature that seeks to destroy us, that we need a cross to crucify it. We cannot coddle it nor counsel it; it must be drowned. That’s getting back to baptism. If our sinful self is not dealt with to the extreme, then it will gladly envelope and devastate our whole lives to the extreme especially so that we would lose our faith. The Lord allows us enough of a cross to permit us to be conformed to His image. Like the Savior, so are the Christians! This is evident in the account of the martyrs for example.

But you are not a martyr you say? Do you subdue your flesh? Then there is a important part of your life that is very much like those holy martyrs. There is a part of you that enters death.

But how can we poor sinners possibly live in such a life? The answer gets back to Christ’s cup. Receive it and drink from it. Receive His blood that represents the ultimate price paid to save you. But when you receive it, you also receive Christ’s life and in His life — in Christ Himself — you will be lifted up to follow Him by His almighty power and promise to save you!

In Christ,

Dr. Espinosa

• Share