Water baptism is something many churchgoers know about. However, do we really know what it signifies? Let’s look at the Bible to see what it has to tell us about this event.

Let’s start with Jesus. He was baptized by John the Baptist. When John protested to Jesus saying that he needed to baptized by him, Jesus insisted on John baptizing him. We can read about that in Matthew chapter 3, Mark chapter 1, Luke chapter 3, and John chapter one.

An Ethiopian was baptized after Philip was assured of his faith. See Acts 8:36-38. Lydia was baptized after the Lord opened her heart to believe the things Paul told her. See Acts 16:14-15. In the letter to the Roman church, Paul explained just what it meant. Let’s take a look at a few verses in chapter 6.

Water Baptism = Death

The going down into the water signifies our death in Christ. Romans 6:3, 6:5a, 6:6  “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death…Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” 

Water Baptism = Burial

Being submerged in the water signifies our burial with Christ. Romans 6:4a “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death…”

Water Baptism = Resurrection – New Life

Coming up out of the water is our resurrection in Christ to a new life. Romans 6:4b, 6:5b “…that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” 6:5b… “certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

A resurrected life indicates a new life. 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 “…that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”

And how are we to then live? 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Public Statement

Water baptism is an outward, public statement of our inward faith in Jesus Christ. We are saying to the spectators –“I rest all my hope to be made acceptable to God in the death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. When Christ died, my old natural self died with him. When he was buried, I was buried with him. And when he was resurrected, I was resurrected in him to a new life.”

Our Savior God, open our eyes to see how this knowledge of water baptism can radically change our lives freeing us from our past, opening up a completely new life in Jesus Christ.