An Astounding Miracle – May 9, 2019

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.
Acts 9:17-18

An Astounding Miracle

When Ananias arrived at the house where Saul was staying, the Lord enabled him to be a part of two astounding miracles. The first, of course, was the restoration of Saul’s sight. Yet, immediately after that miracle another miracle took place. This second miracle may not be as obvious at first. But in many ways, it is by far the more astounding of the two. The second miracle took place when Saul was baptized.

If you have ever witnessed a baptism, you know that on the surface it looks like anything but an astounding miracle. Water is poured over someone’s head in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And when it’s all over, the only thing that looks different is that the person who’s been baptized is wetter than he or she was before.

But through that washing with water and the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is performing an astounding miracle. Later in his life, Saul (who by then had changed his name to Paul) described this miracle in a letter to the Christians in Rome: “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:3-4).

That is the astounding miracle that happened when Saul was baptized. In his baptism, Saul died, was buried, and rose again with Jesus. Everything that Jesus did for Saul’s salvation became Saul’s own. And that same miracle has happened to each of us who has been baptized. When we were baptized—we died with Jesus, we were buried with Jesus, we rose again with Jesus. And everything that Jesus did for our salvation became ours. That, without out a doubt, makes our baptism a most astounding miracle.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I praise you for joining me to yourself in the miracle of Baptism. May I always grow in my appreciation of this precious gift. Amen.