Mystery of Baptism

Ze- Gabrielwa

Baptism is the sacrament given to all who believe in the Mystery of the Trinity and Mystery of Incarnation for the remission of sin, to obtain adoption from the triune God, to inherit the kingdom of God. It is called mystery, because, when the priest recites the prayer of baptism over the water and blesses it, it will be changed and become the wear the flowed from the right side of our Lord Jesus Christ and one can receive the invisible grace of the adopted son hood of God (Jn. 19:34-35). Whosoever believes and is baptized, shall get remission of sin. “We believe in one baptism for the remission of sin” (Creed). Every person is born from God through baptism, and will be free from damnation. “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (MK. 16:16; Acts 2:28). To be born of the Trinity is for inheriting the kingdom of God. Our Lord has taught us that we cannot enter the kingdom of God except through baptism. “Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of god.” (Jn. 3:5; Tit. 3:4-7)

There were prophecies and symbols foretold by the laws and the prophets about Baptism.

a. Prophecy: - “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.”(Ezek. 36:25; Mich 7:19)

b. Symbols Circumcision:- Circumcision in the Old Testament was practiced as a sing of baptism. It was given Abraham as a token of the covenant.

Every one that was not circumcised on the eighth day after birth was to be cut off from his people, shared to from the promise and/or shall have no portion from the promised land. The uncircumcised were not considered as the nation of God. (Gen. 17:7-14).

In the New Testament, circumcision was replaced by Baptism. Every one that is not baptized was not born of God, and cannot inherit the heavenly kingdom. (Col. 2:11).

John the Baptist, at the end of the Old Testament and at the beginning o f the crossing of Israelites across the Red Sea were symbols of baptism. (1Pet. 3:19; 1Cor. 10:2)

To fulfill the prophesy and to make the archetype real, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was baptized in the water of the River Jordan by the hand of John the Baptist. (Mt. 3:16; MK. 1:9; LK. 3:21; Jn. 1:31). The Ethiopian Orthodox Church baptizes children, males on the fortieth day and females on the eightieth day. This signifies that the first persons obtained adoption from God. (Jubilee. 4:2-15).

Source: The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church  Faith, Order of Worship and Ecumenical relations.

Praise be to God. Amen!!