Baptism Is Not My Work
by Edwin Crozier
Today’s reading is John 9.
by James Tissot
Just like Jesus commands those who would be spiritually healed to be baptized, washed in water (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; John 3:3-5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:1-4; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12; I Peter 3:21), Jesus commanded the blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam. What I find interesting is that this healing of the blind man causes quite a stir regarding work. After all, the healing occurred on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were very upset that work was done on the Sabbath. However, do you notice nobody accuses the blind man of working on the Sabbath? Nobody thought the blind man had violated the Law about working? No. They accused Jesus of working. They understood what so many miss today. The blind man wasn’t working when he went and washed in the pool of Siloam. In this healing, who did the work? Jesus. Just so, when we go wash in the immersive waters of baptism, we are not doing any work. God is working (see Colossians 2:12 again). Salvation in baptism is not my work, it is God’s. Praise God for His work.
