Baptism, A One Man Passion Play

We know this: Jesus was baptized; He commanded us to be baptized; the Apostles commanded and practiced baptism; and the Scriptures affirm it. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, the Apostle Paul reiterates the Gospel: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures... (NIV) Of all the things Baptism is and does, it portrays this truth. Romans 6:4 affirms: "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." (NIV) Colossians 2:12 echoes: "For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead." (NLT) When a person is baptized, the Gospel is being depicted for everyone to see. It's a personal drama professing one's faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. It's a one man passion play. As often put, Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace, i.e. a public profession of faith that regeneration has taken place in one's hearts--that Jesus didn't just die for the sins of the world, he died for mine!