Baptism and Communion

An Epistle on Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: The Mystery of Union with Christ

To the Beloved in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I write to you concerning the sacred ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for they reveal to us the profound mystery of our union with Christ—our participation in His death and resurrection, and the many becoming one in Him. These ordinances are not mere rituals but divine gifts through which Christ nourishes, sustains, and unites His body, the Church.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: Signs of Union with Christ

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper testify to the same mystery of our incorporation into Christ. In baptism, we are joined to Christ in His death and resurrection, becoming members of His body. In the Lord’s Supper, we are sustained by His flesh and blood, testifying that we live because He lives. Together, these ordinances proclaim our union with Christ, the source of life, and our fellowship with one another as members of His body.

These sacred acts occur not in isolation but within the community of believers, for where two or three are gathered in His name, Christ is present among them: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). Baptism initiates us into this communal body, and the Lord’s Supper continually sustains it, reminding us that we are not our own but belong to Him who purchased us with His blood.

Baptism: Our Incorporation into Christ

In baptism, we are united with Christ in His death, buried with Him, and raised to newness of life: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4). This washing with water symbolizes the cleansing power of His blood and the reality that our bodies are no longer our own but temples of the Holy Spirit: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

As we descend into the waters, we testify to the death of our old selves, crucified with Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Emerging from the water, we declare the hope of resurrection: “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).

Baptism, then, is both a sign of what has been done and a promise of what is yet to come: our full redemption and glorification with Him.

The Lord’s Supper: Christ as Our Sustenance

If baptism speaks of our being incorporated into Christ, the Lord’s Supper speaks of Christ being incorporated into us. In the bread and the cup, we see a vivid picture of dependence—just as every body is sustained by food and drink, so the Church is sustained by Christ. Jesus declared: “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” (John 6:54-56). By faith, we partake of Him who is the Bread of Life: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

This truth speaks to our identity as His body. Every body is sustained by its own flesh and blood, and so the Church is sustained by Christ’s flesh and blood. His sacrifice not only reconciles us to God but becomes our very life: “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls” (Leviticus 17:11). His food was to do the will of the Father: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34); ours is to keep His commandments: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The Lord’s Supper, therefore, symbolizes this abiding obedience, where we live not by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Communion: A Symbol of Abiding and Unity

In the act of communion, we proclaim that we abide in Christ and He abides in us: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4). As we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are reminded of His words: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10). Communion is a testimony of this abiding, where His word, His Spirit, and His presence are made manifest in our midst.

Moreover, communion is not merely individual but corporate. Though many partake of the bread, we are one body: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17). This speaks to the mystery of the Church as Christ’s body, united by His Spirit and sustained by His life. Every gathering at the Lord’s table is a foretaste of the wedding feast of the Lamb, where we will celebrate our eternal union with Him: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).

The Testimony of Christ in Our Times

In these times, marked by division, self-reliance, and spiritual famine, baptism and the Lord’s Supper magnify the testimony of Christ. They remind us that we are not our own but have been bought with a price; that our hope is not in this world but in the One who died and rose again.

Baptism declares that we are sealed by God, set apart for His purposes: “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). The Lord’s Supper proclaims the sufficiency of Christ: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Together, these ordinances proclaim the gospel—the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

In an age of fear and uncertainty, they anchor us in the unshakable truth of Christ’s victory over sin and death. They call us to abide in Him, to live in obedience to His word, and to walk as one body, united in love and mission. They proclaim to the world that Christ is King, and His Kingdom is coming.

Conclusion

Beloved, let us not take these ordinances lightly, for in them we encounter the presence of Christ. Treasure your baptism, for it marks your incorporation into His body. Come often to His table, for there He nourishes you with His life. In baptism, we see the mystery of our bodies being joined to Him; in communion, we experience the reality of His life sustaining us. Together, these sacred gifts proclaim our union with Him in His death and resurrection, and the hope of eternal life.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.