Did you get him wet?

Several years ago, I baptized a baby boy in our church. Later, at the baptism party at the parents’ home, I was introduced to the baby’s grandfather, who is a Lutheran pastor and missed his grandson’s baptism because he was preaching that morning. He shook my hand and asked me one question.

“Did you get the boy wet?”

I replied, “Yes, sir. I got the boy wet.”

A smile came over his face and he said, “That’s all I wanted to know.” Then he walked away.

I guess that’s all he did want to know.

Earlier this year, as we celebrated the baptism of Jesus in our church, I had the privilege of baptizing a mother and her four children, ages 14, 11, 8 and 7. The mother and children are taller than the average infant. I also use a shell that holds a lot of water for baptism. There was water streaming down their heads two feet into the baptismal font.

I got them wet.

They had big smiles over their faces.

Two weeks ago, just before our early Sunday worship service, I learned that one of the families in our Lutheran elementary school had their baby three months early. Cordale Jr. was born at 25 weeks and weighs only a single pound! I silently prayed all through both worship services that God would keep the baby alive until I was able to visit him in the hospital.

I went into the NICU of the hospital with Cordale Jr.’s mother, father, grandmothers and nurse. The nurse gave me a bottle of sterilized water to use for the baptism. I put three drops onto his head – one drop for each person of the Trinity.

Three drops – but I got him wet.

It was a waterfall of God’s grace!

Cordale Jr.’s inborn sin that he had inherited from his parents were washed away in this baptismal flood (Acts 22:16).

He was taken out of the hands of the devil and placed into the nail-pierced hands of his Savior and divine Brother, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:14,15).

He was kept warm in the incubator and covered only with the tiniest of diapers. In his baptism, he was warmed with the glory of the Lord and covered with the white robe of Christ’s righteousness (Galatians 3:27).

Though he had been born to his parents three months early, he was born again – right on time – as a child of God through his baptism (John 3:3,5).

His parents had been waiting to name him after his father. In his baptism, Cordale Jr. was named after his Triune God, as he was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

His scared parents were given the comfort knowing that if anything should happen to their little boy, they would see him again in heaven. The three drops of water connected with the divine power of God’s Word had saved their son (Mark 16:16).

Mom, Dad, both Grandmas, the nurse … and the pastor, all had tears running down their cheeks. Peace in their hearts. And smiles on their faces.

All because I had gotten the boy wet.