“Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4
On Sunday, May 17, in Jacksonville, FL, about 14,000 witnesses streamed onto the beach as 2,552 people (ages 6 to 86) plunged into the crashing surf with single-minded purpose. Was it some kind of competition or race? A sort-of Arctic Plunge—without the cold? If you happened to wander into the park that afternoon, you may have initially been annoyed by the massive crowds everywhere. But then, you’d notice all those bright red t-shirts with the same bold printed words. Something else would strike you, though…a palpable joy and expectation that made the whole place electric. And when you looked in the eyes of those around you, you’d likely see the glisten of tears. Tears of celebration, of relief, of revelation, of surrender. You’d wonder, “What on earth is going on around here?”
But a more relevant question would be, “What in heaven is going on around here?” See, on that hot and sunny day, 2,552 people were baptized in the Atlantic Ocean, making a public declaration of their inward reality of salvation. Each person was asked two questions. (1) “Do you renounce your flesh, this world, and any sort of connection to demonic and darkness you’ve ever had?“—to which they’d respond in the affirmative; and (2) “Who is Jesus to you?”—to which they’d say, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior!” Although the act of baptism does not save, it’s the glorious picture of our identification with the death and resurrection of our King Jesus. And it’s a palpable representation of how we are washed clean and made new through Christ’s victory. [Praise the Lord, this event even made national news. Check out the story here.]
Can you just picture the heavenlies? Our Triune God being glorified and magnified with each proclamation and subsequent plunge. His innumerable angels whooping it up and high-fiving each other in sheer elation at the declaration of spiritual freedom in Christ. Waves of people plunging into the saltwater waves experiencing unending waves of grace.
The numbers are pretty cool, I will admit. But, as part of the team that prepped those being baptized, I can tell you with absolute certainty that every SINGLE story is a mind-blowing, soul-stirring, tear-emitting reason to shout for joy. Every week since Easter (when we actually celebrated baptisms after every one of our eight services, totaling in the hundreds!), our church has been inviting people to register for beach baptism. As people flowed into class after services, some felt called by the Lord to take this next step after following Jesus for decades…others had literally just surrendered to Christ moments earlier. Either way, (and every way in between) my excitement could not be contained—each individual (old, young, black, white, clean cut, face-tatted, rich, poor…) was dead and in darkness, a slave to sin. BUT GOD, rich in mercy, called to them, pulled them into the Light, making them alive in Christ. A new creation—the old has gone.
And what’s even more ebullient to my soul, I had the privilege of serving in what we called the “spontaneous baptism tent” at the beach that Sunday. For friends and/or family members of those coming to be baptized, those literally surrendering to Jesus that very morning at church, or someone who “happened” to be at the beach and felt called to the act of baptism…we were there to prepare them to go into the water. Oh, to ask people when and how they gave their life to Christ—and sometimes to share the gospel and lead them to that place…to speak to them about what baptism is and why it’s their next step …it was so glorious. Then to hand them their own red t-shirt with the words, “WHO IS JESUS? MY LORD AND SAVIOR”—well, that was icing on the cake. The tears are hitting my keyboard as I type this, actually…and I have thousands of words I want to share with you from tens of stories I heard that day. But suffice it to say, it was like experiencing a slice of heaven. The two commandments Jesus declared as most vital—Love God and love others—was on full display in unworldly purity.
But there was also great conviction for me in all this glory. When I got home that evening, completely exhausted and simultaneously enlivened, I told my husband, “I wish every day could be like this! Full-on love of others, sharing the gospel, knowing everyone around you is either your brother and sister in Christ or they’re ripe to become one…” His response (and the Holy Spirit’s poke to my soul), “Well, every day can be like today—it’s just about you choosing to live that way.”
Ouch. Oh, sweet friend, will you join me in living each day like it’s “beach baptism day?” Loving God in a way that glorifies Him with every thought, word, and action? Loving those around us as current family members in Christ—or potential ones?
“Heavenly Father, it’s a privilege to be part of Your divine move in transforming lives for such a time as this. May I never lose the excitement of “one more” coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus—and may I be bold enough to live out the Great Commission every single day.”
For His Glory
Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life
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