A Blood Baptism? (LD 26; 1 Peter 1:2)
Baptism is the sacrament that initiates us into the covenant of grace. We picture the water as representing the reality of being handed over to death, made alive, and triumphing in Christ. It reminds us of the pouring out of Christ’s blood for redemption and the establishment of a community to live for Him. We think of the water as the washing away, the picture of the Spirit’s work in our deliverance.
Our catechism speaks of the baptism as a reminder of Christ’s death on the cross. Question 70 asks, “What is it to be washed with the blood and Spirit of Christ?” The catechism is challenging us not to limit the sacramental imagery. The sacraments are visible signs of the gospel that are administered with the Word. Christ endures hell on the cross, and emerges triumphant in his resurrection. However, baptism still symbolizes this one time event.
We consider 1 Peter 1:2 where Peter mentions the sprinkling in Christ’s blood. The text explores the concept of “blood baptism” with the language of being “sprinkled in his blood.” It is strange for us to think of the cross as a baptism because Peter literally mentions a baptism in 1 Peter 3:21, examining its connection to baptism and the Noah’s flood. So, Peter draws a connection between water and baptism later in his letter.
So, what do we make of a blood baptism? Peter is using Christ’s sacrifice as the picture of being baptized in his blood. The sprinkling of Christ’s blood should make us think back to Israel standing before Moses, the sacrificial system, and the different ways that things were cleansed to be made worthy to enter into the Lord’s presence. Peter is emphasizing that in order for us to come into the Lord’s presence we need this once for all sprinkling in Christ’s blood.
Peter uses the sacramental language of blood to assure that we have been washed in Christ’s blood. We are made worthy in that one time work. We draw near to our God in confidence. We should look to Christ, our definitive redeemer, and not look to the sign or the Gospel as our savior. They are means of grace that point us to our savior.