Baptism Sermons For A Child

Welcome Them, Wash Them, Watch Them Walk

There is something that stops a room. You may have felt it before, though you might struggle to name it. It is the moment when something small and ordinary becomes a window into something vast and holy. That is what we are gathered for today. A young person is about to step into the waters of baptism, and if we have eyes to see it, we are about to witness something that points far beyond this building, far beyond this morning, all the way to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Let us open our Bibles together to two passages that will guide everything we say this morning.

The first is Mark 10:13-16 in the Christian Standard Bible. "People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' After taking them in his arms, he blessed them by placing his hands on them."

The second is Romans 6:3-4. "Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life."

These two texts belong together today. One shows us the heart of Jesus toward children. The other shows us what baptism means for every believer who steps into those waters. Together they frame this entire service.

Part One: What Jesus Does With Children

Look carefully at Mark 10. The disciples were not cruel men. They were practical men. They had watched Jesus heal the sick, debate the Pharisees, and teach enormous crowds. They thought they were protecting his time and his energy. Children, in their view, could wait.

Jesus was indignant. That word is not mild. It is one of the strongest emotional words Mark uses for Jesus in this entire Gospel. Jesus was not gently disappointed. He was moved, stirred, insistent. He pushed back against the disciples and said, "Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them."

Why such a strong reaction? Because Jesus was not simply making a kind gesture toward children. He was making a theological declaration. "The kingdom of God belongs to such as these." He was saying that the posture required to enter the kingdom, the openness, the trust, the willingness to receive rather than earn, is the very posture children naturally carry. A child does not negotiate the terms of a gift. A child simply receives it.

And then notice what Jesus did. He did not wave from a distance. He took them in his arms. He placed his hands on them and blessed them. This is not a distant, administrative God. This is a Savior who draws near, who holds, who blesses.

Now, it is important to be clear about something, especially for any guests who may come from different church traditions. In Baptist churches, we do not baptize infants. Baptism in this tradition follows a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ. We believe the New Testament pattern is that a person first hears the gospel, repents of sin, trusts in Christ, and then is baptized as a public declaration of that inward reality. So when a child is baptized in a Baptist congregation, it is because that child has, in their own words and in their own way, expressed faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. The elders and pastors of this church have spoken with this young person and have heard that profession. We are not baptizing a child because of their family's faith. We are celebrating a child who has come to faith.

Mark 10 does not describe Jesus baptizing children. What it does describe is Jesus welcoming them, blessing them, and declaring that the kingdom belongs to those who come to him with open, trusting hearts. That is exactly what we are celebrating today.

Part Two: What Baptism Declares

Now turn to Romans 6:3-4. The Apostle Paul is writing to a congregation in Rome, and he is answering a dangerous question: if grace covers sin, should we just keep sinning so that grace can keep covering it? His answer is a firm no, and the reason he gives is baptism.

Paul says that baptism is a picture of death and resurrection. When a believer goes under the water, it is a burial. The old life, the life lived apart from Christ, is put to death. When a believer rises from the water, it is a resurrection. A new life, a life lived in union with Christ, has begun.

This is why Baptists baptize by immersion. The going down and the coming up are not incidental. They are the whole point. The water is not what saves. The water is what shows. It is a visible sermon. It proclaims to every person watching that something real has happened in this person's life, that they have been united with Christ in his death and they are now walking in the newness of his resurrection.

Paul says "we too may walk in newness of life." That phrase is worth holding. It is not a one-time event. It is a walk. Baptism is not the finish line. It is the starting line. It is the public beginning of a lifelong journey of following Jesus.

Part Three: A Charge To Everyone In This Room

To the young person being baptized today: what you are doing this morning is not a performance. It is a proclamation. You are telling this congregation, and telling the watching world, that Jesus Christ is your Savior and your Lord. The water will dry. The moment will pass. But the One you are declaring your faith in will never leave you and will never stop working in your life. Walk with him. Read his Word. Stay in this church. When you stumble, and every disciple stumbles, run back to the grace that brought you to these waters in the first place.

To the family gathered here: your role does not end when this service ends. Encourage this young believer. Pray for them. Live your own faith openly and honestly so that they can see what it looks like to follow Jesus through every season of life.

To the congregation: you made promises when you joined this church. One of those promises was to walk alongside every member of this body. This young disciple needs your encouragement, your example, and your prayers. Do not let them walk alone.

And to any guest here today who does not yet know Jesus: what you are watching is an invitation. Not a pressure, but an invitation. The same Jesus who said "let the little children come" is saying the same thing to you. You can come to him with nothing but your need and your trust. That is all he requires. If you want to know more, speak with anyone here after the service.

Let us now witness what Jesus does when someone comes to him in faith. He welcomes them. He blesses them. And he sends them out to walk in newness of life.

Sources Consulted

Edwards, James R. The Gospel According to Mark. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Moo, Douglas J. The Letter to the Romans. New International Commentary on the New Testament. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2018.

Schreiner, Thomas R. Romans. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998.

France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Hammett, John S. Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2005.