Baptism: A Marked Moment of Celebration | Nehemiah 12:27-43

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, and certain of the priests' sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.

The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. — Nehemiah 12:27-43

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I bet this event was something else.

The people of God organized two big parades—one kicked off in the south and weaved its way around the wall, while the other started up north, circling the city wall. Imagine a reawakening of spiritual and national pride celebrated with unhindered singing and joy. And the two parades join at the temple for a concert of decibel-deafening proportions.

This last year, I attended a football game at Neyland Stadium to watch the Tennessee Volunteers play the Georgia Bulldogs. At the opening kick-off, the Volunteers ran the ball back for an unhindered touchdown against the #1 ranked team in the nation. The roar in the stadium was incredible. That day, Neyland Stadium set a new decibel record in college football—137 decibels, breaking the previous 133.6 decibels set at a 1992 Washington-Nebraska game.

That's what we should imagine here. A celebration that was so loud and unhindered that, at moments, it was heard miles away.

We all need moments like this. Moments that we mark as a new beginning. Days marked with celebration and joy. And we shouldn't hold back if we are genuinely proud of them. We should be unashamed to tell the world about them.

One of these moments for believers today is the event of baptism. Baptism is a Greek word that means "to immerse." It is one of the great New Testament symbols of rebirth and recommitment. It's a public proclamation of a personal decision to follow Jesus. As John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, marking the beginning of his ministry, we too are baptized in water, marking the start of our ministry and the new life given by Jesus. Symbolically, baptism expresses an identification with Christ’s death and resurrection—the old self was crucified with Christ (through the waters of death), and now followers of Jesus have risen with him in “newness of life” (Romans 6:3-11).

Some of you reading this today have been baptized. You have marked this moment with the celebration of baptism. But I also realize that some of you have not. Some of you have confessed faith but have not yet been baptized. Today, I want you to change that. I want you to publicly mark your personal decision of faith, taking what has been private and making it public. Tell your pastor, leader, or spiritual confidant you are ready to be baptized. They will be honored. It's time to wade into new waters of faith. This moment marks a personal decision that must go public.

And I want to celebrate with you. If you choose to do this in 2024, I want to know about it. Reach out to me and let me know because I made this for you. A shirt celebrating that you went "All In in Baptism" that marks this celebratory moment. Let's make this year a year of celebration of believers going all in for Jesus.

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ASK THIS:

How can we, in our daily lives, create moments of celebration and joy that mark new beginnings and proudly proclaim our faith in Christ, just like the people of Jerusalem did during their dedication?
Have you personally experienced baptism and publicly marked your decision of faith? If not, what steps can you take to make this personal commitment public, and how can this act of obedience strengthen your walk with Jesus in 2024?

DO THIS: Be baptized.

PRAY THIS: Lord, I pray that in 2024, I may experience moments of unbridled celebration and joy, just like the people of Jerusalem during their dedication, and may I boldly proclaim my faith in You through acts of obedience like baptism, marking a new beginning in my journey with You. Amen.

PLAY THIS: Baptism Song.