Lent Devotional Introduction: 40 days, 10 passages, and Your Baptism

I was working on a devotional again this year for my church. Last year I wrote up one that walked through the seven last words of Christ from the cross. Instead of flooding the reader with a lot of different passages it focused on the same 7 passages for the entirety of the season (with the exception being Sundays, since they are not counted in the 40 days of Lent but are "Little Easters", so we read from the words of Christ on Easter Sunday on those days). 

This year I intended to do a similar pattern while focusing on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Unfortunately I started later than I had last year and ended up being too busy to complete the devotional in time to print it. Then at the start of this week I thought, "Why not put it online?" So beginning today we will have a daily devotion available for readers. The devotional will use 10 passages around baptism (so we will read from each one 4 times). On Sundays, we will look at different passages around Jesus' baptism by John. Below are the 10 Passages:

1. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ -1 Peter 3:21

2. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

3. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. -Mark 16:16

4. See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized? -Acts 8:36

5. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. -Galatians 3:27

6. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. -Acts 22:16

7. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. -Acts 2:38-39

8. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless  one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ -John 3:5-7

9. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? -1 Corinthians 1:13

10. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. -Romans 6:3-4

I should also note that the message and prayers in this devotional assume that you the reader have been baptized. I know that may not always be the case, but as I wrote this for my congregation first and foremost, that is the audience I am working with. And I hope that if one finds they are not baptized, there might be a desire for these promises and prayers to apply to you. If that is the case, may this devotional create an urgent need within you, a hunger and thirst for righteousness that Christ and his baptism alone can satisfy. And may the Shepherd of Souls guide you to the waters of baptism.

The devotional will be less refined than I would like due to the rush job, but hey it's free and this is an armchair theology blog! So you get your money's worth. Although, dear readers, I hope you do both enjoy it and find from it Gospel promise for your life and clarity towards the gift God has given you in Baptism.

Blessed Lent,

Your Armchair Theologian