Catholics are often challenged with the question, “Why do we baptize infants?
The answer is, “To give them Life: Eternal Life.” We also have Jesus’ commandment to his disciples,
“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.”
Mat 28:19-20
By “All nations” Jesus means everyone (Not just adults).
Baptism is also to admit them to the sacramental life, the life of the Spirit. No one can receive the Sacraments unless they are baptized. The Sacraments nourish our souls and give us Eternal Life.
There is a serious confusion in the minds of those who question infant baptism. This confusion comes from the confusion between the baptism of John the Baptist and Jesus’ Baptism. They are still thinking that Baptism only involves personal initiative with repentance from sin that only older persons can do. John’s baptism involved strictly personal repentance and personal choice, but in a public setting.
We also see this confusion when we hear people say that children should be able to choose Baptism for themselves, like choosing whether or not to join a club or an organization. It is as if everything in Baptism is personal choice. Personal choice was John’s baptism of repentance. Personal choice cannot bring about Eternal Life. Only God can save us.
John’s baptism was simply an outward, public sign that they were repenting of their sin. As St. Mark said,
John [the] Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 1:4
John himself said in the Gospel of Luke,
“I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.” Lk 3:18
John has been described as “the lamp in the presence of the sun.” Our Christian Baptism is so much more than personal choice. We embrace our baptism as a gift from God; a gift that removes the darkness of death and gives Eternal Life.
But Jesus’ Baptism requires discipleship and learning by his baptized disciples. Baptism and discipleship cannot be separated. The baptized must be taught and must observe his commandments. Listen again, when he says,
“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.”
Jesus is telling us to give all nations Life. Christian baptism is not about choosing membership. Christian baptism is not simply about personal decision. Christian baptism is totally, completely God’s free gift of the Holy Spirit and Eternal Life in the Spirit. There is nothing we humans can do to make Christian Baptism happen except to desire it for ourselves, and our children, and to become disciples, with knowledge of God. This was always God’s plan, that we might live eternally with Him.
Jesus’ Baptism, our Sacrament of Baptism, is the Baptism of water and the Spirit. Jesus told Nicodemus,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit…. Jn 3:5
Jesus gave us the Sacrament of Baptism,
“so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Jn 3:15
This is why we baptize infants, to give them eternal life. Our task is to finish what he started, to become disciples and to make disciples of our children.
That leaves us with the obvious question: Why did Jesus have to be baptized by John the Baptist?
Jesus needed to take the incomplete baptism of John and complete it with the gift of the Spirit. Remember what happened,
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
In that moment our Sacrament of Baptism was born, in “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”