Eastertide #20

How much more will the blood of Christ purify.

(Hebrews 9:14)

With the Book of Hebrews, we’ve been spending this Eastertide Season contemplating what happened that day on Calvary’s Cross. The calendar gives us 50 days to contemplate. So, in the words of Hebrews, can we take this time to “build on the foundation of our baptism” (Hb 6:2)?

Cornelius, that Roman military officer station in Caesar Town, was baptized after hearing Peter give a two minute sermon about how Jesus was “put to death by hanging on a tree, but God raised him up;” and about how “all the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Ac 10). With the Holy Spirit’s prompting, that was enough to get Cornelius, along with his whole family, into the waters of baptism. I don’t suppose most of us knew much more than that at our baptism. That’s the foundation on which we build the wonder of our faith. I don’t suppose Cornelius, or anyone who is truly baptized, wouldn’t want to learn more about Jesus—there’s always more.