Baptism vs. Immersion

In studying the word "baptism" I came across some interesting uses of the word. James and John asked Jesus if they could sit at His side in the kingdom. Jesus asked if they could drink the same cup and be baptized with the same baptism. In Luke 12:50, Jesus says, "But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!" In the Corinthian letter there is a statement about being baptized into Moses in the could and in the sea. All of these seem to talk about a type of immersion, but not the watery kind. It's an immersion into a life, a situation, Jesus tells John and James that they will be immersed into a difficult life following Him. They'll face trials and persecutions. Or as we say, "A baptism of fire!" Jesus had to face the ordeal of the cross and He called it a baptism. The whole Moses experience of wandering in the wilderness was called a baptism.
So when it comes time to follow Jesus, how foolish of us to just see the water baptism. Instead, we should see and should be teaching the immersion into the life of Jesus. His thoughts become ours. Our actions relect what He would do. We become Jesus with skin.
I truly believe that's what Jesus meant in John 6 when He said that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood. It's not the Lord's Supper. It's the immersion into His life. And oh, what a sweet immersion. We truly become His followers. Our water baptism signifies the "pledge of a good conscience" toward God. That we commit ourselves to dying to ourselves and immersing our souls, our lives into the One who can truly make a difference. Lord, come quickly. Have a great day! JW