“We were therefore buried with [Christ] through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).

This month Christians around the world join in an ancient liturgical acclamation. The minister says, “Christ is risen!” The assembly responds, “He is risen indeed!” This tradition illustrates the reality that the relevance of Jesus’ resurrection never fades. It seals the deal on all of God’s promises. Death remains defeated, and sins are forgiven forever. We have peace with God through our risen Lord Jesus Christ.

I don’t consider myself a liturgical innovator, but God’s words through Paul in Romans chapter 6 have inspired a variation of that acclamation. The minister could say, “We are risen with Christ!” The assembly could respond, “We are risen indeed!”

Buried with Christ through Baptism

Jesus died on the cross and was buried in Joseph’s tomb two thousand years ago outside of Jerusalem. Paul says that each of us died and were buried with him when we were baptized.

What does that mean? A line from a television series uses the same language. A con artist moves west to make a fresh start. He tells his brother he’s a changed man. From now on, he’s going to be the good guy. Referring to his old self, he says, “He’s back in Chicago, dead and buried.” That con artist was determined to transform his character by the sheer power of his will.

In contrast, the death and burial of our old self took place by the power of God when he connected us to Christ through Baptism. “Our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with . . . because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:6-7). Through Baptism, God has joined us to Christ and set us free from sin’s curse and power.

Raised with Christ through Baptism

God’s purpose in our death and burial with Christ was to bring a new person out of the grave “in order that . . . we too may live a new life.” God made this new life ours through Baptism. We’re not slaves to sin. We may feel like we are. Our track record against temptation might suggest that we are. That’s precisely why we need God to tell us who we really are: We are risen with Christ! We are risen indeed!

Through Baptism, God has joined us to Christ and set us free from sin’s curse and power.

When we stumble and fall, our inclination is to look inward for the solution, as if we can transform our character by the sheer power of our will. Here God points us outward to historical events in which we were entirely passive: (1) Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and (2) our baptisms, where he joined us to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. God shows us who we are by pointing us to his works for us, not our works for him.

At Easter we see the power of God in action: Christ raised from the dead through the glory of the Father. By that same glorious power God has brought our new self out of the grave, so that we too may live a new life that magnifies his glory. His works for us give birth to our works for him.

Let’s encourage one another in this holy calling by reminding one another who we really are: We are risen with Christ! We are risen indeed!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, the relevance of your resurrection and the power of my baptism never fade. Keep my focus on the new life you have given me so that my words and actions bear witness to that new life. Amen.

Photo: Kevin Poston, Atonement, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Author: Michael Seifert
Volume 113, Number 04
Issue: April 2026