In the beginning, God gave the man and woman the blessing and command to be fruitful and multiply, filling the earth. In this language, God established a correlation between men and plants. Just as plants had seeds in themselves and could reproduce, so men had seed and could reproduce. From the beginning, the man was a farmer, not merely a tiller of the soil (though he was that), but a gardener of children. Seed is planted in the womb of the mother, cultivated, and grows.
Once born, the process continues. They are plants. Psalm 128 says that they are olive shoots. Fathers and mothers are gardeners, given the responsibility to cultivate these plants so that they can be fruitful.
As Jesus tells us in John 12, unless a seed falls into the earth and dies, it cannot bring forth fruit. This was the original process, but it was intensified by sin. Because of sin, death was final. The seed would remain in the earth, dead. However, Jesus came and restored the process so that the seed would rise again to life and produce fruit. The seed must be buried in him; the seed must die in Christ.
Today, that is what is occurring with this child. He is a seed being buried and watered in Christ so that he can live and bear fruit. Parents, God has given this little seedling to you to cultivate. God has provided the water here today, and you must continue to feed him through loving discipline and instruction so that he may grow in the faith and be fruitful. Your son’s baptism is your call to be faithful gardeners.
Church, let us come alongside Drew and Elizabeth and provide them all that we can to help them fulfill their task.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.