The $500,000 Bath

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’.” [Acts 2:38]

In 1851, Maha Mongkut, also known as Rama IV, ascended the throne as the king of Siam (now better known as Thailand). Mongkut was a true monarch, with total power over his five and a half million subjects. But he was also different from previous Siamese kings. Before becoming king he spent 27 years traveling as a Buddhist priest, studying English, French, and Latin as well as Siamese and Sanskrit. This made him friendlier toward the West, inviting European diplomats to his coronation and introducing Western innovations into his kingdom. Despite his openmindedness about other cultures, in his personal life Mongkut adhered to royal Siamese tradition, having 82 children by 39 wives. Nine thousand women lived in his harem, kept apart from the world in a separate city.

Mongkut was also very devoted to Buddhist tradition. This is why he spent half a million dollars for a single ritual bath for his son. The Temple of the Bath is a beautiful pool surrounded by four smaller pagodas, all encrusted with heavy plates of gold and gems. In the center is the fabulous marble and gold swimming pool. The king built the Golden Temple on the Menam River in 1887 at a cost of $500,000. After the solemn bath was administered to the prince, the structure was never occupied again.

The Bible invites us to experience a cleansing bath that removes more than dirt from our bodies. Baptism is a ritual that demonstrates our belief that when we confess our sins to God, we can be assured that Jesus washes away all sin from our hearts. We are plunged beneath the waters to publicly signify our allegiance to our King in heaven.

Christ led the way by His own example. But he wasn’t baptized in a gold- and marble-plated pool decorated with gemstones. Jesus was immersed in the muddy Jordan River. This pleased His Heavenly Father. Baptism symbolizes Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. When we are baptized, we accept the work of Christ for our salvation. Jesus paid to wash away our sins by shedding His own blood. That’s why the most expensive bath in the world is baptism!