Baptism of the Lord, Year C

January 13, 2018

The Baptism of the Lord

Our Gospel lesson opens by setting the “climate”…the Hebrew people are waiting.  Filled with expectation.  They were anxious and on the edge of their seat in hope – they are holding out for the Messiah that is to come, to liberate them, to save them from bondage and captivity.  A fighter, a military ruler, a savage take no prisoners type of leader.  They were all thinking that John the Baptist might just be this Messiah they’ve been waiting on.  And I probably would have thought that too.  Here’s this man…born around the same time as Christ, he’s loud, brazen, strong, he points out injustice and illuminates wrongs.  He preaches with a fiery tongue; he is fearless. 

But he tells the anxiety ridden people “I am not the one”…which doesn’t help them at all.  He tells them that there is one coming, one more powerful than him…which amplifies the search and waiting for that fearless warrior leader. 

Then we skip forward just a bit, and we see that there are people being baptized.  Luke casually transitions past Christ’s baptism, mentioning it only once and after the fact. 

Then, Jesus prayed.  When he prayed to God, we see that God responded.  The heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ in the form of a dove, and God, the Father of Christ, spoke to Jesus…”You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased”. 

After I read Luke’s recollection a few times, and even compared it to Matthew and Mark’s stories, I noticed that Luke doesn’t focus on the act of baptism at all.  So what does he hope we take away from his version of this pivotal moment?

I want everyone to take a moment and think.  Are you baptized?  If you are, do you remember your baptism?  Was it as an adult or as an infant?  Are you confirmed?

Growing up baptism was a big deal for us.  Being Baptist, you can imagine the presence baptism had in our theology.  It was such a big deal that if you were to ask any of us what it was like, we would all respond “life changing” and “mystical” and we would all agree that we felt different after coming back up vs how we felt before submersion. 

We put such an emphasis on baptism…but why?  What was so mystical, magical, and supernatural about the water?  Was the water the tool of salvation?   The truth is, I didn’t feel any different after coming up out of the water than I did going under.  I dare not share that…because that would have mean that I wasn’t actually “saved” because sometimes it didn’t take the first time…or maybe it took, but you strayed or “backslid” and because you were dirty again you needed to be baptized again. 

I don’t want to downplay baptism and please don’t take what I’m saying as that; but what is it about the act that we put such an emphasis on?  The water doesn’t secure our place in eternity, the minister administering the sacrament doesn’t forgive our sin….

That’s partially why I connect so strongly to Luke’s recollection of the Baptism of Christ.  The act of baptism isn’t the focal point. 

I think what we need to focus in on is how connectional baptism is.  We see after Christ’s baptism, during prayer, the connection he shares with his Father, when the heavens open and he hears God’s voice calling to him…”Son, beloved, with you I am well pleased”.  I thought for a minute…I can’t imagine how Jesus must have felt…but then, maybe I can.  Is it not the goal of every son to get the approval and love of his father?  What would have made Christ – fully divine, yet fully human, with human emotions – so different? 

And look at the way Luke tells us Christ was baptized.  We see that there is no ceremonial fanfare, he wasn’t carried in and presented in grand fashion, the whole event wasn’t “extra” as we would say.  John didn’t stop baptizing the others to make special accommodations for Christ.  Jesus simply got in line and was baptized with the people. Christ, who was free of sin, stood in line with and was baptized before and after sinners.  Common people.  People who fall short and aren’t worthy.  People like you and me. 

Isn’t this the type of covenant we are called to?  To get in line with each other, support each other, to help each other?  To love each other?  Are we doing that?  Do we look at one other and say “through baptism you are my brother/sister; you are amazing.  Thank you”.  Do we share that with strangers?  Do we exemplify that in all we do?