The Baptism of Christ

Sunday 12^th January – The Baptism of Christ

The Epiphany theme continues with the main Epiphany story for the Eastern church – the baptism of Christ. 

Isaiah 42: 1-9. The servant about whom Isaiah writes is not for Israel alone but for all the “nations” (verse 1). He will work quietly and gently and is the sign of the covenant (verse 6) God has with all humanity to open our eyes to the truth and release us from spiritual and emotional prison.  

Acts 10: 34-43. The Christian gospel starts to break down the walls of division and Peter is finally convinced of the universal application of the good news of Jesus. What follows is a potted history of the life and works of Jesus which Peter locates as beginning with his Baptism and being anointed by God (anointed; is Messiah in Hebrew – Christ in Greek).

Matthew 3: 13-17. This well-known story about the start of Jesus’ ministry in Matthew differs in one crucial way from the original story in Mark’s gospel. In Mark’s gospel the voice from heaven is heard as an internal affirmation by Jesus. “You are my beloved Son”. In Matthew’s gospel this is changed into a public announcement “This is my beloved Son”. The truth is that one has to be convinced of one’s own status and mission before that fact can be manifested in one’s life as a wider announcement to the world.  

The public ministry of Jesus starts here – his baptism in the Jordan.

It has been estimated by scholars that Jesus was about thirty when he was baptised by John and he was crucified when he was 33 so the entire recorded earthly ministry only lasted three years and it all started with him going to John to be baptised.

What happened there propelled him and sustained him on what must be the most remembered, talked about, discussed and celebrated three years of any human life ever.

So what happened there? Well let’s start with the very meaning of the word baptism. It literally means immersion, not just literally, as in immersion in water, but metaphorically as well. For at his baptism Jesus was immersed in God’s animating Spirit – that was the force that ignited his ministry – the Spirit of God himself.

Explaining to people what happened in such a mysterious encounter with God is almost impossible. Anyone who has ever had a religious or spiritual moment and tried to explain it to others know how difficult it is. The Baptism of Christ has two components –  what happened to Jesus in his heart soul and mind (the inward effect) and how this was manifested, made real in his life, words and works (the outward effect).

Trying to describe such an encounter led to Matthew and Luke describing those two different consequences in their gospels. Mark telling us what Jesus “heard” and experienced in his heart and soul and in Matthew’s gospel He tells us it was an event that was obvious and discernible by others and the voice of God was “heard” making an announcement.

Together they try and encapsulate the whole of Jesus’ baptism, but the truth is, as I’ve already said, words fall far short when we try and describe spiritual moments. That is true for us and certainly true for Jesus.

The essence of what He heard God say to Him is that he is God’s son. That God is his Father, and ours. Don’t forget he taught his disciples to pray “Our Father”.

To call someone the Son of God means that he bears all the nature and characteristics of God. It means, that Jesus said and acted just as God would have said and acted within the constraints of a fully human life. As Paul says, “the image of the invisible God”. As John says “the word made flesh”.

Theologically the church asserts that Jesus was “begotten not made” but his earthly life needed the propellent of God’s Spirit to launch and sustain his life and witness.

“You are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased” is the affirmation, the blessing, that He heard and empowered him.

What is absolutely extraordinary, is that this blessing is not reserved for Jesus alone.

When any of us accept that Jesus is the Son of God we too have the right to call ourselves children of God and accept God as our Spiritual Father.

This is a life enhancing, life changing thing when we hear those words spoken to our heart.

Close your eyes and hear God speaking to you.

“You are my child, the beloved. With you I am well pleased”

This is the blessing that all people need to hear. To know they are loved and cared for by God. That our lives are worth something.

Hear those words and keep them close to you as you commune with God here this morning.

As we immerse ourselves in God, are baptised in his Spirit, what will we be capable of, when we are anointed with the propellent of God’s Spirit in our lives.

God, like any good parent wants you to fulfil your potential and become the person He always planned for you to be.