January 14, 2007: Second Sunday After Epiphany

Every year, like clockwork, right after Epiphany, we skip ahead in Jesus' life to the beginning of his earthly ministry. All four gospels witness the Holy Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus as the beginning of his ministry. But Matthew, Mark, Luke and John each tell the story differently. Mark tells us Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and immediately Jesus saw the heavens torn open and the spirit like a dove, descended on him. Matthew tells us John the Baptist and Jesus first discuss who should baptize whom before John relents and treats Jesus like any other person coming to him to be baptized. While Jesus' baptism is an event about which there is absolutely no debate, it was controversial. Biblical scholars tell us the fact that Jesus was baptized by John was an embarrassment to the early church -- especially the Jewish church which found itself struggling against the Baptist's own followers who claimed that Jesus was John's follower and subordinate to him. In fact neither Luke's nor John's gospel mention the actual baptism of Jesus by John. The fourth gospel has John the Baptist testifying that he saw the Spirit come down from heaven and rest upon Jesus, like a dove, but fails to mention when it occurred. In that part of Luke's gospel the lectionary skipped this morning—verses 18 to 20, Luke reports that Herod has put John the Baptist in prison, so that if Luke's account was the only one you were reading, you could easily assume Jesus wasn't baptized by John, because John was already in prison!

Now why am I going into all this? Explaining that 2 gospels fail to tell us John baptized Jesus, and a third tells us John put up a fight before consenting to baptize Jesus?

Well, you see, there's a problem with Jesus submitting to John's baptism for the repentance of sins. Wouldn't that prove he was just like the rest of us? If the church professed him sinless, why was he baptized? Jesus had nothing to repent of and nothing to be forgiven for so why did he come to be baptized? You would think a more logical response is for jesus to come to John and say, “Hey thanks for preparing the people for me, cousin. I'm ready to take over now. You can retire. Mission accomplished” But that's not what Jesus did.

In the brief dialogue between Jesus and John in Matthew's gospel, we learn why Jesus was baptized. Jesus states his reason is: “to fulfill all righteousness.”

Righteousness -- what comes to your mind when you hear that word? The words for righteous in both Hebrew and Greek means "doing what God requires; responding to the revealed will of God." Righteousness is what results when God or human beings fulfill the conditions imposed upon them by a relationship. An Israelite is righteous when living out of the instructions of Torah -- the stipulations of the covenant -- both in their relationship with God and their relationships with others in the covenant. A husband and wife are righteous when they remain faithful to their covenant of marriage. We gentile Christians are righteous when we live out the great commandment loving God with our whole heart mind and soul and loving our neighbor as our self.

This past week here at First Moravian was an usual opportunity for each of us to show our righteousness in that we had funeral services for not just one, but two members of our congregation. What was even more unusual is that for Dot Hartley's funeral no blood relative was present to both mourn the loss and celebrate her life, and for Ruth Andreve, her son George was the only blood relative present. But the sanctuary was filled as full if not fuller than on a Sunday morning with many of you who came out of love to remember our departed sisters and to support George, saying by your presence: we are not alone in our loss. When one of us dies, part of each one of us also dies, because we have righteous relationships and are joined together in bonds of love and faithfulness.

Being baptized is what God wills and Jesus does so as an act of faithfulness to the relationship. Baptism is what joins us to Christ and Christ to us in our mutual purpose of being in right relationship with God—of doing the will of God. He comes to the Jordan to identify with his people and their need. In baptism he announces his own solidarity -- his at-one-ment -- his atonement with and for the people of Israel . Jesus is not a Messiah who is aloof, above his people, or unacquainted with their need.

Jesus the Messiah comes, not to destroy those who are broken, but to heal them. Not to punish those who are captive but to release them. Not to punish those who fail to live out of right relationship with God and one another, but to empower them to do so. He comes, not only teaching us what such a life looks like, he demonstrates it for us. In doing so, he becomes the example after whom you and I are to model our lives.

Baptism also emphasizes that our Christian lives are not meant to be lived in isolation, but as part of a community of faith, loving one another and being in right relationship.

Some bible commentators suggest Luke omitted the fact John baptized Jesus in order to stress what all 4 gospels recount-- the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus, empowering him for his ministry. This same spirit is given us in our baptism. J ust as baptism gave Jesus the gift of God's Spirit, and the power for ministry, so too, you and I have received the same. In Baptism you and I have been given a new name: daughter / son of God. We too are beloved ones in whom God is well pleased. The word of God the prophet Isaiah utters us this morning:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.

When you walk through fire, (God's unquenchable fire), you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. You are precious in my sight.”

Regardless of who we were before, we emerge from the water of baptism claimed by an eternal covenant which is dependent upon God's love and righteousness -- God's desire to save us. So the next time you find yourself down on yourself, the next time you are berating yourself for this or that, convinced you are a failure and will never live up to God's expectations for you, remember your new name. You are God's daughter -- God's son, and you beloved! You are precious in God's sight.

In baptism you and I are promised that same Spirit which descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove - God's Spirit. As God gave Jesus the Holy Spirit to equip him for his ministry, you and I too are given God's power to take up the forms of ministry and service to which each of us has been called. This is to say, the baptismal font is where you and I are ordained to ministry. In baptism you and I have been ordained to be a minister of Jesus Christ. Joined to him in the waters of baptism, we are commissioned -- not just to be his followers, not just to speak his word, not just to do his work -- we have been empowered to bear him to others in the world . You and I are bearers of Jesus Christ. We take him with us into our worlds, where we live, where we work, where we play. That is our ministry.

But one thing more: like Jesus, we minister, not out of our own resources or strength, but out of the power of God. As we take time to draw aside for worship, as we enter into times of prayer and Sabbath rest and other forms of renewal, we remind ourselves on who's power we run. Where and how we find living water. Amen.