January 7, 2024 – Baptism of Our Lord

“As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The Baptism of Jesus made the early church, shall I say….uncomfortable. After all, if baptism is for the remission of sin…..they why did Jesus have to be baptized? I am sure you have delved into the question before, but it always good to review – especially when Baptism involves one of the most misunderstood and most important aspects of our faith—the Holy Spirit. And the baptism of Jesus presents us some important questions: Is baptism about forgiveness? And if it is, then is Jesus really sinless or not?

So, let’s begin with John’s baptism, because that did come first after all—and it may help us understand the baptism of Jesus. If you recall, John’s baptism was a baptism of water—a baptism of repentance. It was a baptism where many, in fact all of Judea and Jerusalem we are told, came with contrite hearts, confessing their sins. And John would baptize them with water and tell them they should prepare and believe in the one who was coming after Jesus. There was no Holy Spirit—there was only repenting for one’s sins. But, when Jesus was baptized, he received the Holy Spirit, and the confirmation that he was G-d’s Son—which means, of course, that he is sinless. And this, my friends, is huge. It makes baptism a big, big, deal. And the fact that G-d allows you and me to be baptized with a baptism like Jesus is a big deal. After all, the early church could have determined that no one else could have a baptism like Jesus—that it was too special for anyone else. But as we know—baptism is available to all—because through it we receive not only the Holy Spirit—but the forgiveness of sins.

My friends, G-d confirms that we are “children of G-d” through our baptisms, and G-d seals the deal by infusing within us the Holy Spirit. We are marked with the cross of Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and all of this is G-d’s work, G-d’s doing. And no matter how much we fail, how much we fall short in this life, nothing that we do or don’t do can remove that identity. You see, G-d loved us before our baptism, and G-d confirms that love through our baptism. Yes, we can neglect that relationship, we can ignore it, we can deny it—but we cannot destroy it—G-d loved us first, still loves us, and loves us unconditionally.

Pastor Dave