Sunday, January 4, 2025 - Rev. Robin Wilkie
RESOLVED
Matthew 3: 13 – 17 New International Version
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
I wonder if you have ever pondered the question: “Why was Jesus baptized?” He was the only begotten Son of God. He was without sin and therefore he did not need the baptism that cleanses all sins: So why was he baptized? It is an interesting question, is it not? Matthew answers that question by having Jesus respond to John by saying; “Let it be so for now. it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”
I wonder what the primary motivation is these days for requesting baptism. I wonder if it is because the parents of the children have a deep sense that God requires it. My hunch is that this is not the case. It is often more of a social event – something that families do together as a rite of passage, or because it is traditional, or for some other reason. I am very careful to explain to parents what is involved with baptism and the obligations and promises that they are about to undertake through the sacrament. Sometimes we do not see those families again for a while and I am not sure if that is because of the culture in which we live with both parents working, pressures of time and finances. Sunday is often the only day that families get to spend together or perhaps it is just too much for some people. By the time you get small children up and ready for church and finally get there, you might not be in the mood to worship. Perhaps it is because some people do not really feel welcome in church. It is difficult sometimes to try to belong to a new group…
When families do not come back there is sometimes resentment on the part of church members. I try not to judge people. I never know when a family will take the promises seriously and start to come to church and then get involved. I am always delighted when that happens. I hope that eventually the families who take the vows of baptism will make their way back to church on a regular basis.
But whatever the motive – God can and often does use the event of Baptism in God’s own peculiar way. That is what is meant by the sacrament – God using earthly elements and events to bring about God’s own purpose. So, the theme today is Baptism as Epiphany. Epiphany involves making something or someone known - showing the meaning and purpose. In the baptism of Jesus by John we discover several things about who Jesus is and what he is to do and we can discover who we are and what we are to do.
In a fresco painting of Jesus’ baptism from the thirteenth century, there is an artist’s depiction of the scene before us. Jesus stands waist deep in the water of the Jordan. John is standing on the shore with a seashell in his right-hand pouring water over Jesus’ head. The water was poured in such quantity that Jesus seemed to be robed in a cloak of water. Over Jesus’ head there is a halo with a dove descending from heaven upon him. This is a clue as to who Jesus is and if we listen intently, we too can hear the voice from heaven saying: “This is my own dear Son with whom I am pleased.”
There are three words in these verses that reveal to us who Jesus is – He is God’s Son, God’s Servant and God’s Chosen. Let’s look at those three things and then let’s look at the implications that they have for us today.
“Son” refers to the person whom the king gives over his authority and power. An example from the Hebrew Scriptures is David and Solomon. When David’s reign comes to its end, David indicates one of his many sons as his successor and thus Solomon in all his wisdom becomes in a larger sense, “son of David.” In Psalm 2, Israel is called “son of God”, for God had named Israel – as he was to name Jesus – as the one through whom the world would be ruled.
It is also in this sense also that we are sons (children) of God. For in our Baptism, we have been named (collectively and individually) as those persons through whom God manifests God’s reign in the world. In this context then it is entirely appropriate to speak of the church and its members as children of God.
“Servant” is another word with a rather specific meaning in the Bible. Isaiah used the word to describe the function of those chosen by God. Jesus was later to say, “I have not come to be served but rather to serve. (Mark 10:45) The term “servant” describes not so much a particular kind of work as it describes an attitude. The servant in Isaiah was self-effacing, tender, respectfully concerned with the needs of the weak and the oppressed, willing to give of self totally for the other person, with no loud proclamation to herald the activity. The servant’s work goes on until the whole earth has been filled with a knowledge of God.
The Christian Scriptures depict Jesus as a servant “who gave his life as a ransom for many” but it also suggests that such an attitude should be characteristic of anyone who has been baptized into the fellowship of the church.
Another Biblical image of a servant is that of the slave. According to a custom that is as old as the human race, a sign on the forehead has been a sign of belonging. Slaves especially often had such a sign branded on their foreheads; it told others who their owner was. In the sacrament of baptism, the sign of the cross is made on the forehead of the one being baptized to show that they belong to Jesus Christ who suffered and died and conquered on the Cross. By our baptism, we have become slaves or servants of God through Jesus.
The roots for “the Chosen One” are in the people of Israel who understood themselves to be in a very special relationship with God. Mysteriously God had chosen the people of Israel and the members of the church from among all the peoples on earth to be the people of God – “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, - God’s own people.” Jesus is such a chosen one and so are we. “Called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified” as the one holy, catholic and apostolic church – the servant of the world – the chosen of God.
So, what does all that mean for us today? What are we supposed to do now that we know we are children of God, servants of God and chosen of God as a result of having been baptized?
Well, the first thing I think that we need to do today is to reconsider our calling. To what are we called? What difference does it make for us to be the people of God in this place and at this time within the United Church of Canada? That is a difficult question to answer because the answer will vary for each person. I believe that we are all called to a specific ministry. I cannot tell you what that ministry is for you, but I believe that you have one. Perhaps it is serving on a committee, teaching a confirmation class, ushering, counting the money on Sunday after the service, organizing a fundraising event, praying for someone who needs you to pray for them, visiting one of our sick or shut-ins, being a lay liturgist, leading a small group or perhaps being a member of a small group, showing some leadership within the service, coming to the annual meeting and casting your vote for the future of this community – the list goes on and on. God has given each one of us gifts for ministry and allows us the freedom to use those gifts within the ministry to which God calls us. All we have to do is consider our calling and then answer it.
When Jesus heard about John preaching in the wilderness, he recognized it as a signal. It was the signal that his public ministry was about to start. The time had come and was now upon him. He had to consider his calling, and he answered that call by being baptized – by doing that which would fulfill what God required. So, as we begin a new year we are called to ministry somewhere and we need to think about the form that the ministry to which we have been called will take.
The second thing that I think we can do is to continue to build what others have started.
Perhaps it is building on the work of those who had the vision of ending drinking and driving - working with the people who started Mothers against Drunk Driving, or with Big Brothers/Big Sisters or Scouting or Guiding. Perhaps it is volunteering at the hospital. Perhaps it is making a financial contribution to the Mission and Service Fund. We do not have to be original here. There is no shortage of good organizations that require strong volunteers.
Jesus continued the work of John the Baptist. John was the first prophet to speak in several hundred years. His preaching made people wake up and they sensed their need for cleansing and so came out in droves to the Jordan to be baptized by him. They knew that they needed God and in the words of John, they heard God’s voice. Well, Jesus continued that work and brought it to a great climax – his victory over death. We too can build on the work of others that the ends might not only be met but exceeded!
The third thing that I think we can do is to show others what God is like. In John, people heard God speaking but in Jesus, people saw who God is. That is our task in the world as well. Let me illustrate: There once was a man who when he was a little boy was forever coming home late from school. His parents were fed up with it because he came in late for dinner every day. So, when they reached their limit, they said to him one day: “The next time you come home late for dinner you are getting bread and water and nothing more. That is it!”
Sure enough, he was late the very next day. He walked into the house and there were his mother and his father sitting at the table. On their plates were meat and potatoes and vegetables and at his place there was a plate with some bread on it and a glass of water. He was crushed.
His father waited for the full weight of the lesson to sink in and then silently the father took his full plate and put it in front of his son, and he took his son’s plate for himself. The boy, now a man, had this to say about that lesson: “All my life I have known what God is like by what my father did that night.” It is as simple as that.
People learn about God not because they figure out how the Trinity actually works, not because they search the United Church website for inspiration, not because they are great theologians or because they learn to read the Scriptures in their original languages. People learn about God from Godlike people. Even people, who have done evil in their lives, even people who have messy corners that they are dealing with. You can still share a full plate with someone who has none - so to speak. You can be God to some people who will remember what God is like because they remember what you did in God’s name for them.
So, the baptism of Jesus reminds us to reconsider our calling as Christians. We would not be a part of the church if we were not called. For all of our collective and individual failings, there is a beauty in this community, God’s holy community called the Church – God’s body in the world – still nurtured by word and sacrament. We can reconsider our calling and be proud of it and find a way to serve others through the ministry to which we are uniquely called.
We can pick up what others have started and make a difference and help bring their dream to fruition. We can show others what God is like – through kindness, through gentleness, forgiveness and love in action, for we belong to God and God’s mark is on our forehead through our baptism saying that we are God’s!
By: Rev. Robin Wilkie
"A Village Church With A Heart For The World"
Christ United Church
12 Perth St., Lyn, ON, K0E 1M0
(613)498-0281 (Phone) (613)498-2589 (Fax)
lynunitedchurch@cogeco.net www.lynunitedchurch.com Follow on Twitter: @Ch1United