Back in Advent we were introduced to John, calling the people out to the wilderness for a baptism of repentance, and preparing the way for the Messiah to come. In this continuation of that story, we can feel John’s surprise and resistance when Jesus meets him at the water’s edge, requesting this baptism for himself.
Jesus, hey! You here to take over? Great! I’ll just step into the line over here…No? Wait, you want me to baptize you?! I just got done telling these people, “one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals.” Let alone baptize him!
Jesus’ response seems to acknowledge the awkwardness of it all. “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, who knows if this is the way we’ll always do things, but for now this action brings us in line with what God has called us to do.
We know that Jesus was without sin, so his baptism was not for repentance and the forgiveness of sins. We know that Jesus was born as the Son of God, so his baptism was not for him to be joined to the family of God. Why, then, was Jesus baptized?
The answer I find most compelling is the reminder that in the person of Jesus, God becomes human, and, in taking on our humanity, chooses to humble himself in order to be like us. Jesus is without sin, but he is with sinners - in the waters of baptism, around the table, and even in the grave.
One of the things we celebrate about baptism is the way in which these waters connect us to God and connect us to one another. Baptism, even for Jesus, is not a solitary or private thing. The voice that calls out from heaven rings in the ears of all who are gathered on the riverbanks that day - “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus’ identity is clear, and the assurance is there for him and for all who are present.
It is the same assurance we receive in baptism - that we belong to God, and that we are beloved. When we celebrate that we belong to God, we rest assured that God holds on to us and never lets us go. The Jesus who is with us always is with us when we feel lost or try to run away; when we choose love and when we choose hatred; in times of sadness and in times of joy. Belonging to God means belonging to love, belonging to forgiveness, belonging to grace, belonging to one another.
When we celebrate that God calls us beloved, we affirm that nothing else and no one else defines our value or our worth. Our value and worth are not defined by our grades, or our salary; not by how we vote or where we live. Instead, our value and worth are found in who we are in God’s eyes. God calls us beloved because we belong to God and God is love.
Jesus was without sin and did not need forgiveness, but I wonder if, in sharing our humanity, Jesus shared our need for tangible reminders of God’s promises. I wonder if Jesus ever lost sight of the things he knew to be true, or struggled to hear the voice of God over the competing voices of the world.
Even if he didn’t, being with sinners means being with us in our doubts and in our need. The truth is that we are a distractible and forgetful people. We doubt God’s promises for ourselves and for others. Even though God promises belonging, we find comfort in drawing lines and highlighting divisions. And despite the voice of God calling us beloved, we tend to focus on the voices that call us at different times to unfettered pride on the one end, and a sense of worthlessness on the other. How is Jesus with us in these times?
The promises of baptism - that we belong to God and that we are beloved - do not depend on us. We are not required to maintain some minimum level of goodness in order that these promises might continue to be true. We are not required to profess our faith with eloquence or unwavering confidence. Instead, the promises and the water and the spirit poured over us at a distinct point in time are the result of God’s work and not our own. And God’s promises are ours to cling to no matter what.
In addition to being a pastor and theologian and reformer, Martin Luther struggled mightily with doubts and questions and despondency. In those times when he felt most assailed by the devil, Luther found comfort not in his intelligence or the strength of his faith, but in the promises of God given in baptism. “I am baptized!” he cried out, perhaps defiantly, perhaps through tears.
In the verses immediately following today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Hungry, lonely, I wonder if Jesus, too, held on to this refrain, this assurance of God’s promises - “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” I am baptized!
Faced with your own trials and difficulties and questions, I wonder how this promise might also bring comfort to you. I am baptized - I belong to God! I am beloved! In the waters, around the table, and even in the grave, Jesus is with you. You belong to God. You are beloved.
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| Photo by Zachary Young on Unsplash |
Jesus, hey! You here to take over? Great! I’ll just step into the line over here…No? Wait, you want me to baptize you?! I just got done telling these people, “one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals.” Let alone baptize him!
Jesus’ response seems to acknowledge the awkwardness of it all. “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, who knows if this is the way we’ll always do things, but for now this action brings us in line with what God has called us to do.
We know that Jesus was without sin, so his baptism was not for repentance and the forgiveness of sins. We know that Jesus was born as the Son of God, so his baptism was not for him to be joined to the family of God. Why, then, was Jesus baptized?
The answer I find most compelling is the reminder that in the person of Jesus, God becomes human, and, in taking on our humanity, chooses to humble himself in order to be like us. Jesus is without sin, but he is with sinners - in the waters of baptism, around the table, and even in the grave.
One of the things we celebrate about baptism is the way in which these waters connect us to God and connect us to one another. Baptism, even for Jesus, is not a solitary or private thing. The voice that calls out from heaven rings in the ears of all who are gathered on the riverbanks that day - “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus’ identity is clear, and the assurance is there for him and for all who are present.
It is the same assurance we receive in baptism - that we belong to God, and that we are beloved. When we celebrate that we belong to God, we rest assured that God holds on to us and never lets us go. The Jesus who is with us always is with us when we feel lost or try to run away; when we choose love and when we choose hatred; in times of sadness and in times of joy. Belonging to God means belonging to love, belonging to forgiveness, belonging to grace, belonging to one another.
When we celebrate that God calls us beloved, we affirm that nothing else and no one else defines our value or our worth. Our value and worth are not defined by our grades, or our salary; not by how we vote or where we live. Instead, our value and worth are found in who we are in God’s eyes. God calls us beloved because we belong to God and God is love.
Jesus was without sin and did not need forgiveness, but I wonder if, in sharing our humanity, Jesus shared our need for tangible reminders of God’s promises. I wonder if Jesus ever lost sight of the things he knew to be true, or struggled to hear the voice of God over the competing voices of the world.
Even if he didn’t, being with sinners means being with us in our doubts and in our need. The truth is that we are a distractible and forgetful people. We doubt God’s promises for ourselves and for others. Even though God promises belonging, we find comfort in drawing lines and highlighting divisions. And despite the voice of God calling us beloved, we tend to focus on the voices that call us at different times to unfettered pride on the one end, and a sense of worthlessness on the other. How is Jesus with us in these times?
The promises of baptism - that we belong to God and that we are beloved - do not depend on us. We are not required to maintain some minimum level of goodness in order that these promises might continue to be true. We are not required to profess our faith with eloquence or unwavering confidence. Instead, the promises and the water and the spirit poured over us at a distinct point in time are the result of God’s work and not our own. And God’s promises are ours to cling to no matter what.
In addition to being a pastor and theologian and reformer, Martin Luther struggled mightily with doubts and questions and despondency. In those times when he felt most assailed by the devil, Luther found comfort not in his intelligence or the strength of his faith, but in the promises of God given in baptism. “I am baptized!” he cried out, perhaps defiantly, perhaps through tears.
In the verses immediately following today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Hungry, lonely, I wonder if Jesus, too, held on to this refrain, this assurance of God’s promises - “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” I am baptized!
Faced with your own trials and difficulties and questions, I wonder how this promise might also bring comfort to you. I am baptized - I belong to God! I am beloved! In the waters, around the table, and even in the grave, Jesus is with you. You belong to God. You are beloved.
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