January 14, 2024 Baptism of Our Lord The text is Mark 1:4-11.

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⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  ⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

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May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Grace, mercy, and peace are yours from God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

While interesting enough, we wouldn’t really gain a great deal of insight if we spent much time focusing on the John the Baptist this morning.  Granted, he is a compelling figure; his wilderness lifestyle, mode of dress, and rather repulsive diet choices do make for fascinating reading.  But the most important aspect of John is the ways he so dramatically differs from Jesus, whose baptism is the point of our gospel reading this morning.  In fact, this day in the church calendar is celebrated as “The Baptism of Our Lord”, so let’s not get too bogged down with analyzing John the Baptist’s dessert dwelling, fashion sense, or meal choices.  At the heart of today’s gospel lesson is Jesus’ baptism and what that means for him, the church, and us.

John, a sinner is calling others to repent of their sins through baptism in the River Jordan.  Jesus, who is in fact sinless comes to John and is also immersed in the river, but Jesus’ baptism is much different from all the others.  Jewish Law dictated that ritual bathing was a necessary part of devotion to faith; even today the ceremonial bathing area, the ‘mikveh’ is usually constructed before the synagogue that it is housed in is built.  John the Baptist was expanding on this concept as a means for confession and forgiveness of sins, while the sinless Jesus participated in the ritual for markedly different reasons.  His immersion was not the simple act of ritual bathing, but in that moment everything changed; the baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of his mission, ministry, and indeed confirmed his identity.  And for us this act, along with the Lord’s Supper remains one of only two Lutheran Sacraments. 

As Jesus comes out of the baptismal waters, we read that the Holy Spirit descended ‘on’ him like a dove.  The interesting note here is that the Greek work Mark uses is more accurately translated not as ‘on’ but as ‘into’ Jesus.  He is declared as God’s Son and the Holy Spirit becomes infused into his being.  Jesus has been transformed; adopted by God through this entering of the Holy Spirit.  He is now prepared to go forth, this is the start of his ministry and the world is about to change.  The Holy Spirit is acting on the earth through the words and deeds of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and this has come about through this simple act of Jesus’ baptism by his cousin John.

This same Holy Spirit is invoked when we are baptized, when we are ritually immersed, when we too are transformed, adopted into God’s family.  We become new creatures, we experience a new beginning, we embark on a different way of living.  And this is very good news.  In fact, Mark begins his writing with these words in the very first verse; “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ”.  And this makes Mark the only gospel that truly begins with the word; ‘gospel’; which translates as ‘good news’.  All this good news means for us that as part of the baptized, adopted, faith-sharing people of God, that it is through us that the Holy Spirit chooses to work.  While our baptisms are clearly individual acts, by this sacrament we are made part of a much larger group.

No longer individuals, we are made members of the assembly in which we gather, we are part of the wider church, our adoption into God’s family makes us inheritors of, and co-workers in the continuation of the mission that Jesus started.

Affirmation of Baptism may be used at many times in the lives of baptized Christians, as a reminder of our membership in the family of God and that we are baptized into the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  It seems appropriate that on this day as we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus, that we reconfirm our intention to continue to live lives of faith and servanthood, as Christ commands us.  Therefore, I invite you to stand as we, as the entire assembly affirm our baptism into the family of God.

People of Emanuel, do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism: to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?

Please respond: I do, and I ask God to help and guide me.

People of God, do you promise to support and pray for one another in your life in Christ?

Please respond: We do, and we ask God to help and guide us.

Let us pray.

We give you thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give us new birth, cleanse us from sin, and raise us to eternal life.

Stir up in your people  the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever.

Amen.  Please be seated.

As you come forward to share in the Lord’s Supper this morning, you are invited to dip a finger in the bowl and make the sign of the cross on your forehead, as a physical reminder of your baptism into your life in Christ.

God is Good, all the time.  All the time, God is Good.  Amen.