Year C

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The Rev. Denise Vaughn

A Baptism Shaped Life

One day two friends are playing near a pond. The older of the two boys takes the younger boy’s head and dunks it into the pond a few times. They both get up giggling. A man walks by and says, “My goodness what on earth do you think you boys are doing? Someone could get hurt!” The older boy says, “Oh, we were only playing church. I was baptizing him. You know, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the in-the-hole-he goes!

Today, on this first Sunday of Epiphany, known as the Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we hear a story of Jesus’ in-the-hole-he goes as we suddenly leap forward from the stories surrounding his birth to his baptism in the Jordon River as a thirty-year- old adult. Since it is year C in the liturgical calendar which is the year of the Gospel of Luke, we hear Luke’s version of Jesus’ baptism. All four gospels record it giving us a somewhat different version in each gospel. Luke with very few words, will transition the end of John the Baptist’s fiery preaching mission to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The hinge is Jesus’ baptism. This is the “Aha” Epiphany moment when God declares his love for Jesus, not because of what he does but because of who he is. “You are my Son, the Beloved: with you I am well pleased.” The hectic, exhilarating and terrifying ministry of Jesus is now set in motion by this affirmation from God.

From the text today, we can gather that John the Baptist is at the height of his powers and people are all wondering if he might be the Christ, the Messiah, the one promised long ago that will lead the people out of their current difficulties. But, John lets them know that one more powerful is coming, one empowered by the Holy Spirit who will baptize with Holy Spirit because his ministry of preparing the people for the Messiah is coming to an end. Immediately, before we read of Jesus’ baptism, in the verses that are left out of today’s reading, we read of John’s imprisonment by King Herod.  Luke tells us that John made Herod very angry, because he tells Herod the truth about his sinful life so Herod locks John up in prison and eventually beheads him. John’s work is done; Jesus’ is just beginning.

According to Luke, all we know about the baptism of Jesus is that Jesus presented himself for baptism with “all the people.”  He got into line with everyone who had come seeking and hoping for the Messiah. He walked into the waters of Jordon River after all the people had been washed clean of their sins by baptism and was totally immersed into their sin, into the raw humanity of life. He went into baptism according to the scriptures, clean, pure and sinless and came out identified and connected to the sins and infirmities of the human race, and in a few short years, He would take our humanity to the cross for our salvation. And when “all the people,” had been baptized, while Jesus “was praying the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him” proclaiming him God’s Son. Here the focus shifts to where Luke really wants us.

 This shifts the epiphany focus from the act of being baptized only, to the practice of prayer. It is when Jesus is praying that the Holy Spirit descends. Throughout Luke’s gospel he shows Jesus praying. He shows Jesus living a baptism-shaped life, lived out through prayer and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t take on his public ministry of teaching and healing in his own power and abilities. The source of his strength is God’s Holy Spirit who will encourage him and sustain him throughout a time of temptations in the desert and in many other moments of crises and discernment, even those moments surrounding the cross.

And just as Jesus was empowered for and guided in his ministry through prayer and the Spirit so too are all who follow him down to this very day. The disciples will learn from Jesus that the Spirit will give them strength, patience and stamina to serve in faithful ministry. This baptism-shaped life Luke stresses will continue in his book, the ‘Acts of the Apostles’ which begins with the church in prayer as they wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. When the baptized believers prayed, the Holy Spirit came upon them in ways and forms they could see and hear and the church grew. With the regular practice of prayer, what began in baptism is lived out in their lives. What begins in our baptism, as God’s children, is a calling to live a baptism-shaped life of prayer and service. The Spirit of God comes to live in us and remains in us and we hear that God is well pleased.

Jesus heard that God was well pleased with him. These words must have continued to strengthen Jesus throughout his years of challenging ministry. Most of us tend to invest ourselves more deeply in our ministry when we know that others appreciate our efforts. Jesus spent the next three years telling others about the Father who spoke those important words. He opened eyes and ears so that people could see and hear the one he had experienced at his baptism. In today’s psalm we ask, “Let the Lord give strength to his people! Let the Lord bless his people with peace! This prayer reminds us that God gives us what we need to live out our baptism shaped life.  In just a few moments we will recall once again the words to living a life of prayer, service, and love. We will renew the covenant we made with God in our baptism. We have been marked and sealed as God’s own forever. This is a bond that will never be broken by God and it sets in motion a relationship of love between God and those baptized.

Luke may have used very few words to share with us the baptism of our Lord. But these few words, if taken seriously can strengthen our relationship with God and with others in faithful ministry. John the Baptist baptized with water, to wash sins away, but Jesus baptizes with fire and the Holy Spirit. His baptism transforms our souls and gives us opportunities for new beginnings. When we depend upon God in prayer for our strength to live and to love, we hear the affirmation of God as the source of our calling and purpose in life, and experience real peace. In the “Aha” moments of epiphany we hear God tell us “You are my beloved” I am well pleased with you. This knowledge opens our eyes to transform and redeems us.  Let us make the most of these moments as we live a new life, a baptism shaped life, in Christ through the power of his Holy Spirit.