The Baptism of Our Lord

The Baptism of Our Lord

(Based on Luke 3:15-17, 21-22)

As John the Baptist continued baptizing in the Jordan River for the forgiveness of sins, “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.’”

This prepared them, and us, for the climax of this amazing story: “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.’"

Through John, baptism became an important symbolic action for God’s people as they sought to live a righteous life, let go of their sins and begin anew. Through Jesus’ baptism, God proclaims Jesus as the beloved, and as the recipient and conduit of the Holy Spirit to God’s people throughout the world. As the Gospel of Jesus spreads throughout the Mediterranean, we see how the gift of the Spirit comes from God’s action, not ours. We offer ourselves or offer our children to be baptized and God sends the Holy Spirit as God chooses.

In the Book of Acts 7:14-17 we see that when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. “The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” Elsewhere in Acts the Holy Spirit is given before baptism or during the act of baptism. Again, the conferring of the Holy Spirit and the timing of that gift are God’s actions not ours. The act of baptism, then, becomes a confirmation of God’s action of filling us with God’s Spirit: whether that happens before, during or after our baptism. What a blessing.

Baptism continues to be important to “the Body of Christ” as we see in Jesus’ final commission and blessing to his disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

This is God’s challenge and God’s promise to us; this is God’s Good News for us today!