Baptism of Christ - Sunday Sermon

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John

would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come

to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to

fulfil all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went

up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw

the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from

heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:13-17)

The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, what an epiphany. God is revealed to us as a Trinity of Persons and Jesus, in the midst of it all, as the Spirit anointed Son of the Father, the Messiah, King of the Jews. You couldn't make it up and certainly wouldn't if you were out to invent a religion, it's too outlandish. That said, why does the sinless Christ go to John to be baptized?

Surely it should be the other way around and the Baptizer says as much, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replies,  “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” There's our clue, righteousness, obedience to God's commandments, and what is the Father commanding his people to do?

To be baptized in the Jordan as a mark of repentance and cleansing in preparation for the coming of the Holy One. And Jesus, the sinless King of the Jews, represents his sinful people to the Father, so he too must be baptized in solidarity with them. This speaks to another baptism, the baptism of his blood on the Cross. (Lk 12:50)

The Father is commanding his Son to die for his people, to take their sins upon his shoulders and offer himself as a sinless sacrifice on the Cross for their forgiveness, only to rise again, victorious over the grave. This, the mighty work of salvation, is prefigured in the Jordan.

Jesus goes down into the water, the Cross, and rises in the power of the Spirit, the Resurrection, and the heavens are opened to him and to his faithful people. Even ourselves, who have been buried with Christ in Baptism and have risen, regenerate in the power of the Spirit to new life, the gates of heaven open to us.

What a powerful message for the new year, full of strength and hope. The world is badly insane and odds on the monkey it'll get worse still, even to the point of catastrophe. And the same holds true in our personal lives, who knows what out of leftfield furies will fall upon us in the next 12 months. 

Regardless, nothing can take away or destroy the life Christ has won for us by his Cross and Resurrection. It's happened, it cannot be taken back, and it's freely given for us to accept. Pray, then, that our union with the Saviour, begun in the waters of baptism, only grows, deepens and increases so that when we stand on the far shore we will hear the Father's voice, "Thou art my beloved son with whom I am well pleased."

God bless you all,

LSP