Baptism of the Lord - Luke 3

Baptism of the Lord

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon Isaiah 43: 1-7, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-7, 21-22

Opening Prayer.

Today is a festival for the baptism of Jesus!! I brought some cake to celebrate.

We all come to church and to baptism from a variety of directions and beliefs of what baptism is and does. In this lesson, Luke’s Gospel provides an idea of what baptism means, its role in our faith, and how this is a cornerstone to Jesus’s ministry. 

Yet, we have to ask, what does it mean to me? What does baptism tell us?

We heard part of this story a couple weeks ago in Advent, and John is preaching and baptizing people in water.  People are wondering about John and asking him what we must do.  John preaches to let go of our worldly desires because true happiness is not found in them. John proclaims “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. 

Repentance is turning. They were baptized in this repentance and see John .

 “As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah …” (Luke 3)

John tempers that expectation saying he is not the one they came to see - that the one to come, John is not worthy to untie sandals. 

Then, the Gospel skips to the moment Jesus and all the people are baptized.  Jesus baptizes by water and the Spirit, not by fire.  

That all people were baptized reminds us that the Spirit is not judging and dividing people into who has reward versus punishment. 

Jesus embodies the Spirit of God, one of forgiveness of sins.

Jesus goes out into the wilderness, with the fringe of society, with us, as sinners, to pass through the waters of baptism rather than burn with judgement.

This is part of why Louis Gunnemann calls baptism a “Sacrament of Christian Vocation”

because through baptism, we are called into the Church, to the mission of Jesus and thus, to service with our community. Christians are a called people because we are called in baptism. Jesus answers the call in baptism and sets aside judgement.

Water is an important symbol of baptism because of the beautiful, healing and life-sustaining properties, but the real sign is how the Spirit mutually connects to us in baptism.  The Gospel tells us the real power of baptism when Jesus connects with the Spirit of God. 

Baptism is not just about someone getting wet with water but how we come into covenant with the Spirit so that new life begins.  In baptism, one may find that relationship with God, and one may find, as Gunnemann writes, “liberation from the bonds of self-serving religion” (or judgement and desires).  That is how we are given new life through this sacrament.

When we, as people, witness this transformation, we can also affirm and connect to our understanding of that Spirit. Ultimately, this is a powerful and meaningful experience (transformational) because baptism is about how Jesus is revealed within us. 

That is a revelation of Epiphany; the holy spirit calls our hearts . You can feel it when you let it.

Baptismal moments like a tender moment when an infant suddenly booms a giant smile as water touches her forehead and she sends the whole chancel into awes.

Or grown man with a ray of sunshine on his face becomes emotional as he receives the baptismal waters and is moved to tears and brings the entire congregation to tears of pure joy.  

In Acts 8, Peter and John go to Samaria. They pray and lay hands upon the people as they receive the Holy Spirit. 

This reminds us that the Spirit is an active agent in baptism. That Spirit bridges the many divides around us to call us into one community with God. Then, with prayer -- listening to God, you can let God’s love fill you, and maybe, you can witness that light upon you too!

Some call this a “Conversion of heart” when those waters touch us.

Now I am not a fan of deep water, but as Isaiah 43 reminds us, we will pass through the water but it will not overwhelm us

These happened because in baptism, there is something happening, perhaps a “conversion of the heart” or just a warm smile of acceptance - a response to God’s welcome. When we let God connect, when we set aside judgment and when we set aside expectations, we might hear speaking to us today, and we might be compelled to tears or a simple smile.

What does baptism mean to you? Think about it.

Affirm your baptismal promise, listen for God speaking to you, and follow the light upon you – a child of God – for whom God is well pleased!

Hear God speaking and calling you.  Feel that welcome and accept it with your beautiful smile and tears. Thus, just as Jesus was called by God in baptism, we continue that call through our own baptism.

Let us Connect to the holy and affirm those baptism promises.

Thanks be to God!