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Sermon for the Baptism of the Lord
Jan. 11th, 2015 04:36 pmI seem to always draw the Baptism of the Lord as a preaching Sunday. It is getting more and more difficult to find a new angle, but I did some digging into the Isaiah passage and found one that was new to me. And, oddly enough, I got my inspiration on Friday rather than on Saturday, when I normally write my sermon! So my Saturday was taken up with travelling to Shoreditch to pick up rye and black bread at the Beigel Shop. Hurrah!
Sadly there was no baptism this morning at St. John's.
I was a bit too young to remember what my own baptism was like, but since then I’ve seen lots of babies being baptised. At St Matthew’s I’m responsible for setting up the sanctuary before Sunday Eucharist, and when there is a baptism I put out a small pitcher of water. I take it from the tap.
The water’s relatively cool, and when it is poured over the baby’s head, there’s often a pretty violent reaction: crying, squirming, flailing about.
In this case, baptism is a surprise to the child, and the baby acts as if it were an involuntary participant in the charity craze “The Ice Bucket Challenge”.
In Isaiah, we hear of the surprise of the Jewish community in Babylon when they learn that they are free to return to Jerusalem. The Jews have been in Babylon for two generations, and for many of them this is home. They own property, they have married Babylonian partners, they have children. Most important: they have never been to Jerusalem, and they don’t want to go there now.
The entire portion of Isaiah which ends with the passage we’ve heard this morning could be seen as the first recruiting advertisement. Isaiah on the poster, pointing at each Jewish viewer, saying, “Jerusalem needs you!” That city lay in ruins, and those who returned had much work to do to make it a great city again.
He promises rich food and good things to eat, not only for their bodies, but for their souls as well.
Isaiah also says that the time for finding God in the Jewish homeland was short. God is near now, and God won’t necessarily linger. So God’s presence is a surprise, and like the water of baptism, that surprise won’t last forever.
The Jews were feeling very upbeat at this time. Anything was possible. The line of King David could be restored to Judea. The Temple at Jerusalem, destroyed by the Babylonians, could be rebuilt. God’s word to the Jews will return to him having made Jerusalem into a great city and the capital of a great nation.
In the case of the Jews, their hopes and visions were dashed in the course of events. The Davidic Kingdom was never restored. The weather turned unfavourable, and a drought wasted the crops. They never completed rebuilding the temple because of fighting within the Jewish nation. But, when Isaiah wrote, anything was possible, and most of what was possible was good.
Baptism is a ceremony which carries great potential for everyone who undergoes it. Nearly every Christian soul starts their journey of faith in the arms of a priest who surprises them with a little shower of water.
The life of every baptised child will vary from every other’s life. Some will grow up strong in the faith—others will fall away. Some will neglect their faith for decades, and discover it later on in life. And some will attend church each week until Confirmation, and then suddenly discover that they actually aren’t as faithful as they thought they were.
Just as the Jewish people had potential for great things when they were returning from Babylon, so Jesus began his public life by showing what his potential was. He had no need of baptism, and in any case the nature of John’s baptism was very different from that which Christians recognise as the Sacrament.
And yet he submitted to John in the Jordan River, and was baptised. What are we to think of that?
It is interesting that in Mark only Jesus sees the Spirit descending on him, and only Jesus hears the voice from heaven. It is a personal appearance. Something just for Jesus to see, hear, and ponder.
Just as Isaiah wrote a recruiting poem to entice the Jews to return to Jerusalem, so this is God’s personal recruiting message to Jesus. Up until then it is quite possible that Jesus may have doubted his sense of what his mission and message was. In some portrayals of Jesus in literature and film, this is explicit. Until his baptism, Jesus is a carefree carpenter. Afterwards, with the favour and calling of God, Jesus begins the journey that culminates on Calvary.
Baptism is our moment to shine in the glory of God. I’ve never heard of a modern baptism where the roof of the church opens to admit a dove to settle on the child who has just been baptised. I’ve never heard a voice from heaven saying that its favour rests on the person who’s just been admitted into the company of Christians.
But, believe it, without us knowing it, these things happen. Ask yourselves the questions: Did the Spirit of God become present in me when I was baptised? Is the spirit still present to me now? And, did God’s favour rest on you then and what have you done with His favour since?
And so, we live our our lives baptised in the Spirit just as did Jesus Christ, to whom must be ascribed all might, majesty, dominion, and praise both now and evermore. AMEN.
Sadly there was no baptism this morning at St. John's.
11th January, 2015 The Baptism of the Lord
Sermon delivered at St. John the Evangelist, 10:30AM.
First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11
2nd Reading: I John 5:1-9
Gospel: Mark 1:7-11
”Pay attention, come to me…”
In the name of God, the one, the Undivided Trinity. AMEN.
Sermon delivered at St. John the Evangelist, 10:30AM.
First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11
2nd Reading: I John 5:1-9
Gospel: Mark 1:7-11
”Pay attention, come to me…”
In the name of God, the one, the Undivided Trinity. AMEN.
I was a bit too young to remember what my own baptism was like, but since then I’ve seen lots of babies being baptised. At St Matthew’s I’m responsible for setting up the sanctuary before Sunday Eucharist, and when there is a baptism I put out a small pitcher of water. I take it from the tap.
The water’s relatively cool, and when it is poured over the baby’s head, there’s often a pretty violent reaction: crying, squirming, flailing about.
In this case, baptism is a surprise to the child, and the baby acts as if it were an involuntary participant in the charity craze “The Ice Bucket Challenge”.
In Isaiah, we hear of the surprise of the Jewish community in Babylon when they learn that they are free to return to Jerusalem. The Jews have been in Babylon for two generations, and for many of them this is home. They own property, they have married Babylonian partners, they have children. Most important: they have never been to Jerusalem, and they don’t want to go there now.
The entire portion of Isaiah which ends with the passage we’ve heard this morning could be seen as the first recruiting advertisement. Isaiah on the poster, pointing at each Jewish viewer, saying, “Jerusalem needs you!” That city lay in ruins, and those who returned had much work to do to make it a great city again.
He promises rich food and good things to eat, not only for their bodies, but for their souls as well.
Isaiah also says that the time for finding God in the Jewish homeland was short. God is near now, and God won’t necessarily linger. So God’s presence is a surprise, and like the water of baptism, that surprise won’t last forever.
The Jews were feeling very upbeat at this time. Anything was possible. The line of King David could be restored to Judea. The Temple at Jerusalem, destroyed by the Babylonians, could be rebuilt. God’s word to the Jews will return to him having made Jerusalem into a great city and the capital of a great nation.
In the case of the Jews, their hopes and visions were dashed in the course of events. The Davidic Kingdom was never restored. The weather turned unfavourable, and a drought wasted the crops. They never completed rebuilding the temple because of fighting within the Jewish nation. But, when Isaiah wrote, anything was possible, and most of what was possible was good.
Baptism is a ceremony which carries great potential for everyone who undergoes it. Nearly every Christian soul starts their journey of faith in the arms of a priest who surprises them with a little shower of water.
The life of every baptised child will vary from every other’s life. Some will grow up strong in the faith—others will fall away. Some will neglect their faith for decades, and discover it later on in life. And some will attend church each week until Confirmation, and then suddenly discover that they actually aren’t as faithful as they thought they were.
Just as the Jewish people had potential for great things when they were returning from Babylon, so Jesus began his public life by showing what his potential was. He had no need of baptism, and in any case the nature of John’s baptism was very different from that which Christians recognise as the Sacrament.
And yet he submitted to John in the Jordan River, and was baptised. What are we to think of that?
It is interesting that in Mark only Jesus sees the Spirit descending on him, and only Jesus hears the voice from heaven. It is a personal appearance. Something just for Jesus to see, hear, and ponder.
Just as Isaiah wrote a recruiting poem to entice the Jews to return to Jerusalem, so this is God’s personal recruiting message to Jesus. Up until then it is quite possible that Jesus may have doubted his sense of what his mission and message was. In some portrayals of Jesus in literature and film, this is explicit. Until his baptism, Jesus is a carefree carpenter. Afterwards, with the favour and calling of God, Jesus begins the journey that culminates on Calvary.
Baptism is our moment to shine in the glory of God. I’ve never heard of a modern baptism where the roof of the church opens to admit a dove to settle on the child who has just been baptised. I’ve never heard a voice from heaven saying that its favour rests on the person who’s just been admitted into the company of Christians.
But, believe it, without us knowing it, these things happen. Ask yourselves the questions: Did the Spirit of God become present in me when I was baptised? Is the spirit still present to me now? And, did God’s favour rest on you then and what have you done with His favour since?
And so, we live our our lives baptised in the Spirit just as did Jesus Christ, to whom must be ascribed all might, majesty, dominion, and praise both now and evermore. AMEN.
