Good Morning Friends,
The lectionary selections are rather lengthy given the importance, depth, and extent of effect of the Baptism of Jesus. The children’s chat was about water and baptism on Sunday, but the sermon was on suffering and death as was yesterday’s devotional. I understand from a friend of mine that Karl Barth suggests that the baptism of Jesus and the crucifixion are connected. By the blood of crucifixion and the water of baptism we are birthed into a new existence. So, spend some time diving into the deep waters and drink your fill of their life-giving Spirit in relationship with the Son and the Father. Jesus, of course, did not need to be baptized for the reasons we get baptized so much as for our sake as a demonstration of what is to come. Still, he was very human so there is a connection between our baptism and Jesus’ that must not be overlooked. The amazing reality is that some of those very same water molecules that baptized Jesus may have also touched you and me in our baptisms…Certainly, spiritually if not literally as well. Yet the question remains. Are We Really Thirsty For An Anointing With The Water Of Life?
Scripture: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 (NRSV)
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:1-11 (NRSV)
Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Acts 10:34-38 (NRSV)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son.
1 John 5:1-9 (NRSV)
He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:7-11 (NRSV)
As 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. 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.”
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 (NRSV)
Message: Working hard really gives one a thirst that just does not happen when one is relaxed and unengaged. The reality is that a lot of work went into the baptism of Jesus. You see it was not just any baptism. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the event. Interestingly, the Holy Spirit showed up at the baptism of Jesus in a way so extraordinary, it was like a dove coming down and loving on Jesus while a voice spoke over him. In fact, the whole episode sounds a lot like the Creation account in Genesis… the Spirit hovers over the waters, God speaks, and a new order is created out of chaos. Up until the Creation…everything was relatively unremarkable as far as we know and so to Jesus’ life for the most part, for up until his 30s there was not much written about him. Oh, we do have the Christmas stories and Jesus did show promise when he was 12 and presented in the Temple to the leaders, but let us not forget that Jesus had to grow into his calling. And we have to grow also at the right times. You see the Father had brought the Son into the perfect time to usher in a new era. And the Baptism around age 30 was an anointing of love and acknowledgement of this. Friends, we each have been anointed for a purpose to usher in a new era by the power of the Holy Spirit. In many ways, the end is always near but also the beginning. The time fully comes for each of us and our expression of God’s purpose in each of us is realized. As followers of Jesus, we too are to be baptized into the Spirit-empowered reality of the Kingdom of God. We too are empowered to take a stand and face evil.
And So, Jesus did not need baptism for the purpose of repentance and forgiveness. He was sinless. But we cannot forget that death is a key component of baptism as well. When we are baptized, we are baptized into Christ’s death. We die to the world that we may be alive to the Kingdom of God. Baptism is as much about the symbol of death as it is forgiveness. And for us it can be an anointing as well, if we stay thirsty for the new life it symbolizes and the blessing of the Spirit it imparts even as 2024 is put to rest and 2025 is birthed.
Pray we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and Anointed for the purpose God intended. Pray we help to free people. Pray we help to heal people. Pray we ferret out the truth of God’s grace and mercy and proclaim that to the people around us. Pray we too make a public declaration of our commitment to God. Praywe see scripture present in the baptism of Jesus. Pray we see the Trinity in the Baptism of Jesus. Pray we thirst for the right things. Pray that we are cleaned by the water of life. Pray that we are equipped for every good work. Pray that we know our spiritual gifts and use them for the purpose God intended. Pray we surround ourselves with those who express the gift of faith in different ways so that we might in love become greater than the sum of our individual relationships. Pray we have a head and heart for evangelism. Pray that we share our journey as well as listen to the journey of others. Pray we share questions and engage seekers. Pray we witness Christ’s love by example. Pray we are anointed for a purpose that honors the Spirit and pleases the Father enough for Jesus to Baptize us with a fire that transforms us.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 