Luke 3:15–22 ESV

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison. Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Isaiah 43:1–7 ESV

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

luke 3:15-

All are Called

There is a little bit of liturgical debate about what this coming season in the church calendar should be. Many people advocate for a “season of Epiphany” while technically, the season following Epiphany is one special Sunday, followed by the old standby “ordinary time”. Many of the Christmas and Epiphany themes continue, but not as overtly. I like the idea of a season of Epiphany and you’ll hear many of the Epiphany themes continue in my preaching, event though the paraments will go back to green until Lent. The specific theme I’m going to stick with is this idea of “All”. Epiphany - the coming of the Magi - symbolizes Jesus coming for ALL PEOPLE . . Jesus revealed to ALL PEOPLE. Last week, we saw hoe God speaks to all, we just have to listen. This week, we’re going to focus on how all are called, and specifically on how baptism is a symbol of that calling which is open to all people.

Epiphany, the remembrance of when the wise men visited Jesus. Some celebrated it

on the Sunday before or following. The Sunday after Epiphany actually has its own

name, though. It’s call

We’re going to talk about baptism specifically because the Sunday after Epiphany has its own name, regardless of what you call the season after it. It’s called “the Baptism of the Lord.” This is a time when we remember Jesus’ baptism, and in remembering Jesus’ baptism, we remember our own baptism. Later in the service, we will participate in a remembrance of baptism.

ed “the Baptism of our Lord.” This is a time when we

remember Jesus’ baptism, and in remembering Jesus’ baptism, we remember our

own baptism.

Now, I don’t actually remember being baptized. I was a pretty tiny baby when I was baptized. I know I was baptized. There are pictures to prove it. But I don’t remember it. I’m sure that’s the same for many of you. But I know it’s not true for everyone. Many people are baptized as teenagers or adults and remember the moment clearly. So, if we know that we were baptized, either because we have pictures of it or because we remember it –or maybe both –why spend a whole Sunday talking about it?

I was baptized. I know I was. There

are pictures to prove it. But I don’t remember it.

I’m sure that’s the same for many of you. But I know it’s not true for everyone. Many

people are baptized as adults and remember the moment clearly. So, if we know that

we were baptized, either because we

have pictures of it or because we remember it

–

or maybe both

–

why spend a whole Sunday talking about it?

Baptism isn’t what saves us. An baptized baby is no more guaranteed a spot in heaven than an upbaptized baby. Many adults and older children choose to be baptized to recognize the fact that they have been saved by an actual, real encounter with God already. . . before their baptism.

in heaven than an upbaptized baby.

Many adults and old children choose

to be

baptized to recognize the fact that they have been saved by an actual, real encounter

with God already. . . before their baptism.

Baptism is more than just a club membership or some sort of ritual you have to go through to be a “real” part of the church community. It’s not some weird initiation rite that gets you into the “in” crowd.

to go through to be a “real” part of the c

hurch community. It’s not some weird

initiation rite that gets you into the “in” crowd.

Baptism is called in our tradition a “sign and seal” of God’s grace in our lives. In ancient covenants, there were usually signs and seals of that covenant. For example, in the Old Testament when God makes his covenant with Abraham, circumcision is the sign and seal of the covenant that God and Abraham made. The circumcision didn’t save Abraham, but it acknowledged that covenant in a real, physical, tangible way. In that physical enacting of the covenantal seal, God was present with Abraham powerfully and Abraham in turn was powerfully present with God.

In ancient covenants, there were usually signs and seals of that covenant. For

examp

le, in the Old Testament when God makes his covenant with Abraham,

circumcision is the sign and seal of the covenant that God and Abraham made. The

circumcision didn’t save Abraham, but it acknowledged that covenant in a real,

physical, tangible way. In th

at physical enacting of the covenantal seal, God was

present with Abraham powerfully and Abraham in turn was powerfully present

with God.

Let’s look again at the gospel passage today. If you have your Bible handy still, go ahead and pick it back up. Go back to . . . Who baptizes whom?

handy still, go ahead and pick it back

up. Go back to . . . Notice something?

Jesus is baptized by spend a great deal of time and effort in my sermons emphasizing the fact that Jesus is God. So why does God need to be baptized as a sign and seal of the covenant between God and God’s people? Weird, right? Especially because Jesus never sinned.

emphasizing the fact that Jesus

is

God. So why does God need to be baptized as a sign

and seal of the covenant between God and God

’s people? Weird, right? Especially

because Jesus never sinned, right?

This is one of those places in the Gospel where it’s very important to hold together both Jesus’ divinity and his humanity. Jesus was human. When we move on out of this baptism scene in Luke, we move to a genealogy –a listing of Jesus’ ancestors. It’s his ancestry.com page, so to speak. It’s like Luke knows we’re going to ask this question about baptism and he answers it. Yes. Jesus didn’t sin. But Jesus, as a human, was born into a normal, sinful, human family. He was born into a world just rife with systematic sin. His baptism shows us that Jesus wasn’t just kicked out of heaven by dad for a terrible job that would end in his death. He didn’t go not knowing what he was getting himself into. Jesus knew that he was entering a completely broken world full of completely broken people.

to forget Jesus’ humanity either. When we move on out of this baptism scene in

Luke, we move to a geneology

–

a listing of Jesus’ ancestors. It’s his ancestry.com

page, so to speak.

It’s like Luke knows we’re going to ask this question about baptism and he answers it. Yes. Jesus didn’t sin. But Jesus, as a human, was born into

baptism and he answers it. Yes. Jesus didn’t sin. But Jesus, as a human, was born into

📷

4

a normal, sinful, human family. He

was born into a world just rife with systematic

sin. His baptism shows us that Jesus wasn’t just kicked out of heaven by dad for a

terrible job that would end in his death. He didn’t go not knowing what he was

getting himself into. Jesus knew that he was

entering a completely broken world full

of completely broken people.

At the moment of Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan at the hands of the Baptizer, the Holy Spirit gets in on things and changes baptism from being just about water and cleansing from the brokenness. The Holy Spirit adds another step –transformation. God says, “This is my Son –my beloved –my begotten. Pay attention.” In Luke, the Holy Spirit shows up in the form of a dove. When we move from Luke to Acts –both books that are written by the same author and are really intended to be two volumes of one work –we see the Holy Spirit arrive in a different way. Later on in the book,the Spirit will be described as fire.

Baptizer, the Holy Spirit gets in on things and changes baptism from being just about

water and cleansing from th

e brokenness. The Holy Spirit adds another step

–

transformation. God says, “This is my Son

–

my beloved

–

my begotten. Pay

attention.”

In Luke, the Holy Spirit shows up in the form of a dove.

When we move from

Luke to Acts

–

both books that are written

by the same author and are really

intended to be two volumes of one work

–

we see

the Holy Spirit arrive in a different

way. Later on in the book, it’ll be described as fire.

God brings together these two seemingly incompatible and powerful resources in a way that we could never have imagined on our own –water and fire. . . together. While reading Acts, it might seem like the Holy Spirit is sort of an afterthought, or separate later baptism, looking at it side by side with Luke’s account of the baptism of Jesus, we see that it’s really two pieces of one baptism. The water (the mark of the calling) is the sign and the fire (the Holy Spirit) is the seal. Fire and water.

resources in

a way that we could never have imagined on our own

–

water and fire. .

. together. While reading Acts, it might seem like the Holy Spirit is sort of an

afterthought, or separate later baptism, looking at it side by side with Luke’s account

of the baptism o

f Jesus, we see that it’s really two pieces of one baptism. The water

is the sign and the fire (the Holy Spirit) is the seal. Fire and water.

Both are key to our Christian life.

our Christian life.

I get it. We’re Presbyterian. The Holy Spirit is neither decent nor in order. That’s frightening. But it’s a good reminder that we are not in control of this. We aren’t the ones who “do” baptism. That’s why our tradition baptizes adults and babies alike. In fact, next week, we will be baptizing a baby at St. Andrew’s. Little Riley has no say so in the matter - her parents and grandparents desire it for her. We baptize babies and small children because in Jesus, God’s covenant is open to all. We baptize teenagers and adults because the Holy Spirit moves when the Holy Spirit moves.

.

That’s frightening.

But it’s a good reminder that we are not in control of this. We

aren’t the ones who “do” baptism. That’s why our tradition baptizes adults and

babies alike. We baptize babies and small children because in Jesus, God’s covenant

is opento all. We baptize teenagers and adults because the Holy Spirit moves when

to all. We baptize teenagers and adults because the Holy Spirit moves when

the Holy Spirit moves.

So today, it is important that we remember our baptism. Not just the water part, the fire part too. The signs and seals of the covenant with God. And if you haven’t been baptized and you’d like to, know that anyone can be called by God at any time in their life. God calls all people - it’s just that not all listen. The Holy Spirit moves when and how the Holy Spirit moves and as we see in the comparison of the Luke passage to the Acts passage –both written by the same person, remember –we see that it’s not always the same.

part, the fire part too. The signs and seals of the covenant with God. And if you

haven’t been baptized and you’d like to, know that anyone can be called by God at

any time in their life. The Holy Spirit moves when and how the Holy Spirit moves

and as we see in the comparison of the Luke passage to the Acts passage

–

both

written by th

e same person, remember

–

we see that it’s not always the same. I’m

happy to talk and pray with you about baptism. Call me and we’ll figure out a time to

meet about it.

Friends, remember: You are God’s. You are here. You have answered some sort of call just to be here sitting in these pews today, now remember it and live it out. Remember the water and the fire.

You are God’s. You are here. You have answered some

sort of call, now remember it and live it out. Remember the water and the fire.

This is different for everyone. For some, the call is to be an elder or a deacon. We will be ordaining and installing those called to that sort of ministry in a few weeks. For some, the call is to teach, others to lead worship, some to evangelize to those outside the walls. But we are all called to ongoing spiritual growth and pursuit as part of the covenant with God that is symbolized and sealed by the waters of the baptismal font and the fire of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

is different for everyone. For some, the call is to be an elder or a deacon. For some, it

is to teach, others to lead w

orship, some to evangelize to those outside the walls. But

we are all called to ongoing spiritual growth and pursuit as part of the covenant

with God that is symbolized and sealed by the waters of the baptismal font and the

fire of the Holy Spirit in our h

earts.

Friends, in your baptism, you are called by name to live this Holy Spirit-filled life. I hope you take your epiphany star words seriously this year. They are an excellent way to focus on what it is that “following God” means for you. They are a simple way to start building deep and meaningful spiritual practices into your daily life. What can you hear from God in that one little word? 'The Holy Spirit moved in the wisemen by showing them a star they felt they had to follow. Let that word be the star you follow this year to get closer to God. And remember your baptism. Every baptism is different, but in every baptism, the baptized is called by name. And baptism is open to all as a sign and seal of the calling on our lives. Before we sing our next hymn and move on to remembering our baptism, I want you to turn to your neighbor. Say, “NAME. . . you are called by name. Live into your baptism!”

irit

-

filled life. I hope you

take your epiphany star words seriously this year. They are an excellent way to

focus on what it is that “following God” means for you this year. What can you hear

fr

om God in that one little word? God spoke, the Holy Spirit moved in the wisemen

After the next hymn, we will be participating in a remembrance of baptism. I will invite you each to come forward during that remembrance and

📷

5

by showing them a star they felt they had to follow. Let that word be the star you

follow this year to get closer to God.

And remember your baptism. Every baptism is different

. And in every

baptism, the baptized is called by name.

Tuto neighbor. Say, “NAME. . . you are

called BY NAME.

. . listen to God and follow”

”