The Baptism of Jesus

Sermon Notes, Epiphany 1, 2020, the Baptism of Jesus Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” The Church has always maintained that the baptism of Jesus is a paradigm for all believers. Baptism is our attempt to walk in Jesus footsteps and do what Jesus did. Setting aside for the moment its sacramental impact, we are baptized because Jesus was baptized. But if that was all there is to it, we are left with an act, a ritual act without purpose or meaning. To begin to understand then the fullness of our baptism, we need to look at what Jesus’ baptism meant to him. Then go from there to ourselves to understand the transforming power his baptism has on ours. What was Jesus about on that day with John beside the Jordan River? John had been baptizing for some time. His was not the first baptism, just the latest. As a ritual baptism had a key function, to initiate someone into the life of a religious community, often through immersion into a body of water. The Israelite people may have been familiar with baptisms, but John’s was different enough to attract them in throngs. He wasn’t initiating them into a specific religious community, but into an alternative life style, drawing a clean line of demarcation between who they had been and who they would become. John’s baptism was about repentance. Sin needed to be acutely felt, lamented over, and washed aside in the current of the river. What’s more, John proclaimed an urgency that spoke to the unsettled and uncertain present time. The Kingdom of heaven was at hand. The end of the age was near and the day of accounting close at hand. Clearly his message spoke to many. His was a prophetic voice recognized as far back as Isaiah. Being accused and challenged was part of the deal: you identified with John’s condemnation in preparation for his baptism. The point was: to be relieved of your past before being punished for it. If anyone at the Golden Globes award ceremony seriously took to heart what Ricky Gervais said to them, they probably had a similar experience. But what about Jesus? John the Gospeller says Jesus’ baptism was a deliberate act. “Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.” Jesus’ baptism is in accordance with God’s plan. It figures into the redemptive plan of God to save his people from their sins. We should begin to suspect that the baptism of Jesus has less to do about him and everything to do about us. A quick look at Jesus confirms this. 1. He himself was without sin. There was nothing for him to repent of. 2. He was not subject to John’s condemnation. John himself says Jesus should be baptizing him, not the other way around. 3. He himself was not a prophetic voice for the coming Kingdom of God, but the coming Himself, as evidenced by the Father. John was confused, and I think remained confused, maybe for the rest of his life. But Jesus assures him with our text for this morning: “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Let it be so now. These things have yet to be realized in their fulness. For John, they remained as a mystery. But a Holy Mystery, as John Stott defined it, a mystery of God’s unfolding revelation not as an unknowable thing. What’s to be revealed is this: within God’s plan, Jesus’ baptism fulfills all righteousness. Well what does that mean? Righteousness is an idea with long roots in Hebraic culture. It refers to the Law, God’s law, that defines relationships between God and man, man and man, God and nature, man and nature. To be righteous is to be in good standing with God’s law, as to be unrighteous is to be outside God’s law. Righteousness is binding on those who live in a covenantal relationship with God, as Israel does. But it is also binding on God, a part of his unchangeableness that Israel depends upon. God isn’t going to change his law because that would leave his people vulnerable and defenseless before him. Gottlob Schrenk states emphatically, “The law of Yahweh is an order of life which cannot be challenged or changed.” 1 By God or by man. Jesus’ baptism confirms God’s right relationship with man. It’s unchanging and beyond time. When we baptize someone today we mark them with the oil of baptism and say, “You are sealed as Christ’s own forever.” In just this way our righteousness, our right standing before God, is realized sacramentally in our baptism. It’s a holy moment in itself but also affirms a holy condition that we and God exist within. When I travel abroad, I remain an American. I may be subject to the laws of the land I am in, but I maintain all my rights and privileges as an American citizen. In just such a way our baptism goes with us throughout our life. We may not be always conscious of it, in fact most often we are not. But it binds us to the love of God whether we are conscious of it or not. But there’s more. When Selena came to me last year to be baptized she asked that I also baptize Sophie, her daughter. Her reason was that she wanted Sophie to have the protection of baptism. I rejoiced at her understanding, because that’s exactly what baptism does for us and it is also just what his baptism did for Jesus. You see living within the righteousness of God is no guarantee that we will not be challenged from forces outside God’s righteousness. In fact we are now marked people, targets of Satan and his wiles. Neither does living in righteousness mean that we are purged of sinful thoughts and desires. Our sinful nature still condemns us and stands between us and God. But it is no longer the sole determining factor in our relationship. We have the protection of baptism against Satan’s attacks and our own sinful waywardness. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. His baptism was a defense against the attacks of Satan, and so is ours. By the gift of righteousness we are strengthened beyond ourselves to fight against Satan. Gottlob Schrenk writes, “Yahweh is a rock to which the righteous finally withdraw for protection against the outside world (Ps. 62:7 etc.).” He then adds that the place of refuge is itself a platform for engagement. “But from this place of refuge it is again possible to make the declaration of faith: לְךָ” 2 For Jesus, the declaration of faith came from heaven itself. The timing is revelatory of how linked Jesus baptism is to his union with Father and Holy Spirit. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Our baptism is also a statement of union with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In summary, Jesus’ baptism is a part of God’s redemptive plan by insuring us of our right relationship with Him, and by providing us with a defense against outside attacks. As it was with Jesus, baptism is a cosmic rejoicing that we are God’s beloved and He is pleased in us. Jesus’ baptism invokes the blessing of the Holy Spirit, something John could only vaguely suggest: the coming baptism of fire. Jesus was later to tell Nicodemus that he must be born again, with water and the Spirit. Our baptism is also a “for now” baptism in that we are baptized into a promise of future communion with God and all the saints. Standing under the blessing of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, let us give thanks and rejoice. Amen. 1 Schrenk, G. (1964–). δίκη, δίκαιος, δικαιοσύνη, δικαιόω, δικαίωμα, δικαίωσις, δικαιοκρισία. G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 2, p. 176). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 2 Schrenk, G. (1964–). δίκη, δίκαιος, δικαιοσύνη, δικαιόω, δικαίωμα, δικαίωσις, δικαιοκρισία. G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 2, p. 178). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.