Beloved Son

Like a Dove

The New Revised Standard Version The Baptism of Jesus

the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.

We know that this marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Luke speaks of this Baptism but never mentions the Baptist. Today we Baptize Emery Jane. We can hope that this day marks the beginning of a great child of God. We should ask ourselves how can we help in the process of this child understanding who they are?

Interestingly, Luke tells us that the Dove descended but it was not the Baptism necessarily that triggered the descending of the Dove. The scripture tells us that Jesus was praying and then the Dove descended.

What Luke prefers to discuss is the opening of the Heavens. Very little description of the Baptism but a vision of what happens next is what Luke wants to discuss. This is what we should also discuss today. What is next? While I was in Seminary I spent some of my time trying to better understand the act of Child Baptism. I grew up in a non-denominational Christian Church, and they did not Baptize infants. As I began my role as a Methodist pastor I struggled with understanding what was happening when an infant is Baptized.

I believe it is much like this scripture, Emery Jane is Baptized and then we teach her how to pray. The Heavens are then opened up, and the Holy Spirit descends. We are all part of that process.

My professor in Seminary explained that we (Congregation) are the ones who help the child open the gift of grace that is the Baptism. Inside the box is everything needed for Salvation. It is our job to help the child Emery Jane to learn how to have a relationship with the father, so that in the future he will say to her, “You are my daughter: with you I am well pleased”.