Sermon for the Baptism of Our Lord
I am Baptised!
Apparently Martin Luther, the great 16th figure of the reformation used to take great comfort from these words. When it seemed to him that the whole church had left the precepts of the Gospel, when he was under scrutiny from Church officials as to the truth of his beliefs, when his life was under threat and when he suffered self doubt he would boldly claim, "I am baptised." Those words belong not only to the Martin Luther’s of this world but to each and every baptised person. To each of us who have had water poured over us in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let those words sink in this morning: "I am Baptised!"
Today we remember the baptism of our Lord. Much ink has been spilt over questions of why Jesus needed to undergo the baptism of John - which was a baptism of repentance. Generally it is thought that Jesus chose to identify with the rest of humanity in this way. It is a development of the incarnation. In Jesus God not only becomes flesh, but fully human, born into family, tribe, and community. In some ways this is harder to come to terms with than a mere taking on of human form. Jesus is God, fully divine, but also fully human having to deal as we do with temptation, suffering, pain and death.
The Christian community took baptism as its rite of initiation. People become members of the Church by being baptised. We believe too that in Baptism we receive the grace of God in a special way. The Prayer Book tells us that "Baptism with water signifies the cleansing from sin that Jesus’ death makes possible, and the new life that God gives us through the Holy Spirit." The Prayer Book goes on to say, "We are joined to Christ, and made members of his body, the Church universal."
When we say, with Martin Luther, "I am Baptised," the emphasis shifts from the mere details of our Lord’s baptism and the directives of the Prayer Book. That shift is substantial. What does it mean for each of us that we are baptised? Most of us were probably baptised as infants and have no memory of it. I have a photo of that day and my certificate which on which it is almost impossible to read the date. Most of us were faithfully brought along to the parish church by our parents to be done. We had Godparents take on the promises of faith for us. If we were baptised before the liturgical changes of the 1970’s our God parents would have faced this exhortation:
Forasmuch as this child hath promised by you his sureties to renounce the devil and all his works, to believe in God and serve him; Ye must remember that it is your parts and duties that this infant be taught, so soon as he be able to learn, what a solemn vow, promise and profession he hath here made by you. And that he may know these things the better, ye shall call upon him to hear sermons; and chiefly ye shall provide that he may learn the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the vulgar tongue...
The exhortation goes on to state the child be brought up to lead a godly and virtuous Christian life. Most of us will remember none of this. Even when we were confirmed - our chance to take for ourselves the promises made on our behalf - many of us might have felt we were going through some trial all children go through, like exams or even immunisation. Rather than saying boldly with Luther words "I am baptised!" There is a temptation to speak in the past tense, "I was Christened when I was a kid," or even more off handedly, "My parents had me done when I was a baby."
When we utter those words with both conviction and wonder we allow ourselves to enter into the deepest realities of our faith. We recall first that God, even the creator of the universe, makes us God’s children. Second, that Jesus calls us into discipleship. Third, that we are members of the Church.
We are God’s children. One of my favourite Old Testament stories in Genesis just after Adam and Eve had eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Those two representative human beings know they have gone against God and hide from each other and from God. The story speaks in a simple way of the love and care God has for us. It speaks so simply the depth of what it reveals about God might easily be passed over.
"They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"(Gen 3:8-11)
Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the evening breeze - what a vision of heaven. But it is soon to be a paradise lost as Adam and Eve attempt to hide from God. Then God calls to the man. That’s what I want to focus on - God calls to the man, "Where are you?" This is like an ancient version of the prodigal Son. This is the God who seeks us out with the question of deep concern, "Where are you?" That question comes most clearly to us in the person Jesus. Jesus is God’s "Where are you?" in human form.
We will always have the freedom to answer the question as we so choose. We can remain as close or as far away as we like. But we can be no closer than to be God’s children. Often at baptisms we read that little passage where the children were being brought to Jesus to be blessed, but the disciples shoo the parents away because Jesus has far more important things to do than bless little children. However, they are soon put straight with those familiar words: "Bring the children to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God."
Everyone who comes to Jesus finds a place. The promise to us is that such a presence goes beyond his death. Jesus is present with us now through the Holy Spirit. Some experience this presence as great power others a something much gentler like a breeze. Others are sceptical or perhaps realistic. D.L. Moody the American preacher used to say: "I am filled with the Holy Spirit, but I leak."
Together we find our place in the church. I return to the words of the Book of Common Prayer:
"We receive this Child into the Congregation of Christ’s flock, and do sign him with the sign of the cross, in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and so continue Christ’s faithful soldier and servant unto his life’s end. Amen."
Jesus Christ calls his followers into community, most commonly called Church or assembly. The Gospels record Jesus’ words that where two or three are gathered in his name there he would be in their midst. Unfortunately where ever to or three are gathered there are other forces at work as well. In church or in any group individual wills, factional groups, personalities, and ideas clash. This can happen constructively or destructively and most groups combine both. Even the disciples clashed from time to time. St Paul faced conflict in the congregations he pastored. For example, he writes to the Corinthians:
"Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. {11}For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. {12}What I mean is that each of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." (1 Cor 1:10-12)
When we say "I am baptised!" we are owning up to our membership of the Church universal and claiming a place in it. We also claim the responsibility to make every effort to see that the church flourishes.
Martin Luther, when faced with the error and corruption he saw in the Church as well as his own self doubt and uncertainty took great courage and comfort in the affirmation "I am baptised!" These words have implications for us. As baptised people we know we are children of God, disciples of Christ, and members of the Church. Through these realities our existence is given new vitality, and a sense of meaning, purpose and hope.
Illustration from the life of Martin Luther, Thom M. Shuman, Greenhills Community Church, (Presbyterian) Cincinnati, OH, www.esermons.com.
Quotations from the Book of Common Prayer (1662) are from the service of Publick baptism of infants.
The illustration from the life of D.L. Moody is from 1500 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching, Complied by Robert Backhouse, 1991, Marshall Pickering:London, page 141.
