I had some new insights on this text for this sermon. I enjoyed working with the text this week.
The final story was one I had saved to share at the man's funeral, but I had left the church I served in OH before he died. it sort of felt like I was preaching that part of the sermon for him!
“Passing through the Waters” January 2019, Matthew 3: 13-17; St. Andrew; Baptism of the Lord Sunday
Matthew 3: 13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 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. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,[d] with whom I am well pleased.”
Introduction: Matthew simply tells the story of Jesus’ baptism.
Matthew is not trying to give us a theological rationale for baptism.
In fact, the story in some ways confuses our understanding of baptism. We tie baptism closely, although not exclusively, to forgiveness of sins, which means the story fo Jesus’ baptism is confusing - why would the sinless Jesus need baptism?
No, the theology of baptism will be argued about and worked out over the generations following Jesus’ baptism as the church decides how and when baptism should take place.
Matthew simply tells the story of Jesus’ baptism.
Matthew is not trying to give a theological rationale about who Jesus is.
The voice from the heavens is less a theological rationale for Trinity than a familial statement of recognition - God calling out God’s son for all to recognize.
Again, generations of theologians will hammer out what it means to follow a Trinitarian God.
Matthew simply tells the story of Jesus’ baptism.
We who receive Matthew’s story are left with less theology about baptism and more of an impression of who Jesus is and what he is doing as he passes through the waters of baptism.
So let’s take few moments and reflect on Jesus being baptized.
Move 1: In his baptism, Jesus joins with us.
a. In our baptismal language, we speak of how we are united with Christ in our baptism.
1. For me, one of the powerful moments in our funerals and memorial services is when we return to the waters of baptism and proclaim that in our baptism we are united with Christ in his death and in his resurrection.
2. Our claim of baptism which links us to Christ.
3. In some ways, that language speaks of our movement toward Christ.
b. In Christ’s baptism, however, we clearly see that Jesus first moves to us as he joins with us in the waters of baptism.
1. john is correct, after all - it makes more sense for him to baptize Jesus.
2. Jesus seems to understand John’s point - “let it be so now,” Jesus replies, both an acknowledgment that this is not the usual baptism for John but something that needs to be done.
3. In fact, Jesus goes on to say that is must be done to fulfill all righteousness. In other words, to live into the right relationship between God and humanity that begins with God’s covenant to be faithful and to save God’s people (Warren Carter, Professor of New Testament; Brite Divinity School, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3137)
4. In passing through the waters of baptism, Jesus further defines God’s relationship with us as one in which God joins with us.
c. Notice that pattern for how God connects with us.
1. God’s chooses to join with us.
2. Evident at Jesus’ baptism is an ironic tension that reminds constant throughout his entire earthly ministry. Jesus’ uniqueness is known in and shouted from the heavens - a higher authority there is not - but his own baptism and ministry are characterized by a consistent and conscious submission to those for whom he is bringing the gospel. (Troy Miller, 241, Feasting the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1, Advent through Transfiguration; eds David L Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, Westminster John Knox Press)
3. In some ways, Jesus being baptized in the River Jordan by John is the adult version of Jesus being born in Bethlehem.
2. God’s persistent and consistent joining with us.
Move 2: Jesus moves through the water of baptism as part of his life’s trajectory.
a. Simply put, we might say that Jesus has come from God and is going to God.( http://donteatalone.com/uncategorized/lenten-journal-where-are-we-going, Milton Brasher-Cunningham, 2/17/13, donteatalone blog)
1. Jesus, who arrived as God’s gift in the Christ-child is moving back toward God.
2. Passing through the waters of baptism on his way.
b. We model our lives after Jesus.
1. We, too, pass through the waters of baptism, whee we are united with Christ.
2. We commit to following where Jesus goes.
3. We join with Jesus as we follow him toward God.
c. That movement, of course, encompasses more than just being baptized.
1. In joining with Christ in this movement, we commit to living and working as his disciples in our world.
2. As the prophet Isaiah describes our task: we follow Jesus to become 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.
3. We who have been given the gift of life by God now live our lives as a gift to God.
Move 3: In the waters of baptism, we find our hope.
a. Not everyone wants to be baptized.
1. In fact, there is a growing trend of people being “debaptized.”
2. this seems to of particular interest in Europe.
3. in the last decade, tens of thousands of people have been debaptized.
4. For some, being debaptized involves downloading certificate of debaptism that renounces their baptism (The Lutheran" June 2009, p12 "'De-baptism' Forms a Hit”)
5. For others, being debaptized is a little more lighthearted s they have ceremonies with blow dryers drying off the top of your head (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debaptism)
6. Presumably, if you were immersed you would have to blow dry your whole body.
b. Imagine wanting so badly to be debaptized, to renounce God’s claim on your life.
1. A sign of despair .
2. Not knowing where to turn or not trusting in the God to whom we are called to turn.
3. Some days, perhaps we can imagine such despair.
4. Turn on the news or go to your favorite news website: political turmoil in the United States; fires raging in Australia; the brink of war in the Middle East; a Ukrainian civilian plane accidentally shot down; tensions with North Korea
5. much to worry about - hard to see a way out at times.
c. Into that despair comes the question: with whom do you want to put your trust?
1. There was an old guy in the church I served in Ohio.
tough, old guy. I would say he was the last member to finally agree that I was ok to be his minster. It only took about five years, or so.
WWII vet. Had one of those souvenir bosses with stuff from his time in military hanging from the wall. one day, I noticed it had both a purple heart and a silver star.
I asked him to tell me about it. Both were earned the same day of battle in Italy. he was in a forward observation car calling in mortar strikes and airstrikes. He literally got blown up, he told me he ended up in a broken-down vehicle in a crater that had once been the observation point.
but he was able to keep on communicating, despite being wounded. For that he ended his medals.
He sort of glossed over that part of the story. The part of the story he really wanted me to hear was about the day before the battle.
they knew what was about to happen. He’d grown up going to the Presbyterian Church in Troy, but he had never been baptized.
so the day before the battle, he walked back to the rear, a mile or more, found a chaplain, and was baptized.
he told me he wanted to be baptized with Jesus before he went into battle.
Conclusion: Jesus passes through the waters of baptism to join with us, in life and in death.
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