The recounting of Jesus’ baptism is in all 4 gospels, which truly is a testament to the importance of the event—all 4 gospellers felt this important enough to include in their accounting of the life and ministry of Jesus. And each one of them, of course, presents it in his own fashion, based on the source of their information and the particular theological emphasis that the writer is bringing to the community for whom and to whom they are writing. Luke’s recounting has the focus not so much on the details of the baptism itself, as it appears that Jesus is just one of the group of folk that’s come to John for baptism on this particular day. What seems most important for Luke is clarifying Jesus and John’s respective roles and identities. Luke tells us that there was, at that time, an expectation, a notion, a feeling in the air that a Messiah, another Saviour from the Lord was due, and soon. I got to pondering what this feeling might be like, I was trying to understand this sense of expectation about a Saviour, that sense of anticipation in the air, and the closest analogy that came to mind in our Canadian context was a political one—especially in this year of an anticipated federal election, and a leadership race for one of the main parties. There can be a sense of eagerness, a hopefulness with the idea that a new leader, a new prime minister could take the country out of the economic and political doldrums we’re feeling and living with. I think that may give us maybe a wee inkling of the feeling that the people of the time of John and Jesus might have had, only theirs would have been so much more intense. After all today’s Canada is still a pretty good place to live, even with the issues we’ve got. But to have been a poor Jew in first century Roman occupied Judah—well, their desire for delivery out of that level of oppression must be magnified--I don’t know how many fold to our situation in this country; a hundred times, five hundred times? And they knew that their Saviour was to be God-sent—like the Great King David had been. What an intense desire they must have felt; a desperate longing for someone to be there for them, to save them from their lives as an oppressed and occupied people.
And then John enters into the picture, acting and sounding like the prophets of old—right down to the talk of burning fires of hell-- there was a familiarity about him and his message—was he the one the Lord was sending to save them from their difficult lives, to free them from this oppression? It seems the people were confused about John, who he was, what he was doing. It’s like –well remember that old TV show To Tell the Truth? -- “Would the real Messiah please stand up?” And John clearly tells them no, it’s not him, there is to be another, one who will baptize not with water like he does, but with the Holy Spirit and fire.
So John’s message is a spiritual one, John’s role is to prepare them for the imminent coming of a spiritual Messiah, a Saviour, a leader who is not just of the world, but one who has the power beyond the world. This Saviour will have the Spirit of God; he will have the power to separate those who will bear fruit in God’s kingdom from those who won’t – to separate the chaff from the wheat is how he puts is. Chaff, for you non-agricultural folk is the hulls, the husks and the unfilled seeds that are separated and discarded in the thrashing –the combining and seed cleaning process. This process requires wind—it is wind that blows the chaff away, separating it from the seed. The Holy Spirit is that wind, the process that does the revealing.[1] And interestingly in Luke’s accounting of the story, it’s only after Jesus had been baptized and he had gone off to pray that’s when the Holy Spirit descends up on him—while he is praying.
Luke’s description of Holy Spirit’s descent while Jesus is praying is his way of telling his followers of the incredible power and responsiveness of prayer; that’s when we connect with God and God connects with us and through us. It’s in Luke’s gospel, that we find that “prayer is the focus of Jesus ministry”[2], it’s in Luke’s gospel that we read over and over of Jesus taking time to pray. And when the Holy Spirit descended, that’s when God’s voice could be heard, confirming for those who had ears to hear – yes, this is my son, my beloved. This was the people’s Messiah, the one sent to them from God.
Thinking about John’s baptism, about actually getting into the water, to feel the water going over you, like it really was washing away your sins, must have felt incredible for those who did it at the time. Coming clean out of the water, ready to start a new life, as a child of God, wanting to live as God wants us to live. And then to have been present as Jesus was baptized, seeing the Holy Spirit descend upon him like a dove. To feel the presence of God, so deeply—I would think a life-changing event for anyone there.
On this day when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, we also celebrate our own baptisms. Because most of us don’t remember our baptisms, it is good to re-affirm our commitment and calling as children of God. While we are here, we confess our sins, leaving them with God, knowing we are forgiven, so we too start fresh as we leave this place. We pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon us anew, to recharge us, and fill us with the fire of God’s love, to live as followers of Jesus. And after I have asked God’s blessing on this water and sprinkle you with it, as you feel the cool of the holy water upon your heads, may it be a physical reminder that you too have been called, you too are one of God’s chosen, you too are one of God’s beloved, in whom God is well-pleased. Amen.
[1] Linda McKinnish Bridges in Exegetical Perspective for Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22 in Feasting on the Word, Year C Vol. 1 (WJK Press: Louisville KY, 2009) 239
[2] Ibid 241