Perhaps your earliest memory of being close to a large body of water is like mine. I must have been in a bathtub. It may have been like a swimming pool for any small child or baby. You’ve washed babies, haven’t you? If you have (and I hope and pray that all of you have – or that you will someday soon), then you probably have noticed how beautiful, wonderful and joyful the child is in this experience. You probably have some family pictures or movies depicting children playing in a pool, in ocean waves on a beach, or in a flowing creek. One of our hour-long collections of family movies (published on the internet – of course) features all of these scenes with our children before they grew up and had their own children.
Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wasn’t a child anymore, like we knew Him only in last week’s story about the three wise men, the Star over Bethlehem and Herod killing all the other children in that little town.
Just a few words later in the scripture and Jesus is suddenly an adult. He probably still had memories like you and I about what water means to people – even children. If we understand Jesus as the eternal Son of God already and not a “soon to be announced” Son (as some early minority and non-orthodox Christians have theorized), then He is in fact God’s Chosen One – God Incarnate – God With Us – speaking with John the Baptizer.
Some people might also get stuck in questions like: “Wasn’t John really a first cousin of Jesus?” or “Isn’t Jesus really God and because God is perfect and without sin, then Jesus doesn’t need to get cleansed or washed-up or whatever that baptizing-thing is supposed to be?” or “Wait a minute – doesn’t God care whether Jesus or anyone else has given full adult-like permission and/or “belief in what baptizing really means . . . and whether someone gets saved with getting baptized?”
Jesus wanted John to baptize him. And John objected. The baptizer says, “I’m the one who needs to be baptized, not you!” Well, I guess that takes care of the last few questions. So, wad-ye-say Jesus? Is this baptizing experience something special – or what?
But Jesus insisted. “Do it, John. God’s work is about putting things right all these centuries - reconciling the human race back to God’s righteousness – fulfilling His righteousness. God wants to open up His kingdom again. God is coming together right now.”
So John did it. He did what some call “emersion in water.” Others call it “getting all wet.” Some say that Jesus was relating to all of us and just wanted to do what we do when He said after His resurrection, “Go into all the world, baptizing and making disciples” (in the great commission at the end of Matthew). Some say, “But the thief on the cross cried out for salvation to Jesus, and He promised ‘surely, today you will be with me in paradise.’” And Romans 10:13 says that “all who call on the Lord will be saved.” Jesus doesn’t wait to get a firm answer on these questions.
Immediately, Jesus came away from the water and the skies opened up. Jesus wasn’t a child anymore. He wasn’t just a human either. That’s what some of us still have a problem with. When Jesus – the Savior of the World – Your Savior and My Savior – takes us out of our limited dimension of understanding and into a God-dimension of limitless possibility and limitless potential – then Jesus met with God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit looked like a dove—descending and landing on Jesus. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your message that when we receive baptism, as your child – sinner and “want-to-be-saint” – then You bless each one of us with Your chosen-ness – Your mark of love – Your delight in Your love for our individual lives dedicated and consecrated to You. We thank You and Praise You in this great mystery – in the name of Jesus Christ – Amen.
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