Introduction

What words come to mind when we talk about ‘Baptism’? Or with what things and ideas do you associate the word ‘baptism’?

Just browsing the lectionary for this Sunday, which is Baptism of Jesus Sunday, you can readily pick out words, ideas, acts that point to Baptism, the Church’s first sacrament.

1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Gen 1:1-5)

3Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” (Acts 19:3)

10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. (Mark 1:10)

 

You can say that the act of baptism is something that is found in the many stories and journeys of God’s chosen people. Noah’s flood come to mind, the Crossing of the red Sea, and many more well-known stories, including the healing of Naaman.

You may note that the Scriptures we read for the lighting of the Christ candle come from Genesis 1: 1-5 describing the earth as a formless void with darkness covering the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

And in Gen 1:9, God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas.

An you will note that the dry land, called by God as Earth, rose out of the waters called Seas. If you imagine this action, like in a movie, you will perhaps be seeing a massive piece of land rising out of the water from underneath – similar to the motions of baptism! But of course similar as well to a baby given birth.

Baptism can therefore be symbolic of birth and even rebirth.

John: Baptism of repentance

In one of our Advent Sunday reflection, we noted the absence of  narratives about Jesus’ birth in the gospel of Mark. Instead it begins with the verse: 1The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And follows with the introduction of John the baptizer and Jesus’ baptism.

4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

I’d like us to note the following:

First, John seems to be introducing a new ritual closely similar but different from the Jewish act of purification which involves immersion in water called Tevilah. There is also a ritual which involves the washing of hands. (Though not a Jew, Pilate washed his hands saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood, see to it yourselves.” (Mat. 27:24).

Secondly, John was not simply ‘purifying’ peoples’ bodies in the waters of the Jordan but was calling people to repentance. John as a prophet sent by God to prepare the way for the Messiah was calling people to confess their sins and be baptised in water.

Thirdly, the One who is to come, to whom he considers himself unworthy of even untying the thong of his sandals, according to his vision will be doing a new kind of baptism, the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

What is the difference between the Jewish practice or ritual purification and that of John’s baptism? Purification washes the physical impurities or uncleanness (sins) of the believer whilst baptism calls for repentance – to invite the believer to return to the ways of God. To be baptised is not us to be cleansed but to turn away from the sources of spiritual uncleanness, acknowledge that sin is an affront to God, seek forgiveness and go back to the fold of God.

John practiced what he preached by living out these his beliefs. He chose to live in the wilderness where he knew God is found. He retreated from a world that worshipped false gods and with a set of beliefs and culture contrary to the teachings of Yahweh. He might have thought that the food you eat can defile you and saw honey and locusts as healthy alternatives, aside from the fact that these are available in the wild.

He saw the Roman empire with Caesar at its god as the embodiment of evil in the world because of its domination and subjugation of peoples including the people of God. It represented slavery, exploitation, corruption and death.

John spoke about a new kind of baptism which the Messiah, the Lamb of God, will initiate: the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

 

The Baptism of Jesus

 

9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 

Why Jesus had to be baptised in the waters of the Jordan is everybody’s question. Even John asked, in Matthew’s account:

14John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ 15But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented.

The only way I can reconcile this is that Jesus had to identify with sinners who are called into repentance and confession by undergoing water baptism himself. Jesus joins the movement of sinners to return to the Lord, not because Jesus is a sinner but because, he will place on his shoulders the sin of the world and take all the penalties for himself, which is death, once and for all.

 

Repentance as life-renewing act for our world today

 

19…Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” 4Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Acts 19:1-6

The Jews observed purification a ritual for bodily cleansing, John’s water baptism is about repentance and return to God, baptism with the Holy Spirit is sanctification though God’s forgiveness and welcome into the family of God through Jesus Christ. To be baptised is to be transformed and made holy in Christ.

I’d like to share to you a commentary by Melinda Quivik, Liturgical and Homiletical Scholar St. Paul, Minnesota which I found in the Working Preacher website. Baptism of Our Lord

The new bath has become the first sacrament.

She wrote:

 

Through Jesus’ baptism, the Church is born and his faith washes over Earth through the baptized. By his baptism in the waters of the earth, the faith of Jesus made all waters sacred. The faith of Jesus is the reason Christians seek to keep the waters of earth clean, nourishing, plentiful, and free for everyone. Water is life itself in more ways than we can fathom.[1]

Water is both the substance and the symbol of life. It washes, cleanses, purifies and gives life. In the beginning of creation, when the Holy Spirit moves over the face of the water, God provided the abundant compound that will sustain life and imbibed it with the power of Christ’s Spirit so that we are constantly immersed in God’s everlasting grace.

Let us pray.

 

Holy God, creator of light and giver of goodness, your voice moves over the waters. Immerse us in your grace, and transform us by your Spirit. In Christ’s name. Amen.

 

[1] Melinda Quivik, Baptism of Our Lord: The new bath has become the first sacrament, The Working Preacher, 10 January 2021; https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/baptism-of-our-lord-2/49243 (accessed 8 Jan 2021).