Sunday's Sermon

By Water and Spirit

Scripture: Mark 1:4–11

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness:

"Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,"

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Gospel of Mark is believed to be the earliest of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) written around 70 years after the common era. From the language and tone of Mark’s gospel it appears to be written for a community comprised of both Jewish and Gentile Christians, many of whom are not familiar with Jewish practices.

These persons are not highly educated or wealthy and have been suffering from religious persecution. To this early Christian community Mark writes his fast-paced account of the good news of God’s saving action found in the message of Jesus. But this salvation was obviously meant for their lifetimes. Jesus proclaimed God’s Imperial Rule as near or already present but unrecognized. It would be marked by a different attitude toward all in the culture. In a place where differences in class were clearly delineated, Jesus would break all the rules of class and embrace all who would follow and participate in his mission to change his society.

Although this gospel begins with the proclamation of Jesus as the Son of God, this designation was a later development. At his request, this designation of his identity was withheld from the people Jesus himself encountered. Many times he disclaimed the title. Instead Mark’s emphasis focuses on the suffering servant nature of Jesus and the cost of discipleship.

In the tradition of the times, Mark began by introducing both Jesus and his predecessor John the Baptist. Mark then offered the reader a brief summary of what would take place as Jesus journeyed from Nazareth to Jerusalem.

People from the city and surrounding rural areas came to the wilderness outside Jerusalem to be baptized by John. John proclaimed a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sin. This was different than the ritual purity washings to which people were accustomed. John preached repentance and baptism as a response to the urgency of the coming Messiah. The similarity of John’s clothing and behavior to the prophet Elijah serves to underscore the prophetic nature of John’s message.

Jesus came from Nazareth to be baptized by John. Many scholars believe Jesus was initially a disciple of John. While many wonder why Jesus would need to be baptized for repentance it is widely understood as an expression of solidarity with, and empathy for, humankind. His baptism also served as the commissioning of Jesus as the agent of God to change the nature of his world.

The appearance of the dove in our story tells us what a different type of leader Jesus will be from the Roman emperor, whose symbol was the eagle.

Christians today also recognize baptism as an entrance or introduction into the Christian community. This community is defined by the continuing presence of God’s Spirit. It is through the leadings of this Holy Spirit that disciples are empowered to serve as emissaries and instruments of God’s restoring purposes in OUR world. We are challenged to seek mission in our world. In other words we are challenged to action! True disciples will not be simply pew sitters.

But baptism is not the end all to our journey. It is simply a symbol of our willingness to engage in the journey of a change of emphasis for our lives and a commitment to listen for God’s guiding voice. Then as we take the sacrament each month, we have an opportunity to reflect on our progress and in our minds renew the covenant we made in the waters of our baptism.

As those who claim to be Jesus’ disciples, we must understand the divine affirmation of our “being loved”. It is God’s gift to all people. Recognition that each human being is a beloved child of God is the means whereby we come to know ourselves as persons of infinite worth. This is affirmed in our church’s enduring principle of “Worth of All Persons”. When we live out of this gift, we are motivated and empowered to help others realize their own worth and belovedness. We become the bearers of God’s image to those we meet; more truthfully, we help others discover that image already resident within them. This is at the core of the church’s mission initiative to “Invite People to Christ”.

The assurance of God’s love gave Jesus his identity. As we assume this same identity, we can give up selfish pursuits and fear based actions. We allow the Spirit to ground us in selfless giving and generous offering of ourselves for others. The Spirit at His baptism told Jesus who he was so that he could do what God required. Likewise, the Spirit tells us who we are so we can faithfully pursue the mission of Jesus in our world.

Through repentance and the acknowledgment of having received forgiveness, disciples prepare for the fullness of God’s activity in their lives and in their world. To continually engage in this process is central to Christian discipleship.

Jesus modeled for us the importance of our commitment to obedience to God’s direction and to engage in our own personal mission. Our response to God’s Spirit witnesses of our willingness to try to follow this commitment and recognize and encourage the recognition of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others.

We are challenged to bear faithful witness of God’s redemptive activity in our present day and encourage hope for the future. Let us reflect then on our own baptism. Did we understand it more as an act of repentance and forgiveness or did we see it as an entrance into Christian community and discipleship? To be commissioned as a disciple is to take our part in God’s mission. Let us ask ourselves, “How have we felt the Holy Spirit present with us as we have engaged in active discipleship?”

Were we baptized by water and also by the Spirit? Do we acknowledge God’s action in our own lives? Do we look for opportunities to be God’s agent in our world? As we take the communion each month, let us ask ourselves these important questions.