Baptism of Our Lord

January 29, 2015 in Sermon by Scott Landrum

Mark 1:4-11
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And 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. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And 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. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” Gone is the manger, gone is the babe in burlap, gone are the Magi and their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The child presented in the Temple, the one teaching the elders is but a distant memory. The babe is now a man come to be baptized. The one doing the baptizing is significant. Jesus’ relative John is the son of the elderly Elizabeth and Zachariah. Given the advanced age of his parents, John’s conception and birth was miraculous which pointed to his importance. Rugged, strong, brash and demanding was John. His message to the people was simple, “be baptized because you are a sinner.” You see John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was the voice and face of the law. We know from other places in scripture that John was schooled in condemning sin. He had no qualms about telling people the error of their ways even publically if given the opportunity. But that is the way the law functions. There is no middle ground, no wiggle room, no fudge factor. It’s black and white and the law is always right. Ignore it, reinterpret it, try to silence it but it just won’t go away. It is like an arrow stuck deep in one’s back that simply cannot be removed. More correctly it is stuck deeply in the conscience incessantly screaming guilty, guilty, guilty. This guilt is what John was pointing out and, make no mistake about it, the baptism he prescribed was for real live sinners. Only sinners, only those under the curse of the law need come out to be baptized and here’s the thing, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
You have heard me say over and over that Jesus was the biggest sinner the world has ever produced and this is the place we see that fact coming to life. “God made him who knew no sin to be sin so that in him we could become the righteousness of God,” is how Paul puts it. Jesus becoming sin started right there in those muddy waters in the Jordan. Now I suppose it would be easy for us to gloss over what this meant for Jesus. I think sometimes we believe this was all play acting with no real consequences but not so. John’s baptism while required couldn’t accomplish what it demanded. Every sinner that was plunged beneath those waters by John came up just as sinful. John’s baptism wasn’t the place to go to be sure God was going to treat you right. That’s what the whole episode in the second reading was about. Those fellows had been baptized by John but they were still in their sins and under the condemnation of the law. So Jesus’ baptism was no script he was acting; he was living into the role of Messiah, the savior. You see, only death fulfills the righteous demands of the law and ultimately that is what it would come to, Jesus’ death. Now how in the world do you suppose Jesus lived with the weight of sin pressing him from every side?

What made his life possible given the horror of what he was becoming? It was the thing that always makes life possible, a word of promise from God. “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased,” is the sermon he received. Jesus lived by a word from God and so do you. It was all for you, you know. The manger, the baptism in the Jordan, the cross, the grave, it was all for you. It was your sin that Jesus took on himself that day in the Jordan when he became what you are. It was your sin that hung him on that cursed tree in your place. It was your sin that laid him low in that cold tomb where you rightfully belong. It was you sin that sent him to the place of the dead, to hell. But don’t you worry the Son of God, the Beloved, the one with whom the Father is well pleased is your righteousness. He is the reason that I say unto you that you are forgiven unconditionally. He is the reason you are beloved by God. He is the reasons the Father is well pleased with you. He is your word from God that is what makes life, true life, abundant life, possible. Amen.