First Sunday after Epiphany, The Baptism of our Lord, January 8, 2023: Isaiah 42:1-9; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17; Psalm 29
Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1)
Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. In Matthew’s gospel we hear that Jesus came to where John was baptizing. John offered a baptism of repentance to those who came. According to Matthew, he recognized Jesus, and almost refused to baptize him. But Jesus pushes back, and says this is the proper sequence. And so Jesus is baptized.
Baptism is the way we become members of the Church. In baptism, we say, “you are marked as Christ’s own forever”. When we are baptized we, or if we are infants, our parents and godparents, make promises. According the current Book of Common Prayer, we promise in two directions. First we turn away: we renounce the spiritual forces that fight against God, the evil powers of this world “which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God”, as well as sinful desires “that draw us from the love of God”.
When we turn away, we always simultaneously turn towards something. In this case, we turn towards God, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We affirm the creeds of the church, and make promises: to “continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers”; to “persevere in resisting evil”; to “proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ”; to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as yourself”; and “strive for justice and peace” and to “respect the dignity of every human being.” Like the person or people Isaiah describes, we are to bring justice and peace to the nations.
These are important promises. They are also powerful. And we do not just make them once. We reaffirm them every time there is a baptism; we also reaffirm them at the Easter Vigil. The repetition of these promises has had a profound effect on my faith, my understanding of how I should live in the world.
There is another part of the story of Jesus baptism, however. As Jesus comes out of the water, he sees the Spirit of God descending on him. Isaiah tells us that this gives one power: power to do justice, to be a light to the nations. Jesus hears a voice from heaven saying “This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased”. As in Isaiah, the spirit of the Lord gives power. Baptism is not a one way street.
Baptism does not just make us members of the church: it gives us power. We do not just make promises to do things. We are marked as belonging to Christ, and as a result, have the spirit working with us. Because of baptism, we are never alone as we seek to bring justice to the nations. As we remind ourselves in the words of Ephesians at the end of Evening Prayer each week, “God’s power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine”.