Baptism Of Our Lord Sunday - "Go Into The Water"

Welcome To Epiphany

Epiphany is a word that means sudden realization, a surprising revelation.  

The season of Epiphany gives us the opportunity to still be surprised by Jesus.

Today, we will read the story of Jesus’ baptism and learn what it means to be claimed by God and our community of faith.  

JESUS’ BAPTISM TEACHES US THAT WE ARE ALL BELOVED

Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 

• John’s baptism was about repentance and preparation.  
• The location, the name, the symbolism, and the community.  

14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” 

• Jesus declares that his baptism fulfills something—an identifying act. 

Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him, and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,[a] with whom I am well pleased.”

• The voice of God from heaven - speaking, Beloved.  
• Jesus stands with us and for us.  The blessing extends to all.  

The sacrament of baptism is not salvific on its own.  It demonstrates that we are claimed by God, and also by our community.  

The story of my baptism—a comedy of errors, reclaimed by God.  

I was ten years old when I was baptized at Westland Baptist Church in Denver, Colorado.  The faith tradition that I was a part of practiced "believer's baptism," which meant that in order to be baptized, you had to be old enough to proclaim your faith in front of the church, and remember the moment you "got saved," or accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.  I was six when I prayed the "Sinners' Prayer," but it took me a few years to be able to articulate what that meant well enough to be baptized. 

On the day of my baptism, I went forward during the invitation and met with the people who directed me to go behind the baptistry to change into a baptismal robe.  They instructed me to strip down behind a curtain and don the robe, which was at least two sizes too big for me.  

At the appointed time, I was told to head into the waters of baptism, so I gathered my robe and walked down the steps into the baptistry where the pastor was already waiting, wearing some kind of waders.  

There are two things germane to this story that I need to add.  When the people told me to strip down, I took it literally and stripped all the way down.  I also figured that it wasn't wise to wear my underwear because I didn't want to have to put my clothes back on with wet underwear underneath.  Secondly, because my robe was quite large, it floated to the surface when I got into the water. 

I suddenly felt very exposed and began to wrestle with the robe to bring it back down and preserve what was left of my dignity.  I was also mindful of the fact that there was a little strip of glass that served as a kind of viewing area, like the Shamu tank at Sea World during a show.  

Needless to say, I don't remember much about the baptism itself, except for the feeling I got that everyone in the congregation was getting a good view of my ten-year-old bits. 

And then when it was over, I had to climb out of the baptistry, and my robe stopped floating and clung to me like a see-through sheet.   

Afterward, when I was clothed (in dry underwear), I was met with hug after hug from the people helping, and then by my parents, who were beyond excited.  Surrounded by my community, I felt this amazing sense of belonging.  

I went into the water feeling naked and ashamed, but I came out of it feeling as though I was part of something bigger than I was, accepted and special.  

Some Important Questions

• What’s the right way to baptize? As children, or “believers” baptism?
• Why do we sprinkle instead of immerse?  
• What should baptism constantly remind us about ourselves?

JESUS’ BAPTISM TEACHES US THAT WE ARE ALL BELOVED