The Baptism of Jesus

Read Mark 1:9-11
One of the questions that always comes up with this passage is why was Jesus baptized? The New Testament makes clear that as the Son of God, Jesus was without sin. 1 Peter 2:22 it says about Jesus that he committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth and in 2 Cor. 5:21 Paul says, God made Jesus who had no sin to be sin for our sake so that we might know the righteousness of God. So if Jesus was without sin, if he never did anything wrong, then why was he baptized by John because as we see from the beginning of Mark’s gospel, John’s baptism was for repentance. Mark 1:5. John was calling people to confess their sin. The word repent means to turn so John was calling people to turn from a life that focused on themselves to life focused on God. If Jesus was without sin then he didn’t need to confess how his life was self centered and self focused and he didn’t need to turn his life around & live for God. So why did Jesus seek out John in the wilderness and why was he baptized? I have to admit that I love these kinds of questions because while there is no right answer, they make us think about why Jesus does what he does and what we can learn about our journey of faith.

One reason why Jesus may have chosen to be baptized is because he wanted support the work that John was doing. By being baptized himself, even when he didn’t need to confess his sin and repent, Jesus is saying to the people then and to us today that confession and repentance are important. As we enter into the new year, confession and repentance are still important. What are the things that we need to confess to our God? What are those attitudes and actions that we need to turn away from? The reality is that sin clings to us in many ways. In Hebrews 12 it says, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles and the truth is that sin does easily entangle us. Sometimes the sin in our lives is pretty evident, but many times it’s not. Many times sin simply slips into our lives unawares, it slips into how we think and what we say and what we do. When we put one another down we are getting tangled up in sin. When we worry about the future, we get tangled up in sin. When we trust in ourselves and our money and our own plans and our own wisdom more than God, we get tangled up in sin and sometimes it’s those silent sins that not only destroy our faith, but they destroy our lives and even the life of the church. By being baptized himself, Jesus is saying that confession and repentance are important. Turning away from sin is important and it’s not something we do once in life, it needs to be a daily discipline. Every day we need confess that we are sinners who stand in need of God’s grace and love. Every day we need to turn away from ourselves and turn back to God.

Confession and repentance aren’t just daily disciplines, they need to be corporate discipline as well. This means we shouldn’t just confess our sin alone in the silence of our hearts, we need to think about confessing our sin to one another or with a group of trusted brothers and sisters who will love us enough to help us and hold us accountable. Each of us should think about finding a trusted friend to share our struggles with so that we can draw from their strength and overcoming our sin. Last week I did a wedding and they wanted included a verse from Ecclesiastes which we often think of only in the context of marriage, but really this verse contains a truth for all of us in the life of the church. Ecc. 4:12

If we stand alone in trying to overcome our sin, we can be easily overtaken, but if 2 or 3 are standing together, if we have trusted friends standing with us, we will not be so easily overcome. As we struggle with sin, we need people who won’t hold us accountable by pointing out everything wrong in our lives, but people who will love us enough to stand with us to help us overcome and find victory in our lives. I have to say that in many ways this kind of support is what groups like AA do much better than the church. When you have a sponsor in AA, you have someone you can call when you need them. When you are part of AA you are part of group that identifies with you, welcomes you and stands with you when you need them. We need this kind of love and support in the life of the church & it will only come as we work to build solid Christ like relationship with one another. It only comes when we are truly willing to love one another & reach out to love everyone.

Not only does repentance mean turning away from sin, it also means turning toward God and the life God wants us to live. The symbolism of baptism is literally going under the water & then rising up. Sometimes we fail to see that when we just sprinkle or pour water on the head of a child, but going under the water symbolizes a dying to self & when we rise up again it is rising up to live a new life. By submitting himself to baptism Jesus is saying that it is important for us to not just turn away from sin but it is equally important for us to turn toward God & to be born again, to live a new life. What do we need to turn toward in the new year? What new disciplines, what new faith commitments do we need to turn toward this year? Do we need to turn toward regular worship attendance? Do we need to turn toward daily prayer, regular study and reflection of the bible, stepping out to join a small group, or moving out to serve in mission and ministry? Do we need to turn toward God and make the faithful decision to tithe and give consistently to God and the church? What do we need to turn toward in this new year?

In many ways Baptism marks a new beginning, so what new beginning will we make today? What new faith practice will we embrace? Maybe it’s to look around and be bold enough to meet that new person or ask an old friend to be a real brother or sister and hold us accountable so that we can overcome sin. Maybe it’s to say yes when someone asks us for help and love and support. Repentance isn’t just confessing our sin & turning away from one way of life, repentance is also embracing and committing ourselves to a new life or a renewed life of faith.

I think it’s this embarking on a new life that Jesus was also thinking about when he was baptized, because the baptism of Jesus mark the beginning of a new chapter in Jesus life. Up until this point, Jesus has led a very private life. Other than a very brief episode when he was a child, the gospels don’t record anything about the life of Jesus until the day he was baptized. The baptism of Jesus is the moment he turns and begins to live a new life, the life of a public preacher and teacher and leader. While he was always the Son of God, in many ways the baptism of Jesus marks the moment Jesus becomes the Christ because it is the moment Jesus steps out of the shadows and into the light of leadership and ministry. It’s easy to forget that Jesus could have said no to God’s plans for his life. Jesus could have remained hidden in the shadows & lived a life in quiet isolation, he could have stayed in the carpenters shop, or remained on a fishing boat, he didn’t have to step out into ministry, he didn’t have publically teach and preach and heal people, but he chose to. Jesus chose to be the Christ for 2 reasons, first to be faithful to God & second because he loves us.

The baptism of Jesus was the moment when Jesus fully dedicated himself to the will of God. His baptism was the moment Jesus said yes to God’s purpose and plan for his life and in many ways that is what baptism is to be for all of us. Baptism for an adult is the moment when we say yes to God’s plan for our lives. Again, because we so often baptize infants we often don’t see baptism as marking this kind of new beginning in life, but baptism is a turning toward God and toward the purpose and plan God has for us. Are we willing to enter the waters of baptism and say yes to God today?

Before you answer that, let’s look at what happened to Jesus right after he was baptized. Mark 1:12. At once the spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. Following God is not always easy. Jesus knew before he went into the waters of the Jordan River that saying yes to God would mean carrying a cross. Saying yes to God means sacrifice and self denial. Jesus said if anyone wants to follow him he must deny himself and take up a cross. Following Jesus means placing the needs of others before our own, it means loving one another enough that we lay down our lives for them. Are we willing to fully dedicate ourselves to the will and purpose and plan of God? It’s not an easy life, but it is the only way of life that brings true meaning and fulfillment and it’s the only way of life that God truly blesses.

That’s one of the other great truths we learn from the baptism of Jesus, that God’s blessing and love are poured out upon us when we turn to God. Look at what happens when Jesus comes up out of the waters of the Jordan, there is a voice from heaven that says, you are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased. If we look at this statement in the larger context of Mark’s gospel we see that Jesus really has done nothing at this point to earn God’s favor. Jesus has not preached a sermon, he has not healed a single person, he has not walked on water, fed the hungry, or even reached out to forgive one sinner. There is only one thing Jesus has done, he has been baptized. The one thing Jesus has done is to say yes to God’s will and plan for his life. Jesus hasn’t even followed through on that commitment yet, but that doesn’t matter, what matters to God is that Jesus has said yes, Jesus has turned his heart and his mind toward God & God responds in love and power and blessing.

More than anything, God wants us to just turn toward him and say, Yes. Yes, God I want to follow you and I want to live for you. More than anything God eagerly desires us to return to him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, & when we do turn to God – God is right there to welcome us and to claim us as his own. When we turn to God or return to God, God is right there to love us. The baptism of Jesus shows us that God doesn’t love us because of what we can do for him. God doesn’t love us because we have faithfully served him or given to him sacrificially, God loves us when we simply turn to him in faith and God is there every time we do.

We may need to return to God day after day after day, that’s ok, because day after day after day God is there to love us. God’s love for us does not depend upon what we do, how faithful we have been, or how well we serve and worship him, God’s love for us is unconditional and it is there for us each and every time we turn to him. In Lamentations 3:22 it says the steadfast love of the love never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning. God’s mercy is always there, every morning, every day, every time we return to God. God is there to say, you are my child and I love you. With you I’m well pleased. If that’s what we need to hear today, then we need to once again return to God.

While we don’t know why Jesus chose to be baptized, what we learn from Jesus baptism is that we all need to confess and repent of our sin. Daily we need to turn away from our selfish and self-centered way of life to life a life that is God centered and God focused. The baptism of Jesus marks a new beginning for Jesus and it reminds us that each day we have the opportunity to say yes to God’s will and purpose and plan for our lives. And the baptism of Jesus shows us that God’s love is not based on what we have done or what we will do for God in the future. God’s love is freely given each and every time we turn to God we can hear God say, you are my child and I love you. With you I’m always well pleased.

As we close this morning, I want to give us an opportunity to turn back to God. For some people taking a physical step helps make the spiritual step we take more real, so I want to invite you to take a physical step today if that will help you. I want to invite you to take a step to the waters of baptism. We have set the baptismal fount here at the center of the altar so you can come once again to the baptismal waters & give yourself to God. If it would be meaningful & helpful for you, then I invite you to come forward during our closing song & maybe run your hands through the water, simply feel the waters of new life on the tips of your fingers, but take a step of faith, small or large & submit yourself to God & as you return to God hear once again his words of love & delight & acceptance.

Let me also say that if you have never been baptized but want to take that step of faith, please let me know so we can make that happen. And if you want to reaffirm your faith or join Faith Church as a sign of your commitment to god, please let us know.