Baptized with Jesus

Rebecca Sheridan
Sunday, January 12, 2025
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22


    What would it have been like to be there when Jesus was baptized?  It’s a little difficult to imagine with how cold our winter weather is right now; by the Jordan River even in January it would have been pretty warm.  Close your eyes for a moment and think of what you might have seen, heard, felt, even smelled. How big was the crowd?  What did the voice of God from heaven sound like – deep, loud, or soft like the wind?  Was it a sunny or cloudy day?  How bright was it when the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove?  It was certainly a day to remember.
    As we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus today, Luke’s description of this momentous event in Jesus’ life and in Christianity is pretty short and simple compared to the other gospel writers’ accounts.  But there is one small detail that only Luke includes, which is that all the people were baptized along with Jesus.  Jesus is not baptized by himself, in private, but others are there and are baptized with him.  If you were baptized as an infant, you do not remember your baptism.  Some of you were baptized as adults and have the blessing of remembering that momentous day.  All of us, I hope, whether we remember our own baptism or not, have witnessed someone’s baptism, whether it was here at Faith or at another church or even on a beach or by a river like how Jesus was baptized.  We know how important our baptism is for our life of faith.
All of us, whether we remember it or not, were baptized along with Jesus.  Not historically on the same day, of course, but whenever we were baptized we were united with all of the baptized into the one body of Christ and joined in God’s mission for the life of the world.  This is what we say as we begin the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.  Let’s think about that for a moment – just as we recently celebrated Christ’s birth, Jesus experiences what we experience in being born, in growing up into an adult, and in being baptized.  And somehow, spiritually, we all share his one baptism and become one with Christ, united to one another and then joined to God’s larger mission for the world.  Our baptism restores the relationship we have with God through the forgiveness of sins and promise of salvation, and our baptism connects us to one another in Christ.  That’s pretty amazing.
While the four gospels may be a little different in the details, all of them agree that Jesus’ baptism begins his public ministry.  He does not go and call the first disciples or perform any miracle, preach, or teach until he has been baptized.  For us, too, baptism begins our mission as Christians.  Our baptism is the catalyst!  It reminds us that we have the Holy Spirit living in us, empowering us to do what God is calling us to do for the larger world.  And like John the Baptist, our mission is not to BE Christ, but to point others to Christ.  Our baptism empowers us to serve and humbles us to recognize the One greater than ourselves, Jesus our Messiah and Lord.
During our Faith Mission Moment today, we are going to take a little bit longer to share what God is doing through our church with a new sense of mission, as we’ve been saying in worship the last month or so, in addition to four strategic goals.  We have them printed in the newsletter as well as in your bulletin for today.  United to one another and with Christ because of our shared baptism, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, in the coming years we will provide engaging programming for 0-18 year olds, intentionally prioritizing our young people.  We will increase our active membership as we’ve been doing.  We will provide a wide range of faith formation opportunities for all ages – which could include things that people are able to do on their own time like read a book or listen to a podcast in addition to in-person gatherings and learning opportunities.  And finally, we will engage and serve the wider community.  
If you have been a part of what Faith has been up to in the last few years, you know that we have already been doing these things, but you also may sense we can do more or that God is calling us to do even more.  And here’s the other thing; Jesus didn’t do his work alone. He wasn’t even baptized by himself, but others joined him as they were compelled by his identity, purpose, and message.  We, too, need each other as the body of Christ to fulfill God’s mission for our congregation together.  We can’t do it alone. I can’t do it alone! These are not my personal goals, but goals that you all have identified, with the help of God.  We need each other.  May we move forward, guided by the Holy Spirit, baptized and set free!  Amen.