The Baptism of Christ

First Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. Eric LeBrocq
St. John’s, Sealy

Have you ever really thought about the meaning of your baptism, the baptism of a child or the baptism of Christ? Especially, how they relate to each other?

Several years ago I was in a hospital recovery room with an elderly friend and fellow Episcopalian. In fact, he was originally an English Anglican who later became an American Episcopalian. For the many years I had known him he was always a devote man, but seldom talked about his Christian beliefs.

As he was recovering from major surgery, a hospital chaplain, bible in hand, entered the room, looked at the man and said, “Brother, have you been saved?” The others in the room gasped.

Again, the chaplain asked, “Brother, have you been saved?” The old man half opened his eyes, lifted his head, and with a weak voice said, “I have been baptized”, to which the chaplain placed his hands on the old man’s head and asked again, “Brother, have you been saved?”.

To this the old man raised up on his elbows, looked at the chaplain and said, “Sir, I am a baptized Episcopalian”, with a very strong voice full of conviction. The chaplain quickly prayed for the man’s soul and left the room.

I began to understand what baptism meant to that man, then and there.

Baptism is a powerful force in the life of a Christian. It is something we share in common. Christians all over the world can say that we were baptized in Christ. Baptism takes us back to the basics.

Our parents and teachers understood the importance of building a strong foundation for our future. We were taught the three R’s of Reading, ‘Riting’, and ‘Rithmatic’ so we would have a strong educational foundation.

Baptism reminds us of the three R’s of the soul: Repentance, Righteousness and Revelation. Christ submitted himself to the basics, was baptized and so should we: Repentance from sin, a life of Righteousness and an understanding that God has Revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ.

Repentance is the prerequisite. As John said, “Repent and be baptized.” Repent of our sins first and be baptized secondly. Truly admitting and being sorry for our sins is not easy to do. Being a Christian is not an easy thing to do!

Righteousness, being right with God, comes next. The story is told of Father Damien, a missionary to Hawaii who chose to minister to lepers isolated on one of the islands. He felt a call to minister to these outcasts.

After about 15 years, he was cooking one day and boiling water fell on his foot, and there was no pain. This could only mean that Father Damien had contracted the dreaded disease, meaning an early death.

Every Sunday he had begun his worship service with “My fellow believers”, but the next Sunday he said, “My fellow lepers.” Fr. Damien had in every way become one of them; even taking upon himself their greatest pain. That is what Jesus, the Christ, did when he came to live among us.

Revelation is the third basic. The beginning of Jesus’ public  

ministry occurred at the water’s edge. But this is more than the beginning of his ministry. This is God’s shock and awe filled announcement. This is God’s announcement that Jesus is his precious son, of whom He is pleased. And this is done as Jesus comes out of the baptismal waters.

Do you hear that? God is telling you and me this is the way we are to go and this is the person we are to follow. Jesus is his Son and he will show us the way. And, it all begins with baptism: Repentance from sin, a life of Righteousness and an understanding that God has Revealed himself in Christ.

The story of Jesus lets us see how God deals with us.  We see God’s process of identifying with us so he can save us. We see water and the Holy Spirit, and the spoken Word of God come together and create something new. We see the ministry of Jesus begin with an act and a sign: An act of love and a sign of God’s compassion.

Jesus did not have to be baptized. He did not have the sins we have. He had no cause for repentance. He had no need to undergo the baptism of John.

The baptism of Jesus was an act in which He takes upon himself our burdens; an act by which he shows the completeness of his identification with us.

It is an act by which he begins his ministry, commences his process of proclaiming the good news of salvation and the start of a career which ends in our redemption.

Jesus  began his ministry among us by identifying  with us, by doing as we are commanded to do; by taking upon himself the sin of repentance and righteousness that we are to take upon ourselves.

And he goes forth from that moment to teach and to heal; to forgive and to empower; until, at the end he does as he did in the beginning and throughout his ministry: he takes upon himself the burden of all, and offers himself to God in our place.

When we identify with Jesus, through baptism, we identify with him and see ourselves in him.

As we are made part of Jesus, he is made a part of us. His life and death and resurrection become ours, and by it we are made able to be a healing part of the lives of others.

The baptism of the Lord, his identification with us as lonely and lost sinners, began his ministry.

Our baptism into him, our acceptance of his healing love and our desire to be as he is begins his ministry. A ministry we are called to do as he did, and identify with those who are lost and those who cry out for wholeness.

God became incarnate in Jesus to live among us; and by baptism we become a part of Jesus and him a part of us.

Seems to me my elderly friend knew what he was professing when he told the hospital chaplain, “I have been baptized”.

And today, sometime during this service, and every day after, take a moment, touch your forehead and say gratefully to God, “I am baptized, I am baptized into You.”

Mark 1:4-11