The Festival of the Baptism of the Lord --- 11 January 2014

Genesis 1:1-5

1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Acts 19:1-7

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2 He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." 4 Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— 7 altogether there were about twelve of them.

Mark 1:4-11

4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

• I wonder what this was like, seeing the heavens torn apart. Mark tells the story in a simple way; the other evangelists add other details. What they hold in common is the idea that something about Jesus was revealed that day.
• Not only is the identity of Jesus revealed to us in this Gospel reading, something is being said about Jesus’ place in all the world.
• Mark’s version holds that it was Jesus who saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit-dove descending on him. Whether this is poetic licence or an eye-witness report is of little concern to us. There really is something wonderful going on here.
• If we confine God to heaven, God has no influence on our world or is indifferent to what goes on. We can permit God to have a hand in those things we find conveniently unfortunate or disastrous, like floods and storms or the like. Here we allow God to be the author of all the things we’d rather not take credit for – those things that insurance policies call “acts of God.”
• Here in Mark’s narrative of Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan, Jesus sees the heavens “torn apart.” They don’t simply open like curtains or barn doors or the doors on a transport trailer; the heavens are “torn apart” and we could wonder just who could put them back together again?
• Further on in Mark's Gospel, a similar thing happens. At the crucifixion, as Jesus breathes his last, the curtain of the Temple is torn in two and the centurion present on Calvary acknowledges Jesus to be God's Son. The curtain of the Temple divided the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple, the Holy of Holies being the place where God's presence was assured. With the tearing up of the heavens and later with the tearing of the curtain, there would be no separation of God and creation. God would not be confined to certain areas. How can you tell earth from heaven when the heavens are shredded and wide open? How can you define and circumscribe holy places when the presence of God is set free from the holiest place on earth, the place where God's presence was guaranteed, but where no one could go?
• This is what the shredding of the heavens at Jesus' baptism could mean. Now God would no longer be confined to certain places, no longer available at certain times. No longer would God's presence and favour be confined to certain people who fulfill the demands of a Law. This is why Jesus – who knew no sin – was baptized with John's baptism of repentance. From here on out, he would be with those who the righteous considered sinful, with those most in need of God's forgiveness and love.
• In this very poetic turn of phrase, Jesus' identity is confirmed and reinforced and quite possibly, his mission of bringing the Good News of God's mercy, grace, and love to those who felt they were without it is confirmed as well. The Spirit of God rest fully on him as well. As at the moment of creation, the Spirit moves over the waters again.
• When we were baptized, each of us was baptized into something. We became part of a people, the People of God, what we call the church. We are part of a people that knows our own need of God. Our sin was washed away so we could be part of God's own life. In a way symbolized by the pouring of water, we have died in Christ and have risen with him. We have been changed, because the sacrament, the Word embodied, achieve what they symbolize.
• The heavens have been torn apart and the presence of God, once determined to be only in heaven, is among us. The Spirit of God that descended on Jesus is with us as well, for Jesus has given that Spirit to us.
• This is a good day to remember our own baptism again and to realize that we have been changed and that God is with us, to save, to strengthen, and to lead. We are a people on a journey. We are not what we were and we are still not yet what grace will make us. But we are on the way ... and that'll do for now.