By the Rev’d L. Nguyen
Season: First Sunday of Epiphanytide
Readings: Isaiah 43:1-7 |Acts 8:14-17 | Luke 3:15-17, 3:21-22
Today, on the First Sunday after the Epiphany, we hear, as we always do, the story of Jesus’ baptism. It’s one of the few events in Jesus’ life that is recorded in all four Gospels. Jesus is plunged by John the Baptist into the waters of the Jordan River. When Jesus emerges from its depths, the heavens are opened, the Spirit of God descends on him as gently as a dove, and a voice says: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).
We return to this story year after year because Jesus’s baptism is one of the basic stories that reveals who he is. (1)
Rabbis taught that when the last of the prophets of Isreal departed, so did the Spirit; but that occasionally God caused a “daughter voice” to speak from heaven. After Jesus’ baptism, the voice identified Jesus as “my son,’ thus connecting him with Israel’s past when Isaac was the child of God’s promise to Abraham. Israel’s king was called the son of God; and Isreal itself was later called God’s son. Thus, identifying Jesus as God’s son not only points to his special relationship with God but also connects him with his people’s messianic tradition. (2)
Today’s Gospel invites us to explore the power of Jesus’ baptism, and of our own baptism or moment of being spirit filled. (1) Baptism is an interesting word. Baptism, whether by immersion or sprinkling, is a very old religious ritual of many religions. It has never been an exclusively Christian ritual. Hindus have been practicing baptism for 4000 years. Babylonian, Egyptian and Roman religions also practiced ritual purification ceremonies using water. Judaism had several cleansing and purification rites including baptism. (3)
The actual word “baptize” was a common Greek word used every day and did not exclusively mean a religious sacrament or rite. It simply meant to immerse, submerge, wash or overwhelm.
The word “baptize” was taken directly from the Greek as a transliteration instead of a translation. So instead of saying “immerse”, “dip”, or “wash” the Greek word “baptize” was kept; presumably because the ritual and practice of baptism was already well established as part of church doctrine and religious culture. (3)
So, remember, if you’re ever in Greece making pickles you may be asked to baptizo, your cucumbers, as in submerge them in the vinegar. And telling your child to go and be baptized means only for them to go and have a wash!
The reason for highlighting this use of the word is that we tend, at times when reading scripture to take things literally. Not having this knowledge about translation, you could be forgiven for thinking “to baptise” has meant “saved by water”. That the act of pouring water or being dunked in a pool or into the sea, ensures baptism.
It is misleading for us to think that we might be saved through being immersed or sprinkled with water here on earth; that would mean that we were spirit filled by something we did here and not by God at all! (3)
Yes, baptism is a sacrament. And from our catechism we know a sacrament is an outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ to the Church. (6) The receiving of inward and spiritual grace is not dependent on humans baptising one another. It’s a sacred community time but we the priest don’t give you the holy spirit. God gives it and it is powerful.
Remember Jesus in his talk with Nicodemus? Jesus is recorded as saying, “unless one is born of water and spirit, one can’t enter into the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Just as Jesus didn’t mean being born again physically or literally, neither was the water physical and literal. Jesus was forever pointing away from the natural, to the spiritual; for those who had eyes to see… (3)
Luke in his telling of the baptism, while having lots to say about John the Baptist, does not have Jesus say a single word out loud at his baptism. And after he is baptised, Jesus quietly prays. (4)
We can understand this to mean, Jesus will not undertake his public ministry of teaching and healing in his own power and abilities. The source of his strength will be beyond himself. The Holy Spirit will encourage him all the way, even when the way becomes difficult.
And the disciples will learn this posture of prayer from Jesus, as the Spirit will give them the stamina and patience to love and love again in faithful ministry. (4)
The baptism of the Spirit represents God’s refining work in our lives, giving us strength to live out our faith. Jesus’ baptism shows us that receiving God’s Spirit calls us to purpose, empowering us to bring love, justice, and peace to the world. (5)
This is why we have a Sunday set aside every year, at the start of the year to mark our way forward in the reminding, the exploring, and refreshing of our receiving of Christ in our lives, which may be marked as from your baptism or perhaps some other significant and sacred moment in your life.
Living a baptised life means we are continually renouncing evil and turning from sin – (6). And it’s not unusual to be asked in baptism preparation – what the heck does that mean … “renouncing evil, turning from sin”.
In other words, we live so the Spirit empowers us to be agents of change in our communities, bringing hope and healing to others. (5)
- Baptism in the spiritual water of Christ gives us more power than we know –
- Daily we wake with the power to attune ourselves to the divine Love that created, redeemed, and sustains the whole Creation.
- We arise as healers and justice-seekers, as prophets and activists, as people unafraid to confront the powers-that-be.
- We refuse to settle. Wherever Christians are found, you will find people working – sometimes in difficult circumstances and against terrible odds – to bear witness to the love that has set us free.
- If ever there were a time to bear witness to our faith and to the power of our baptism, now would be the time.
- We need to hold fast to our vision of a world in which human beings live in right relationship with each other and with all our fellow creatures, all creation.
This year I hope we can journey together mindfully taking hold of the prophetic power of our baptism and confront the forces within us and around us that are unravelling life on Earth. We can start from right where we are and know that we do not do this alone. (1)
Take a moment now in quiet to reflecting on what it means to be renewed by God and to listen to how God is calling us to tap into the power that is ours in Christ?
pause
Spirit of Christ fall afresh upon us this day, this year. Wherever we go give us the courage, wisdom and grace we need. Amen.
Bibliography
- https://www.preachingforgodsworld.org/first-sunday-after-the-epiphany-the-baptism-of-christ/
- Keeping Holy Time, pg 62.
- https://unveiling.org/Articles/baptism.html
- ROBERT M. BREARLEY, Daily Feast, pg 78.
- https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/monthly/2025-january/sunday-12-january-2025-first-sunday-after-epiphany-year-c
- ANZPB https://anglicanprayerbook.nz/925.html