The Baptism of Jesus
This morning, we’ll begin taking a walk through the Gospel of Mark. It seems to me it’s probably a good idea to know a little about Mark as we begin this journey. And after we come to know a little more about Mark, we’ll look at what happened one day in a river long ago and far from here, involving a character by the name of “John” the Baptist. Though it happened long ago, and far away, it was such an event that I suspect there is hardly anyone in this country, in our culture, believer or non-believer, who doesn’t know at least something about the story, and has some memory, some recollection about it.
Mark’s Gospel is the shortest in the Bible. Mark, also known as “John Mark,” was not an apostle of Jesus. Instead, he is known as the interpreter of Peter, writing down all the things that Peter remembered, whether the sayings, or doings of Christ. But his recording of these things are not necessarily in order… as he, Mark, was neither a companion, nor a hearer of Jesus.
History gives us a couple of scenarios as to how the Gospel of Mark came to be written. Almost all agree Mark wrote the book while in Rome. One source, Irenaeus, says that Mark was written when Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel in Rome and founding the church there. Mark is considered by most theologians to have been Peter’s disciple, and following Peter’s death, delivered to us in writing the substance of Peter’s preaching.
Mark’s Gospel concentrates on telling the story and moves swiftly from Jesus baptism to the critical events of the cross, where Jesus paid the ultimate price for our promise of salvation and eternal life.
We can find the name “John Mark” often in Acts and in New Testament Letters. ‘John’ is his Jewish name, ‘Mark’ the Latin name. The book of Acts, chapter 12 tells us Mark’s mother had a house in Jerusalem where Jesus followers often met in the early days of the church (Acts 12: 12) Mark was a cousin to Paul’s companion, Barnabas, and had the respect and love of Peter and of Paul. We further discover Mark was a comfort to Paul in prison as we see revealed in Colossians 4. He became Peter’s companion and Peter came to love him as his own son as we see revealed in 1 Peter 5: 13. So here we have a little glimpse into Mark.
Mark begins his story right out of the box by proclaiming…”The beginning of the Gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Wow, he doesn’t waste any words. The truth is out… Jesus Christ is the Son of God! And so Mark shows us right up front the purpose of his Gospel and its message. Mark passes over Jesus’ birth and John’s early history. For him, the good news begins with the adult John, the prophetic voice Isaiah has predicted, crying out from the desert urging the nation to make ready for God’s coming. The rest of Mark’s account will show Jesus, the one whose coming John announced, is the Messiah, the Son of God.
So, what do we know about John…. Who is he? How did he come to be called to be John the “Baptizer?” Just what do we know about him?
We can find the story of John’s birth in Chapter 1 of Luke’s Gospel. His father is Zechariah and his mother, Elizabeth. We know from the scripture prior to John’s birth, they had no children as Elizabeth was barren. Then one day an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and told him of the coming of his son. The angle told him to name him “John,” that he would be a joy to he and Elizabeth and many would rejoice because of his birth. The angel said the son would be great in the sight of the Lord and that many through his work and words, many of the people of Israel would return to the Lord their God. And what’s more, that he would go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--- WHY?.... to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
There’s not a lot of information about John’s childhood. And you may wonder how he came to fulfill the words of the angle who appeared before Zechariah. We can find the answer in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 3, verse 2 and 4. “the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” And so begins the mission of John the “Baptizer.”
You might say John was different. Looking at John from today’s cultural point of view, perhaps from the view of some of today’s modern preachers, particularly those we see well dressed on our televisions, John the Baptist, is not what we would expect. He isn’t so neat, not so clean. He has a wild appearance.
But here’s the wonderful thing about John’s appearance. Think about this. Could it be that God intended him to look this way to demonstrate the spirit of inclusiveness to all the sinners coming to him? It’s a twist on today’s world. Once, John would have been called a “hippie.” Now I know that’s dated, but I have no idea what today’s equivalent of a hippie is called.
None-the-less John might find himself today as one who’s standing on the outside looking on, or in, at the great event available to everyone but him.
But in this story, here is this wild-looking guy that God chooses to baptize his Son, Jesus Christ. John is included and doing something wonderful. What a gift to the sinners looking on, and all of us today. I can imagine them saying, maybe I can even imagine some of us saying…“Hey, he’s one of us … look at what he’s doing ... maybe there is hope for us.”
When we look at all that occurred at the Jordan, we see a variety of emotions. There’s gratitude for the gift of forgiveness. Surprise and shock at the sight of the baptizer’s camel’s hair clothing and diet of locusts and wild honey (v. 6). Certainly some confusion about the identity of the powerful one who’s coming after John. So the actual experience of John’s ministry is a jumble of emotions, not a carefully crafted stained-glass picture of pure joy and happiness. It’s all quite confusing…
But all of this changes when Jesus comes on the scene. Mark tells us Jesus comes from Nazareth of Galilee and is baptized by John in the Jordan, and just as he is coming up out of the water, he sees the heavens torn apart and the Holy Spirit descends on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven says, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (vv. 9-11).
It’s an event almost everyone has heard about. But, but here’s a question. If John’s baptism was for repentance from sin, why was Jesus baptized? While even the greatest prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel for example – had to confess their sinfulness and need for repentance, Jesus didn’t need to admit sin – He was sinless! So why? Here are some reasons: First, to begin His mission to bring the message of salvation to all people; Second, to show support for John’s ministry; Third, to identify with our humanness and sin; and fourth, to give us an example to follow.
This is the meaning of Jesus baptism: Jesus is God’s Son, the Beloved. When Jesus is baptized, we are filled to overflowing with a feeling of joy that God the Father has revealed his Son, an official announcement if you will of His love and He proclaimed just how pleased he is with Jesus.
The meaning of baptism is that God accepts Jesus as his Son, and the happiness we feel over this acceptance shapes our entire memory of baptism. Gone is the mix of emotions that were felt by the people at the Jordan River, replaced by deep joy that Jesus is God’s Son, the Beloved. Jesus is now, for us, the Word of God in human form … the Way, the Truth and the Life … God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. After witnessing his baptism, we don’t have to wonder any longer about who Jesus is. We know his true identity. And at this event we can witness the Trinity of God… God the Father in His voice proclaiming His love and His pleasure in God the Son and God the Holy Spirit descends upon God the Son. What a huge and most significant revelation of scripture!
The very same is true for us. In this sacrament, we are connected to the body of Christ — the universal community of Christians that’s nothing less than the flesh-and-blood physical presence of Jesus in the world today.
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” asks the apostle Paul. “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:3, 5). In this sacrament, we become children of God, no less loved and accepted than Jesus Christ himself.
This is the meaning of baptism: Baptism connects us to the body of Christ. It enables us to die and rise with Jesus. It makes us dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11). It gives us new and everlasting life, and a new identity as children of a loving Lord. It’s an experience that shapes us forever.
We make a mistake, however, if we believe that baptism is always the beginning of a lifetime of perfect bliss. Think about what happens immediately after the baptism of Jesus — Mark tells us that the Spirit immediately drives Jesus “out into the wilderness,” where he is tempted by Satan for 40 days (1:12-13). Then his Galilean ministry begins, and Jesus comes face to face with a man with an unclean spirit, a woman with a fever and a steady stream of people who are sick or possessed by demons (vv. 21-34). So there’s no rest for the freshly baptized.
Pastor Joy McDonald Coltvet discovered this for herself when she led a group of youths on an immersion trip to Mexico. A number of times through the first days there, different young people came to her and confessed how overwhelmed they felt. Said one student, “I feel like I’m drowning.”
This student was experiencing the flood of the world’s pain — and that’s not a bad thing. That’s why it’s called an “immersion” trip. You see, it’s when we feel like we’re drowning — overwhelmed by the flood of the world’s anguish, pain and loss — that “we are reminded that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.” Then we realize that “baptism is daily dying and being raised to new life.” Every morning when we wake up is a resurrection moment. It is then we discover that we are “raised up, gasping for air, and the breath of God fills us.”
Baptism marks our birth as Christians. It involves a process that can be every bit as wet and messy as the physical birth that brought us into this world, but it is also every bit as permanent. Through baptism, we are identified as children of God who are both loved and lovable, chosen by the Lord to be his people in the world. Dutch priest Henri Nouwen writes, “The truth even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God’s eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity and held safe in an everlasting embrace.”
The chosen child of God. … Jesus was baptized so we can understand this is not just Jesus, it is each one of us. Precious. Beloved. Safe in an everlasting embrace. Our true identity.
