Baptism of Christ Sermon

Mark 1:4-11

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 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. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 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. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 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. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

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            A few weeks ago on All Saints Day as you’ll remember Bishop Sutton was with us and preached about “thin places.”  Those places in our lives that it seems the veil between heaven and earth is very thin.  For him, one of those places was Ireland.  Today, I want to share one of my thin places with you.

            I was probably eight years old when my parents first took me to Santa Fe, New Mexico and I instantly fell in love.  It’s a beautiful town.  Mountains all around.  Adobe houses.  Incredible art.  And one of my favorite places is right in the middle of town.  The Cathedral Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.  I love this cathedral because it’s one of those places you can walk into and can tell people have prayed for hundreds of years.  The art is amazing from the rerodos behind the altar in the Church to the painting of the crucifixion in the chapel.  But for all the beauty of this cathedral, my favorite thing is the baptismal font.

            This Church took liturgical renewal seriously and when it was renovated they did something quite extraordinary.  They took their old marble font, cut out one of the sides and added a baptismal pool.  So if you stand in the middle of the nave the old font is there with water constantly flowing out of it and into an eight-sided baptismal pool.  This allows children to be baptized in the font and for adults to be baptized by immersion in the 3 foot deep pool.  When a baptism isn’t going on it is still amazing to hear the sound of trickling water when a service is going on.  In this space you can’t help but be reminded of your baptism.

            As you’ve probably guessed by now if you didn’t look at the front of your bulletin, today we celebrate the Baptism of Christ.  This is the day when Jesus was baptized by his cousin John in the River Jordan.  It marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the descent of the Holy Spirit.  This is probably the second hardest Sunday to preach.  The first being of course Trinity Sunday.  What does a preacher or theologian do with the problem of Jesus seeking baptism – especially a baptism of repentance by John?

            As Christians many times we like to think that we came up with baptism.  But in truth Jews had a ritual bath called a mikvah for years before John appeared in the wilderness.  People would undergo a mikvah after child birth, after contact with a dead person, and after certain diseases among other things.  John the Baptist took this idea and tied it in with his preaching – a preaching of repentance. 

            But that still doesn’t solve the problem of why Jesus sought out John’s baptism of repentance.  Did Jesus sin?  If so, we’re in pretty big trouble since the church for centuries has said that Jesus was human as we are in every way, yet didn’t sin.

            For me, this question is a mystery that can’t easily be answered.  I believe that Jesus was baptized by John not because he had sinned, but to stand in solidarity with all of us throughout history who have sinned.  By being baptized, Jesus took upon himself the condition of our human sinfulness. 

            If there’s any doubt about whether Jesus should have been baptized or not it’s solved when the heavens are torn apart and God announces God’s seal of approval.  This is my beloved in whom I am well pleased.  I love the image of the heavens being ripped open.  To me, this also symbolizes that anything that separates us from God was torn down so that now we can get to God.  Because of Jesus we have access to God – we can get close to him.”

            This morning we’re going to welcome five new Christians into our community of faith through the waters of baptism.  One of the questions that usually comes up is why do we baptize infants and I briefly want to say something about that.

            In my Grandfather’s church and in many other churches they practice believer’s baptism where someone isn’t baptized until they’ve made a public profession of faith.  The problem with this, at least for me, is that it means baptism has something to do with the individual.  Baptism is a sacrament just like the Eucharist and sacraments are dependent on God – not us.  Even though I’m the one who will pour water on each person’s head God is the one doing the acting.  God is the one incorporating them into the Body of Christ.  God is the one claiming each person as God’s son or daughter.  And if we believe that baptism is all about God and God’s activity in the world and not ours, it only makes sense that we would baptize infants and children. 

            And this morning, just as we do every year at the Baptism of Christ, the font is filled with water and you are welcome as you come forward to receive the Eucharist to stop and touch the water to be reminded of your baptism.  If you simply want to touch the water, that’s fine, if you want to make the sign of the cross that’s fine as well, or if you simply want to look into the font and be reminded that’s okay as well.  Just remember your baptism today and be thankful.  

The Rev'd Thomas S. Rogers, III

Associate Rector

All Saints Episcopal Church

Frederick, Maryland

January 11, 2008

Year B, Epiphany 2