Sermon for the Baptism of Jesus

Preached at Canadochly on January 13, 2019 (Grace closed due to weather)
Preaching text: Luke 3:15-22

“What a long strange trip it has been.” I swear that will be my epitaph, the quote that will grace my tombstone for generations to come. Because that’s been a good descriptor of my life so far and I don’t imagine that changing for years yet to come. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. God has been good to me throughout the years of my life. I see hand in all sorts of things that have happened to me. Long and strange, perhaps, but also wondrous.

I’m reflecting on this because today is the festival of the baptism of our Lord and that’s got me thinking about my own baptismal journey. My baptismal anniversary is January 7, 1973; 46 years ago this past Monday. I remember that date because A) my baptismal cert hangs on my office wall and B) there was a post on the Facebook ELCA page asking if people remembered their baptismal date, to which I read and replied. I loved hearing the baptismal stories of others, the journeys God has taken others on. Many of them were far more strange and wondrous than mine, but I’m not jealous. I love my life, even if it’s not perfect and occasionally quite difficult, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Part of that is how the grace of God works in people’s lives. His preference, really, for taking some of the least likely people to do the most extraordinary things. Myself included. I am not a people person. Stick me in front of a video screen or in a library full of books with no human contact whatsoever and I will be happy as can be. And yet, here I am, a pastor now for 18 years (that anniversary, my ordination, also just passed recently. December 28, 2001.)

In many ways, THAT is really what I want to talk about today. How God uses people like you and me to change the world in profound ways. And that ties in very much so with what we read in Scripture today.

There’s always that question that surrounds this particular event that we remember today. Why? John’s baptism of one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance means “turning around,” changing, doing things differently than you did them before, presumably because you were doing something wrong and need to do it right. Jesus comes to John for baptism, yet he is without sin. He is without error. There is no need for him to repent of anything. No need for him to be forgiven of anything. Why then is he there?

Even John is confused by this. Although Luke omits it, the Baptizer objects to Jesus being there. As Matthew tells us, John tries to reverse things. “I should be baptized by you.” He says to his cousin. But Jesus insists. Again, why?

Because baptism has a two-fold purpose and this is true for our own baptisms as well. One, yes, it is about forgiveness and repentance. It is about God’s choice to make us a part of his family, to bind himself to us via the Holy Spirit, something which sin does not normally allow. God says in baptism, “Your sin no longer matters. It is forgiven. I love you and you are mine.” This is, of course, the part that Jesus doesn’t need.

But then there’s part two. Part two is where we say to God, “Yes, Lord, I will do with my life what you wish me to do.” That’s the part we often miss. You see, Jesus has a choice. He’s human. He has free-will. And he can choose to do whatever he wants with his life, just like we can. He doesn’t have to live out his destiny. He’s not required to obey God’s plan for his life. He can do whatever he pleases. But he submits to baptism because he has made a choice with that free-will and his choice is to go where God would have him go and do what God would have him do.

And you and I, we too have that choice.

I said yes to God once and it led me to seminary and 18 years of ministry as a pastor of the church. Not quite what I expected (although others, like my mother, would tell it was obvious to them.) But what about you? What does it mean for you to say yes to God’s call? And, of course, saying yes at age 10 or 15 or 20 is a whole lot different than saying yes at 65 or 70 or 80. A person working will have a different call than one who is a student or a retiree. But some things don’t change.

That call will always be to put others first, to serve them as Christ would. That call will always be to make the world a better place, to better show the kingdom of God to those not yet a part of it. That call will always be to welcome the stranger, to heal the sick, to bind up the broken-hearted, to speak for the voiceless, in whatever way you can. That call will always be to show them Jesus by what we say and do. The details may change for who you are and where you are in life, but those generalities will be constant.

So what does God wish you to do with your life right now, in this moment? Of course, we’re here in worship, but worship is meant (in part) to recharge and reinvigorate us for our work in the world. What is that work for you? How will you make the world a better place? Right now, it needs it as much as ever. God has embraced you in baptism, made you his own, called you by name and named you his beloved. How will you respond when he sends you forth into the world? What will you do?

I cannot answer these questions for you. You must find those answers yourself. But they are being asked. God is asking. How will you answer? Amen.