Baptism of the Lord (Year C)
15The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He’ll baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He’ll clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he’ll burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.”
21When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While Jesus was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And there was a voice from heaven: “You’re my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”
Other readings: Isaiah 43.1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8.14-17
What do we think about baptism? How do we understand it?
A long time ago, when I first started walking with Jesus (although, he was already walking with me[2]), I attended a small Southern Baptist church. At this church, baptism was nothing more than “an outward example of an inward reality” (as the pastor put it). The church placed a heavy emphasis on “new converts” being baptised as soon as possible for no other reason than to follow Jesus’ example. In my experience with other Southern Baptist churches, this view seems to be the understanding of the denomination.
In other churches, though, baptism was seen as an act of rededicating one’s life to Christ. And still other’s used it as an act of joining a local congregation. Some of you may have a similar understanding of baptism. And this was my view for a long time, too. But like so much of my own faith and life, my view of baptism changed considerably over the years.[3]
Several years later, while attending an Episcopal parish, I was introduced to a different view of baptism —
In the waters of baptism, we are lovingly adopted by God into God’s family … given God’s own life to share and reminded that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ … All people of any age are welcome to baptized; we believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, as the “bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 298).
The Episcopal church’s understanding of baptism is much deeper than a memorial or an example to follow. For them, baptism isn’t about joining a parish family, it’s being “adopted by God into God’s family.” Furthermore, they believe in “one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.” Now I know that some of us have a problem with that because it sounds a little too much like “works” and we’ve been taught that “works” can’t save us, that it’s “by grace alone through faith alone” (see Ephesians 2.8). So how did the Episcopal church ever get such a belief that baptism is “for the forgiveness of sins”?
That’s actually a quote from the last stanza of the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed, almost universally accepted by the churches of the East and West, contains the church’s most basic beliefs about God.[4] Some might ask, “Where did the composers of the Nicene Creed get the idea that people are forgiven of their sins through baptism?” That’s a fair question and the same one I asked when looking into this. The answer, I discovered, was a little shocking.
Although we may have different views of baptism, scripture tells us there’s only “one baptism” —
2Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, 3and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. 4You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. 5There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.
What, then, is the New Testament’s view of “one baptism”? While many passages could be sited,[5] the following are pretty clear:
Peter replied, “Change your hearts and lives. Each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus the Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Ananias said, “What are you waiting for, Brother Saul? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins as you call on his name.”
… and the water of the flood that saved Noah and his companions symbolizes baptism that now saves you also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
We see that the early Church’s understanding of baptism “for the forgiveness of sins” comes right off the pages of the Bible. It appears then, that baptism is so much more than a memorial or symbol.
But what does this have to do with Jesus’ baptism? Am I suggesting that Jesus’ was “adopted by God into God’s family” when he was baptised? That Jesus was baptized “for the forgiveness of [his] sins”? Not in the slightest.
So how are Jesus’ baptism and our baptism related?
While I don’t think the two are exactly the same, I do believe they have some common elements. Of course there’s God claiming us as God’s children. In Jesus’ case, it was validation to John that Jesus was, in fact, God’s son. In the case of our baptism, we’re “adopted by God into God’s family” through Jesus (Ephesians 1.5).[7]
Moreover, we both enter(ed) into a new reality through baptism. With Jesus, we see the beginning of his vocation to rescue the cosmos. After his baptism, Jesus is then led by the Spirit to the wilderness where he’s tempted (Luke 4.1-13). After Jesus’ overcomes temptation, he returns to Galilee in the “power of the Spirit” and begins teaching (vv. 14-15). Then, on the Sabbath, Jesus goes to Nazareth and an officially launches his ministry, claiming —
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Likewise, after we’re baptized, a lot of us go through tremendous bouts of testing. Often times it comes from within when our insecurities start bubbling up. Our minds begin questioning us, “Who do you think you are? You’ve done some really crappy and screwed up stuff. You don’t actually believe God wants you, do you?”
Some of us are tested from the outside, too. Our family and friends may say things like, “Do you think you’re better than the rest of us? Don’t try and be all ‘holier-than-thou’; we know who you really are.”
These tests are often extremely difficult, especially if someone’s dealing with addiction or she’s in an unhealthy environment. Of course, there’s just the anxiety that comes with a new reality, whether that’s a new job or moving into a new home. Beginning a new chapter in one’s life can be really scary and overwhelming.
This is why it’s critical to be part of a faith community and have some sort of spiritual mentor or guide. Just like being adopted into a human family — the adopted child will have to adjust and the other members of the family will lovingly help her figure things out — a person who starts her spiritual journey will need the loving support of other family members to guide her. I was so thankful for people who helped me when I first started attending a liturgical church. I had so much to learn but others were more than happy to help me get the hang of it.
So what do we think about baptism? How do we understand it? If you’ve only seen baptism as an “outward example of an inward reality,” I encourage you to look at baptism again. I think you’ll find, like me, that there’s something more there. Don’t hesitate to go deeper. Talk about it with a spiritual mentor. Perhaps start a study group with some close friends. Let God’s loving Spirit guide you on your quest. Perhaps you, too, will see something new and beautiful.
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In the Love of the Three in One,
Br. Jack+, LC
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[1] Scripture quotations marked (CEB) are taken from The Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible.
[3] See my chapter, “The Long and Winding Road,” in the book, Secular Monasticism: A Journey. This is a book from the Lindisfarne Community, with whom I’m a professed member and ordained priest. Secular Monasticism captures the beginnings of our community, our bishops’ stories and struggles, and the stories of various community members and their journey to Lindisfarne.
[4] I realize this is very broad brush and that, individually, we may have different views from those listed in the Nicene Creed. Be that as it may, the Creed is the most basic beliefs of the Church as a whole.
[6] Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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