January 18, 2012

First Sunday after Epiphany, Year B

Reverend Gregg D. Wood

“It’s time for a change.” 

That is a sentiment we hear a lot, often at a time of political elections.  Throw out the old guard, bring in the new.  No doubt we will hear it a lot as we enter an election year.  But there can be many different kinds of change.  Today we want to focus on another kind of change, spiritual change.  This is different from political change, although sometimes spiritual change leads to political change.

Today’s Gospel is the story of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River.  Now the baptism of John was clearly a call for change.  Mark, the writer of the Gospel, says it was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  What he means by this is that people were being called to repent much about the lives they had been living, and to be baptized in the water as an outward sign of that repentance, and from that point forward to lead a new life.  John was clearly saying, It’s time for a change. 

Jesus presents himself to receive the baptism of John.  This has always puzzled people: if John was administering a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, why would Jesus, who was without sin, receive such a baptism?  Indeed, for Jesus, baptism has a somewhat different meaning.  After he is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and a voice from heaven says, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."  In fact, for Jesus, his baptism was more like an ordination.  It was the beginning of his unique ministry – a ministry of preaching, teaching, healing, praying, casting out demons, forgiving sinners, and ultimately offering himself as a sacrifice for the healing of the world.

But the baptism of Jesus had one thing in common with the other baptisms of John.  It signified a time of change.  Jesus’ life changed radically after his baptism, after he began to fulfill the ministry to which he had been called by God.

Jesus directed his followers to teach and baptize.  And so they did.  Baptism is the sacrament by which a person accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord, and promises to follow and serve him.  In return, they receive forgiveness of sins, membership in the church, and the promise of everlasting life in the kingdom of God.  So for candidates who have reached the age of reason, who make their baptismal promises on their own, baptism is a time of turning – turning away from the world, the flesh, and the devil, and toward Jesus -- a time of change.  A change the candidates have chosen to make, and a change for which they have hopefully been prepared by teaching and prayer.

Today it is our great pleasure to receive a new person into the flock of Christ.  By being baptized, she will become a member of Christ’s holy church and an heir of the Kingdom.

But this child is an infant.  Her life has hardly begun.  She cannot make the baptismal promises on her own; her sponsors in baptism will make the promises for her.

What then does change mean, in the context of infant baptism?  Right now, that aspect of baptism doesn’t apply to this child.  She is too young.  But to whom does it apply?

It could apply to just about everyone else here.  It could apply to her parents, her godparents, and to everyone who takes part in this baptism.  Every baptism is an opportunity for all of us look at ourselves and say, have I been living out the promises of my baptism? 

• Have I become entangled with the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God? 
• Have I too readily cooperated with the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy? 
• Have I given in to sinful desires within me that draw me away from the love of God? 
• Have I been faithful in prayer and worship? 
• Have I been an example to others? 
• Have I loved my neighbor as myself? 
• Have I worked for justice and peace among all people?

Those are the questions which every baptism invites us to ask.

We rejoice in the baptism of this child.  We rejoice that there will be one more Christian leaving the service today than there was coming in.  But let us use the opportunity of her baptism to examine how we might be more faithful in keeping our own baptismal promises.

Maybe it’s time for a change!