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. 8 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.”

John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness,
preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Now, I’m sure that some of you are saying to yourselves,
“this guy must really like John the Baptist
this must be Greg’s fourth sermon on him.”
and you’re right.
I do like John the Baptist.
I like him because he proclaimed Christ.
Today, we begin with an image of John the Baptist,
busy at his job, baptizing sinners;
busy, proclaiming that one mightier than himself was coming.
And, then, along comes Jesus,
the son of God.

Would you pray with me?

Gracious God, move among us this day so that we may always know that we are never alone; and speak to us so that we may always hear, understand, and remember -- give us your word by which you mold and shape our living; in Jesus Name we pray. Amen.

The heavens were opened,
and Jesus saw the Spirit of God,
descending upon him.

And a voice rang down from heaven above,
saying,
“Thou art my beloved Son,
with thee, I am well pleased.”

“Thou art my beloved Son.”

Back during Advent we found John the Baptist,
pointing to Jesus as Jesus walked passed,
proclaiming him to be “the lamb of God.”
Today, we find God doing for us
in the Gospel of St. Mark
What John the Baptist did for us in the Gospel of St. John.

It is an Epiphany message of startling proportions.
“Thou art my beloved Son.”
In this season of the Church year,
each and every one of us
is called to behold Jesus, “the Christ,”
the only begotten Son of the Father.
Our God and Creator.
During the Epiphany Season we are called to
come to know and understand God’s presence
in the world around us,
in those we know and love
in those we don’t know
even in those whom we can’t stand.
Traditionally, the Church has celebrated
on the first Sunday after Epiphany Sunday,
the greatest possible affirmation of Christ’s presence
in the World.
The Baptism of the Lord.

In Christ’s Baptism
we find the affirmation of Christ’s identity
as the Son of God.
We find God, proclaiming for us to read and believe,
that this man, Jesus, is indeed the Son of God.
Upon first reading, it doesn’t seem to make much sense,
does it?
I mean, Jesus is already the Son of God
is he not?
I thought he was born that way.

And he was

So why all the hoopla about the Baptism of Jesus?
Why did Jesus have himself baptized?
Why do we still believe in and practice
the Sacrament of Holy Baptism?

I spent most of last week working on a long series of
theological papers for the North Texas Conference.
One of the papers had to do with the nature of Baptism,
and specifically with infant Baptism.
In the Methodist Church, we practice infant baptism.
Some may call it Christening
but that is only a cheapening
of what we do when we take a darling Baby
and pour water of that child’s head
and proclaim:
“Gregory Scott Neal,
I baptize thee in the name of the
Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord be with you, all the days of your life,
now and forever more. Amen.”
This is a baptism,
not a Christening.
We Christen -- we name -- ships
We baptize babies.
Every time I think of a baby being Christened
i can’t help but see a minister
break a bottle of Red Rosa’ over a baby’s head

What, then, is going on?
In the baptism of our Lord,
God was affirming,
and proclaiming for all the world to hear
that Jesus was, indeed, the Son of God.
In our Baptism, my brothers and sisters,
God is affirming,
and proclaiming for all the world to hear,
that we are God’s children.
It is not an act that we, the Church, do
We are only the instruments
through whom God works this miracle.
Baptism is a gift of the Grace of God,
representing a truth which goes beyond
all logic,
a truth which we must accept on faith
That in Jesus Christ,
we are all Children of the living God.
On this Baptism of the Lord Sunday,
on this, the first Sunday after Epiphany,
Let us turn our eyes back to our own baptisms,
be we adults or infants at the time,
and recognize that it was God’s act,
not our or the church’s,
We can do nothing outside of the Grace of God
to affect our own salvation.
Our Baptismal birth
into the family of God
is a gift FROM God
not all that different
from our physical birth into this world.
We had no say in being born,
and our ability to say yes to the new Birth in Jesus
is limited to God’s gracious gift of freedom.
In infant baptism, we see God’s grace,
in its simplest and most uncorrupted form.
For, in infant baptism, we see that God’s prevenient grace,
God’s love and calling on our lives,
is something which comes
regardless of whether or not we want it.
God has called us into His family,
and made of us his Children,
through the gracious mercy of Jesus Christ.
“God’s beloved Son,
in whom He was well pleased.”
It is, indeed, an Epiphany message of startling proportions.
May our lives,
in Christ Jesus,
have some measure of the quality
expressed in this Epiphany message from God:
“Thou art my beloved Son
Thou art my beloved daughter
With thee I am well pleased.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
-Amen