Lessons of Baptism

Lessons of Baptism 

Luke 3: 14-17, 21-22 

Luke writes in his opening sentence that [1:1] “Many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, [2] just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.” Then he adds, [1:3] “investigating everything” he has written an [1:3] “orderly account” so that we may know [1:4] “the truth” concerning the things about Jesus and the Gospel. More than likely the other gospel writers did much the same thing. 

Luke was writing about 65 years after Jesus’ active ministry; there were no more eyewitnesses to consult; he studied the several books that were available. He writes that “Many have undertaken” to write. We are pretty certain that he had a copy of the Gospel of Mark in much the form in which we now have it; when we compare Luke’s writing in accounts that are parallel to Mark’s, we see many places where he copies Mark word for word. He would very likely have had to have a written copy of Mark’s material to be able to quote it so precisely. 

We also believe that Luke had a copy of what is technically a hypothetical book now called “Q” which has not been found. We don’t know how many more of the many books he might have had available to him – but we are learning that there were a fairly large number of early Christian books, reflecting a wide range of understandings and interpretations of Jesus. 

Another fascinating feature of the Gospel of Luke (and maybe Matthew, too) is the book seems once to have been distributed without what are now the first two chapters – the stories of the births of John the Baptist and of Jesus. We have no copies lacking those chapters, but Chapter Three opens with a prologue that dates the writing – that series of names and titles that Donna struggled to read 2 or 3 weeks ago. The birth and childhood stories of Jesus were apparently the last of the gospel materials to be written, about the end of the First Century and during the first quarter of the Second Century. Luke may have been added to what he had written at first. 

The story of Jesus’ baptism, today’s lesson in Luke, is very interesting. We can watch it develop right in front of our eyes. Mark simply writes that [1:9] “Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John (the Baptist) in the Jordan (River).” Luke does not name John the Baptist; he writes [21] “Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized . . . .” During the latter part of the First Century 

the followers of John and the followers of Jesus competed with each other, both seem to have considered their leader to be the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. And John’s baptizing Jesus was a problem for Christians because in the opinion of the time, the one who did the baptizing was considered to be greater than the one whom he baptized. Similarly, the teacher was greater than the student. 

That argument makes little or no sense to us – at least to me. Just because I baptized Little Luke last Easter does not establish my greater wisdom and faith; who knows who he may become if we treat him right? And, scientists and teachers now expect their students to develop their ideas further to extend the knowledge available to our world. 

But that was the First Century and that is how the people thought. The early church, therefore, struggled with that fact. It couldn’t be denied because it was well known. It was reported in our Christian documents and by the Jewish historian Josephus. Luke removed John the Baptist’s name from the baptism story; he even arranges the sequence of events so that John is already in prison at the time of Jesus’ baptism. He seems to have wanted to remove the embarrassment of John’s baptizing Jesus. 

Luke writes that at Jesus’ baptism God adopts him as his son. The Scholar’s version reads, [3:21] “And it so happened when all the people were baptized, and after Jesus had been baptized and while he was praying, that the sky opened up, [22] and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from the sky, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’” Unlike the Gospel of John written ten or fifteen years later which reports that Jesus was created by God before the world was created. Here God adopts the human Jesus and makes him God’s son. Just like (in Psalm 2) God recognizes the Hebrew kings as his sons at their coronations. 

In the third chapter of the Book of Hebrews there is another account of Jesus’ Baptism. [3:2] “And it happened that when the Lord came up out of the water, the whole fountain of the holy spirit came down on him and rested on him. [3] ”My Son, I was waiting for you in all the prophets, waiting for you to come so I could rest in you. [4] For you are my rest; you are my first-begotten Son who rules forever.” Here the voice from the sky is the Holy Spirit, not God, the Father, speaking to the already divine son. 

The Acts lesson presents another interesting meaning of a baptism. [14] “Sumaria – probably a church in Samaria -- had accepted the word of God.” But [16] “the Spirit had not come (literally fallen) upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of 

the Lord Jesus.” The disciples (now apostles) Peter and John went there and [18] “laid their hands on them, and they (then) received the Holy Spirit.” 

So, there is nothing magical about the baptism in the name of Jesus. And, I expect we should add, there is nothing magical about putting hands on people. The acts of baptizing and of laying on hands in and of themselves do not change people. It is when people encounter the Sacred that God changes people – it might happen during baptism or confirmation or with the laying on of hands. But the services themselves do not cause effective change in people. As I have quipped before, sitting in church makes you a Christian just like standing in the garage makes you a car. 

Our Church is about helping people encounter the Sacred who changes people. If we are followers of Satin, we need to learn to follow God. If we live by sin, we need to learn righteousness. If we are indifferent, we need to learn discipleship. If we only talk Christianity, we need to learn to walk Christianity. 

We are not here to sit and listen and ponder religious ideas. We are here to stand for the values of Jesus and to apply Jesus’ values in loving our neighbors – all of our neighbors, not just the ones we happen or like or who happen to agree with us on politics or economics or personal style. We are here to learn to resist sin and selfishness in our lives and homes and communities. 

We have said in our Mission Statement that we are here to learn how to show our friends, families, and neighbors what Christian love is: love and forgiveness and grace and righteousness. Baptism and confirmation and communion and worship and sermons and classes and service projects and loving our neighbors are all means of encountering the Sacred. Some work for us, others may work for our neighbors. We need to keep doing them until we meet God. Then we will do them because we have met God. 

That is what our Church is all about. That is what we all need to be about. Let us grow in the way of Christ and, thereby, grow in the spirit of God and grow in the love of our neighbors. 

That is what Mt. Salem Church is all about. Let us all be about it, too. 

Amen. 

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