The Baptism of Jesus

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.  John would have prevented him saying, "I need to by baptized by you and do you come to me?"  But Jesus answered him; "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he consented.  And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

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This Sunday we will remember the baptism of our Lord - this story is the story that makes sense of our own baptism and draws us back to the wonder of God made flesh; the wonder of creation being redeemed and restored through Jesus.  As Jesus passes through water, he blesses it so that we might receive the gift of LIFE as we pass through it.  We need water to live and to live forever.  In baptism we enact new creation and receive the identity as a child of God.

Last week we looked at the story of Jonah who was in deep water and in the belly of a fish for three days.  Jonah went down into the depths of his own suffering and was met by the mercy of God - three days later he was expelled on the land.  Jesus, like Jonah, would go down into the depths of human suffering, “where things are shapeless and meaningless, in a state of vulnerability and unprotectedness" so that we might be restored and recover the humanity that God intended: to grow in love and confidence as God's sons and daughters.  In his baptism Jesus identifies with the suffering of humanity and his own suffering - he is up to his neck or over his head in it. And when he emerges from the waters, the space between this world and the world to come becomes very small - the heavens are opened, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove and the voice of his Father calls: "This is my son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."  A beautiful reminder echoing down from the flood, from the exodus, from Jonah: love is stronger than death.  As we hear this story on Sunday may we be reminded of God's great love and know that we are his beloved children.

Many of the children in our midst have been baptized at an age where they will remember the sacramental rite. The feeling of the water running down their heads or being plunged beneath it, if they were immersed. They may remember the oil on their foreheads and the warmth of the candle's flame as they held it front of them. Others were babies or young children at their baptism, they may have a picture with their parents and godparents and a candle in their room at home. They will likely know the story of their baptism, if they wailed all the way through it, or slept soundly, whom their godparents are, who was present to celebrate with their family. And if they have grown up in the church they will know what it means to be welcomed into the covenant of God and into this family - the church. Take some time and encourage children to tell what they know of their own baptism or the baptism of a friend or sibling.  I think the kids will have a lot to share about the sacrament of baptism.

Perhaps you will want to have a bowl of water in the classroom, place it in the centre of the circle or pass it around; encourage children to put their hands in it, to let it run through their fingers. Maybe you want to have a pitcher and give students each a glass of water to drink - reflect on all the ways that we need and use water in our lives.  Bring in some oil remind the students that it is precious, costly even.  Ask the students to remember back to David’s anointing as King – how did Samuel anoint David? He poured oil on his forehead – recall the line from psalm 123 – you ‘anoint my head with oil.’ Oil was a sign from ancient times to mark that a person was chosen by God for a special work.  Jesus is called the anointed one of God; the one God has chosen to be our savior.  On his baptism God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit to do his saving work.  

When we are baptized we become a part of Jesus.  We are anointed with the Holy Spirit to share in doing his work so the priest makes a cross on our foreheads with oil, to show that God has chosen us to be his own forever. Water and the spirit are signs of God’s saving work.  The Spirit is like a wind, blowing into us the breath we need to live.  It is like a flame burning in each living thing (remember Pentecost), the spirit is like a light, showing us how to live in the way God wants for us.  Each baptismal candidate is given a candle; we light the candle from the Paschal candle, the Christ candle.  It stands for Jesus’s new life, and the pillar of fire at the Red Sea and God’s Spirit with us.  The candle reminds us that we have passed from darkness to light. The baptismal liturgy reads:

God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and has given us a place with the saints in light.

You have received the light of Christ;

walk in this light all the days of your life.

All      Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.

In your classes take some time to give thanks for the sacrament of baptism, for Jesus who identified with us, who entered into the suffering of the world and his own suffering that we might be saved.  Give thanks for the forgiveness of sins, for a God who gives life, new life; life that is stronger than death, because it has come from Jesus who has passed from death into life and who has joined us to him.  We are a part of his body and we do his work in the world.  We are Christ’s own forever.

May the time you spend in preparation and with children this week be full of thanksgiving and joy as you remember your own baptism, the baptism of your children and others, giving thanks for the saving work of Christ in your life and in our world.