Baptism and Blessing

Luke 3:15-18, 21-22

January 11, 2004

 

THIS IS DAY WE REMEMBER JESUS’ BAPTISM

This day closes the cycle of Advent/Christmas/Epiphany

      This is last Sunday I’ll wear my black robe for five weeks > until Lent begins

      During those five weeks I’ll continue series from 1 Corinthians that I began last January

But today is dedicated to baptism

      We’ll spend a little time remembering our own baptisms

      Then a minute or two remembering Jesus’ baptism

      Then we’ll reaffirm our baptismal vows > ones we took, or our parents took on our behalf

      Assuming, of course, that you’ve been baptized > if you haven’t, then we need to talk!

 

REMEMBER YOUR BAPTISM?

Let’s begin with our memories of our own baptisms > Take a little survey

      How many recall your baptism > the day when the whole world learned you belonged to God?

            Some of you remember that day vividly > either older child or youth or adult

            Do you remember when and where?  What happened and who was there and what you wore?

      Who has absolutely no memory of your baptism?

            Some of us were too small to know what was happening

            I am in that category > about 6 months old > my grandfather officiated

            Somewhere I have my certificate > I haven’t seen it recently

      Whether or not your remember your baptism, one thing is certain

            Unless we went around with a sign stuck to us, nobody would ever know we were God’s kids

 

REMEMBER JESUS’ BAPTISM

Years ago there was very visible way for people to know who belonged to God

      God instructed Moses to be circumcised > and to circumcise all male children forever after

      Problem with circumcision > only done to male children > and usually no one saw that area

      But I suppose if you had to know > you could always ask

Jews baptized people back then, too, but it had an altogether different meaning

      It was cleansing ritual [which was why John was baptizing people in the first place]

      Word “baptize” appears throughout OT > “Go wash yourself [baptize]; present yourself to priest”

      That’s why Jesus came to John and asked to be baptized > it was right thing to do

      It was later that Christians replaced circumcision with baptism > baptism included everyone

On the day we read about in Luke, tho, baptism was still a Jewish ritual

      There was nothing notable about that day . . . until Jesus came up from the water

      And it was then that it hit him > almost physically it hit him

            It was not like a pet parakeet or cockatiel finding a convenient perch

            It was something like a dove > deliberately making contact with Jesus

                        Think about a dove for minute > A dove is not a blue jay! 

                        Blue jays are aggressive creatures > they attack > they hit hard

                        Doves, on the other hand, are symbols of gentleness

            So when the Spirit touched him like a dove > Jesus knew he had been touched

                        And he knew it was God who touched him

                        That moment changed the direction of his life forever > he lived as God’s son

                       

REMEMBER YOUR BAPTISM!

Was your baptism like that?

            Mine was not > or they’d still be telling stories about that day

            And yours wasn’t either > or they’d be telling stories about day YOU were baptized!

            We don’t often experience one event on one day which changes the direction of our lives

            But we need to be reminded every now and then that we have promised to follow Jesus

            We need some encouragement to reach our full potential as Jesus’ disciple

 

LIVE OUT YOUR BAPTISM

If you don’t believe you have any potential to grow and mature in your faith > don’t fret

            Think about this walnut > it’s not much to look at

            If you compare a walnut with some of the beautiful and exciting things that grow on our planet

                        The lowly walnut is not much > does not seem like marvelous act of creation

                        It is common looking, rough, not attractive, not colorful, not worth much money

                        Besides that > it’s small. 

And it’s limited > It cannot do anything because of the hard shell surrounding it

It can never escape from its shell on its own

            No, this walnut doesn’t seem to have much going for it

                        If we were to break it open > we’d see that it had grown to fill every nook and cranny

                        Absolutely no more room to grow > it has reached its full potential given its limitations

                        This nut is a blessing!

            This is what I want you to remember > if one nut can be a blessing > so can you!

We are baptized to be like this nut > to be a blessing to those we meet

 

REAFFIRMATION OF OUR BAPTISMAL VOWS

Baptism has been defined as ‘visible sign of God’s invisible grace”

But what if you don’t remember your baptism?  Should you be baptized again?  No!

            Once you have been baptized there is no need to be baptized again

            Only need is to live like you’ve been baptized

            Baptism is to Christians what branding is to cows > it tells to whom you belong

                        When I lived out in the country Harvey had place next to mine

                        Every now and then Harvey ’s cows would get out > come down to my place

                        But I never had to ask whose cows those were > they had Harvey ’s brand on them

                        They just needed to be taken back home > didn’t need to be branded again

            So it is with us > once we’re baptized > no need to be baptized again

                        But we do need to “go back home” > reaffirm our baptismal vows

                        To be reminded of who we are, and Whose we are