The First Sunday after the Epiphany
The Rev. George Pejakovich, Assistant to the Dean
Grace Cathedral
1/10/10

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

WHEN I LED TOURS TO THE HOLY LAND, I WOULD ALWAYS HAVE THE GUIDE FROM THE ISRALI MINISTRY OF TOURISM BOOK US A TIME SLOT FOR THE BAPTISM SITE ON THE JORDAN RIVER. THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL SITE OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS; THAT SITE IS IN SOMEWHAT CONTESTED TERRITORY. THE ONE THAT IS USED IS A BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL AND IDYLLIC PLACE THAT HAS THE FEEL OF THE HOLY. ON MY LAST TOUR, AS I LED 90 PEOPLE DOWN TO THE RIVER, I FOUND THAT OUR TIME SLOT HAD BEEN TAKEN OVER BY AN EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF SOME 300 MEMBERS. WE COULD HEAR THE MUSIC AS WE APPROACHED, AND WHEN WE GOT TO THE RIVER WE SAW THE LONG LINES OF WHITE ROBED PEOPLE WAITING FOR BAPTISM, WITH A BAND BLASTING OUT CHRISTIAN ROCK MUSIC, AND MINI – SKIRTED YOUNG WOMEN SINGING FROM THE TOP OF A PILLAR. I WAS, TO PUT IT MILDLY, A BIT PUT OUT; NOT JUST THAT THEY TOOK OUR TIME SLOT, BUT BY WHAT I CONSIDERED A BIT OF A CIRCUS AT A HOLY SITE. OUR SCHEDULE DID NOT ALLOW US TO WAIT UNTIL THEY WERE FINISHED, SO THE GUIDE SAID HE WOULD BOOK THE SITE FOR EARLY THE NEXT MORNING.

WHEN WE RETURNED, IN THE MORNING, EVERYTHING WAS QUIET AND STILL, AND THE GUIDE RAN AHEAD TO MAKE CERTAIN ALL WAS IN ORDER. HE CAME BACK TO MEET US AS WE MADE OUR WAY DOWN TO THE WATER. WITH A SLY SMILE, HE SAID, IN A LOUD VOICE, “CHAPLAIN GEORGE, I KNOW YOU DIDN’T EXPECT WHAT YOU SAW YESTERDAY, AND HOW MUCH YOU LIKED IT, I’M SORRY WE COULD NOT ARRANGE IT IN TIME. HOWEVER, I DID SET UP A SMOKE MACHINE TO SMOKE THE WATER FOR A REAL NICE EFFECT.” EVERYONE LAUGHED AS WE MOVED DOWN TO THE WATER, WHILE I CONSIDERED DROWNING OUR GUIDE.

OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE OFTEN OVER COME BY REALITY. THIS WAS THE CASE FOR ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE GOSPEL ACCOUNT FOR TODAY OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS. THE PEOPLE WERE EXPECTING THE MESSIAH, AND WHAT THEY SAW IN JOHN FIT THOSE EXPECTATIONS. JOHN PICKED UP ON THEIR SPECULATIONS, AND STOPPED THEM COLD WHEN HE SAID THAT HE WAS NOT FIT TO BE THE LOWLY SLAVE TO UNTIE THE SANDALS OF THE ONE WHO WAS COMING. JOHN WAS CERTAINLY NOT EXPECTING TO LOOK UP AND SEE THE MESSIAH OF GOD IN LINE TO BE BAPTIZED JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE IN THE CROWD OF MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN, TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS. WHEN JESUS HAD BEEN BAPTISED, AND WENT OFF TO THE SIDE TO PRAY, NO ONE EXPECTED THE HEAVENS TO BE OPENED, TO SEE THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCEND LIKE A DOVE, AND TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD SAY, “YOU ARE MY SON, THE BELOVED; WITH YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.” WHO COULD POSSIBLY HAVE EXPECTED THE MESSIAH TO COME TO BE BAPTIZED, AND TO EXPERIENCE THIS EPIPHANY OF THE UNITY OF THE TRIUNE GODHEAD IN THE WATERS OF BAPTISM?

OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE ALWAYS OVER COME BY THE REALITY OF WHAT GOD DOES. WE ARE NEVER REALLY PREPARED FOR WHAT GOD, IN HIS INFINITE LOVE AND MERCY DOES OUT OF HIS LOVE FOR US. WHEN WE EXPERIENCE THE ACTS OF GOD, WE ARE OVERWHELMED, ALL OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE SHATTERED, AND WE CAN ONLY WONDER AND ASK, “WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?”

GOD COMES TO US AS ONE OF US, NOT JUST AS WE ARE, BUT AS WHAT WE WERE CREATED TO BE. HE COMES TO US IN THE PERSON OF JESUS, FULLY MAN, BUT WITHOUT SIN SEPARATING HIM FROM GOD, AND FULLY GOD, BUT POURED OUT INTO HUMAN FLESH AND BLOOD. HE COMES TO US AND STANDS IN LINE FOR BAPTISM, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, AND IN DOING SO TIES HIS BAPTISM TO THAT OF EVERY BAPTISM OF EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD EVER BAPTIZED OR EVER TO BE BAPTIZED. AS HE BEGINS HIS MESSIANIC MINISTRY, HE GOES DOWN TO THE WATERS OF BAPTISM TO LINK, FOREVER MORE, THE WASHING OF THE WATERS OF REGENERATION TO THE INFINITE CLEANZING OF HIS BLOOD WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT ON THE CROSS OF SALVATION. BECAUSE HE HAS DONE SO, BAPTIZM IS NO SIMPLE WASHING OF THE BODY FOR RITUAL PURITY, BUT IS THE ACTION OF THE GRACE OF GOD.

WHAT HAPPENS IN BAPTISM IS INFINITELY MORE THAN OUR EXPECTATIONS, AND WHEN WE CONSIDER WHAT GOD DOES FOR US IN BAPTISM WE ARE OVERWHELMED BY HIS GRACE. MOST PEOPLE THINK OF BAPTISM AS SIMPLY THE ENTRANCE RITE TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. IT IS THAT, BUT SO MUCH MORE. SOME THINK OF BAPTISM AS THE WASHING AWAY OF OUR ORIGINAL SIN. IT IS THAT, BUT SO MUCH MORE. SOME THINK OF IT AS THE SIGN OF OUR BEING BORN AGAIN TO A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST. IT IS THAT, BUT SO MUCH MORE.  SOME THINK OF BAPTISM AS AN ACT OF COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF THE PERSON BEING BAPTIZED, OR ON THE PART OF THE PARENTS OF THE CHILD BEING BAPTIZED. IT IS THAT, BUT SO MUCH MORE. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WATERS OF BAPTISM IS SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENS IN BAPTISM, BECAUSE OF THE ACTION OF JESUS IN BEING BAPTIZED, IS THAT WE ARE TIED TO JESUS IN A MANNER THAT, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT, OVERWHELMS US WITH THE LOVE AND GRACE OF GOD. IN THE WATERS OF BAPTISM, THE FULLNESS OF GOD IS PRESENT. IN THE WATERS OF BAPTISM, GOD HIMSELF IS MANIFEST, FATHER SON AND HOLY SPIRIT, AND, TO EACH AND EVERY PERSON BAPTIZED, HEAVEN IS OPENED AND THE HEAVENLY FATHER PROCLAIMS, “YOU ARE MY SON, OR DAUGHTER, THE BELOVED; WITH YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.”

IN THE WATERS OF BAPTISM IS THE SAVING BLOOD OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST. SO WHEN WE ARE WASHED IN THE WATER OF BAPTISM, WE ARE WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. WE DIE WITH HIM TO BE RAISED WITH HIM AS A NEW CREATION; NOT A NEW PERSON, BUT A PERSON CREATED ANEW, BORN AGAIN IN CHRIST, TO LIVE IN CHRIST AND TO LIVE AS CHRIST TO THE WORLD. WE ARE MARKED WITH THE CROSS OF CHRIST FOREVER; A MARK THAT CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY. WE ARE MARKED BY THE FULNESS OF THE POWER OF GOD, AND FILLED WITH GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT FOREVER, SO THAT WHEN GOD LOOKS UPON US, BY HIS LOVING GRACE, HE CHOOSES TO SEE US NOT AS THE SINFUL CREATURES THAT WE ARE, BUT AS HIS BELOVED SONS AND DAUGHTERS. WHEN THE HEAVENLY FATHER LOOKS UPON ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED, HE SEES US NOT AS WE ARE, BUT LOVINGLY CHOOSES TO SEE US AS WE OUGHT TO BE; HE SEES US AS JESUS – IMMANUEL, GOD WITH US AND IN US.

THUS, IN THE APPARENTLY SIMPLE ACT OF BEING WASHED BY WATER WITH THE WORD, WE ARE OVERWHELMED BY THE UNEXPECTED AND UNMERITED LOVING GRACE OF GOD. WE ARE REMINDED OF THIS EACH AND EVERY TIME SOMEONE IS BROUGHT TO THE WATERS OF THE BAPTISMAL FONT. IN THEIR BAPTISM IS OUR OWN, AND OURS IN THEIRS, AND ALL OF OUR BAPTISMS ARE NOW AND FOREVER IN THE BAPTISM OF JESUS. IN EACH BAPTISM THE HEAVENS ARE OPENED ONCE AGAIN, AND WE REJOICE IN THE NEW BIRTH OF ANOTHER BELOVED SON OR DAUGHTER OF GOD.

HOW COULD JOHN HAVE EVER EXPECTED WHAT JESUS WAS DOING WHEN HE STOOD PATIENTLY IN LINE TO BE BAPTIZED? HOW CAN WE NOT BE OVERWHELMED BY THE UNEXPECTED GRACE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER? REJOICE AND BE GLAD, FOR YOU HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED, AND YOU ARE THE BELOVED CHILD OF GOD. THANKS BE TO GOD.
AMEN