According to the Lectionary, today the Church remembers the Baptism of Jesus.
Baptism is a vital sacrament in the life of the Church. All Christians, young or old, rich or poor, are invited to be baptized. Moreover, the sacrament of baptism invites all of us to review the basic truths of our Christian life.
Water is not the most vital element in baptism. Water only symbolizes purity, cleanliness. When immersed in water, the old self dies and the new self emerges. There are some of us who only sprinkle the water. The center of the matter is not the water or the style of baptism. So why baptism? Why did Jesus get baptized?
Baptism is the beginning of a new life. It is not a trial period; it is a serious commitment.
-The baptism of Jesus is the declaration of the beginning of his ministry. Remember when your teacher told you that the first sentence of your essay was the most important one? Baptism was the “opening sentence” of the ministry of Jesus.
In those days Jews were not baptized. They thought only gentiles and sinners needed baptism. God used John the Baptist to teach Jews that they too need to repent, be baptized and start all over again.
Jesus was waiting for the right time. It was time to step out. He did not need to be baptized; he was sinless. Yet he humbled himself, identified with us, became one of us and asked for baptism.
-In the baptism of Jesus, God makes a declaration, too. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (vs 11). God affirmed the declaration of Jesus.
About 1000 years before this
declaration the Prophet Isaiah had written the following words: “Here is my
servant, whom I uphold; my chosen one in whom I delight” (Is. 42:1). Aren’t people strange? They knew so much about
the Messiah yet they rejected Him.As we saw in the Christmas sermon, Herod
asked the religious leaders for help. They knew the Savior was to be born in
Baptism is an invitation from an old life to a new life. John preached “the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Repentance is to die for the old nature and live a new life.
Jesus makes this possible. As he rises from the waters, the heaven is torn apart. Yes, he opens the direct way for us to reach God.
As we approach the Lord’s Table, we declare our faith in the Savior who died for our sins. Are you ready? Are you ready to immerse in the water and emerge to a new life in Christ?
Therefore, let us prepare to come to the Table.