Luke
3:15-17, 21-22 with Acts 8:14-17
This morning we gather together to
celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. This is
always an issue surrounded with controversy and question. Was Jesus an apostle of John the Baptist, or
was it the other way around? If Jesus
was sinless, then why did he undergo baptism?
Did Jesus alone hear the voice of God and see the dove, or was it an
event that included all those present?
Even the gospel writers disagree on these matters.
There are countless topics to preach
on in this text, but today I am thinking about the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus arrives on the scene, John is
busy preaching and teaching about repentance.
He is encouraging people to repent of their sins, and to come clean in
life, by literally being washed in the waters of the Jordan River. His is a baptism for the forgiveness of
sins. But he speaks of another baptism
that is to come. When he speaks of the
coming Messiah he talks of one who will baptize with fire and the Holy
Spirit. This baptism will refine us,
much as the wind separates the wheat from the chaff.
Jesus then comes to the water as one
of the crowd. The writer of Luke is
clear that this is not a separate event, but that it occurs as a group
event. The people were baptized and
Jesus was baptized with them. This is
the baptism of repentance and cleansing, but Jesus’ experience takes things a
step further as the Holy Spirit makes an appearance, descending in bodily form
like a dove. A voice speaks from the
heavens, assuring Jesus of who he is and of his status with the Lord.
Our reading from Acts also raises some
interesting questions about baptism. The
prophets in Jerusalem hear that the people in Samaria, outsiders to the
traditional Jewish faith, have accepted the fresh word of God in Jesus
Christ. In response Peter and John are
sent to bring these folks into the fold.
In an interesting turn, it is stated that even though these folks have
been physically baptized with water, they have yet to receive the Holy
Spirit. The writer of Acts tells us that
it is not until the disciples come and lay hands on the people that they
receive the Spirit. Our Sunday school
class looked at this passage a few weeks ago, and we had plenty of questions
about it!
So, is there one baptism or two? Do you receive the Holy Spirit when you are
baptized with water, or is it a separate event?
Well, the answer will depend very much on who you ask. Some denominations like Pentecostals and some
Baptists, believe that these are two separate baptisms and two separate
events. The Reformed tradition, of which
the Presbyterian Church is a part, believes in only one baptism. In our church tradition, it is believed that
you receive the Holy Spirit when you are baptized in water. The Biblical texts themselves do not agree on
the issue, testifying to our inability to control the Holy Spirit. As Jesus states, the wind blows where it will
blow and there is very little we can do about it.
Personally I believe that as followers
of Jesus Christ, we share in the baptism that he experienced. We enter the waters and are cleansed of sin,
the Holy Spirit comes upon us and fills us up, and our status as a beloved child
of God is made known to us. Of course,
like much of the life of faith, it doesn’t always work that way. I have certainly witnessed the power of the
Holy Spirit in those who have yet to be baptized. I also have a feeling that we continue to
experience the Holy Spirit breaking into our lives and changing our hearts,
even after the moment of our baptism.
The more I serve in ministry the more
I have come to believe that we often receive what I like to think of as Holy
Spirit booster shots. Like infusions, or
injections, there are times in our lives of faith when we are once again filled
with the Holy Spirit. Similar to the
moment when the Spirit comes on us at baptism, there are other times in our
lives when the Spirit comes upon us in a powerful way. I think these moments fill us up and give us
strength for the journey ahead. While
Presbyterians are traditionally only baptized one time in their lives, I
believe that they can be filled with the Holy Spirit on multiple occasions.
This morning in worship we will have
several opportunities to witness the working of the Spirit. First, is the ordination of the new class of
Elders and Deacons. Much like the days
of the early church described in the book of Acts, today we will lay hands on
fellow believers. We will ask God’s
special blessing on them, we will ask the Holy Spirit to come upon them, and we
will pray that they will be made ready for service to the Lord through service
to this particular congregation.
I will wager that some, if not all of
these folks, during the laying on of hands and prayer, will feel some stirring
of the Holy Spirit within their hearts.
They will receive an injection of the Spirit and will go out from
worship this morning ready to serve, much as Jesus rose from the waters of
baptism to begin his ministry.
Another opportunity for a Holy Spirit
booster shot will occur today during communion.
This is a time for all of us to come forward as a family of faith. We will say the prayers, we will remember the
story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and we will thank God for the gift of
life that we receive through Jesus Christ.
We will eat the bread and share the cup and in the process receive a bit
of a Spirit booster shot. God enters our
body in the bread and juice, and so God enters our hearts and minds anew. We too will leave this space today renewed,
refreshed, and ready to serve the Lord in new ways.
The questions surrounding baptism in
general, and the baptism of Jesus Christ in particular, are ones that we can
enjoy discussing for many days. We can
all testify to the doctrines of the church that have been handed down through
the ages, just as we can testify to the truth of the Spirit that we feel in our
hearts as individuals. The “hows” and
“whys” are less important than the truth of the presence of God in our lives
and the way we are called to live in the world around us. Jesus joined us in the sacrament of baptism,
we have all received the Holy Spirit, and we are all called to go out into the
world and to serve the Lord.
May God bless us today as we remember
and honor the baptism of Jesus Christ, as well as our own personal
baptisms. And may God continue to offer
us Holy Spirit booster shots as we are called to serve the world in mission and
ministry. Amen.
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