Read Matthew 3:13-4:11
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, 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, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” –Matthew 3:16-17
When I was just a baby, my parents brought me before a church in Paducah, Kentucky. They handed me over to a pastor, who placed water upon my head and baptized me “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” I have no personal memory of this event, only a church bulletin from the service. My father was the associate pastor at the church, so he was allowed the privilege of including a short prayer of blessing in the bulletin. That’s it–my only “memory” from my baptism.
Since the beginning of Christianity, baptism has marked the “threshold” of the church. When someone is baptized, they become part of the community of faith. From that point forward, they belong to God. And through baptism, we belong to each other.
Jesus’ baptism represented an important threshold as well–it was the beginning of his public ministry. Prior to his baptism, Jesus lived a relatively modest life, likely working as a carpenter to support his mother & younger siblings. From the moment of his baptism on, Jesus took up the mantle to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom.
When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened up, and God proclaimed: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (In Mark & Luke’s gospels, God addressed Jesus directly: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”) These aren’t just nice words–God was affirming Jesus’ identity. These simple words combine two important passages from the Old Testament–Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1. The first is a promise regarding the Messiah; the second comes from Isaiah’s description of the “Suffering Servant.” In his baptism, God not only declared Jesus as the Messiah, but He also indicated what kind of Messiah Jesus would be.
Following his baptism, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. On the surface, this might seem strange. The same Spirit that blessed Jesus in his baptism then took Him into a place of loneliness, barrenness, and testing. But the wilderness served as a crucible, confirming the identity that God had already given. This tells us that our identity as God’s children is not simply given–it is something that must be forged within us.
Alan Storey, pastor of Central Methodist Mission in South Africa, reflects that baptism is more than a singular moment in time. It is a life-long journey of living into the identity God has given us. He writes: “Being saved from worshipping self and worshipping others, but also learning to love ourselves and love others–all of these things are part of baptism, which is why it takes such a long time to bring it to birth. Through the gift of baptism (and the wilderness journey that follows), false selves are slowly put to death, until we truly know that we are beloved–that we belong to God and to no one else.”
While I may not have a conscious memory of the day I was baptized, my parents launched me into a journey on that day, a journey I am still very much on. There have been many significant steps along that journey, and sometimes the Spirit has led me into the wilderness (and then back again when I failed to learn the lesson). I do take comfort in knowing that I am not alone on this journey–that Jesus has gone before, and the Spirit leads me still. And I’m surrounded by others who are all journeying to become the people God calls us to be.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of baptism. Through the waters of my baptism, You made a claim upon my life. You have given me an identity, a purpose, and a community. Thank You for naming me as one of Your beloved children. Amen.