Footsteps of Jesus: "To the Jordan"

Sermon Summary of Last Week’s (2/22/15) Sermon, Footsteps of Jesus: “To the Jordan.”  (Mark 1:9-14))

Jesus began his ministry at the ripe old age of 30, the age of “authority” in his culture, the age when Rabbis began to teach.  We know little of his life before then.  O, how we would like to know the stories.  But this we know for certain: John baptized Jesus in the Jordan.  When Jesus came up out of the water, a voice from heaven declared, “This is my Son, the beloved; in whom I am well pleased,” echoing Old Testament phrases depicting first, coronation and then identifying with the “suffering servant.”  Jesus, claimed by God, crowned by God, sent on a ministry of suffering by God.

Baptism can have a kaleidoscope of meanings in our denomination.  As we turn the instrument we see different meanings in each life.  Baptism is grace, a mystery.  We cannot know or understand all of its gifts, but we can start with the following:

First, God claims us as a child, covenants with us to be our God and we his children.

Second, God makes union with us and Christ’s holy church.  We are baptized not into a solitary faith but into a community of faith.  We are part of the body of Christ, with Christ as the head.  Can you think of anything more intimate?  We are in union with Christ.

Third, our sins are forgiven and we are brought into a right relationship with God.  But not only that, we have the promise of future forgiveness and therefore can live our lives differently.  We are born anew.  New life.  Jesus said, “No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the spirit…. You must be born anew.” (John 3:3,7)

And four, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said, “And remember, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

All a gift of grace, God’s gift, without price!  It is God’s gift.  There is nothing we can do to make him love us more. The only thing we need to do is present ourselves at the Jordan and say “Yes.”  United Methodists are not a creedal church.  We ask but one thing at your "Jordan," that you confess Jesus as Savior.  Today, I ask another, that you remember your baptism.

The following link is a video of something two things you seldom see in a United Methodist Church: Testimony and immersion (yes, it's part of our liturgy, but seldom used).  View the video and ask what deepening of your relationship with Christ would be needed in order that remembering your baptism would have such an impact on you?  Just as God working in our lives is a mystery, so is the action of the Holy Spirit at our baptism. (View Greg's Testimony)

Jesus began his ministry by being baptized, end his ministry by commissioning us to “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” First act, last words.  And in between, we can believe he remembered his baptism every day.  So let it be with us.