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First Sunday in Epiphany
January 9, 2005 Sermon by Rev. Peggy E. Tuttle, Interim Rector

Sixteen days ago, we celebrated the birth of the Christ child. Only in Luke’s Gospel do we find any details about his birth. Matthew is vague but Luke writes that he was born in a manger, among animals, and shepherds, in the town of Bethlehem. His parents, having traveled from Nazareth to be registered, found no lodging except the stables.

Christmas is a glorious celebration filled with anticipation, planning, decorating, purchasing, wrapping, giving, and receiving. It is a time of gathering with friends, family, loved ones, strangers, and even work mates. We sing, eat and drink and laugh and cry and remember and celebrate. He is born! King of kings and Lord of lords. Hallelujah.

Matthew tells us of the Wise Men who hear a rumor of a king worthy of their gifts, worthy to kneel before, worthy of their time and effort, worthy enough for them to travel a great distance seeking this king. Time passes. Some believe as much as two years between the birth of this king and the time the Wise Men finally kneeling at his feet with the precious gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Jesus is a toddler; at the terrible twos. Oh, how I wish we knew more about the child Jesus. But the Gospel of Matthew doesn’t provide us with more.

We do know that Joseph was warned by an angel of Herod’s intent to bring harm to the child. So, Joseph and Mary take Jesus and flee to Egypt where they live until once again, Joseph is visited by an angel who tells him it is safe to return to Israel. Joseph then takes his little family to the district of Galilee back to Nazareth.

That’s a sketchy story of Jesus as a child. Matthew provides no more. The next thing we know Jesus comes from Galilee to John at the Jordan River to be baptized.

The baptism of Jesus: a confusing event. Why indeed does this Son of God need to be baptized? Even John is confused. Jesus presents himself into the water and John objects saying, “I need to be baptized by you not the other way ‘round!”

But Jesus knows the significance of this baptism. It is a public statement that he is human, one of us, one who must live like us and share in our humanness. “God made manifest.”

Jesus knew that then, that day that he came to John in the River Jordan and said “baptize me!”

To John’s objections, Jesus responds “it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” These are the first words spoken by Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel. These are important themes for Matthew: fulfillment and righteousness, so in order to fulfill all righteousness, Jesus is to be baptized. He has committed no sin but he is a member of the nation of Israel. He is one of his nation’s people.

By being baptized by John, Jesus claims for himself the sins of Israel, just as he will claim our sins, yours and mine, and the world’s, at his crucifixion.

I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Baptism by immersion at “an age of accountability” was a strong doctrine in the Baptist church. In other words, no infant baptisms. I vividly remember wearing the white gown and walking down the steps into the baptismal water where Pastor Woodson Arms stood waiting for me. Once in place, the minister placed his hand over my nose and mouth and gently laid me back burying my face under the water. The familiar words of baptism still reside in my mind. “You are buried by baptism into death and raised again to walk in newness of life.” Buried by baptism into death. The old self dead. Sins washed off, removed, cleansed, and made new.

It is life-changing water. There should be a warning posted on the baptismal font: Warning. You might lose your life by participating in this sacrament. But by losing your life here at baptism you gain a new life. A life in Christ.

Matthew writes that as Jesus comes up out of the water, “suddenly the heavens were opened to him 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, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus’ true identity is endorsed from heaven and his public ministry begins. In a sermon, Dr. King Oehmig describes the baptism of Jesus something like this:

A decision is made. A direction is chosen. This purification and initiation rite has been accepted by Jesus to inaugurate his ministry. This decision to be baptized by John is, at its core, an act of obedience.
Things could have unfolded otherwise. The early days of ministry could have begun with Jesus announcing his purposes from one of the temple porticos, or delivering a long speech from the height of a sacred mountain. But he chooses what God the Father has designed for him. The Jordan River was a place where not only water, but also the Spirit was flowing.

The Son of God, by submitting himself to this act has also surrendered to God, as Abraham and Sarah and Moses had done. He followed in the way of the obedient prophets who had come before him. Jesus went to the Jordan, the only major river that runs through the Palestinian landscape. And there he found John, thundering repentance and baptizing people.

There is something highly significant about making a visible commitment to Christ. Baptism signifies that our fence sitting has ended. The freedom of any stalled commitment is over. Wondering where you stand, and confusion about who you are and who directs your life are all ambiguities that no longer lurk in the shadows. Allegiance is made public, and solidarity with others who profess Christ Jesus is made manifest. Our baptism is our epiphany—our showing forth of belief—in response to God’s showing forth in Christ.

Rick Warren, in his book A Purpose Driven Life, writes: It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will not make sense.”

William Willimon says in "Remember Who You Are" that Baptism is as much consecration as it is initiation. “In other words, baptism is each Christian’s ordination into the priesthood of Christ, each Christian’s commissioning to share in Christ’s work in the world . . . At your baptism you are anointed and set apart that you may ‘declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light’ (1 Peter 2:9).”

Remembering what you have done here at Saint Paul’s, rejoicing in who you are today and pondering who you want to be in the future, I am honored to walk this path with you as your interim rector.

During this Epiphany season, let us continue to walk in the glorious light of Christ! May we revisit the places where the Spirit has flowed, where God’s approval of Jesus’ work has been given . . . and where we can continue to follow in his steps and exercise the ministry of proclamation and reconciliation in this place.