The Meaning of Baptism (Sermon by Canon James Juhari)

Epiphany 1, 7 January 2024

Theme: Baptism (When we call God our Father)

Readings:

OT: Genesis 1:1-5

NT: Acts 19:1-7

Gospel: Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

This morning I want to speak about the impact of our baptism on our understanding of God and our relationship with Him. I want to begin with the baptism of John.

Paul, during his third missionary journey, encountered some men in Epesus who are described as “disciples” who had not yet received the Holy Spirit. Luke recounts the incident in Acts 19: 1-7. This group of twelve men identified themselves as “disciples” of John the Baptist. They had repented of their sins, but they had not taken the next step, which is faith in Christ.

Now, what was John’s baptism of repentance all about? Mark 1: 2 briefly tells us that John the Baptist’s ministry was one of preparation for people to receive Christ. John proclaimed that it was not enough for the people to claim salvation because they were descendents of Abraham. He called them to repentance and be baptised. However, John’s baptism had its limitation. John himself understood the limitations of his ministry when he said: “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mark 1: 7-8).

Hence, the 12 men whom Paul met in Ephesus, needed more than repentance; they needed faith in Christ and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. And after they heard about Jesus from Paul, they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. But Paul not only baptised them: he also laid hands on them so that they received the Holy Spirit.

Next, we look at the baptism of Christ. According to the Bible, Jesus was sinless. In the account of Jesus’ life, we know he was directly tempted (Matthew 4: 1-11), but He did not commit sins. Therefore, it is hard to make sense of why He was baptized at the start of His earthly ministry. Even John was surprised and wondered why Jesus requested to be baptised by him. Jesus’ answer was brief and simple: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Jesus offered Himself to be baptised in order to identify Himself with us. He truly took our place in every way as the ultimate atonement for sin and death. However, the important thing about this baptism was the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God, and the anointing by the Holy Spirit. In that event we see the revelation of the Trinity, the Father who spoke, Son who was being baptised and the Holy Spirit who came in the form of a dove.

That leads us to my main point. We who have gone through the process of being baptised by water and the Holy Spirit are called to be faithful to our calling as children of God. So, the question that needs to be answered is: What does it mean when we called God our Father?

In most cultures fathers are regarded as the heads of families and they play important roles, in bringing up their children. However, not everybody has a happy father-son or father-daughter relationship. Our imperfect human relationship has clouded our understanding of God as Father. Thus, when God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world He has, among other things, revealed to us what perfect father really means and how fathers should conduct their relationship with their children. In my sermon this morning, I want to talk about how the relationship between Jesus the Son and God the Father can be the basis of our relationships as parents and children.

There are four things that I want you to take note of when Jesus speaks about His relationship with God the Father. First is authority. It is the Father who gives the commands and made the decisions. It is the Son who initiates and carries out the wishes of the Father. Because the Father has the authority the Son obeys. Jesus says, “I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6: 38). In John 5: 19 he says, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself, He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does”. Again in John 4: 34 Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work”. So the first thing that comes out of this Father-Son relationship is authority. Because God has the authority, we, like Jesus, are to acknowledge that authority by our obedience.

Last Sunday I spoke the obedience of Joseph. Some people have problem with obedience because they regard obedience as sign of weakness, or that they are being controlled by others. But obedience, in reality, is power through which God achieves His purpose. It is through the obedience of Jesus that the will of God is achieved. When Jesus prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane He said to His Father, “Not my will, but Your will be done.” And because Jesus was obedient, there was crucifixion, resurrection, and so we have salvation. We are saved because Jesus obeyed the will of the Father. So when we call God our Father it is to acknowledge His authority over us and that we are to obey Him.

What does it mean to obey God? If we are to be obedient to the wills and commands of God, we need to seek His will for us. But seeking the will of God does not mean just listening to the “inner voice” of God speaking in our hearts. Obedience to God also requires us to discuss matters and issues with God’s people. That is why we have meetings in church before we execute any plan - to ensure that they are made in accordance with the will of God.

Remember also that real obedience is only possible when we love God. We cannot obey God if we do not love Him. So it needs to be acknowledged here that the spiritual authority of God is not only marked by power but by love as well. So our second point is that, when we acknowledge the Fatherhood of God we are aware of His affection or love. In John 5: 20 Jesus says, “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all He does”. Salvation begins out of love as stated by John 3.16. That love is expressed in the fellowship of the Trinity.

Jesus has a perfect relation with His heavenly Father. I have no doubt that He also finds a good earthly father in the person of Joseph. The words of Jesus in John 15:9 are important. He says, “As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you”. The Trinity is perfect fellowship of love, and that love is extended to us. The whole event in the salvation history is an expression of that love, whether it is the birth and the earthly ministry of Jesus, the crucifixion and the resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. It is all done out of His love for us.

Third, there is fellowship between the Father and the Son. For many of us, the terms ‘Father God’, ‘Heavenly Father’, or ‘Almighty Father’ are just names we use at the beginning of our prayers. John quotes Jesus as saying, “I am not alone, the Father who sent Me is with me” (John 8:16). In John 10:30 Jesus said, “The Father and I are one”. This tells us that Jesus never carries out His work alone. He works with God the Father. He builds up the fellowship with the Father through constant prayers. He puts His trust in the Father. Remember, when you pray to God, it is not just telling God to do something for you: it is you making a promise to work with Him, to obey Him and be guided by Him.

Fourth, in that relationship there is honour and glory. In His prayer before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus prayed this prayer: “Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You…I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began” (John 17:1, 4, 5).

The Ten Commandments clearly tell us to honour of father and mother. The same principle is applied in our relationship with the heavenly Father. We are to follow the footsteps of Jesus and bring glory and honour to the Father. We are called to honour His name, to acknowledge that He is our Father, and to love Him with all our hearts, minds and strength.

It is also important to note that our relationship with the Father is a reciprocal relationship - that God also honours us. First, God honours us by creating us in His image. He also honours us by giving us the freedom of choice. He honours us by taking trouble to save us. Finally, He is going to honour us by offering us His heavenly home.

So the title “God the Father” is the description of our relationship with Him and our privilege positions. And it speaks about our responsibilities as God’s children. This revelation of the Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus is very important to us, not just as a doctrine. When we acknowledge that the God we worship is our Father, it also means that we recognise other people who worship with us as our brothers and sisters, and that we make it a point to behave responsibly and honourably towards them; most especially our parents.

 When Jesus came to John to be baptised it is a symbolic acceptance of the task to be laid upon Him – i.e. to live and to die for humankind. So likewise, when we come to church to be baptised, or when we were brought to baptism as babies and later on come by ourselves for Confirmation, it is a symbolic acceptance of the fact that we are willing to live and die for Christ, and to serve others just as He has served us.

~Can. James Juhari~