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Sermon - The Baptism of Jesus - 13th January 2008
St Alban’s 7:00am, 8.00 am & 10:00am
Readings: Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-17
“History” said the schoolboy, “is one damn thing after another.” History is just a series of dates, events and people doing bad things to other people. That’s the schoolboy’s understanding of history. But, of course, the historian’s task is much harder. The historian looks at the dates, the events and the people and then asks the big question “Why?” The historian looks for trends, themes and connections. They look at what went before and what came after to determine how the two are connected.
There are times when we need to do this with the Bible. It involves asking the two questions of “Why?” and “So what?” And today is one of those occasions with our gospel reading. It’s a strange passage. It is a bit like opening a novel half way through. You are not sure what happened beforehand or why they are saying what they are saying. Even John the Baptist seems to be caught wrong-footed here. He had been preaching the coming of the Messiah.
Several gospel writers alert us to the fact that John’s ministry was very popular. Crowds were leaving Jerusalem to come into the desert to be baptised. No doubt many held a very high regard for John. Yet John’s message was always to direct people’s attention to the coming Messiah. He would remind people he was not worthy even to untie the Messiah’s laces. Apparently, in those days there was only one order a servant or a slave could refuse. A master could not order their servant to remove their sandals. The feet were considered too dirty, too lowly. Each person had to look after their own feet. And so John used this as a picture to describe the greatness of the Messiah. He would be so great that John would not be worthy to do even the meanest task for him – not even untie his sandals.
And yet here we have Jesus arriving one day at the Jordan expecting to be baptised by John. John was shocked. It was all back to front. But Jesus said it should be this way to fulfil all righteousness. But we are not sure what that means. Why is it good that John baptise Jesus? The passage doesn’t tell us. And then, as soon as Jesus was baptised, the heavens opened, the spirit came from heaven like a dove. And then there was a voice from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” But why was God pleased with him? Why were these things happening at all? And what sense did the crowd who was watching make of it?
Fortunately, our Old Testament reading today is from Isaiah. It might help if we remember that Isaiah was about the most popular book of the Old Testament is Jesus’ day. Books were expensive and most synagogues could only afford several Old Testament books in their collection. But usually, they had copy of Isaiah. And not only was Isaiah well know, it was usually learnt by heart, so most Jewish boys could recite the whole book from memory. And Isaiah 42 is an introduction to Jesus.
Writing 500 years beforehand, and having witnessed the destruction of Israel by the Babylonians Isaiah looked to the future. He was given a vision of God’s Messiah. But the description is remarkable. It is unexpected. If you can imagine an invasion, you can imagine the terrible things done to the Jews. Horrible acts of violence and brutality a victorious nation usually perpetrates upon its victims. So you can imagine the response in every Jewish heart – a burning desire for revenge. A chance to hit back for all the injustices suffered.
Yet Isaiah 42 has no note of revenge. Rather it describes a bigger picture. Isaiah looks forward to what God will do in the future but he also reveals why God will act like that and what role he expects from Israel in his grand plans. So first we see God’s plans for the future. He will send his Messiah, his servant and he will give him God’s spirit. This is what God had always done for the leaders of Israel. He had raised up a leader and he would anoint the leader with his spirit so he would have the wisdom to lead in righteousness and according to God’s desires. But the way it is written here it sounds like the giving of God’s spirit will be a permanent gift. A gift of the spirit for all time.
And we can see immediately the impact of the gift of the spirit. It will result in God’s servant bringing justice to the nations. And notice that nations is in the plural. This is not a promise to give Israel justice. This is not a veiled attempt to get revenge for Israel. Rather, through God’s justice, the whole world will be blessed. We don’t need to watch the news for too many nights without hearing of someone appealing to our authorities for justice, and often without any hope of being satisfied. Justice is often in very short supply. And yet this is the very blessing that God will give his creation even coming to those weakest in society. They are beautiful words “A bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not break.” These are images of the weak and the powerless. And yet even they will see the justice of God. They won’t be excluded from the blessing.
And what comes next reads almost like a wedding service. The vision suddenly stops describing what God will do and begins to describe what God is like. First, he is described as the creator of the heavens and the earth and second he is described as the giver of life. These are two powerful images of God but it goes further to describe what this creator life-giving God will do. He will call us, he will take us by the hand, and lead us into a life long relationship, a covenant, much like a wedding vow, as the husband takes his bride and vows to her his very self.
And notice too who God is calling, not just the Jews. Rather, they are to be a light to the Gentiles. Just as God has created everything, and given life to all things so his blessings are extended to all creation. His justice will be given to all as he puts the world to rights. The eyes of the blind are opened, the captives are freed at last and those in darkness are freed from their dungeons. This is what God is like. That is what he will do. In this way God has explained why he has sent his son.
This is why Jesus arrived at the Jordan for baptism and why at this time the Spirit descended upon him like a dove. What God had promised in Isaiah’s vision was now being fulfilled in the life of Jesus. The covenant that he made, the promises to restore his creation will begin to be fulfilled in the life of Jesus. And in his own ministry Jesus demonstrated that fulfilment. The eyes of the blind were opened, the deaf could hear, the lame could walk. He even gave life to the dead. So Isaiah explains why Jesus arrived at the Jordan for his baptism, to begin his ministry of restoration and recreation.
And yet there remains our role in this great work. Because the blessings were never meant to end with us. Just as Israel was blessed, they were to be a light to the Gentiles. The picture is of a world in darkness. Yet in John’s gospel we read that in Christ was life, and that life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness. So just as we have been blessed by receiving that light we are to be a light to the world, to share the same love that we have received, to show that same forgiveness we have been given, to live like the people of God, demonstrating the qualities that were shown to us in God’s son. The truth of God was revealed in Jesus. And now the truth of Jesus needs to be revealed, to be demonstrated to be lived out in our lives in our world.