But I am Baptized!

But I am Baptized
Rev. Stephen Milton
January 12, 2025

Did you notice anything strange about today’s scripture reading? It comes from the Gospel of Luke. It is the account of how Jesus is baptized. He gets dunked into the Jordan River and as he rises, the Holy Spirit enters him bodily, like a dove. That’s what we expect to hear. But when Jesus comes to Jordan to be baptized, John the Baptist isn’t there. We’re not sure who dunks Jesus into the river, but it isn’t John because in Luke’s version, John is in jail. 

Why is John in jail? Isn’t it more important that he should be in the river baptizing Jesus, like he is in the other gospels? Luke knows that in Mark’s gospel, it’s John who baptizes Jesus. But Luke has chosen to change the story so that John is in prison when Jesus comes to be baptized. It doesn’t make the story any better. It seems less impressive somehow, like Jesus is getting baptized as an afterthought. So, why would Luke tell the story this way?

John has been baptizing people down at the river for a while. Word has gotten out that he may be a new prophet, the first in centuries. That’s pretty exciting. He has been telling people to repent of their sins, and only then will he wash them clean in the Jordan by dunking them under water. All sorts of people come to be baptized. Some are people who don’t think they have much to repent about. But there are also people who are hated by society. Soldiers and tax collectors. And John, inspired by God’s spirit, gives them a hard time. He tells them: don’t rip people off, don’t shake them down just to get rich. He calls them snakes. John’s language is harsh, but he says these things because he has a clear sense of justice. Don’t beat up or steal from the poor. Repent, change your ways, then you can be baptized.

And John is equally critical of the local king. He’s one of the sons of King Herod. He is in charge of Galilee, and he has done something immoral. He has married his half brother’s ex-wife. This is considered a sin by Jewish standards, and it has made him unpopular with his Jewish subjects ^[1]. John the Baptist calls him out for doing this, and many other crimes. John is talking truth to power. And that’s what gets him arrested and thrown into the king’s dungeon, where he will later be killed. 

That’s why John isn’t in the river to baptize Jesus. John has criticized the immorality of the local king. Luke tells us this, in this order, so we’ll understand what the stakes are. Getting baptized is good for your soul, but it comes with responsibilities and risks. Being God’s representative on Earth, reminding people of what God calls for, can anger those in power. It can be dangerous. It is also vitally necessary. 

Later this month, the Americans will inaugurate their new President. 

He has promised to persecute and prosecute his political enemies. He wants to “lock them up.” 

People who have criticized his immorality and his illegal activities will likely be charged with crimes against the state. 

Republican Liz Cheney will likely be one of them. She earned Trump’s ire by telling the country he was a traitor who encouraged an armed insurrection four years ago. 

This is a common tactic used by right wing governments all over the world. Get into power and then destroy the opposition by sending them to jail or making them disappear. Last year, Russia’s opposition leader died in prison ^[2]. Last week, Venezuela’s Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was run off the road by armed gunmen and kidnapped. ^[3] We may want to believe that we have evolved beyond what happened to John the Baptist. If only it were so. The urge to seize power for the few, to jail those who criticize the government - that was true in Jesus’ time, and it is still true now all over the world. We have many Herods now, and their behaviour has not changed much over the centuries.

Luke tells us about Herod’s arrest of John the Baptist so we will understand why it is so important that Jesus is baptized. Why it matters that the Holy Spirit enters him in baptism. Luke writes these words knowing that in his day, baptism is how people become Christians. Ever since that day in the Jordan River, adults and children have been getting baptized with water. Sometimes in rivers, more often using little fonts like this one. As we baptize Naomie, we are all reminded of past baptisms, of the baptisms of our children and friends. Baptisms inspire a warm feeling inside; we can feel the Spirit in the room in the contrast between the hushed silence and the gurgling and crying of babies. Baptisms are truly a heart-warming event. As they should be.

But there are parts of the world where a baptism like this would need to be performed in secret. Doors closed, invites only go out to immediate family. There are parts of the world where Christians are persecuted for their faith. Our church is sponsoring a refugee family who were driven out of their country because they are Christians. In places like India and Pakistan, Christian homes and churches are burned down, and Christians are run out of town, lest they convert anyone to their faith ^[4]. In Iran, anyone who converts from Islam to Christianity can be arrested.^[5] Conversions that start with baptisms. 

What is the world afraid of? Why should baptisms matter so much? The meaning of baptism has been much debated over the years, even among Christians. For a long time, Roman Catholics and Protestants alike believed that children who were not baptized would go to hell or purgatory when they died. This meant that everyone who had never heard of Christianity or practiced another faith were doomed for eternity. When I meet with families to discuss baptism, I always tell them that times have changed. In the United Church we believe that God is Love, so God would never punish unbaptized children like that. We believe God created all human beings in love, and God wants us all to thrive. Non-Christian children and adults are loved by their Creator, just as we are. Indeed, even the current Pope has said that other religions are also gifts from God*. Baptism does not exist to save your soul from eternal punishment. That old idea is something we can put aside.

So, what is baptism for then? I think of the words of Martin Luther, the man who created Protestantism back in the 1500s. He said that whenever he became doubtful about his self worth, or whether his life would amount to much, or whether he was a good person, he would remind himself, “ But I am baptized!”^[6] What he meant by that is that when he was a baby, and hadn’t achieved anything, God took him in as a Christian and declared, you are my beloved. The babies who get baptized have done nothing to deserve this gift of grace. They are not better than other babies, or more accomplished. We baptize the babies who burp a lot, and the ones who don’t. We baptize babies who sleep through the night, and the ones who never do. Jesus hadn’t done anything impressive when he got baptized, either. No miracles, no great speeches. He was all potential, just like these babies are. 

When we are baptized, we are reminded that as humans we have a life, but we can have an even richer life with God. Many doubt this now. Afterall, just look at us. We marvel at each other’s beauty, the fashion show of simple humanity. Even if there wasn’t a religion in the entire world, we humans would still be awesome to behold and watch. The way we move, how we think, what we can write, the songs we sing, the art, the science, our technology – we are amazing. 

But we know from experience that society can lead us astray. Some call it evil; others say it is the mark of original sin; some say it is just instincts we received from evolution. Whatever “it” is, human society has a way of promoting greed and selfishness. Promoting power and fame. Worshipping the rich and powerful, while everyone else is told they are nobodies who should admire the somebodies on screen or on TikTok. This happens all over the world, throughout all the ages. The world gets divided into an elite of somebodies, and everyone else should just wish they were somebody. Worship the famous and beautiful! Obey the strong! It is a refrain that keeps coming back, over and over again from Pharoah’s time to our own.

This is why we need to remember: “but I am baptized!” In our baptism we are brought together to hear from a book that tells us that God is love. That we are called Christians because we follow a man called the Prince of Peace, who helped everyone he met. The poor and the rich, the sick and the healthy, the forgotten and the respected. We do nothing to earn this love, it is given to us when we are created. But through baptism we are encouraged to gather together to remember that God loves every single one of us. That we are called to celebrate that love in word and in song. We are encouraged to share that love, through passing the peace, through sharing the news of our week with each other before and after the service. By taking care of each other between Sundays. We are offered an antidote to loneliness and isolation, to bitterness and separation. 

And we are not a country club. We share this precious God-given love with other people who we have never met. We share our wealth with refugees and migrants, with people living in tents and in shelters, and nowhere at all. We speak up for God’s children who are being oppressed by racism, sexism, homophobia, and poverty. We know that everyone is a somebody. Everyone deserves love and respect.

And should we fall into hard times and begin to doubt our self worth; should we fear that our sins are so great that we are beyond redemption; should we feel we have accomplished nothing; that our life has been wasted; that we are a nobody. Then please remember Luther’s words: “But I am baptized!” The water placed on my head is like a kiss from God, a reminder for all eternity that each of us is loved no matter what we have done or didn’t do. God made us in love, God sustains us in love, and God will greet us in love when we die. The world will deny it. The world will tell us that we have to earn its praise to be worthy. But don’t you believe it. God made you; God loves you; God will sustain you. Through baptism, we are reminded of God’s precious gift of grace, one that started in the Jordan River, was nailed to the cross, and burst out of a closed tomb. May you carry your baptism as a reminder of God’s love for all your days. Amen

^[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herod-Antipas

^[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/alexei-navalnys-death-what-do-we-know-2024-02-18/

^[3] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/venezuela-opposition-machado-abduction-1.7427473

^[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/16/angry-mobs-burn-christian-churches-in-pakistan-after-blasphemy-allegations

^[5] https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/iran/

^[6] James F White, The Sacraments in Protestant practice and faith, (Nashville, 1999),34.