Skip to main content

A New Identity


In the winter months of 27-28 AD, John the Baptist came out of the Judean wilderness. Crowds gathered to the desert lands where the river flowed into the Dead Sea. This was a movement like no one had ever seen before.

At a ford of the Jordan, John cried, "Repent for the kingdom of God is near!" When he ended each sermon, he would walk to the river's edge and stand in the shallow water. Hundreds came forward to be baptized. John would place a strong hand on everyone who came forward, then the people would humble themselves and bow their knees in the muddy river until they could hear the rush of water in their ears.

Toward the end of that winter, as the crowd began to thin, Jesus came, almost unnoticed, and was baptized.

One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy." (Luke 3:21-22 NLT)

As we read this, we can't help but to ask, "Why?" Why would Jesus, the only one who has walked this earth and lived without sin, why would he go forward for baptism?

It's a mystery. I truly don't think we can perfectly explain why. But I think there are strands that we can tie together to help us begin to grasp part of the reason.

Maybe Jesus wanted to show his support of John's ministry. John prepared the way. Now, it was time for Jesus to begin his ministry.

Jesus was baptized, not for repentance, but for the complete consecration of being completely ready to share God's kingdom with the world.

And Jesus never thought of himself as separate or isolated. He identified with people. Jesus is showing us how to be human--how to live. He is baptized because we have a need for repentance--we need to change our hearts and lives. And Jesus is demonstrating the urgency to commit to the kingdom of God.

Some people view baptism as a new beginning. One thought I had this week was that this scene sounds very similar to the creation story. The Spirit is hovering above the waters. God speaks. Maybe we should view this baptism of Jesus as the beginning of the new creation. Jesus is about to create something new. A new family. A new humanity. A new way of life.

In this story, Jesus is revealed as God's chosen one.

But that's not all. We also have a place this story. Because we are chosen. To become Christian is to receive a new identity. That means we no longer allow others--family, friends, co-workers, society--to tell us who we are. Jesus now claims us and instructs us as we become new. Baptism celebrates becoming that new person.

At Jesus' baptism, God says, "This is my beloved Son." For us, baptism means that God has also chosen us as daughters and sons. We are baptized into a new family. So the most important thing about us, our true identity, is that we are now sons and daughters of God.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Anxiety to Hope

In the early winter of AD 28, an extraordinary rumor spread across the shores of Galilee. A new prophet is on the scene. God had been silent for so long. Believers had longed for a new word from God. The last prophet to speak about the Messiah lived nearly 400 years ago. Some thought prophecy was dead. Others hoped it would be revived. Many longed for a movement which would bring them a new kind of freedom. Then John appears. Crowds come to hear this voice in the wilderness. It may helpful to remember the Exodus story: When Israel left Egypt, they were ed through the Red Sea, through the wilderness of Sinai, and, finally, through the Jordan into the promised land. People were desperate for a new exodus, a new freedom. Then John appears. He tells people to turn their lives around. He calls for people to change their hearts and lives. He's not calling for a one-time event. Instead, this is a radical change of life. John is preparing the road for the Lord to return. He...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Grand Tour: Repentance, Justification, and Sanctification

Eventually, in life, we will all wonder if there is more to life than what we do, what we see, and what we feel. Even after we accept Jesus into our heart, we will still feel a longing. We don't believe that accepting Jesus is the final step. Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is only the beginning of our faith. The Holy Spirit continues to work in our lives. John Wesley used the illustration of a house to describe this work. When you're beginning to feel that there has to be more to life than this, you take a look at the house. Then, you’re moved to take a risk and step up on the porch of repentance. There you find new life. After that, you walk into the living room through the front door of justification. Justification is when God makes right what we never can; God, through Christ, makes things right. Wesley ended by saying that sanctification is the exploration of the rest of the house. How sad would it be to live your entire life in the living room? That would b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Our Mission from Jesus

Mark 6:7-13 in the Common English Bible (CEB) reads: "He [Jesus] called for the Twelve and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a walking stick--no bread, no bags, and no money in their belts. He told them to wear sandals but not to put on two shirts. He said, 'Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. If a place doesn't welcome you or listen to you, as you leave, shake the dust off your feet as a witness against them.' So they went out and proclaimed that people should change their hearts and lives. They cast out many demons, and they anointed many sick people with olive oil and healed them." In this text, Jesus sends out his disciples to proclaim and live the life that Jesus lives in their presence. He gives them the command to preach, heal, and to overcome evil, with authority. He sends them to reveal the good news of the kingdom with words a...
Post a Comment
Read more