Sunday's Message - Out of the Water

Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in the Presbyterian Church of Hopedale, Ohio on Sunday, January 10, 2021.

Mark 1:4-11

John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all of the Judean country and everyone from Jerusalem came out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they were publically acknowledging their sins. And John was wearing camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locust and wild honey. And he proclaimed, saying, “The one who is stronger than me is coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to stoop and unfasten. I baptize you with water, he will baptize you with holy spirit.”

And it happened in those days that Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee came and was baptized in the Jordan by John. And immediately, after coming out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the spirit as a dove come down onto him. And a voice came out of the heavens, “You are my son, the one who is loved, in you I am well pleased.”

Out of the Water

Now, I think every American knows what happened on Wednesday, January 6. As a matter of fact, it may be one of those days that kids will learn about in the future, you know, as either the day our country took a step back from the edge or the day that marked the beginning of our descent into the void. Now I recognize that this language sounds kind of dramatic, but I know for me, as I’ve reading some of the stuff that went on within the Capitol that we couldn’t see on television while it was happening, you know, like people carrying weapons and those zip-tie handcuffs and actively searching for certain people who were in the building, well, it would sure appear a lot darker than just a protest. And I’ll tell you, that’s why January 6 might assume the same kind of place as December 7, as another day that will always live in infamy. 

And sadly, all this kind obscured the meaning this particular day has had for almost 2,000 years. You see, January 6 is Epiphany, the day we’ve traditionally remembered the coming of the wise men to Bethlehem and the time which marks the last of the twelve days that make up the Christmas season. And for some churches, it’s a big deal. For example, I remember, when I was the minister of Southminster in Indianapolis, we always celebrated what we called “Twelfth Night.” We had a congregational dinner and a really informal service, and then we took down all the Christmas decorations we’d put up at our “Hanging of the Greens” service on the first Sunday in Advent. You see, this last Wednesday was a special day. 

And if you’re following the church calendar, on the very next Sunday after Epiphany, we’re suppose to focus on the Baptism of the Lord, in other words, the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, something that we read about a little while ago.

Of course, whenever baptism comes to mind, we generally think about water. And I believe that’s true whether we’re talking about Jesus getting baptized or the kind of baptism we had right here last week. Man, water is a big deal. As a matter of fact, Christians have actually become divided over the amount of water that must be used for the baptism, well I guess, to take. For example, some say sprinkling is enough, while other churches believe in pouring and still others insist that you’ve got to be dunked, you know, totally submerged. Of course, for Presbyterians, that shouldn’t be a big deal, because we tend to believe that the meaning is more important than the method. Still, for others, your baptism isn’t valid unless it’s done in the God-approved way.

And even though, I think most people now-a-days both inside and outside the church consider this kind of attitude a little bit silly, I believe this focus on water, particularly when we’re talking about the baptism of Jesus, well, it actually distracts us from something that’s a lot more important. As a matter of fact, according to the passage we just read, I believe what happened after Jesus came out of the water was a whole lot more important than the baptism itself, and I’ll tell you why. You see, it’s in the last two verses that we find three things that both Jesus and the reader either saw or heard. And each one points to something that God not only offered to Jesus but also gives to us. And so during the rest of this message, we’ll look at what those three things are and why they’re important. Now that’s what we’re going to do for next ten minutes or so. And I said this is all found in those last two verses.

For example, I believe what Jesus saw right after he came out of the water points to the first thing that God offered him and gives to us, and right now I’m talking about God’s presence. In other words, when we pay attention to what happened, I think this is great reminder that God is present with us right here and right now. I mean, remember what the Evangelist Mark wrote: “And immediately, after coming out of the water, [Jesus] saw the heavens torn apart...” [Mark 1:10a] Talk about dramatic. I mean, according to Mark, the heavens didn’t just open, they were torn or ripped apart. And I think that image is important, because he used the exact say word to describe something that happened at the end of the gospel. You see, right after Jesus died on the cross, this was what Mark wrote:

At once the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom. [Mark 15:38, CEV]

I guess this business about something being torn is sort of like bookends in Mark.

But in my opinion, it’s a lot more than that. In both situations, I believe the significance is the same. You see, just like that curtain in the Temple separated the people from a room they called the “Holy of Holies” because that’s where they believed God was present, the heavens also separated these same people from God. And that makes some sense; for those ancient people, God was up, they were down and the heavens were in between. But what happened at both the crucifixion and the baptism? That barrier wasn’t just carefully removed or gently opened; man, it was torn, it was ripped apart by God. And I think he did it to remove that impediment, that obstruction that gets in the way of people, his people feeling his presence. In other words, this tearing apart reminded them, and frankly reminds us that God himself has removed what separates us from him. And in that way, it’s actually an answer to the prayer that the Prophet Isaiah offered when he said, 

Please, Lord, look down 

from your holy and glorious

home in the heavens

and see what’s going on.

Have you lost interest?

Where is your power?

Show that you care about us 

and have mercy! [Isaiah 63:15, CEV]

Now that was what Isaiah wrote and that’s exactly what God did. God removed the separation, and he did it in the most dramatic way possible; he tore it open. 

And I’ve got to tell you, I think that’s really important for us to remember, particularly when we feel isolated and alone, something that a lot of us have had to deal with during this pandemic. You see, when this is the way we feel, we can remember that God is present with us always. He was with us yesterday, and he’s with us today, and he’ll be with us tomorrow. And we can believe it, because Jesus saw the heavens ripped apart when he came out of the water. And for me, that’s the first thing that God gave him and continues to give us.

And right along with his presence, second, God also gives us his power. You see, just like he gave it to Jesus in this passage, he also gives it to us, and I’ll tell you, he’s gives it to us in the exact same way. I mean, remember the other thing Jesus saw. According to Mark, “And immediately, after coming out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the spirit as a dove come down onto him.” [Mark 1:10] Now there’s several reasons why the Spirit would come down like a dove. For one, a dove was a symbol for innocence. As Jesus said in Matthew, “I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves.” [Matthew 10:16, CEV] And two, doves were the only birds that the ancient Jews were allowed people to offer as a sacrifice to God. And three, the ancient Greeks considered the dove to be a symbol of divinity. And so, there were good reasons why the coming God’s spirit was associated with a dove.

But I’ll tell you, I don’t think how it came is as important as why it came, why it came and rested on Jesus and why it continues to come and rest on us, and I’m talking about us as a community and us as individuals. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do. [1 Corinthians 12:4-6, CEV]

You see, that Spirit that comes and rests on us, man, that spirit gives us the power, and I’m talking about the ability to do the things that God has called us to do. And if we don’t know what that is, we need to find out. And if you don’t know what God has called and equipped you do, it’s up to us to help you figure out what that might be. But trust me, through his spirit, God has empowered all of us to do something. And you know, when we feel discouraged and confused, this is something we need to remember. God has given us power. And this is also something we can believe, because along with seeing the heavens torn apart, Jesus saw the spirit as a dove come onto him. And as I read this passage, that’s the second thing that God gave him and continues to give us.

And third, I think this story is a wonderful reminder that God also gives us his love, and I’ll tell you, that may be the greatest gift of all. And you know, I believe that’s pretty clear in what Jesus heard after he’d come out of the water. Remember, after writing about the heavens being torn open and the spirit coming down, Mark wrote, “And a voice came out of the heavens, ‘You are my son, the one who is loved, in you I am well pleased.’” [Mark 1:11, CEV] Now, since the voice said “you are my son” and not “he is my son,” that message of love was from God’s mouth to Jesus’s heart. You see, not only did Jesus get his identity in those words, but he could go about living out that identity knowing he was loved.

And brothers and sisters, so can we. Right here and right now, we can choose to trust that the one who is present with us and who empowers us through his spirit, we can decide to trust that he also loves us. It’s like what Jesus told Nicodemus in the Gospel of John: “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” [John 3:16, CEV] Or it’s like what the minister who literally changed the direction of my life said to me, “Ed, you’re going to have to live with the fact that God loves you. Now what are you going to do about it?” I’m telling you, God loves us. And what’s really interesting, at least to me, the clearest sign of that love is his son, Jesus Christ. And the most definitive act of love was his willingness to die on a cross. That’s what the son came to do. In fact, I don’t think it’s surprising at all that, in the Gospel of Mark, the first time a human recognized Jesus’s true identity was at the crucifixion. Just listen to what happen:

Jesus shouted and then died.

At once the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom.

A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, “This man really was the Son of God!” [Mark 15:37-39, CEV]

You see, Jesus heard the voice from heaven and could trust that he was loved. And not only can we hear that same voice, we can also see the son whom he loved, you know, the one who suffered and died for us on a cross, freeing us from our past. But more than that, we can also see that empty tomb in which the son rose, assuring us that we can look forward with peace and hope. I’m telling you, because we heard the voice, identifying Jesus as God’s son, the one who would later die on a cross to save the people who drove the nails, we can believe that like him, God also loves us. And trust me, that’s the third thing that God gave him and continues to give us.

Now, I really don’t what direction our country will go after Wednesday. But just like I’ve said about COVID, in some very profound ways, I’m not sure it’ll ever be the same again. Of course, I hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t know how you can put the genie back in the bottle. But you know, at least for me, that actually may make the assurance we can get from this passage even more important. I mean, as we consider what Jesus saw and heard, I think there are three things we can trust: first, that God has given us his presence because the heavens were torn apart; and second, that God has given us his power because the spirit came down; and third, that God has given us his love because he’s shown us his son. You see, regardless of what’s going on around us, we can focus on the baptism of Jesus and remember what happened after he came out of the water.