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The Baptism of Christ
SERMON – 10.15am, Emmanuel Church, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Sunday 10th January 2010
Revd. Canon David Pickering
Luke 3.16 John answered, I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
A newly ordained curate arrived for his first Sunday sermon. He was busy in the vestry going over his text and making tweaks here and there. Suddenly there was a loud crash in the church. The curate and the vicar ran out to discover that a member of the congregation had collapsed. While the vicar went off to call for an ambulance, the curate found himself administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until help arrived. Later, the vicar commented, "That was your baptism of fire. You have to be ready for anything in this job."
In the ordinary run of the mill of life, "baptism of fire" usually means being thrown in at the deep end and having to face some awful ordeal.
It was an expression which became associated with the ordeal of martyrdom by burning, and later was often applied to a soldier's first experience in battle.
But this is not the meaning that we find in the gospel phrase.
To appreciate what Luke means by the phrase we need to look at the way the different gospel accounts see the baptism of Jesus.
The Baptism of Christ is one of the few early events in his life and ministry that is recalled in all four gospels. But is it still difficult to gain a clear and precise picture of what really happened there on the banks of the River Jordan.
Matthew and Mark, with general agreement, give quite detailed accounts, but each with their own emphasis. Luke and John seem to just mention it in passing as we heard in this morning's gospel reading.
But what is interesting in all four account they all stress how John the Baptist looks to the great importance of Jesus.
Mark is content to assert John's inferiority to the one who will follow him. The who is more powerful is coming after me. (Mark 1.7)
Matthew takes matters a bit further (Matthew 3.13- 15) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptised by him. John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?' But Jesus answered him, 'Let it be so for now. Then Luke presents us with a rather complicated picture. In the second part of this morning's gospel reading, we have the simple Now when all the people were baptised, and when Jesus had also been baptised and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.
Luke doesn't actually have Jesus being baptised by John..
To him the more important aspect is in the first part of the reading, which I used as a text John answered, 'I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Not only is John unworthy to undo the sandals of Jesus, where as, he John baptises with water, Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire.
So where in the gospels do we actually see Jesus baptising? Nowhere!
But we do know from the rest of the NT that baptism was a common feature of the life of the Church from the very earliest days, and long before the gospels came to be written.
So when John the Baptist looks to baptism by Jesus, he has in mind the baptism of Christian initiation that has been there from the earliest days until now, which includes yours and my baptism. Yes we were all baptised in water, but more importantly were we baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire?
The water on our foreheads may have dried up a long time ago, but what about the Holy Spirit and the fire?
Has the fire gone out? Has the Holy Spirit faded?
(Perhaps I should end the sermon there and we all sit and reflect on the question, is the fire of the Holy Spirit of our baptism still alight?)
I might be accused of giving short measure.
Our New Testament reading this morning presents an interesting situation.
Here, early in the Acts of the Apostles, we see the good news of the gospel moving out into the wider world, and interestingly to the hostile territory of Samaria.
Not enough time to go into the background of this key incident, but it does raise the question for us, are we fired up enough with the Holy Spirit to go out into the hostile and uncomfortable areas of the world and live with the good news of God's love and goodness.
New Year resolution – to be more fired up with God in our lives. It could make all the difference to what sort of year we have.
On fire with enthusiasm for God – prayer & worship
It is so easy to be laid back and complacent in our faith.
One of the past times and interests of our lives
But not something to be on fire about
It might get in the way of other things.
If we are on fire with God, then we will be on fire about his creation, and be concerned for the environment.
Part of our environment is other people.
Those whose lives are reduced in one way or another through poverty, illness or disability.
Fired up in all our relationships, from the most intimate to the occasional and casual.
This will make a real difference to how we live out each day of the coming year.
Are we ready to face the uncomfortable, accept the challenges, fulfil the difficult task that may come our way?
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
God will keep his promise, will we let Him?
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