Water and Spirit

Baptism of the Lord
Genesis 1:1-5 (God creates light); Psalm 29 (The voice of God upon the waters); Acts 19:1-7 (Baptized in the name of Jesus); Mark 1:4-11 (Jesus revealed as God’s servant) (New International Version)

Today, on Sunday, we read of the Baptism of our Lord. John the Baptist came out of the desert with a baptism of repentance and forgiveness. He was preparing the road for Jesus, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was baptized by John not because he was sinful, but set an example and to do the right thing before God. As He was baptized heaven was torn open and the Holy Spirit descended on him in peace.

When Paul came to Ephesus he found some disciples who had only been baptized by John. Paul asked them if they received the Holy Spirit when they were baptized. Almost in a humorous way they say, "we have not even heard there was a Holy Spirit!" I wonder how many people might say that today. So Paul baptized them in the name Jesus, placed hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. We talked about the laying on of hands yesterday as a significant way of setting someone apart for ministry, and in this case to receive the Holy Spirit.

The bottom line is we see two parts of baptism. Water and Spirit and how they are connecting us into the life of Jesus and into the Christian community. Baptism is God's gift to us as we come to faith in His Son, and represents that we are born again and born of God. We receive His Holy Spirit as a sign of that new birth and it is the Holy Spirit that guides our life as believers and followers of Jesus. There are not some Christians who have the Holy Spirit and some who don't. As we believe and are baptized as a sign of that belief we receive the Holy Spirit as the church lays hands on us and says we are God's child. The water is also a sign of cleansing and new birth. The same water that brought us into the world now gives us new life as a son or daughter of God. That is why we can pray, "heavenly Father".

We are often confused about baptism because many churches do it differently. Some use a little water. Some dunk. Some baptize infants. Some adults upon profession of faith. Martin Luther said it is not the amount of water, but water connected to God's Word and the Good News of Jesus. Since God is the one adopting us into His family it is not about our decision to choose Him, but he has chosen us. We accept that by faith led by the Holy Spirit. In our tradition we baptize infants as a sign that it is God who chooses us, and He chooses us right from the beginning. Then a child will grow knowing God loves them unconditionally and doesn't have to prove it by going through some ritual. As a child realizes who they are, they begin to live a life that reflects their identity in Christ.

God has given us water and Spirit as a lifelong reminder of our Baptism, when he chose to be with him forever to the praise of His glory and grace.

Genesis 1:1-5
The Beginning
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Psalm 29
A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Acts 19:1-7
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

Mark 1:4-11
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

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