Baptism of the Lord!

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ABOUT THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

As we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus today, we are afforded another opportunity to reflect
on this moment in our Lord’s life.

The Baptism of Jesus was not meant to make him a Christian. John the Baptizer could not
make Jesus a follower of Christ. John did not know the Christian message. He knew the
difference. “I baptise you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16). We who are baptised in Christ are the ones who follow Christ.

It was not because he was renouncing any guiltiness. All he was renouncing was the shelter
and security of his home to take on his dangerous yet saving mission.

It was not about forgiveness for sin. Rather, he was taking on the sin of the world, our cares
and concerns. He was taking up his cross which he carried all his life until he reached
Calvary.

His baptism was the signal of the beginning of the Messiah’s work. It was another sign of the
Epiphany of Christ to the world. Our baptism is the Epiphany of Christ in us, it is the
beginning of our ministry in him, the beginning of our life in him.

Our Baptism is not only for the forgiveness of sins but for power for the future as we share
in the life and liberating work of Christ in our broken world.

We may think of baptism in terms of repentance and the forgiveness of our sins. To be limited
to that view of baptism would create a people who are concerned with their own salvation
and nothing else. In Jesus, baptism becomes something more. Baptism is about the new
creation, baptism is about being blown by the creative and transforming wind of the Holy
Spirit. It is not so much from sin as for new beginnings, not so much about ourselves as about
those to whom we are called to offer healing, freedom, comfort and strength, the ministry of
service to others.

The Rev’d Canon Dr. Stephen Fields
Sub-Dean & Vicar