Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3MNJYlp4TU
Program Transcript
Baptism of Our Lord
Water holds the power to shape and renew. It softens hard soil, restores what is dry, and sustains every living thing. In baptism, water represents the meeting place between heaven and earth.
On the banks of the Jordan, Jesus stepped into the waters not because he needed cleansing, but because we do. This is the Incarnation: Jesus, fully God and fully human, was baptized on behalf of all mankind. He entered our story, identifying fully with humanity, so that we might share fully in his life.
Jesus rose from the water, the heavens opened. The Spirit descended like a dove, resting on him, and a voice from heaven spoke words of love and affirmation:
“This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
In that moment, the world witnessed what had always been true: the Son in perfect communion with the Father and the Spirit, revealing our shared identity in him.
Through baptism, we are reminded that we belong to this divine love. We are God’s beloved children, called to reflect the light of Christ wherever we go.
As we remember the baptism of our Lord, let’s reflect together:
- Where in your life do you need to be reminded that you are God’s beloved?
- How might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to live out your baptismal calling this week?
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
Isaiah 42:1-4 NIV
In these waters, heaven still opens. The Spirit still descends. The Father still speaks.
You are God’s beloved child, chosen, called, and sent to live in the light of his love.
Program Transcript
Baptism of Our Lord
Water holds the power to shape and renew. It softens hard soil, restores what is dry, and sustains every living thing. In baptism, water represents the meeting place between heaven and earth.
On the banks of the Jordan, Jesus stepped into the waters not because he needed cleansing, but because we do. This is the Incarnation: Jesus, fully God and fully human, was baptized on behalf of all mankind. He entered our story, identifying fully with humanity, so that we might share fully in his life.
Jesus rose from the water, the heavens opened. The Spirit descended like a dove, resting on him, and a voice from heaven spoke words of love and affirmation:
“This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
In that moment, the world witnessed what had always been true: the Son in perfect communion with the Father and the Spirit, revealing our shared identity in him.
Through baptism, we are reminded that we belong to this divine love. We are God’s beloved children, called to reflect the light of Christ wherever we go.
As we remember the baptism of our Lord, let’s reflect together:
- Where in your life do you need to be reminded that you are God’s beloved?
- How might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to live out your baptismal calling this week?
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
Isaiah 42:1-4 NIV
In these waters, heaven still opens. The Spirit still descends. The Father still speaks.
You are God’s beloved child, chosen, called, and sent to live in the light of his love.
Isaiah 42:1–9 • Psalm 29:1–11 • Acts 10:34–43 • Matthew 3:13–17
Today on the first Sunday after Epiphany, we commemorate the baptism of our Lord. Our theme today is baptized into belovedness. Our call to worship psalm proclaims the voice of the Lord thundering over the waters. God’s voice is powerful and majestic yet blesses his people with peace. The prophet Isaiah introduces God’s chosen servant, upheld by the Spirit, who brings justice gently and faithfully to the nations. In Acts, Peter declares that this chosen servant is Jesus. Anointed with the Holy Spirit, he went about doing good, healing, and proclaiming peace to all. And in Matthew’s Gospel, we witness the baptism of Jesus. The heavens open, the Spirit descends, and the Father declares the Son beloved. These readings remind us that Jesus’ baptism marks the beginning of his Spirit-led mission. He brings justice, peace, and healing to the world. And as those baptized into his life, we are called to join him in his mission.
Reminder: This introductory paragraph is intended to show how the four RCL selections for this week are connected and to assist the preacher prepare the sermon. It is not intended to be included in the sermon.
How to use this sermon resource.
Who Needs to Be Baptized?
Matthew 3:13–17 NRSVUE
(Read or ask someone to read the passage.)
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13–17 NRSVUE
The Epiphany of God’s Heart
Today is the first Sunday in the season of Epiphany. The word “Epiphany” means manifestation or revealing. It’s a time in the church year when we focus on those moments in Scripture where the veil is pulled back. We focus on those times we see something more clearly about who God is and what he is doing in the world.
Each story we encounter during Epiphany shows us a glimpse of divine reality breaking into human experience. These stories from the Bible are not simply moments in the past. They are revelations of the God who continues to reveal himself to us today.
Today we focus on the baptism of Jesus. It’s a moment that is both mysterious and illuminating. In other words, it’s a moment that is so filled with holiness it’s a little beyond our ability to comprehend, but at the same time, it sheds light on God’s nature. At first glance, it looks like a simple act of obedience. Jesus comes to the Jordan River, steps into the muddy water, and is baptized by John. But as we look closer, the heavens open, the Spirit descends, and the Father speaks.
Jesus’ baptism shows us one of the clearest pictures of the Trinity in Scripture. Here we find Father, Son, and Spirit, together, in love, revealing the very heart of God.
Jesus Comes to Us
Matthew begins: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him” (verse 13).
That one sentence holds a world of grace: “Jesus comes.”
John had been preaching in the wilderness. John was calling people to repent. He urged them to turn from their sins and prepare for the coming Messiah. Crowds were going out to hear him in the wilderness; people were leaving their towns and villages to find John at the river. But notice: Jesus does the opposite. He doesn’t wait for crowds to find him or for John to come to him. He doesn’t stand on the shore calling for John to ascend to his level. Instead, Jesus goes to John.
That’s always how grace works. God doesn’t sit back waiting for us to find him; he comes to us. The Incarnation is the eternal Son stepping into our wilderness, walking into our dust and confusion. The God who creates the universe stoops low enough to stand in a muddy river with sinners.
This is the first great epiphany of the story: God comes near. He is not distant, aloof, or waiting for our progress. He moves toward us in love. The whole story of the Bible is the story of a God who keeps coming closer.
Grace Persists
When Jesus arrives, John is startled. He recognizes who stands before him and tries to stop him.
“I need to be baptized by you,” John says, “and do you come to me?”
You can almost hear the confusion in John’s voice. He’s been preaching repentance from sin, yet here is the sinless One asking for baptism. John senses the reversal and resists. John resists, but grace persists.
Jesus gently answers, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness” (verse 15).
This exchange tells us something profound about how God relates to us.
First, we see that Jesus initiates. Grace always begins with God. Even when we are confused, hesitant, or resistant, God moves toward us in patient love.
Second, we see that God’s righteousness is fulfilled not by separation but by solidarity. Jesus doesn’t stand apart from humanity; he stands with us. Just as he stepped into our human existence of sin and transformed it, Jesus steps into the water with sinners. He joins himself to us fully. Jesus identifies with our weakness and understands our failure and brokenness.
John’s resistance is understandable. But Jesus doesn’t let that resistance have the final word. Grace persists. Jesus draws John into obedience, transforming his hesitation into consent. “Then he consented,” Matthew writes.
Even our response to God’s initiative is part of God’s gift. When we say yes to God, it is because God said yes to us first and Jesus always responds to his Father in faithful obedience. God, in Christ and by his Spirit, has already been at work. He has been softening our hearts, reshaping our resistance into trust.
Who Needs to Be Baptized?
John asks the question, “Do you come to me?” (verse 14). It raises the central question of the passage: Who needs to be baptized?
The practice of baptism wasn’t exactly a new practice. For centuries, the Jewish people had a tradition of ritual washings for the purpose of purification. Another words, they had ceremonies involving water that they believed made them “clean.” Converts to Judaism were baptized to signify a new identity.
John’s ministry expanded that. He called all people who were willing to repentance through baptism.
But now Jesus steps into the water, and the question explodes in meaning. If anyone had no need of baptism, it was Jesus. Yet he comes to be baptized. Why?
Jesus enters fully into our humanity and is baptized “to fulfill all righteousness.” He identifies with us completely. He takes upon himself the human story so that we might be taken up into the divine story. Jesus steps into the water to be baptized not because he needs repentance, but because we do!
The magnitude of the Incarnation cannot be overstated. As the Son of Man, Jesus is baptized on behalf of all humankind.
In that moment, Jesus is not only setting an example, but he is also enacting salvation. He immerses himself in the depths of our condition so that he can lift us up into his life with the Father in the Spirit.
Baptized into the Life of the Trinity
The Greek word baptizo means to dip, to immerse, to dye. It gives us a picture of total saturation. It’s like the idea of a piece of cloth soaked in color dye until every fiber shares the shade of what it’s been immersed in.
That’s what Jesus does for us. He immerses himself in our humanity, and through him, we are immersed in the life of God.
Before time began, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existed in eternal communion — immersed in love, joy, creativity, and mutual delight. This is the “baptized life” of the Trinity.
Now, through Jesus, we are included in that life. Baptism is not just a ritual or ceremony that symbolizes cleansing; it is a sign of our participation in God’s own relationship as Trinity. Christ has plunged us into the divine love. Now, through baptism, we actively and personally take part in the love the Father has for the Son in the Spirit. And we begin to experience the reality of our place as an adopted child within the divine fellowship. What Christ has done for all becomes personally our own.
So, who needs to be baptized? In the light of Jesus’ baptism, the answer is all of us — and even God himself, in Christ, for our sake.
Heaven Opened: Creation is Restored
Matthew continues in verse 16, “When Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him…”
Those words, “the heavens were opened,” echo the very beginning of the Bible. In Genesis, the Spirit of God hovers over the waters, and God speaks creation into being. In Jesus’ baptism, we hear those echoes of the first creation. The Spirit hovers again, the Father speaks again, and the Son stands as new creation. The Son is the meeting place of heaven and earth, the union of God and humanity.
This is the dawn of a new creation. The Incarnate Son is not just another prophet in a long line. He makes all things new. When he steps out of the water, creation itself begins to heal.
The Spirit Descends: God Dwelling Among Us
Matthew tells us, “He saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him” (verse 16).
The Spirit rests on Jesus. This is not because the Son lacked the Spirit, but because humanity needs the Spirit. In this moment, the Spirit’s descent on Jesus is the Spirit’s descent on us. Jesus receives the Spirit so that we may receive the Spirit. The Son of God has taken our human nature, and now the Spirit fills that nature with divine life.
The image of the dove recalls another story: the Flood. When Noah’s ark came to rest after the waters subsided, he sent out a dove that returned with an olive branch. It was a sign of peace and new beginning. In Jesus’ baptism, the dove descends again, signaling the end of judgment and the beginning of restoration.
This is what God has always desired — not a world condemned, but a world filled with his Spirit.
The Father’s Voice: The Heart of the Gospel
Finally, we hear the voice from heaven, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (verse 17).
Here is the very center of the gospel. The Father speaks his love over the Son, and through the Son, the Father speaks his love over us.
In Jesus, the heavens are open not only to reveal God’s glory but to declare God’s affection. The voice that created the cosmos now speaks to assure us of belonging, love, and delight.
“This is my Son.”
To belong is the deepest longing of the human soul. The Father claims Jesus publicly, and in doing so, claims us in him. Through baptism you are publicly declaring, I am God’s child. When the world tells us we don’t belong, God’s voice thunders otherwise: You are mine.
“Whom I love.”
The Father’s love for the Son is eternal, unbroken, and pure, just as the Father’s love for all is. But we were alienated from God in our minds and hearts. We were unable to know or receive God’s love.
Now, God speaks his words of love over us in a way that we can receive them. In Christ, the Beloved, we can now know and experience our belovedness. Now we can receive the love that flows eternally within the Trinity and which flows toward us. We are able to share in the Trinity’s love as God’s adopted children.
“With whom I am well pleased.”
To be delighted in is grace beyond measure. God created humans and took great pleasure in them. But we became blinded to the loving gaze of our heavenly Father. We could no longer see or recognize the love of the Father.
Here the Father looks upon Jesus and smiles. Because Jesus has entered our story, we are able to see and recognize that divine pleasure which rests upon us. What we were blind to, we can now enjoy and revel in. The Father is pleased with each of us — not reluctantly, not conditionally, but joyfully.
This is the voice we were created to hear. The Father’s words answer every ache of loneliness, every striving for approval, and every fear of rejection. You belong. You are loved. I am pleased with you.
The Missional Shape of Baptism
Notice that baptism is not the end of Jesus’ story — it is the beginning of his ministry. It’s the moment heaven opens and the mission begins. The Spirit who descends on Jesus will soon drive him into the wilderness. Then the Spirit will empower him to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the captives, and sight to the blind.
In the same way, our baptism is not just a private spiritual moment — it’s a commissioning. To be baptized into the triune life is to be sent into the world as participants in God’s mission.
The Father sends the Son; the Son sends the Spirit; the Spirit sends the Church. We are drawn into that sending love. Baptism is not an escape from the world — it’s an immersion into God’s redemptive work for the world.
So, baptism is both belonging and calling. We are loved, sent, included, and commissioned.
Living in the Reality of Our Baptism
Maybe this is the first time you are learning about baptism. The challenge for some of us is not that we’ve never heard these words, but that we forget them. The noise of life drowns out the voice of the Father. The heavens still stand open, but we often live as though they are closed.
That’s why the Church keeps returning to this story every year. We return to the story to remind us of who we are and whose we are. The Christian life is not a ladder we climb; it’s a gift we live from. We don’t strive to earn God’s favor — we live out of the favor already spoken over us.
Every time we remember our baptism, we remember this truth: Heaven is open. The Spirit is given. The Father’s voice still speaks. Jesus includes us in his life.
The Triune God at Work
The baptism of Jesus is a single event, but it reveals the eternal pattern of God’s work in the world:
-
- The Father speaks love and sends.
- The Son listens to the Father and redeems.
- The Spirit descends and fills.
This is the heartbeat of the gospel — the triune God acting in perfect unity for our salvation.
What begins in the Jordan River will continue to the cross and culminate in the resurrection. The same Spirit who descends like a dove will raise Jesus from the dead, and the same voice that calls him “Beloved” will call us beloved forever.
A Word for the Church Today
In a world fractured by division, fear, and shame, the baptism of Jesus is a living proclamation: God has entered our waters, our lives. He is not ashamed of us. He joins himself to our humanity and calls us his own.
That means our calling as the church is not to stand apart, pointing fingers. Instead, we wade into the waters with our neighbors. We reveal God’s compassion as we share in their struggles. The same Spirit that rested on Jesus rests on us, empowering us to be agents of reconciliation and hope.
When we extend grace, when we forgive, when we love without conditions, we are living our baptismal identity.
Conclusion: The Voice Still Speaks
Epiphany is the season of revelation — of seeing what was always true but now made visible. At Jesus’ baptism, heaven is opened. The Spirit descends, and the Father’s voice declares what is eternally real:
-
- You are mine.
- You are loved.
- I am pleased with you.
The triune God has entered our story and included us in his. The waters have been made holy by his presence.
So, who needs to be baptized? All of us. God himself in Jesus Christ entered the waters first for all of us. It’s love beyond comprehension,
This is the good news of Epiphany: God has come to us. He has claimed us. And in the voice of the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit, we hear the words that define us forever:
“You are my beloved child. With you, I am well pleased.”
Amen.
Brian Zahnd—Year A Baptism of Our Lord
Listen to audio: https://cloud.gci.org/dl/GReverb/GR071-Zahnd-YearA-BaptismLord.mp3
Sunday, January 11, 2025 — Baptism of Our Lord
Matthew 3:13-17 NRSVUE
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Program Transcript
Brian Zahnd—Year A Baptism of Our Lord
Anthony: Let’s transition to our second pericope of the month. It’s Matthew 3:13–17. It is the Revised Common Lectionary passage for the Baptism of our Lord on January 11. Brian, would you read it for us please?
Brian: I’d be happy to.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Anthony: Hallelujah. Praise God.
Brian: Yeah. It’s a great passage.
Anthony: It is. And here at Gospel Reverb, we think all theology should lead to doxology or else why are we doing what we’re doing? So, let me ask you this, why would the perfect sinless Son of the living God be baptized? What purpose did his baptism serve?
Brian: There’s a couple of ways I would respond to that. I’m at least, there’s at least two. There’s probably more, but I’m going to say two things. First of all, John’s baptism was in fact an act of public repentance. I think we all know this, and that’s what throws us off.
So, people are coming to John to repent and then to mark a new entry into the Promised Land. So, John is baptizing in the Jordan. And of course, if you know your story from the Bible, you know that after the wilderness wandering, finally the children of Israel crossed the Jordan in kind of a miraculous way and come into the Promised Land.
I think part of what John is doing is, there is a symbolic reentry into the Promised Land. Come on, we’re going to be the people of God now. We’re actually going to live out our covenant identity. So, I think that’s why he’s baptizing in the Jordan, for one thing. But yes, it is a public act of repentance.
Here’s the thing. We Christians, of course, confess that Christ is without sin. So, Jesus can’t say, “I repent.” But Jesus can say, “We repent.” So, Christ is Emmanuel, God with us. Not God removed from us, not God against us, but God with us.
And so, Jesus comes through virgin birth, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born without sin into this world. As he comes of age and begins his ministry, the first thing he does is participate with us in our repentance. So, Jesus doesn’t come and say, “You all are a bunch of sinners. You need to repent.” No, he says, “We, the fallen sons of Adam and daughters of Eve — to borrow a CS Lewis’ phrase — we need to turn back to God.” And Jesus joins us in that. That’s one way of looking at it. And I think that’s true. I think that’s, I like that.
The other thing, the church fathers — I can’t remember which one first said it, but several of them do — that in one sense, Jesus is baptizing the waters. So Jesus goes into the water to sanctify the water. The waters of baptism are now holy because our Lord has gone into baptism. And so, he enters into the waters of baptism to make the waters holy for our baptism. And that’s a really … I love preaching that way. That’s very patristic. That’s how the church fathers talked about things. And so that’s what I would do with that, at least initially.
Anthony: Yeah. That’s so good. And in the tradition of the patristics, TF Torrance really leans in onto the vicarious humanity of Jesus, who did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He is the one on our behalf who has done it.
Brian: Yes.
Anthony: Lived the life we could not live. Died the death we could not die. And we get to do it with him. One died, therefore all died.
Brian: Right.
Anthony: There’s so much there. I think it was Baxter Krueger, who I heard say, in the only way that a Mississippi man could say it, that the Trinity is not two dudes and a dove. But I’m wondering, what do you make of the Trinitarian dynamic in this text?
Brian: Where to start? I would say it this way. I really like what Henri Nouwen says about the Trinity. And he describes the Trinity as “the House of Love.” And then he works with the famous Rublev icon. We call it Trinity Icon. Actually, it’s The Hospitality of Abraham as the proper name for the icon. Anybody can Google it and you’ll see it and you’ll probably recognize it. And so, it’s drawn from the story of Abraham under the “oaks of Mamre” and the three visitors, which I mean, as a Christian, you can’t read that passage without having Trinitarian thoughts arise in your mind.
And so, Rublev creates a Trinity image drawn from that story. But the way it’s presented, as you look at the icon, there is a space available for the viewer. It’s as if they’re being invited to join the triune God at their same table. And now, in contrast, “the House of Love” with, I think he calls it, “the House of Fear.” And he talks about the world being so driven by fear, but we are invited.
So, the interaction between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as depicted throughout the gospels is always one of love. It’s always one of mutual affirmation. And so, we see this community of love and we’re invited into that. We’re invited to join that. We’re invited to participate in that “House of Love” that is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So, I like that.
If you wanted to get into the weeds theologically, there’s the, what is it, the filioque controversy. And this is, does the Spirit proceed from the Father and the Son? The original Nicene Creed, “proceeds from the Father. We believe in the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.” The West added “and the Son.”
Now, I think the West was wrong in doing this without an ecumenical council. It was part of what led to the great schism and whatever that year was, 1059 or whatever it was. So, I think procedurally they were wrong. Theologically, I think they’re right. I think the one of ways to understand the Spirit is the personified love. The Holy Spirit is a person, as we say.
But it comes from the procession, the eternal procession, so there’s no beginning to it. It’s eternal. The eternal procession of the love between the Father and the Son. And of course, the Spirit does proceed From the Son, because we see how Jesus breathes upon the disciples after his resurrection and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
But this sounds more, this is more like a seminary lecture. This is a theological lecture I’m giving here. So, stick with the first part about the “House of Love.”
Anthony: Yes. And in that” House of Love,” just as a reminder, this happened prior to Jesus’ earthly ministry starting, or at least the way we perceive it. He hadn’t done anything spectacular. He hadn’t raised up this big church and written a lot of books.
Brian: He’s a carpenter for crying out loud.
Anthony: That’s right. And he’s beloved.
Brian: He’s beloved. I would into that word. I would lean into beloved.
Anthony: Beloved. Yes. Yes.
Brian: And we are invited into the same belovedness. I would preach it. I would have that icon. I would have that image and show it to people and say, the love the Father has for the Son is the love you are invited to join and share.
Anthony: And that’s something, just to commend you. You do a great job of including iconography in your messages. And that’s something I’m learning because there’s power.
Brian: Oh there is. There is.
Anthony: And interpreting what you’re seeing. And Rublev is brilliant.
Brian: Yeah.
Program Transcript
Brian Zahnd—Year A Baptism of Our Lord
Anthony: Let’s transition to our second pericope of the month. It’s Matthew 3:13–17. It is the Revised Common Lectionary passage for the Baptism of our Lord on January 11. Brian, would you read it for us please?
Brian: I’d be happy to.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Anthony: Hallelujah. Praise God.
Brian: Yeah. It’s a great passage.
Anthony: It is. And here at Gospel Reverb, we think all theology should lead to doxology or else why are we doing what we’re doing? So, let me ask you this, why would the perfect sinless Son of the living God be baptized? What purpose did his baptism serve?
Brian: There’s a couple of ways I would respond to that. I’m at least, there’s at least two. There’s probably more, but I’m going to say two things. First of all, John’s baptism was in fact an act of public repentance. I think we all know this, and that’s what throws us off.
So, people are coming to John to repent and then to mark a new entry into the Promised Land. So, John is baptizing in the Jordan. And of course, if you know your story from the Bible, you know that after the wilderness wandering, finally the children of Israel crossed the Jordan in kind of a miraculous way and come into the Promised Land.
I think part of what John is doing is, there is a symbolic reentry into the Promised Land. Come on, we’re going to be the people of God now. We’re actually going to live out our covenant identity. So, I think that’s why he’s baptizing in the Jordan, for one thing. But yes, it is a public act of repentance.
Here’s the thing. We Christians, of course, confess that Christ is without sin. So, Jesus can’t say, “I repent.” But Jesus can say, “We repent.” So, Christ is Emmanuel, God with us. Not God removed from us, not God against us, but God with us.
And so, Jesus comes through virgin birth, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born without sin into this world. As he comes of age and begins his ministry, the first thing he does is participate with us in our repentance. So, Jesus doesn’t come and say, “You all are a bunch of sinners. You need to repent.” No, he says, “We, the fallen sons of Adam and daughters of Eve — to borrow a CS Lewis’ phrase — we need to turn back to God.” And Jesus joins us in that. That’s one way of looking at it. And I think that’s true. I think that’s, I like that.
The other thing, the church fathers — I can’t remember which one first said it, but several of them do — that in one sense, Jesus is baptizing the waters. So Jesus goes into the water to sanctify the water. The waters of baptism are now holy because our Lord has gone into baptism. And so, he enters into the waters of baptism to make the waters holy for our baptism. And that’s a really … I love preaching that way. That’s very patristic. That’s how the church fathers talked about things. And so that’s what I would do with that, at least initially.
Anthony: Yeah. That’s so good. And in the tradition of the patristics, TF Torrance really leans in onto the vicarious humanity of Jesus, who did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He is the one on our behalf who has done it.
Brian: Yes.
Anthony: Lived the life we could not live. Died the death we could not die. And we get to do it with him. One died, therefore all died.
Brian: Right.
Anthony: There’s so much there. I think it was Baxter Krueger, who I heard say, in the only way that a Mississippi man could say it, that the Trinity is not two dudes and a dove. But I’m wondering, what do you make of the Trinitarian dynamic in this text?
Brian: Where to start? I would say it this way. I really like what Henri Nouwen says about the Trinity. And he describes the Trinity as “the House of Love.” And then he works with the famous Rublev icon. We call it Trinity Icon. Actually, it’s The Hospitality of Abraham as the proper name for the icon. Anybody can Google it and you’ll see it and you’ll probably recognize it. And so, it’s drawn from the story of Abraham under the “oaks of Mamre” and the three visitors, which I mean, as a Christian, you can’t read that passage without having Trinitarian thoughts arise in your mind.
And so, Rublev creates a Trinity image drawn from that story. But the way it’s presented, as you look at the icon, there is a space available for the viewer. It’s as if they’re being invited to join the triune God at their same table. And now, in contrast, “the House of Love” with, I think he calls it, “the House of Fear.” And he talks about the world being so driven by fear, but we are invited.
So, the interaction between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as depicted throughout the gospels is always one of love. It’s always one of mutual affirmation. And so, we see this community of love and we’re invited into that. We’re invited to join that. We’re invited to participate in that “House of Love” that is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So, I like that.
If you wanted to get into the weeds theologically, there’s the, what is it, the filioque controversy. And this is, does the Spirit proceed from the Father and the Son? The original Nicene Creed, “proceeds from the Father. We believe in the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.” The West added “and the Son.”
Now, I think the West was wrong in doing this without an ecumenical council. It was part of what led to the great schism and whatever that year was, 1059 or whatever it was. So, I think procedurally they were wrong. Theologically, I think they’re right. I think the one of ways to understand the Spirit is the personified love. The Holy Spirit is a person, as we say.
But it comes from the procession, the eternal procession, so there’s no beginning to it. It’s eternal. The eternal procession of the love between the Father and the Son. And of course, the Spirit does proceed From the Son, because we see how Jesus breathes upon the disciples after his resurrection and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
But this sounds more, this is more like a seminary lecture. This is a theological lecture I’m giving here. So, stick with the first part about the “House of Love.”
Anthony: Yes. And in that” House of Love,” just as a reminder, this happened prior to Jesus’ earthly ministry starting, or at least the way we perceive it. He hadn’t done anything spectacular. He hadn’t raised up this big church and written a lot of books.
Brian: He’s a carpenter for crying out loud.
Anthony: That’s right. And he’s beloved.
Brian: He’s beloved. I would into that word. I would lean into beloved.
Anthony: Beloved. Yes. Yes.
Brian: And we are invited into the same belovedness. I would preach it. I would have that icon. I would have that image and show it to people and say, the love the Father has for the Son is the love you are invited to join and share.
Anthony: And that’s something, just to commend you. You do a great job of including iconography in your messages. And that’s something I’m learning because there’s power.
Brian: Oh there is. There is.
Anthony: And interpreting what you’re seeing. And Rublev is brilliant.
Brian: Yeah.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- What does Jesus’ baptism reveal about his mission?
- Does Jesus’ baptism challenge the way you think about who “belongs” in God’s story? If so, how?
- “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” God says these same words over you in Christ. What gets in the way of hearing and believing that voice today?
- We can live as people who know heaven is open, the Spirit is given, and the Father delights in us. What would it look like for our group or church to live that way?
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