Baptism of the Lord
9th January, 2017
Is 42:1-4,6,7; Acts 10:34-38; Mt 3: 13-17
We celebrate the Baptism of the Lord today. As John the Baptiser rightly pointed out, there was no need for the Son of God to be baptised...but he chose to be! It is a very clear sign that there was a specific purpose to that event. The purpose was to set us a challenge.
Baptism is an act of the Spirit. As Peter observes in the Acts of the Apostles, it is the Spirit who acts at baptism and makes us what we are called to be. This act of the Spirit has a three fold challenge
Word: the Words that are heard is the call of the Spirit - that we may live to be declared the son or daughter in whom the Almighty delights!
Water: the Water in which the Lord immersed himself is an indicator of our situation in which Jesus immersed himself. We are challenged to immerse ourselves into the situations of people around who are suffering and people who need someone to stand by them, instead of getting lost in our own selfish concerns and whims.
Fire: the promise that the Lord will make us a light to the nations challenges us to possess the fire of the Spirit, as Isaiah expects. The fire that will consume all injustice, inhumanities and anti Kingdom elements, paving the way for the Kingdom of God to be born here and now!
Are we people of the Spirit - challenged by the Word, Water and Fire; would the world hear about us said: behold my beloved child, in whom I rejoice!