Baptism of Our Lord Sunday 2019 C. another year along with the decorations and the tree. The celebration of the birth of our Savior

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1 1 Baptism of Our Lord Sunday 2019 C It s pretty much this time of year when many people feel like something has changed. There s a sad sense of returning to normal that surrounds this day. The carols are put away for another year along with the decorations and the tree. The celebration of the birth of our Savior has mostly worn off and we are now left with several weeks of cold and snow to look forward to. A cold January day just isn t as magical as a day in late December and it s a long way before Easter..it s a long way before spring and summer, so it feels like the party is over and now we have to get back to our routine. You might be thinking right now, sheesh, I thought sermons were supposed to deliver good news! Before we can talk about good news, I would like to briefly talk about something that plagues many people these days. There are an ever increasing number of people who suffer from an identity crisis. There is much study going into this topic and it is showing us that having an identity crisis is a real thing. People have rough patches in their lives..this we know. And during these rough patches we know that while under stress we may act differently than we normally do. When this happens it is not an identity crisis, it is just the ebb and flow of life. But even through these varying ways of acting in our lives, we still feel that we are the same person underneath it all. But people who suffer from an identity crisis don t know this feeling. A person without a sense of identity can feel a disconnect from who they have been, and have no sense as to who they will become next. People who have an identity crisis often show some of the following signs: They will completely change according to what is going on around them, they will completely change to suit a relationship, they often have large changes of opinion, they don t like to be asked about themselves, and deep down, they don t trust themselves. Each of these

2 2 people has a strong craving to find out just who they are. And in a world where jobs can change frequently, with fewer families staying together and with the whole realm of social media right before us, the number of people who wonder, who am I is getting higher and higher all the time. So here we are on Baptism of Our Lord Sunday. As I mentioned, this is a Sunday in our church year where we notice a change. The party is over. The excitement of Christmas and all that comes with it is gone and we find ourselves not celebrating the birth of a baby, but witnessing the events surrounding the fully grown man that the baby has grown into. And the obvious thing that happens to this man today is his baptism. Certainly all the churched folks, and even many of the unchurched, know about Jesus baptism in the Jordan. They know about the dove descending upon him from above and the voice from heaven that exclaims, You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased. And many of these folks think about these events in the same way they think about the star that guided the wise men to Bethlehem. They believe that what happened to Jesus can only happen to him. We haven t had any stars guiding people to us have we? We haven t had any doves descending on us have we? We haven t heard voices from the heavens that speak to us have we? Notice something interesting about this baptismal account in Luke. Right before Jesus is baptized John the Baptist was in prison. Now we know from other places in the Bible that it was John who baptized Jesus, but it is interesting here in Luke to see that the focus isn t on John doing the baptizing. And this is an interesting point because, actually, it wasn t John who baptized Jesus..it was the Holy Spirit. Baptism is God s work..and in baptism it is the Holy Spirit that actually does the work. It is the Holy Spirit that is active during a baptism and that is what makes them so special.

3 3 And here is the part that sometimes we need to be reminded of. The Holy Spirit that baptized Jesus, through John, is the same Holy Spirit that baptized you and I. Let me repeat that..the Holy Spirit that was bestowed upon Jesus at his baptism is the very same Holy Spirit that was bestowed upon us at our baptisms. No we did not see doves descending or hear heavenly voices that day, but it is the same Holy Spirit. And with the work of that same Holy Spirit comes the same result..we are also beloved sons and daughters of God. And this is where we can find our identities..identities that are unchanging and dependable. Baptism is God s work..and through that work we may have confidence that no matter how often we fall short or fail; nothing that we do, or fail to do, can remove the identity that God gifts to us. Even among the mistakes we make in our earthly relationships, our relationship with God is the one relationship we cannot mess up. Why? Because we did not create this relationship. We can neglect this relationship, we can deny it, run away from it, ignore it, but we cannot destroy it, for God loves us too deeply and completely to ever let us go. In an age when so many relationships are fragile or tattered, the good news is that this relationship remains solid and intact no matter what. In an age when so many people wonder who they are, they can take comfort in knowing that they are quite simply..god s..they are God s beloved children, and nothing, I repeat, nothing can ever change that. Actually, trusting that this relationship is in God s hands, we are freed to give ourselves wholly and completely to the other important relationships in our lives. This is the way that God always intended it to be. God has us in his hands, now and forever, and we are therefore free to turn towards those people around us..to notice them, and to minister to them in whatever ways they need and in whatever ways we have to give. As Jesus climbed up the banks of the Jordan

4 4 after his baptism ready for ministry..coming out of that water saying, now what?, we are called to do the same. We are called to ask now what..how shall I serve you Lord? The good news today comes in the form of a reminder..you are God s beloved child. This is your identity, and as fast paced and quickly changing our world is, this identity is the most solid and dependable one you will ever find. Say it with me. I am God s beloved child. Yes you are, and please never forget that. In fact, Martin Luther knew that we would need reminding of this from time to time. He said that every time we wash with water it is an opportunity to remember our baptisms. Baptism was never intended to be a one-time event. Baptism is not something that we get done..it is not a hoop that we jump through in the church. Baptism is a life-long journey of growth. Baptism is something that we remember and renew daily. So please consider letting every time you wash yourself with water serve as a reminder of your baptism and what that means. Let it remind you that when your life feels like chaff and you re feeling the heat of the fire of stress and grief, God is with you and you are his. As you wash the dirt and grime from your body remember that your sins have also been washed away. As that water touches your skin remember whose you are. Remember your identity, and then take the knowledge of your identity with you as you head off into the January cold and let it warm you. Take the assurance of God s everlasting love for you into the dark of the winter and let it light your path. Wherever you go and whatever you do never let anything distract you from this wonderful truth. Yes, this Sunday it may feel as if the party is over, but our lives as God s children are certainly worth celebrating. Amen.

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