Called to Serve (1/8/17)
Baptism of Christ, mosaic, detail, from Ravenna Baptistery
On Sunday, January 8th, we ordained and installed new Ruling Elders and Deacons. On the same day, we celebrated the baptism of our Lord. It was very appropriate that both events were celebrated in worship, along with the Lord's Supper.
Sermon
Good morning! What a crazy coincidence we have this
morning—in one service of worship, we’re celebrating the baptism of our Lord,
the ordination and installation of elders and deacons, and we’re also
celebrating the Lord’s Supper. That’s a lot for one Sunday! Maybe we should
have looked at the liturgical calendar before packing all of this into one
service of worship. Or maybe we should have looked at the Steelers’ schedule first.
I mean, the regular season ended last Sunday, but as Steeler fans, we all kind
of expect to be watching our team play for a couple more weeks. So, I’ll try to
keep my sermon short today; I want to be home by kickoff, too.
All kidding aside, I’m sooooo glad that we ordained and
installed elders and deacons on the same day that we recognize the baptism of
our Lord. Baptism is fundamental to our understanding of who we are as
Christians. It also reminds us of our collective calling to serve, as we have
just ordained and installed these elders and deacons in their service to this
congregation.
The story of Jesus’ baptism raises some interesting
questions. Why does Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, need to be baptized? And
who could possibly have the authority to baptize the Lord? Clearly, John the
Baptist didn’t think he was worthy to perform this baptism. According to the
Gospel of Matthew: “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.”
John accepts Jesus’ explanation that it is necessary and
proper for John to baptize Jesus and performs the baptism. Then the skies open
up and Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus. The key to understanding why this is
necessary can be found in the very last verse: “And a voice from heaven said,
‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’”
Matthew believed that Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of
God’s promises to Israel, God’s chosen people. To Matthew, the prophets of the
Old Testament all pointed toward Jesus. In verse 17, when God says, “This is my
Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased,” Matthew is making a direct
reference to this morning’s lesson from Isaiah: “Here is my servant, whom I
uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him he
will bring forth justice to the nations.” Thus, the heavenly voice, the voice
of God declares that Jesus is both the Son of God and the Suffering Servant
that is identified in the Book of Isaiah.[1]
This informs our understanding of the sacrament of baptism.
According to the Book of Order, the constitution of the Presbyterian Church:
Baptism is the sign and
seal of incorporation into Christ. Jesus through his own baptism identified
himself with sinners in order to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus in his own
baptism was attested Son by the Father and was anointed with the Holy Spirit to
undertake the way of the servant manifested in his sufferings, death, and
resurrection. (W-2.3001)
Much of this statement
is drawn from this morning’s gospel lesson. There’s a lot going on that
statement on baptism. I wanted you to hear all of that at once, and now I’m
going to unpack that, one piece at a time.
First: “Baptism is the sign and seal of incorporation into
Christ.” Baptism is the sign, that is, it signifies what Christ has already
done for us: He has taken away our sin. It is not the act of baptism that
cleanses us from sin, it is through Jesus’ death and the action of the Holy
Spirit that our sin is cleansed. The sacrament of baptism marks us for
inclusion in God’s covenants, God’s promises to Israel, but the work has
already been accomplished by Christ.
The word incorporation
is also very, very important. It means that we are a part of Christ. The word
comes from the Latin word, corpus,
which means body. If we are incorporated, then we are truly part of the body of
Christ. Remember, the term “the body of Christ” is another name for the Church.
Baptism means that we are marked as being part of the Church.
Next: “Jesus through his own baptism identified himself
with sinners in order to fulfill all righteousness.” The phrase, “to fulfill
all righteousness” is a direct quote from our gospel lesson this morning. It
means that Jesus was sent into this world to do God’s will, to enact God’s plan
for salvation.[2]
To do this, Jesus must walk with and minister to all of humanity.
The final statement in that section of the Book of Order
reads: “Jesus in his own baptism was attested Son by the Father and was
anointed with the Holy Spirit to undertake the way of the servant manifested in
his sufferings, death, and resurrection.” Baptism is an action for
flesh-and-blood people. In saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved,” God is not
only stating that Jesus is the Son of God, but in doing so at the moment of
Jesus’ baptism, God is also stating that Jesus is fully human. Furthermore, God
clearly states that Jesus’ mission is to serve.
God remains faithful to all of God’s promises to humanity
in and through the physical presence of Christ in the world. This is how God
lives into a relationship with all of humankind:
The language of “all
justice” or “righteousness” expresses actions that are consistent with or
faithful to a relationship or commitment. God is just or righteous, for
example, when God acts consistently with God’s covenant commitments to deliver
the people from exile in Babylon (Isaiah 46:13). To act
justly/faithfully/righteously, whether God or humans, is to act in accord with
God’s will. Jesus’ baptism, then, signifies his commitment to act faithfully to
his God-given commission to manifest God’s saving presence.[3]
In other words, Jesus,
in his own baptism, is marked for his service to humanity.
We must never forget that God’s covenants are not part of a
passive relationship. God isn’t the only one who acts. We must remember that we
are active partners in this relationship. We see this in the disciples who
followed Christ’s call. They “were empowered by the outpouring of the Spirit to
undertake a life of service and to be an inclusive worshiping community,
sharing life in which love, justice, and mercy abounded (W-2.3001).”
The service of ordination marks these new elders and
deacons as servant-leaders in this congregation. But we don’t ordain them in
order that they can serve. Rather, the ordination is a formal recognition of
what God has already done and continues to do in and through these individuals.
Their ordination reminds us all that these folks are called to serve. That’s a
call we all share. We were all baptized into the life, death, and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. The human Jesus lived a life of service. We must follow that
call, too. God has ordained these elders and deacons to very specific
ministries of service. Through their service we are all empowered to be the
church, to participate in Christ’s ministry of service to all of humanity. Thanks
be to God. Amen.
Benediction
Now, beloved, as you depart from this place, remember that
we are called to be the Church, the body of Christ. We are called to
participate in His saving work. Go forth and be instruments of God’s love and
peace and reconciliation. Do not return evil for evil to any person, but know
that we are all loved by God, and that we are called to reflect that love to
everyone we meet. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Let all God’s children
say, Amen!
[1] M.
Eugene Boring, “The Gospel of Matthew: Introduction, Commentary, and
Reflections,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. VIII, (1995, Nashville:
Abingdon Press), p. 160.
[2]
Boring, 160.
[3]
Warren Carter, “Commentary on Matthew 3:13-17,” retrieved from: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3137
No comments:
Post a Comment