gregoryjenks

Tag: baptism of Jesus

  • Baptism Homily at Qasr al Yahud

    A brief sermon at Qasr al-Yahud, the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus, on the occasion of the baptism of two study tour participants on Friday, 12 June 2015.

    The text was Mark’s account of the baptism of Jesus by John (Mark 1:4–11).

    As Rodney has already mentioned, this community has already been on a journey. In the process of sharing that journey, a band of strangers has become a company of friends. People on a quest. People on a journey. Today we are sharing a very special moment in the lives of two of our community, Coral and Rudi.

    It’s not so much about the water. And it’s not so much about the place, although we can talk about the significance of the Jordan, and the symbolism and the significance of the place. But rather, it’s about intentions, it’s about hopes, and it’s about orientation.

    For our two friends, the two candidates for baptism, it’s not primarily about beliefs. And it’s certainly not a claim that they’ve got it all figured out. They’ve got ‘A’ Grades in theology. They have their doctrines all clear and everything set. But it is about identifying with the community which is gathered around the work of God in Jesus Christ.

    So it’s about a committed and intentional participation in the community of faith that flows like a river, whose source is Jesus. That community draws on his wisdom, and is inspired by his practice. And so at the heart of our community, at the heart of a community which our two friends are choosing to join today, stands the character, the figure, of Jesus.

    It’s also about the community, us as a community, and us as a fragment of the larger Christian community. Around that ancient Jew from Nazareth, there formed a community. And today, two more people, from a land that Jesus had never heard of or dreamt of, choose to join that community and stand in the company of Jesus. And today that community, who we represent, in a sense, sacramentally, embraces these new followers of Jesus. We accept them into the community of Christ. We join the journey with them and we invite them to continue their journey with us.

    Today this sacrament is also of course about God. God beyond all names. God beyond all tribes. God beyond all religions. The God whom we believe we glimpse in the person of Jesus Christ. The God who’s ever present in these ancient rocks and who has always been present in the lives of Rudi and Coral. The God who is present in our lives, even if unnamed and unknown. The God who is present in the life of our community, even our short-term travelling community. The God who’s present in the world. The God who’s present in this land and its troubled communities.

    In the tradition of the gospel that I just read, at the end of his baptism, Jesus hears the bat kol, which is Hebrew for the voice of heaven, the daughter of heaven … the holy voice. The voice says, You are my son. You are my child. You are my servant. You are my beloved. I’m really happy with you. With you I am well pleased.

    Coral, Rudi, may you both hear that voice today in your hearts. And may we all sense it, as well, as we share this moment with them and reflect on our own baptisms and our own calling to be followers of Christ. We are all God’s beloved. We are all the sons and daughters of God. God is well pleased with us. Just as we are. Amen.

    [This text was transcribed by Julianne Hughes. It has been slightly edited to change some punctuation as well as a few other minor changes for clarity of expression.]

  • First Sunday after Epiphany (12 January 2014)

    Contents

    Lectionary

    • Isaiah 42:1-9 and Psalm 29
    • Acts 10:34-43
    • Matthew 3:13-17

     

    Introduction

    The first Sunday after the feast of the Epiphany marks the beginning of a series of Sundays in “ordinary time,” with the utilitarian names, Proper 1, Proper 2, etc. This series will take us through to the end of the liturgical year except for the two sets of special “propers” for Lent and Easter. The first of these Sundays in ordinary time is widely observed as the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

    First Reading: Isaiah 42

    As befits the season of Epiphany, with its theme of revelation/manifestion to the Gentiles, the first reading from Isaiah is a classic text for the idea that God’s chosen one (whether an individual or a collective identity) has a mission to the nations.

    Isaiah 42 is the first of the Servant Songs that have played such a powerful role in the self-imagination of both Jewish and Christian religious communities. Growing out of a strong sense of vocation/blessing, these songs develop the theme that those called and chosen will find themselves drawn into a ministry of sharing their knowledge of God with others, and for the sake of others. Rather than being a badge of personal distinction, vocation comes to be understood as a commissioning to be there for others.

    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.
    He will not cry or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
    a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
    He will not grow faint or be crushed
    until he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his teaching.   Thus says God, the LORD,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
    who gives breath to the people upon it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
    I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,
    I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
    I have given you as a covenant to the people,
    a light to the nations,” (Isaiah 42:1–6 NRSV)

    These ancient words were easily applied to Jesus, and especially to the tradition of his baptism by John. While often understood in an exclusive and particularistric way, they can also be understood as aligning Jesus with the shared calling of all Jewish people, and the calling shared with all his followers over time. These are essentially words of solidarity. Rather than marking out Jesus as an exception, they can be understood as celebrating Jesus as an exemplar.

    Second reading: Acts 10

    This reading comes from the extended narrative in Acts about the baptism of a Gentile household by Simon Peter. It serves nicely as a bridge between the first reading and the Gospel, as it shares themes with each of them. With Isaiah, this story shares the theme of God’s impartial concern for all humankind, and not exclusively focused on blessings for the Jews. With the Gospel, it shares the theme of Baptism. With both readings it shares the motif of the divine Spirit being poured upon the chosen one(s).

    Indeed, in a poignant rebuttal of the literalists who insisted on ethnic identity or ritual observance as markers of divine acceptance, this story celebrates the idea that what matters is an authentic experience of the Sacred. The ritual can follow, while other criteria for discriminating between persons can be set aside. At the time when Acts was written, a core issue was the boundary between Jews and Gentiles. In our own time, it may be the boundaries we draw based on sexuality or theological orthooxy?

    Gospel: John baptizes Jesus

    The baptism of Jesus by John is a tradition that Matthew shares with the other three NT Gospels, and that fact alone puts this story into a special category. Apart from the death of Jesus by Roman crucifixion, there is few other details of Jesus’ life that enjoys such a high level of historical certainty. It is, of course, most improbable that followers of Jesus would invent a tradition about their leader being a disciple of John, and having been baptized by him, unless that was such a well-known fact that it simply had to be acknowledged—and then managed as best one could. As Crossan (Historical Jesus, 232) observes:

    The first and most important complex is, necessarily, 058 John Baptizes Jesus. It belongs to the primary stratum, has three independent witnesses, and involves nine separate texts. But it also evinces a very large amount of what I term, without any cynicism, theological damage control. The tradition is clearly uneasy with the idea of John baptizing Jesus because that seems to make John superior and Jesus sinful.

    Interestingly, while all the Gospels agree on the tradition that John was baptized by John, they have different stories about the event. The diversity of the stories stands in contrast to the unanimity of the tradition.

    Most likely Matthew has inherited his tradition about the baptism of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. He seems to have no independent traditions (apart from the discourse between Jesus and John to be discussed next), and he makes only the usual Matthean editorial changes to improve the syntax and shorten the account.

    However, Matthew does make one very significant change to the story he inherited from Mark. This is to be observed in the protest from John when Jesus requests baptism, and the reassuring response from Jesus:

    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. (Matthew 3:14–16 NRSV)

    While hardly Matthew’s point, once again Sacrament is subservient to Experience. The rituals will be observed, but only for the sake of piety. What matters most is the authentic experience of God, not the pedigree of the person nor their certificates of liturgical compliance.

    Matthew’s concerns are for his readers, here and at other points where Mark’s less sophisticated account is modified by Matthew. Jesus has no sins that need to be forgiven, and he had no preparation to undertake before the coming of the Chosen One. The reader should not think that John ranks higher than Jesus in the divine scheme of things.

    After 2,000 years of Christian devotion to Jesus, few modern readers will entertain ideas that Jesus may be subservient to John. To the contrary, our challenge may be that we have exalted Jesus beyond his peers and placed him so securely in a class of his own. Can we reclaim the ancient tradition of Jesus being mentored and ritualized by John, and then imagine ways of telling the story afresh, so that the connections between Jesus and other great spiritual teachers are highlighted rather than minimized? Can the Christ who accepted the devotion of pagan astrologers not also be accorded a place among the sages and prophets and mystics of humanity? And what if the communities of his followers used this Sunday’s celebration to affirm both the distinctive charisma of Jesus and our openness to the wisdom of other spiritual communities?

    Jesus Database

    Liturgies and Prayers

    For liturgies and sermons each week, shaped by a progressive theology, check Rex Hunt’s web site

    Other recommended sites include:

     

    Music Suggestions

    See David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate site for recommendations from a variety of contemporary genre.

  • The Baptism of the Lord (13 January 2013)

    Contents

    Lectionary

    • Isaiah 43:1-7 and Psalm 29
    • Acts 8:14-17
    • Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

     

    Introduction

    In the introduction to An Uncommon Lectionary, John Beverley Butcher comments on the pivotal significance of this event in the life of Jesus:

    The liturgical year in this lectionary begins with the primary spiritual event in the life of Jesus: his Baptism by John in the Jordan River. Mark, the earliest narrative Gospel, opens with the ministry of John the Baptizer who is “calling for baptism and a change of heart that lead to forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4, SV)

    According to Luke 3:23, Jesus was about thirty when he went to hear John preach. What might there have been in John’s message that prompted Jesus to ask for baptism? And what might have he experienced during his baptism and the forty days in the wilderness that reportedly followed? Might the baptism in the Jordan and the time in the desert comprise a story illustrating his enlightenment?

    The evidence is clear that something profound happened within Jesus which provided direction and energy for a ministry of teaching and healing. Without Jesus’ baptism, there might have been no ministry, no getting into trouble with the authorities, no crucifixion, no resurrection experiences, no church, no Christian religion, and no church history! The course of human civilization would have gone quite differently.

     

    The baptism of Jesus in early Christian tradition

    There are nine surviving Christian texts from the first hundred years after Easter which refer to the baptism of Jesus:
    (1) GHeb 2

    1The whole fountain of the holy spirit comes down on him. For the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit is, there is freedom.
    2And it happened that when the Lord came up out of the water, the whole fountain of the holy spirit came down on him and rested on him. 3It said to him, “My Son, I was waiting for you in all the prophets, waiting for you to come so I could rest in you. 4For you are my rest; you are my first-begotten Son who rules forever.” [Complete Gospels]
    (2a) Mark 1:9-11 and Synoptic Parallels

    1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

    = Matt 3:13-17
    3:13 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 the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

    = Luke 3:21-22
    3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
    (2b) GNaz 2

    1The mother of the Lord and his brothers said to him, “John the Baptist baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Let’s go and get baptized by him.” 2But he said to them, “How have I sinned? So why should I go and get baptized by him? Only if I don’t know what I’m talking about.” [Complete Gospels]
    (2c) GEb 4

    1When the people were baptized, Jesus also came and got baptized by John. 2As he came up out of the water, the skies opened and he saw the holy spirit in the form of a dove coming down and entering him. 3And there was a voice from the sky that said, “You are my favored son—I fully approve of you.” 4And again, “Today I have become your father.” 5And right away a bright light illuminated the place. When John saw this, he said to him, “Who are you?” 6And again a voice from the sky said to him, “This is my favored son—I fully approve of him.” 7John knelt down in front of him and said, “Please, Lord, you baptize me.” 8But he stopped him and said, “It’s all right. This is the way everything is supposed to be fulfilled.” [Complete Gospels]
    (2d) John 1:(29-)32-34

    1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
    (2e) IgnSmyr 1:1c

    I glorify God, even Jesus Christ, who has given you such wisdom. For I have observed that ye are perfected in an immoveable faith, as if ye were nailed to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit, and are established in love through the blood of Christ, being fully persuaded with respect to our Lord, that He was truly of the seed of David according to the flesh, and the Son of God according to the will and power of God; that He was truly born of a virgin, was baptized by John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilled by Him; and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. Of this fruit we are by His divinely-blessed passion, that He might set up a standard s for all ages, through His resurrection, to all His holy and faithful [followers], whether among Jews or Gentiles, in the one body of His Church.
    (3) IgnEph 18:2d

    For our God, Jesus Christ, was, according to the appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost. He was born and baptized, that by His passion He might purify the water.

    Commentary

    David Flusser

    Flusser devotes chapter 3 of his book, Jesus (pp. 37-55), to the baptism of Jesus. He stresses the links between the Essene beliefs and practices at Qumran, where “baptism linked repentance with forgiveness of sins, and the latter with the Holy Spirit.”

    On the probability of ecstatic phenomena, Flusser observes:

    We can well imagine the holy excitement of that crowd who had listened to the words of the Baptist. Having confessed their sins and awaiting the gift of the Holy Spirit to cleanse their souls from all the filth of sin, they plunged their bodies into the cleansing water of the river. Can it be that none of them would have had a special pneumatic-ecstatic experience in that hour when the Spirit of God touched them? (p. 40)

    … many scholars are right in thinking that in the original account, the heavenly voice announced to Jesus, “Behold, 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” (Isaiah 42:1). This form is probably the original, for the reason that the prophetic word fits the situation. (p. 41)

    The gift of the Holy Spirit assumed a significance for Jesus that was different than for others who were baptized by John. Heavenly voices were not an uncommon phenomenon among the Jews of those days, and frequently those voices were heard to utter verses from scripture. Endowment with the Holy Spirit, accompanied by an ecstatic experience, was apparently something that happened to others who were baptized in John’s presence in the Jordan. (p. 42)

    If, however, the heavenly voice intoned the words of Isaiah, Jesus must have understood that he was being set apart as the servant of God, the Chosen One. For him, the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was part of John’s baptism, held another special significance that was to become decisive for his future. None of the designations Son, Servant or Chosen One were exclusively messianic titles–the last two could also denote the special status of the prophetic office. By these titles, Jesus learned that he was now called, chosen, set apart. Nothing we have learned casts any doubt upon the historicity of Jesus’ experience at his baptism in the Jordan. (p. 42)

    Jesus Seminar

    The opinion of the Jesus Seminar Fellows about the baptism of Jesus by John was tested across a number of statements, with the average result for each statement:

    • JBap baptized Jesus
    • Jesus saw the heavens open and the spirit descend on him like a dove.
    • Jesus heard a voice from heaven at his baptism saying, “You are my favored son.”
    • Jesus had visionary experiences.
    • Jesus had a visionary experience at the time of his baptism.
    • Jesus had a vision at his baptism.
    • Jesus had a powerful religious experience at his baptism.
    • Jesus was a disciple of JBap.

    Gerd Lüdemann

    Lüdemann [Jesus, 9] affirms the historicity of Jesus being baptized by John, but does not trace the theological interpretations back beyond the post-Easter community:

    … Jesus did not regard his baptism as appointment to be the son of God. The underlying concept derives from the community, which believed in Jesus as the son of God (cf. Gal. 2.16; 4.4) and located his appointment within his lifetime. In the earliest period, for example, the appointment of Jesus as son of God came only after his resurrection from the dead (cf. Rom. 1.4).

    John P. Meier

    The second volume of A Marginal Jew devotes considerable space to a study of John as “mentor” to Jesus. The historicity of the baptism is addressed on pages 100-105, before considering the meaning of Jesus’ baptism on pages 106-116. On the basis of the criterion of embarrassment, supported by a limited proposal for multiple attestation (relying on possible echoes of a Q version in John’s Gospel and in 1 John 5:6), Meier concludes:

    We may thus take the baptism of Jesus by John as the firm historical starting point for any treatment of Jesus’ public ministry. (II,105)

    Having established the historicity of the baptism event, Meier is adamant that the narrative must be seen as a Christian midrash, drawing on various OT themes to assert the primacy of Jesus over John. In particular, Meier insists that the theophany must be excluded from all attempts to understand the event, since it is a later Christian invention rather than a surviving memory of some actual spiritual experience of Jesus.

    Meier’s discussion of the meaning of the baptism puts great weight on the fact that accepting baptism implied Jesus’ agreement with John’s apocalyptic message, and also engages at length with the question of Jesus’ sinlessness.

    See also:

     

    Jesus Database

     

    Liturgies and Prayers

    For liturgies and sermons each week, shaped by a progressive theology, check Rex Hunt’s web site

    Other recommended sites include:

     

    Music Suggestions

    See David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate site for recommendations from a variety of contemporary genre.

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