God Pulls Us In (Mark 1.5-11, Acts 19.1-7)

 

When did you decide to become a Christian? Have you decided to become one? Or has it always been a part of your life?

I was baptised when I was a baby, like many people. I was brought up in the Church of England. I spent some time away from Church when I was a teenager and I was confirmed when I was twenty. For me that was a big moment, I decided that I would try to follow Jesus for the rest of my life. I had made my decision about what I believe. I was a Christian.

You may have noticed, but Christians awh man do they love to disagree and get in fights about stuff. From who is saved, to what colour should the candles on an Advent wreath should be. We are a divided bunch as a faith. There are literally thousands of denominations of Christianity, and that’s not an exaggeration.

We disagree with  each other on stuff, but there’s one thing we all agree on, Baptism.

In order to fully be a Christian you need to be baptised.

All of the mainstream denominations agree that if you are baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, you are reliably baptised and a Christian.

There’s no such thing as a Roman Catholic Baptism, or an Anglican baptism, or even dare I say it, a Methodist baptism. There’s just baptism.

Now, don’t worry there’s still disagreement about the nature of baptism, what it means and when you should be baptised. Some denominations think that you shouldn’t baptise an infant as they are unable to make the decision for themselves. For them it’s all about choice and decision making.  

Other Churches like the Church of England believe that infant baptism is valid. Some even go as far to compel people to get their children baptised to avoid hell and damnation.

Baptism is the rite of passage into the Christian church. When we’re baptised we’re following in the steps of Jesus, we’re imitating him.

For me that’s what Baptism is about, following Jesus. I don’t feel, and you can disagree with me on this, that Baptism is about decision making, or believing the right stuff for yourself. For me that makes it too human, too small a thing.

Baptism is a sacrament, like Holy Communion, it’s a moment when God makes the ordinary special.

Where God comes to us, where we are and gives us grace. God pulls us in.

Grace is the word we should use to describe baptism. Being bathed and held in the unconditional love of God.

When a child is baptised, it’s a mark, a symbol of the love that God has for this Baby, and their parents have for them too. It’s marking that love that’s always been there, and saying thank you to God, and promising that we will try to follow Jesus.

God loves us whatever we choose to do. God may not like all our decisions, but that love doesn’t abandon us. I don’t think it’s up to us to deny someone baptism, it’s God that does the grace stuff, not us.  

We can see this in what happened in Acts with Paul and his posse. They had a sense already that they were being called into relationship with God, like many people who have converted as adults do, but they didn’t know into what.

Paul opens their minds and helps them to discern that they want to be baptised into the church, into God’s family. When they do the Holy Spirit becomes truly present to them. God’s love and grace for them is fully known. It’s the beginning of their journey as Christians.

Jesus’ Baptism marks the beginning of Jesus Ministry. So it’s very appropriate that towards the beginning of the liturgical year, after Christmas and the visit of the Wise Men, we hear about the start of his Ministry. It’s almost like, the church has thought about this!

Mark does its usual thing of going, bish, bash, bosh, right here’s a brief summary, on to the next thing. It’s the shortest and the earliest Gospel. This account is very brief.

Jesus came to John to be baptised. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

Jesus shows us that God is with us in all things. In every situation of our life. Every thought, every feeling, birth and death. God knows what that’s like because She went through it as Jesus.

Pain, God knows it, suffering, God knows it, bereavement, God knows it. God is in all of it and shares the journey with us.

Jesus came to be with us. That’s why He was baptised, to be fully one with us. In solidarity, Jesus shows us what we need to do to help us on our grace given path.

The Holy Spirit descended on him, liked it did years later on those disciples in Acts, and as it does on us now. The ultimate expression of God being with us.

It signalled that God was doing something new, and God does something new with each and every one of us.

Jesus showed true humility by being baptised by John.

When we are baptised, we become God’s if we want to be. We’re always given the choice.

As Jesus was baptised a voice from heaven said “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

This is something that God wants us all to know, She says it to us in the waters of baptism whether we’re infants or adults. Whether we’ve chosen ourselves, or haven’t yet.

You are my beloved Child, with you I am pleased. With you I am. Who wouldn’t want to follow a God like that?

So my friends, remember that today and every day you are wrapped in the love of God. That when we choose to be with God, to do what God wants us to do, to open ourselves to God in prayer, then God is with us.

We all have a choice. Following Jesus isn’t about church, it’s about grace. It’s not about fundraising it’s about love. Jesus came that we might have life, and have it abundantly.

Let us all even in this lockdown try to know God more, and remember that through baptism into his Church, we can be with Him.

The decision is yours.

Preached Via Zoom 

St John the Baptist, St Paul's Old Lakenham and Tuckswood, Norwich.

10/01/2020
Baptism of Christ