Jesus' Baptism

When I was in the Holy Land, a few years ago, on the way from Jerusalem to Galilee we stopped off at the River Jordan to see the baptismal site, the place where, approximately, John baptised Jesus. It is just a fairly narrow strip of water separating Israel and Jordan. It is well supplied with infrastructure to keep it safe these days and, though we drove past some rough ground, to get there, it didn’t really feel like wilderness right by the river as we walked along the boarding and past the souvenir shops. As we looked across to the Jordanian side, we saw even more buildings. There was a range of churches, and even a mosque. Each main denomination has been given a piece of land on which to build a church, a symbolic marking of the fact that this special place really belongs to us all. It must have been quite different in John and Jesus’ day, but it was not too difficult to imagine John there, in the water, encouraging his listeners to step forward and symbolically demonstrate their repentance for all their wrongs.

We were able to dip our hands in the water and we had a brief, but very moving, service of renewal of our baptismal vows. What a wonderful chance it was to take the opportunity to reflect on God’s grace and on our Christian commitment.

Jesus’ baptism by John was clearly one of the key moments in his life and ministry. In many ways it was the launch-pad for what was to come as this is where he receives the endorsement that confirms the call. This is a moment when his identity is named in a very particular way – this is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.  And how interesting that God chooses this setting for this statement of Jesus’ identity. As one of the commentators, Warren Carter, remarks: “God’s revelation of Jesus’ identity occurs not in the centre, not in the presence of the political, social, economic, and religious elite, and not with their approval or permission.  God is at work on the margins with those who dare to see a different present and an alternative way of life and future.”

What IF?

I have been reading a book by Nick Baines, who is the Bishop of Leeds, in which he reflects on this season of Advent and Christmas, and I was struck by a passage in the book in which he reflects on the importance and contribution that is made in responding to God’s call.

Baines writes:

“Abram was called to pack up his family and his things and embark on a journey to an unknown destination: he could have declined. Noah could have said ‘no’ to building a big boat during very good inland weather. Moses could have continued to resist God’s call to stand up to Pharaoh – and who would have blamed him? Jeremiah could have refused to speak truth to power and Ruth could have stayed put in her familiar territory. Zacchaeus could have stayed up his tree, Simon could have opted for his fishing career, Zebedee could have refused to let his sons abandon the family business to go walkabout with the Galilean carpenter-turned-preacher, and the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ cloak could have stayed silent and anonymous. Bartimaeus didn’t have to take heart, get up and come to Jesus who was calling him.  Paul might have weighed up the cost and decided to be an academic theologian, leaving church planting among the Gentiles to someone else.” 

And, of course, the stories of people responding to God’s call don’t stop there. Baines cites, just as one example, that of Oscar Romero. “Archbishop Oscar Romero was warned many times to stop challenging the military regime, whose behaviour and policies he thought to be godless and inhumane. But he kept on at it – in the name of Christ, not out of some heroic narcissism – to the point where he was shot dead while celebrating mass on 24 March 1980.”

There are many points at which we might ask ‘what if’? What if – things had been different? And that can be a question with either a positive or a negative bias. But God doesn’t call us to speculate. God calls us to respond. God calls us to discipleship.