John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; . . . I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 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. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:4, 7-11
On a typical Sunday morning in about any Lutheran church in the United States, a person could stand up in front and say, “Anyone who remembers being baptized, please raise your hand.” In most of those churches, a few hands might be raised, but in others, there won’t be a single person who has a direct memory of the event. Those of us baptized as infants will look at pictures and listen to the reminiscence of family members, and that’s what we know about our own baptisms. It’s safe to say that none of us have experienced or witnessed anything so dramatic as the sight of the young man, Jesus, being immersed in the waters of the Jordan River by his cousin, John, and rising to the sound of a voice from heaven proclaiming him as the Son, the Beloved.
John didn’t “invent” baptism, as there were a variety of Jewish baptisms or washings before it became a Christian sacrament. However, John was unique in that he connected baptism with repentance and offered it to all who desired it. The image of being washed fresh and clean, no longer covered in a layer of sin speaks eloquently to the people of this dry and dusty land. Jesus’ request for baptism was not because he needed to be cleansed of sin, but rather a demonstration to all of his willingness to enter into our human condition with us.
Martin Luther wrote in the Small Catechism, “Baptism is not simply plain water. Instead, it is water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s word.” The most common of elements, and yet the most vital to sustaining life, becomes the means of grace because of how it is used. Whether or not we have a direct memory of our own baptismal experience, when we witness a baptism, as the water is poured and we hear the words telling us that sin is washed away and we are cleansed through God’s grace, we are connected with all the generations of Christians on whom the water was poured and the words were spoken.
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers