A Sermon by The Reverend Alice Marcrum

LB, First Sunday After the Epiphany, January 11, 2009

"There is one Body and one Spirit; there is one hope in God’s call to us; One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism; One God and Father of all.” These are the words from the service for Holy Baptism in the Book of Common Prayer. Many of us here today are quite familiar with these words to the extent that we have perhaps overlooked their meaning. Too often when we say something over and over we lose sight of what exactly the words mean as they become just words. How many here know that these words originally came from the Bible? In Peterson’s The Message, St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians chapter four beginning with verse four we read:

^“You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly.
You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.”

St. Paul’s letter is addressed to “the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus”. This is important to know when reading these words, because they can be misconstrued to include those who once followed the beliefs of Christ and have now turned away from Him. So when we read these words, we are not only referring to those who have been baptized into Christ, but the baptized who have remained faithful in Christ.

This Body of Believers includes all the baptized faithful whether they are Episcopalians, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and whatever traditional, denominational or in some cases non-denominational name used to proclaim Jesus Christ. What unites the Body of Believers into the One Body of Christ is our baptism. Even though the Body of Believers cannot all agree on what form of baptism to use whether sprinkling, pouring or immersion; it is not the form, but the Spirit of Christ that unites us in our baptism with one another that is important.

Through our baptism our old selves are crucified with Christ and buried forever. Then we are filled by the Spirit of God with the resurrected life of Christ which forms us into His image.  When the Father God looks upon us, He no longer sees us as sinful creatures, but as images of His beloved Son Jesus. We, who have been baptized, have been recreated to be witnesses of Christ Jesus on earth. Our spiritual life that was dead in sins is given new life in Christ through the waters of baptism.

Now it is not for us to say that there are not believers, who have not been baptized, that are not received into the fold of Christ as one of His own. When Jesus was dying on the cross, the thief who was crucified next to Him was promised salvation from our Lord. This though is not to be seen as common practice for believers, but rather as Jesus showing mercy upon one, who believed with his dying breath and given the circumstances, would not be able to be baptized.

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructed teh disciples to go into all the world teaching and baptizing believers. This has become known as the Great Commission. Reading from Peterson's The Message, Matthew writes:

“Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."

Jesus established the practice of baptism as essential in following Him. Baptism is what marks or sets apart believers in Christ. Those who want to follow the teachings of Christ are instructed by the Lord Himself to be baptized. For only by being baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection can we be recreated as children of the Living God.

Baptism was so important to the believers in the early church that believers were baptized for the dead. St. Paul refers to this practice in his first letter to the Corinthians. In Peterson’s The Message, we read: 

^“Why do you think people offer themselves to be baptized for those already in the grave? If there's no chance of resurrection for a corpse, if God's power stops at the cemetery gates, why do we keep doing things that suggest he's going to clean the place out someday, pulling everyone up on their feet alive?”

Baptism marks us spiritually so that when Christ returns we will be raised even from the dead to meet Him. The waters of baptism are sacred whether they are in a font, a baptismal pool or a muddy river like the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John. Jesus submitted to this spiritual ritual even though He was without sin.

In the gospel reading for today from Mark, we read about it. Now reading from Peterson’s The Message, hopefully we can better understand the meaning of the scripture:

^“As he preached he said, "The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will change your life.  I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.  

At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God's Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him.  Along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."

When Jesus humbled Himself to be baptized, He won the Father’s favor. This is why the Father God announced to all, who would hear, that Jesus was the Anointed One, the Messiah. Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of His ministry on earth as the Messiah.

Up until then, Jesus had lived quietly as a carpenter in the remote village of Nazareth. When Jesus came up out of the waters of baptism, He was no longer just a carpenter but the Chosen One, the Only Begotten Son of God. Jesus had accomplished the first part of His mission. He had lived as a man without sin. Now through baptism, Jesus was empowered to reveal the Father’s love to all.

We, who have been baptized, have also been called to become vessels of Christ’s love.  When we follow the teachings of Christ, we show to the world the love of God for all peoples. We believe in One Lord, we hold true to One Faith and we are united in One Baptism. This is what it means to remain faithful in Christ and it begins with our baptism.