be moved

Mark 1:4-11

John seems to appear out of nowhere in Mark.  There is no sweet story of Elizabeth and no introduction of who this person is.  He just appears in the wilderness.  Preaching to anyone and everyone who will listen and it seems people were responding. 

Our scripture says: all of Judea and Jerusalem were there.  Now I am sure this is an exaggeration to some extent but he was getting enough attention that the other gospels tell us that Herod has him arrested and killed. 

People are desperate for an answer to their problems.  John stands in the wilderness.  In the middle of the same river their ancestors crossed to reach the Promised Land.  But time has changed all that.  What once was serene countryside flowing with milk and honey is now a bustling city surrounded by poor peasants trying to make ends meet. 

It is dirty and dusty, and the freedom they anticipated has been co-opted by Roman soldiers.  They are forced to pay taxes to Creaser and the tax collectors often took advantage of them, forcing them to pay more than they really owed.  The Roman guards are taking their cut too- taking bribes and harassing people in the streets just for the fun of it.    This was not the paradise they envisioned.

The world we live in isn’t exactly what people envisioned either.  Where is the easy life the people at the turn of the 20^th century imagined we’d accomplish by now?  We don’t have robot maids to clean our homes, personal helicopters to take us to work, or food in pill form.  While many of what was predicted has come true like frozen dinners and microwaves life isn’t the dream land many envisioned. 

Instead we are facing our own wilderness in many ways- fears of the future invade our thoughts: planes disappear without warning, race riots break out in the streets while people of color and police alike fear for their lives.  Newspapers and marathon runners are targets of religious zealots. Children often don’t even feel safe at school.  This is not the promised land we imagined. 

But here John is, standing in the in between- standing between the past, the wilderness and our future and our hope.  John reminds us that the promises of God, unlike the promises and predictions of man, are steadfast and true. 

John is offering the world a reminder that there are second chances.  There is repentance and forgiveness.   There is an opportunity to be right with God.  With God’s help we can turn our lives around, we can leave our old lives behind and seek a new life with Christ.  There is reason to hope and yet this future isn’t exactly what it seems.

Jesus enters the picture and we see this beautiful image of promise.  Jesus rises up out of the waters of baptism and he is greeted by the heavens opening, the dove lighting on his shoulder and the gentle voice of God saying “You are my son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness!”  We have imagined this moment to be so perfectly serene, artists have painted it and maybe that is exactly what those who were there saw that day? 

We like this sweet image of Jesus at his baptism because we want our experiences of the Holy Spirit to be the same.  We want baptism to be this awe inspiring, up lifting and joyous occasion.  We want to have our sins forgiven, our slate wiped clean and all the negative things we have thought and done to be washed away. 

We believe that the baptism of Jesus and our baptism binds us with God and that God claims us as God’s children just as God claimed Jesus that day in the Jordan River.  We want to be filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and rest in the promises of God.  We want the beauty of this moment to fill our lives and last forever so that we can live in joyous harmony as a friend of Jesus and a child of God.

(turn) But, is this vision really what Jesus saw and felt?  The heavens were split open, torn, separated in an instant.  It isn’t slow and gradual like a cloud passing in the sky- it is fast and furious!  The voice of God in the Old Testament was always booming and awe inspiring; forcing people to turn away.

The spirit came flying down on him bringing the message of God; like a dove swooping down to grasp a morsel of food than gently floating down from the heavens!  More like a roar of thunder and a clap of lightening than the sweet sunny beautiful day the artists envision. 

This seems more likely because as soon as the voice of God ends- Mark tells us the spirit forced Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. This doesn’t sound so peaceful and sweet to me! 

When the Spirit comes upon you it is impossible to stay where you are.  Even Jesus is forced to move to enter into a life of service and ministry.  We don’t know much about the life of Jesus up until this point other than his birth and that he is growing in wisdom and favor but after this- there is no denying that Jesus has a mission and this is only the beginning.  As soon as he is baptized his life is changed forever!

No longer is he just the son of a carpenter but he is the son of God!  No longer is he learning at the feet of Rabbis and helping Joseph build things, he is now the teacher and he will be tearing down the earthly kingdom and rebuilding God’s kingdom! 

This is not a cushy promotion… Yes he will be the light of the world.  He will show love to those who have never experienced his type of unconditional love.  Yes, he will heal the broken hearted and sick.  Yes, he will show us a life like we have never seen before. 

But, it isn’t that the baptism of Jesus puts an end to the wilderness.  Instead, Jesus enters the wilderness. He will be tempted by Satan, rejected by his own community, chased out of church, chastised for loving those in need, forced to live off the generosity of a few dedicated people, followed by throngs of people yet only able to trust a few-----

He will be betrayed and denied by his best friends, put on trial by those religious leaders who should have recognized him, sentenced by a hasty and unjust mob and murdered in a gruesome, humiliating and painful way.   This was what followed the baptism of Jesus: the highs and lows of being in ministry for God and this is what our baptism is all about too. 

We say we want to be like Jesus but this is what it means to be like Jesus; to be a child of God.  It means we don’t take refuge from the wilderness.  We follow Christ into the wilderness. It means we love the lost, even if it means we get taken advantage of.  It means we trust, even when we know we could be betrayed.  It means we give everything we have, not just our extras to those who have nothing.  It means loving God with not just our minds but our whole body, our whole heart and all our strength.  It isn’t about what is in it for us.  Jesus didn’t just accept his title of the Son of God and go home- back to life as he knew it.  God announced that Jesus was already loved and the happiness of God before he ever did anything.  Jesus and God were good- but the Holy Spirit motivated and moved Jesus and Jesus refused to let his relationship with God be enough. 

The Holy Spirit called, forced Jesus to go and do what needed to be done for us to truly share in this brotherhood and fellowship with Christ.  Baptism was only the beginning. 

John tells us that Jesus will baptize us in the Holy Spirit but in Acts the Holy Spirit is seen as flames of fire!  Baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is not just a beautiful moment between you and God.  It is not just recognition that you are a child of God.  It isn’t just membership into the family of believers.  It isn’t just God forgiving you of your sins.

It is this but it is also the beginning of your ministry.  It is the acknowledgement that you are part of a family that is bigger than just you or even this church.  It is a promise to seek the welfare of others before you look out for your own best interest.  It means loving until it hurts. 

It is allowing the fire of the Holy Spirit to move you into places that might be uncomfortable.  It is about moving outside of our comfort zone so that we can do the ministry of Jesus.  It is about being the hands and feet of Jesus even when our own feet are tired and our hands are blistered. 

Is that what you really want?  Is that what you intended at your baptism; to experience the holy movement of the Spirit?  Are you willing to follow where the Holy Spirit is leading you?  Is this church willing to follow in the footsteps of Christ and put the baptisms of the people here into action? 

This isn’t a question I can answer for you.  The Holy Spirit moves in each of us in different ways and it is up to us to listen and respond in faith.  We as Christians profess to put our faith, hope and trust in God but are we willing to live into that? 

I ask you this morning to begin praying about what the Holy Spirit is leading you and this church to be.  How is God leading you to introduce others to Christ?  How is God calling you to make a difference in this community or in this world? 

Jesus was never alone as he lived into his baptism.  Although he went to scary places and faced frightening obstacles he knew he was never in this by himself.  He had the encouragement of his disciples, the support of people who loved him and were willing to follow him.  He had his relationship with God that allowed him to see each new day no matter the challenges and he had the hope of a future kingdom not yet seen on this earth. 

God promises to provide us with the same as we live into our baptisms.  We have the support and encouragement of our local church and our denomination that will help us follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We are surrounded by people who love us and who want to go with us on our journey.  And we have our relationship with Jesus who has been there, knows our hearts, our gifts and our struggles and is willing to walk beside and go with us as we follow wherever the Spirit leads. 

How is the Holy Spirit is leading you to express your faith, hope and love for Jesus and the world through your actions?  Allow yourself to be overcome and washed with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and allow it to lead you in new and exciting directions.