A Sermon for the First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord
January 8, 2023
Text: Matthew 3:13-17
Now, O Lord, take my lips, and speak through them. Take our minds, and think through them. Take our hearts, and set them on fire. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Good morning, St. Mary’s! I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting to say those words. In some ways, I think I’ve been waiting my whole life, as if God has been leading me and my family—and all of us—to this very moment.
My wife, Chelsea, and I have been talking a lot during this whole transition process about how much all of this just feels right. Do you know what I mean by that? Have you ever had that feeling where everything just seems to fall into place in the way it was meant to be?
That’s what this whole experience has felt like for our family, and a lot of that is because of you and the amount of love and support you’ve already shown us since we accepted the call to come back home to Andalusia and to serve here at St. Mary’s.
It feels right to be here, in this time and in this place, and it feels really good to be back home. They say that “home is where the heart is,” and I can tell you, my brothers and sisters, that our hearts are already filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and peace in being here with you.
So, thank you for going through this time of discernment with us. Thank you for listening for God’s voice and for trusting in the process. Thank you for your generous hospitality and for welcoming us into your parish family. We’re so excited to begin this new journey with you and to see where the Holy Spirit leads us in our shared ministries together.
Today marks the beginning of something new here at St. Mary’s—a new chapter, full of new hopes and new possibilities—and to me, it seems especially appropriate on our first Sunday together that we hear the story of our Lord’s baptism at the River Jordan.
In our Gospel lesson this morning from Matthew—which immediately follows the proclamation of John the Baptist, foretelling the coming of the Messiah—Jesus makes his way from Galilee, seeking to be baptized by John. At first, John is hesitant to comply with Jesus’ request, but Jesus responds, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
So, John baptizes Jesus, and as he’s coming up out of the water, he sees the heavens open up and the Spirit of the Lord descending upon him like a dove, and he hears a voice from heaven declare, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
I have to admit that I’ve always been a little puzzled by this part of Jesus’ life.
Because if Jesus is the Messiah—the anointed one, and if he’s truly who we claim him to be—the Son of God, then why on earth would he need to be baptized?
Why would he have to go through the same ritual we go through for the forgiveness of sins and the hope of everlasting life with God?
Well, the truth is that Jesus didn’t need to receive the baptism of John.
And he didn’t ask to be baptized to impress anyone or to gain anything for himself. Quite the opposite.
Jesus made the choice to be baptized for us.
He humbled himself and submitted to the ritual cleansing of baptism in order to show us that the life of faith in God begins with a choice.
God gives us the freedom to choose how we’ll live our lives.
Will we live only for ourselves? Or, will we recognize the fact that we were created in God’s image in order to serve a higher purpose?
Will we be so consumed with our own wellbeing that we ignore the needs and concerns of those around us? Or, will we recognize the fact that we’re all connected and that each of us is worthy of God’s love and grace?
These are the questions we must ask ourselves, over and over again, because the life of faith really is the journey of a lifetime. And it all begins with Baptism.
Through the waters of Baptism, we are buried with Christ in his death and raised to newness of life. Baptism is our way of responding to God’s love for us and saying “yes” to God’s call. When we make the choice to be baptized (or when that choice is made on our behalf as infants and young children), what we’re really doing is making a promise to live our lives a particular way—to follow in the way of Jesus—the way of self-giving, sacrificial love.
Jesus demonstrates this kind of love throughout his entire life and ministry, and all of it begins with his baptism at the Jordan River.
The story of Jesus’ baptism always reminds me of my own, which actually took place several years ago at the beginning of my senior year at Auburn. Chelsea and I had been attending St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church for about a year when Father Wells, the priest at the time, discovered that I had never been baptized.
One evening, he asked me if I would be interested in being baptized at the annual beach retreat in September, and I quickly responded by saying, “Yes, I would love to be baptized.”
Having grown up without being involved in church or being connected to a faith community, I had always felt that there was something important missing from my life, but when Chelsea and I first discovered St. Dunstan’s and the Episcopal Church, that feeling quickly began to fade. As soon as we walked through those tall, red doors of the church, we knew we had found something special at St. Dunstan’s. We had found a spiritual home and a place where could truly belong. And, most importantly, we found a group of people who opened their arms to us, who loved us and accepted us for who we were, no questions asked.
Well, the time for the beach retreat finally came. We drove down to Fort Morgan, Alabama, over Labor Day weekend and spent the entire time playing games; having epic dance parties; participating in deep, meaningful conversations; and getting to know each other a little better. On Sunday morning, we woke up early and got ready for the baptism service. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and the emerald green waters of the gulf were particularly clear. We gathered together on the beach for worship, and when the time came for the baptism part of the service, we waded out into the water together carrying old, tattered copies of the Prayer Book. All of our friends from church surrounded me and Father Wells in a large circle, and in that moment, I felt God’s love in a way that I had never experienced before. For the first time in my life, I felt as though I had ben lifted up and called to fulfill a greater purpose.
On that day, I was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever. It was truly, as St. Paul might say, a “fullness of time” moment—a moment when God’s presence became as close as a breath to me and to everyone else who was there.
I wanted to share this story with you today for a couple of reasons.
First, I want you to know who I am and where I’ve been, and the story of my baptism is an important part of that. It was the beginning of my journey with Christ, and it changed my life in more ways than I could’ve ever imagined.
But the second reason is even more important.
I want you to know that, through the sacrament of Baptism, we are all connected as members of Christ’s Body, and we all share in Christ’s eternal priesthood. What that means is that, yes, I wear a collar and have a specific role to play as a priest in the Church. But, all of us, by virtue of our baptism in Christ, are called to work together in the building up of God’s Kingdom. Clergy aren’t any more important than the laity. We all have a part to play in the work we’ve been called to do as the Body of Christ.
I know the past few years have been challenging, especially with the absence of a full-time priest and the limitations caused by the pandemic. Many of you have already shared with me your concerns and frustrations. But, you’ve also shared with me your hopes and dreams for the future of St. Mary’s, which tells me that you’re eager and excited to begin something new.
I’m excited as well, and I’m so thankful to begin this new journey with you. I truly believe that our parish is at a point now where we can begin to experience new life and new growth. My challenge for you—on this First Sunday after the Epiphany—is to begin thinking about how the Spirit may be leading you to serve. What are some new ways that you can give your time to St. Mary’s? What are some ways that you can volunteer so that the love of God in Christ may be known to even more people in our community? I encourage you to carry these questions with you in prayer, and if you need someone to talk to about it, I’m happy to help.
In a few moments, we’re going to take some time to renew the solemn vows and promises which we made in Baptism. I think it’s a wonderful way for us to begin our ministry together. As we come to each part of the Baptismal Covenant, remember this statement:
We’re in this together.
Say that with me. We’re in this together. You and I, priest and parish, clergy and laity—called by God to work together for the sake of the Gospel. We are the beloved of God, and each of us has been empowered by the Holy Spirit to share God’s love with the world. May God grant us the strength, courage, and wisdom we need to remain faithful in our calling. Amen.
The Rev. Eric Mancil 