Sermon Title: As We Begin A New Life

Sermon by the Reverend John Young-Jung Lee on January 13, 2008, Baptism of Jesus Sunday.

Matthew 3:13-17

3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.

3:14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

3:15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.

3:16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

As We Begin A New Life

Every year around this time, people are busy planning for the new year with resolutions, hopes and dreams. Today’s theme of the lectionary reading is on “the baptism of Jesus.”  It is very appropriate for the time of the year since baptism has its meaning as the “initiation of the life as God’s people through the community of faith.” It is beginning a new life with repentance, with turning around from the old ways. To turn around from our old ways, we need to recognize what  our old ways were and to discern what God wants us to do and where the Holy Spirit leads us to go.

As we know well, baptism is one of two sacraments that we, the Protestant churches,

celebrate as “the visible sign of the invisible grace of God.” In this very original sacramental ritual, the baptism of Jesus, we find that the subject matter of this is “humankind’s relationship with God” with a significant role of the Holy Spirit in this relationship. To have a good relationship with God, we need to turn around from our old ways. We need to recognize what  our old ways were and to discern what God wants us to do.

The baptism of Jesus is a special event of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. What we learn from Jesus’ journey is that the Holy Spirit has committed itself to Jesus and his ministry: With this Spirit, Jesus proclaims the good news to the poor (Luke 4:18). It is an event of initiation of our journey – a  beginning  of a new journey, a journey that carries out God’s mission. In this journey we experience the same Spirit of God residing amongst us through Jesus at his baptism.

What we learn from today’s reading is that Jesus’ baptism, initiation of a new life is a special event that experiences the Holy Spirit through which he perceived his own calling and mission. In his baptism, Jesus saw ‘The Spirit descended upon him like a dove’ and then heard a voice from God, ‘You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.’ This story  tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us to affirm the relationship with God and sets the new relationship with people. Through this we re-affirm God’s promise that the Holy Spirit will be in our new journey with us.

When we have a renewed relationship of repentance, we will hear, “You are my beloved daughter, you are my beloved son.” When we measure the success of life with our own standard - to be more prosperous, more successful by gaining more possessions, what people want is having fun, and particularly in this time of the new year is “more money.” But the Bible teaches us there is something more important than this. It is the relationship.

It is the relationship with God. It is the relationship with God that God calls us “You are my child, my beloved.”

Let us now think a few moments what is the most important thing in life. In the beginning of the new year, we plan the new year with resolutions, hopes and dreams. I have received many emails from friends around the world demonstrating their hopeful and well balanced plans for the coming years. One of the things which impressed me was that there were some people who planned to keep all the promises they would make. It seems like a very small thing. But if we do this, we will be a more reliable and trustworthy person.

At this time I am wondering, whether we keep our promise with God. I am not asking what sort of promise you will make. What I am certain about is “repentance” –turning around from the old way. I have trust in you that we have been faithfully walking together to be the Christ church, the body of Christ. As an individual and as church, I feel that we are so blessed to have the story of Jesus’ baptism in our beginning, a beginning with promise of turning around.

In this new beginning, the Spirit of God will lead us and empower us to live life with meaning and value, the quality and joy that guarantees the blessed life, that makes our lives holy. This is the life that the Holy Spirit leads us. And as we begin this journey, we will hear God’s calling us through the Spirits, “You are my beloved.”  In the midst of our journey together, we will hear God’s calling us through the Spirits, “I am well pleases with you.”

May God bless all of you as you venture a new journey for a new life with the life-giving Spirit, in the world and for the world. Thanks be to God! Amen.