Called by name - baptism of Christ 2016

A father was in church with three of his young children, including his five year old daughter. Bravely he sat in the very front row so that the children could properly witness the service. 

During this service, the minister was performing the baptism of a baby. The five year old was rather taken by this, observing that he was saying something and pouring water over the infant's head. With a quizzical look on her face, the little girl turned to her father and asked: "Daddy, why is he brainwashing that baby ?"

Though it may be regarded almost superstitiously by some, baptism is not an act of magic but rather a recognition of the grace, mercy and love of God who welcomes people into a real relationship with him. 

The reading from Isaiah (43:1-7) is a real summary of what we mean to God. The previous chapter ends with God’s distress about the way people are behaving, and yet here God is still making promises about the future for his people… 

‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’ I think these words sum up so much of our faith and the nature of God who is gracious, merciful and loving. I think it’s still one of the most incredible things upon which to reflect – God doesn’t just know us as a part of the human race, he doesn’t just know us as a citizen of a country, or as a member of a church, but he knows us by name, and he calls us by name… 

Some time ago I went to a talk by a chaplain of a top Premier league football team and he talked about the manager of the club and how he didn’t just know the names of the first team players but their families too, and he even knew players and their families down to the youth teams at the club – he knew them by name and that left an incredible impression on people about how much he cared for them… 

If it’s special when someone we respect knows our name, how much more special is it when God knows our name, and calls us by that name… He calls us into his family… 

Today we think about the baptism of Jesus. Our gospel reading (Luke 3:15-17,21,22) describes that baptism. John the Baptist had been preaching and baptising in the River Jordan but promising that someone would be coming who would baptise with more than just water, he would baptise with the Holy Spirit. 

And Jesus came and was baptised. He didn’t need to be baptised, he didn’t need any sort of cleansing or washing, symbolically or otherwise, and yet he was baptised to offer an example for others to follow, but also to align himself as one of us. Jesus’ life on earth wasn’t to be a sheltered, mysterious life, but a life lived at the heart of a community and society. 

Some of you may have seen in the papers this week an incredible picture which was put on the internet and has since gone viral. It was a picture taken on New Years Eve in Manchester (taken by Joel Goodman of the Manchester Evening News).
The photo is incredible for the amount of things in it – many of them a little bit sad in some ways, and some people have likened it to a painting… The photo is a street scene of some new year carnage really – there are people eating chips out of paper, a man lying on the floor with a pint of beer by the side of him, some people dealing with someone else on the floor, Christmas lights shining, taxis waiting at the kerbside and some people just watching… 

And I think it’s not too hard to think of Jesus there in the middle of it… He came into the world to be part of the world and to be part of the lives of us all, and he wasn’t going to achieve that from a distance… And the sadness is that if we keep him at a distance then he still won’t achieve what he wants for and from us – fullness of life, an increase of hope and peace, the awareness of his love and a real relationship with him which changes us and changes others…. 

The baptism of Jesus which we remember today led to the real beginning of his ministry. And for us too baptism, whenever it occurs, isa beginning – Martin Luther said that baptism is something that's done in church one day but takes the rest of our lives to complete… 

As Jesus emerged from the water following his baptism he received the charge to begin his work of salvation. That work would take him into the hearts of people, both friends and enemies, it would take him on literal journeys through different parts of the country, meeting different people and it would involve times when he was hailed a hero, others a fool or far worse… Some would love him, some would ignore him and others would hate him. 

And whilst our journey of faith and life may not be quite as dramatic, it is still a journey where God will be alongside us, but a journey where we choose to acknowledge that, or not.

When we are conceived God begins his work in our lives, when we are baptised we are welcomed into the Church family, and far more importantly into God’s family, but as we grow up we are called to make more decisions, and the most important one of all is how we respond to God. 

As part of his family the full assortment of his gifts are available to us – God, as I said earlier, intended our lives to be full, full of love, joy and peace, and yet, so many people, even those who are part of the family, neglect these gifts, and rarely, if ever, turn to God as the potential provider of the gifts. 

Charles Simeon a clergyman who worked during the beginning of the 19th century distinguished between baptism as something which provides Christians with a change of state, and the work of the Holy Spirit which leads to a change of nature…

In other words at baptism we become part of God’s family, but as we grow we seek to use the gift of the Holy Spirit and it is this gift that leads to a transformation in our lives. At baptism God pours out his love upon us, he shows his grace as he calls us, whether as an innocent child or an elderly criminal, but then we respond and we seek to get closer to him and to use this life transforming gift – the Holy Spirit. 

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles (8:14-17) we heard of people at Samaria accepting the word of God, and Peter and John went and prayed with them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. They had received their identity badge, but hadn’t received the tools they would need for their work. 

And that is true for us all – in baptism we are identified as Christians, but with the Holy Spirit we are commissioned as disciples – a commission that is for all of us ! 

As we thought about the carnage of new years eve in Manchester from that picture, much of Jesus’ life was spent amidst the carnage of day to day living - after his baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness, and spent time in prayer and reflection, and he had many times of quietness, but he also of course taught people, he healed on the Sabbath, he confronted the authorities and turned over the tables, and he spoke to people of all backgrounds and ideas…

Today Jesus is in the midst of our lives and the world and he still wants to challenge injustice, he wants to fight for the homeless, the neglected, the poor, he wants to bring an end to wars and conflict, he wants people to understand and know true peace, he wants to challenge an often selfish, greedy, demanding, uncaring world with a message of love and compassion without limits ! 

And he has commissioned us to be part of his work… 

It is partly by our lives that people will see and make judgements about God and yet, in spite of the things we so often get wrong, He has called us by name to be in his family, a family seeking to share his love, a family living out his love… 

And the promises keep coming because life isn’t always going to be easy and so we return to Isaiah as we’re reminded that with God at our side nothing can ever harm us. The Message Bible puts the start of that passage from Isaiah like this, 

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name, you’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end – Because I am your God, your personal God, the Holy of Israel, your Saviour…” 

We’re the most privileged people alive when we recognise that God loves us, every one of us – and we’re called to enjoy and share that message with others as we celebrate that reality. AMEN