confirmation

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CONFIRMATION Second in the Series: Jesus Who?

Mark 1:9-11 Epiphany Sunday, January 10, 2016 Rev. David S. Cooney During this Epiphany season, we are asking the question: what child is this who, laid to rest on Mary’s lap, is sleeping? Or, more succinctly, Jesus who? We began with the visit of some wise men from the east who followed a star and brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their answer to the question was that Jesus is the one born king of the Jews. They would not have known the prophecies of an expected Messiah and would not have had the hope Israelites had for a new David. All they knew was that the new star they saw in the sky signaled the birth of a king. A king deserves homage, so they came with gifts. Maybe in bowing down to him they instinctively knew that he was not just king of the Jews, but king of all creation. We do not know. The next to answer were Simeon and Anna, two seniors who were in the temple when Jesus was brought for circumcision. They each identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of Israel. The next to answer the question was God himself. His answer came thirty years later. We do not know if others had an answer in the three decades intervening. We have only one story of Jesus as a child. It is found in Luke. He was twelve and, while on a family trip to Jerusalem, located himself in the temple where he impressed the rabbis with his biblical knowledge and insight. They undoubtedly considered him a precocious child and a sure-fire future rabbi, but probably no more. His parents, on that day, also considered him a precocious child who had caused them to search frantically for him. He got a scolding and was dragged home. Other than that, from the time of his infancy to his emergence on the scene at age 30, we know nothing about him or those around him. He emerged on the scene, east of Jerusalem, at the Jordan River, just north of the Dead Sea. It was not a random location. It was where his cousin John was initiating a religious revival and baptizing repentant sinners in the river. Jesus was also baptized. Why the sinless Christ participated in baptism connected to repentance is a bit of a mystery. Mark and Luke simply tell us that Jesus was baptized. Matthew tells us that John resisted, asking the same question, and insisting that Jesus should baptize him, not the other way around. But Jesus had John baptize him, saying it was the proper way to fulfill all righteousness. Given that John’s revival was a God-ordained movement, and that John had been called to be the forerunner of Christ, it might be fair to speculate that Jesus was giving his seal of approval to all that John was doing by participating with the people. Maybe. We could reflect more on that, but it is not the topic for today. Of interest to us today is what happened at the baptism. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell about that. The heavens opened up and the Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. Then God

spoke. What did God say? Mark and Luke quote God as saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Matthew quotes God as saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” It sounds like they are saying the same thing. There is a significant difference, however. To read, “This is my Son,” is to imply that God was speaking to the crowd, to those gathered at the river that day. It is God directly answering our question, Jesus who? “Jesus is my son.” It is a message to those who had come to hear John that Jesus was the one to whom they should pay attention. He was not just another worshipper who had come seeking forgiveness, wading into the river to repent, be cleansed, and start anew. He was the very son of God, the one about whom John had been talking. The answer goes well beyond the answer of the wise men from the east. They paid homage to a king, a political figure, born with the prestige and power of royalty. God’s answer tells us that Jesus is no mere king, a person with affluence and influence. Jesus is divine, God among people. What child is this who, laid to rest on Mary’s lap, is sleeping? God’s son. The interesting thing is that, if Matthew has it right and God was speaking to the crowd, either no one heard him or no one paid attention. I do not know about you, but if I see the heavens open and a dove descend on someone, and then hear a voice from heaven say this is my son, I am going to respond. I am going to ask others about him, or try to get close enough to ask him something about himself, or whip out my phone and take some pictures, or follow when he leaves, or maybe just fall on my knees right there worshipping and praying. But none of the gospel writers said anything about any of that happening. It is shocking. This should have been a receptive crowd. The folks had traveled from all over to hear John. They were revved up about his message. They were pouring into the river to be baptized, seeking God’s grace and mercy. They were already on a religious high. And now a voice from heaven identifies one among them as God’s Son? How does it get better than that? Surely they would have flocked around him. But that does not happen. The people went about their business. Jesus left the river quietly and privately and went directly into the wilderness for forty days of fasting, prayer, and temptation. I don’t know. Last week I said that we miss Jesus in our midst if we are not paying attention, and that God can be the master of the subtle and be among us without fanfare. I talked about those who noticed the signs and those who did not and posed the challenging question about how often we miss Jesus and do not know it. Here God was not subtle at all. A voice from heaven is a difficult sign to miss. Is it really possible to miss God even when God gets in our faces? Something to ponder. Then again, maybe something else is going on here. Mark and Luke tell us the voice said, “You are my Son.” This suggests that God was speaking to Jesus, not to the crowd and, quite possibly, Jesus was the only one who heard it. That would explain why others did not gather around. It does raise a different question, though. Why did God tell Jesus this? Did Jesus not already know who he was? Was he wavering or was he unsure about his identity? Maybe this is why he came to be baptized. He did not know he was the Christ and came for spiritual renewal just like the others.

There are more theories about this than I can assure you that you care to read. I am going to make it easy and just give you my theory. Whatever Jesus did or did not know, this moment served as a confirmation of his relationship with God, a much needed confirmation. You see, this was a critical moment. John, the forerunner of the Christ, had begun the movement. Jesus, now as a grown man, was about to begin his saving work. Immediately following his baptism, he would go through more than a month of spiritual, identity-testing temptation. In other words, in major ways, the rubber was about to hit the road. The devil was going to be in overdrive trying to get him to deny or deface his identity. The devil wanted Jesus related to him, not God. If Jesus managed to resist the devil, then many others would soon be lining up to take their turn to tell him that he did not belong, that he was no good, that he was wrong. Religious leaders would reject him. His own townspeople would try to push him off of a cliff. Followers would walk away from him. His disciples would betray and abandon him. The powerful would crucify him. Baptism was the beginning of his ministry, but in many ways it was the beginning of the end. It was nice to begin with John, who knew who he was, pouring the blessed water of the Jordan over him. It was better when the Spirit descended upon him. It was best when God reassured him, confirmed for him, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” These are the words that would be ringing in his ears when the devil tried to torment him. These are the words that would give him strength when the world spit on him. “You are my son. I am proud of you. I am pleased with you. I love you.” These are the confirming words of God at baptism. I wonder, what do you hear God say when you go down by the river to pray? Hopefully, you hear the same words. I say hopefully because sometimes the voices of others can drown out the voice of God. Just as it was with Jesus, there are others to tell you that you are not worth much. In their eyes you are not successful enough or affluent enough or established enough. In their eyes you are not particularly smart. In their eyes you are too tall or too short or too stout or too thin or too loud or too quiet or too gullible or too defensive. In their eyes you are not good enough or devout enough or nice enough or religious enough to be loved by them, much less God. You might go down to the river to pray and all you hear are the voices of others telling you that you are not worthy to pray and certainly not worthy enough to have your prayers heard. What I want you to hear today is that there is another voice speaking at the river and it is really the only voice that matters. It is the voice of God. And this is what God is saying. “You are my child, beloved.” No, we are not God’s children in the same way as Jesus for we are not fully divine as well as fully human. We are not part of the Godhead. And yet, God has brought us into the family of God and calls us children – not slaves, not servants, not hired hands, not guests or visitors. God calls us his children. Anyone who is telling you something different is wrong. You are precious in God’s sight. How do I know? It is not that I am eavesdropping on you and God at the river. It is that this is at the heart of the gospel. This is what God sending his son is all about in the first place. God so loves us that God sent his son. Not because we are perfect or righteous or special or deserving or a cut above everyone else. God sent Jesus because God loves us. Period. Full stop.

I think God spoke to Jesus at the Jordan because that was a moment in his life when he just needed some confirming, affirming words. I can just hear God saying, whispering perhaps, “Don’t let others discourage you. Don’t let others steal your identity. Don’t let others cause you to doubt me and my love for you. It is going to get rough for a while. But know this: you are my Son. I am pleased with you and I love you.” It just seems to me that we all have those moments when we need some confirming, affirming words. Times when we need to hear God telling us that we are his children and we are loved. Perhaps this is such a time for you. And maybe you will hear that voice in a little bit when you are invited to come forward and dip your hand in the water. Maybe it will be in the quiet of the night. Maybe it will be while driving in congested traffic, or while having a cup of coffee at breakfast, or while doing chores. I don’t know when your river moment might be. I do know, though, what God has to say, because he has said it loudly and clearly in the person of Christ Jesus. Oh child of God, beloved. You belong to God and God loves you deeply. Don’t pay any attention to anyone telling you differently. What child is this who, laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping? God says, “He is my Son.” This means he is our Lord, and brother. Thanks be to God. Amen.