Sermons

“Declaring a New Thing”

Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-17 – Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn

Vista La Mesa Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), La Mesa, California – January 8, 2017

Holy God, bless the speaking and the hearing of these words, that our hearts might be touched by your Spirit and our lives declare your good news. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

It wasn’t just John. He was right. This is a little weird. If we think about a lot of the reasons why we get baptized, some of the metaphors used in scripture even – about being washed clean of sin, for instance – or how it changes our relationship to Jesus or the idea baptism is what gets us into heaven, then it’s not at all clear why Jesus came to John to be baptized. Why get washed clean of your sins if you haven’t got any? John was a bit incredulous, and I don’t think he’s alone in his confusion.

But I think we did get a hint this morning. It’s just that it’s from our other scripture reading. Right there at the end of the passage we read from Isaiah 42, it says, “new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” I think that’s what Jesus was doing: he was declaring that a new thing was starting. He was engaging in this particular ritual in order to herald the chapter that was just beginning. Or as he put it “to fulfill all righteousness.” And if we think about it a certain way, this isn’t that different than the layers of meaning attached to our own baptisms.

Most of you in this room have been baptized, though some have not. As I discussed with the kids earlier, the Disciples tradition encourages “believer’s baptism”, a chosen ritual that happens once someone is old enough to understand what they’re doing. For most Disciples children growing up, this is somewhere between 10 and 13. For some Baptists, it can be as young as six or so! I’m curious, of those of you who have been baptized, how many of you were baptized this way, not as an infant, but because you chose to be baptized? And how many were baptized when you were a baby or small child, by your parents’ choice? How many of those non-infant baptisms were full immersion? Are there folks here who were baptized later in life, but not by immersion? Was anyone here immersed as an infant? (There are traditions that do that! I’m really glad I don’t have to do that, because it seems terrifying and messy.)

So now that we’ve gotten a sense of where we are with all this, let’s think a little more about how Jesus’ baptism helps us discover the meanings of our own. I think there is something fruitful to be found within this idea that baptism is about “declaring a new thing.” In a very real way, being baptized is making a public announcement. It is the most counter-cultural thing of all in our society – a public act of humility. It is a declaration that we will no longer be living for ourselves, because we are confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. When Jesus came to be baptized, it was also an act of humility, which is, I think, part of the reason John was so distressed by it at first. But it was vital, to Jesus, to make clear that his impending ministry was not about him, but rather about God, who had sent him. We cannot “fulfill righteousness” if we’re all about ourselves. Righteousness is about carrying out God’s will in our lives and our world, not following the dictates of our own egos.

If we choose this, if we come to be baptized into new life in Christ, it makes a difference. At least, it should. Our world is a mess. It’s full of broken people doing violent, selfish things. If we have chosen to live for Christ, we ought to be different. Sometimes those differences are stark, and sometimes they are subtle. Take human trafficking, for instance. Next Sunday, our partnership youth group is going to learn a lot more about it. But here’s one of the facts about human trafficking that I find most disturbing. Based on the statistics and the demographics of this country, some portion of the consumers of human sex trafficking are also regular church-goers. If the church is going to respond, oughtn’t that be the place we should start? Being baptized into life in Christ should make us different, new. Certain behaviors should be obviously and easily rejected.

On the other hand, there are a lot of other choices we make, habits we practice, comments we make, where our life in Christ is a more subtle influence. The truth is that there are a lot of people out there doing the right thing most of the time. There are a lot of people who volunteer their time, who are generous and thoughtful, who sincerely want what is best for others. And not all of them are followers of Jesus. How does our baptism make a difference in that comparison?

I’m going to use a metaphor here that is quite possibly entirely inappropriate. My husband and I have been re-watching a television show we enjoy call “Hustle,” which is about a team of con artists in London. Now, obviously, one of the easy, stark differences between baptized followers of Jesus and the characters in this show is that it is not faithful Christianity to trick people out of their money, even if they are less than savory characters who cheat and steal themselves. But here me out here – one of the ongoing dynamics of the show is the shift that the most recent addition to the team, Danny Blue, has made from being a “short con” artist to joining this “long con” team. A short con is something like cheating at cards, or nicking someone’s watch, or selling a dog that isn’t yours. The cons on this show, however, involve all sorts of set up and preparation, and they’re focused on convincing someone, over the long haul, of an alternate reality.

My point here is not that con artists are amusing (though in fact they are, when they’re picking on bad guys). The point is that the good things we do, as followers of Jesus, are more like a long con than a short con. Yes, doing the right thing in any given circumstance is hugely important. But the “why” of that is essential for Christians as well. We aim to do the right thing, in the right way, not just because it’s the right thing in that particular situation, but because we’re trying to create an alternate reality, where righteousness prevails. It’s not just about each separate action, but about the world that is created when all those acts of love and mercy and generosity are piled up together. It’s about how acting that way affects our character, and how it gives hope to others that another way of being is possible. Our choice to follow Jesus isn’t just about how it will change our personal life. It’s about becoming part of something bigger, something that changes the world, fulfilling righteousness. That’s why we make kind of a big deal about it at the beginning, announcing the shift in our loyalties with this public ritual involving a not-inconsequential amount of water. That’s why, even though we only get baptized once, we keep coming back here every week to remind ourselves what we’re doing. We have declared a new thing, that we want to be part of fulfilling righteousness, that we want to be different. How do we do that? By confessing Jesus as Lord in this public act of humility.

Lest we forget, we’re not the only ones acting during a baptism. Has it ever struck you as odd that God proclaims that he’s “well pleased” with Jesus before he’s even gotten started? Doesn’t it seem like it would make more sense for this heavenly pronouncement to have come down from the clouds over the cross at Golgotha, rather than the River Jordan? But that’s not how the story goes. And that’s not how it is for us either. God isn’t waiting for us to prove ourselves. When we make that declaration of the new thing, that we are going to follow Jesus as Lord, the Spirit is present with us as well, claiming us just as we are claiming Christ, making it possible for us to believe in and help build up the alternate reality known as the kingdom of heaven, where justice is established without breaking even a bruised reed or quenching even the most dimly burning wick. “Fulfilling righteousness” can sound like an intimidating assignment, but we are not left to accomplish it on our own. It’s why we’re here every week. It’s why we gather in prayer. It’s why we come to this Table together. This is what church is – those of us who have gathered together to declare Jesus as Lord, so that we can declare the new thing God is doing: the redemption of all things. Alleluia and Amen.