There are two kinds of people in this world… those who build puzzles. And those who don't.
I'm not into doing fiddly things
So I guess I am one of those who don't build puzzles.
But when other people have built puzzles… and I've taken one or two minutes to help them.
I have always been amazed at how a picture begins to emerge as the pieces, usually sorted and catalogued by colour by the more careful puzzle builders are placed in their proper places…
A picture emerges.
And finally when they recover the one piece that I hid away from them – the picture is complete.
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Because we believe that Jesus is a true picture of what God is like; 'an exact imprint of his very being' as the writer of the letter to the Hebrews puts it, so when we gather to worship God it makes sense that we read about Jesus in the gospels…
As we read about him in the gospels the pieces of the puzzle come together… we begin to get a clearer picture of who God is – what God is like.
So we thank God for the gospel writers who collected together the sayings and writings about Jesus into documents which we can understand.
When we read the gospels, we hear the voices of those first communities of Christ followers who gathered together and told each other the stories about Jesus… and wondered at what God had done for them, at how God was made known to them.
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We read from Matthew's gospel chapter 3:13-17 the account of the baptism of Jesus according to Matthew.
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The Baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
Matthew's gospel is a gospel that teaches people about discipleship – how to follow Jesus. It was probably used to prepare new Christians for Baptism into the community of Jesus' disciples.
In it Jesus' ministry begins with Baptism, but it also ends with Jesus' instruction to the disciples to Go; To go and teach people from all nations to obey all that he has taught them – and to baptise them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
* * *
Matthew's gospel prepares people to become disciples of Jesus by giving a careful account of the things that Jesus did – his actions. Interspersed with long sections of his teachings.
In Matthew's gospel there are five distinct sections in which Jesus gives long sermons… one of these is his most famous of all – "The Sermon on the Mount."
Disciples were charged with the task of imitating their teacher in the manner of his actions.
They were also expected to memorise his teachings, to discuss them and to pass them on by teaching them to others.
As we see action in Matthew's gospel we are challenged by Jesus example… as we read the wisdom of Jesus' teaching in Matthew we are challenged to put that sort of wisdom into practice.
* * *
All of Matthew's gospel helps us to put pieces of the puzzle into the picture of who Jesus is and what he is like…
Jesus' actions – the events of Jesus' life form the frame that cement for us who he is (the event that we look at today is his baptism). But the body of the picture is made up in his teaching… in Jesus teaching we gain a fuller insight into who he is and what is expected of us as his followers.
* * *
In the Baptism of Jesus a few startling things happen.
The first difficulty is the fact that Jesus gets baptised at all – how could the one who is sinless need to have his sins washed away? Scripture tells us that John's baptism was a baptism of repentance.
The second difficulty is that by submitting to John's baptism Jesus is in fact making himself out to be somehow lower than John – John is aware of this and tells Jesus that he's the one who should be baptising him.
* * *
Why does Jesus get baptised?
Jesus' response to John when John asks him this is that it is better to fulfil all righteousness.
Although Jesus is sinless – he shares in the sin of the world just by being among us… Sin – as much as we would like it to be private, is never actually private. Sin involves a whole community of people – a whole nation, a whole world. Our sin makes us less able to be a blessing to those around us and thus effects them.
* * *
Even if one of us was to remain absolutely pure of any evil thought or action – we would still be tainted by sin.
By living among us, being part of our community on earth – Jesus takes up our sins and our sinfulness.
In being baptised he fulfils all righteousness, identifying with us completely.
* * *
The fact that Jesus was baptised by John probably led to a bit of trouble for the early Christians… even after Jesus death and resurrection there were still disciples of John the Baptist around.
John the Baptist's preaching spoke of a baptism of fire that was to come… It seems that he had a different sort of Messiah in mind. Later on when John is in prison he will send his disciples to ask Jesus: Are you the one who is to come?
Jesus will point to the healing that he is bringing that subtly works away at the structures of evil as proof that he really is the one who was to come.
* * *
Jesus baptism is an unexpected baptism of submission and obedience. Submission to God in doing what God required – 'fulfilling all righteousness.' Jesus submission shows us a picture of a God who is a humble King… Identifying with the people's sin and their need for forgiveness – by being baptised with them.
By receiving baptism from John he shows himself to be a servant King and not a conquering warrior kind of King… although it is in his weakness that his true power is made known.
* * *
Jesus is baptised by John – and as he comes up out of the water the writer of the gospel tells us that:
"The heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him."
"And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
"And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
This gracious servant King image is affirmed according to Matthew's gospel by a voice from heaven… a voice that echoes through translation from Hebrew into Greek the words of the prophet recorded in the scroll of Isaiah 42:1:
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him;"
Matthew is carefully directing us towards the picture of Messiah suggested in the servant songs of Isaiah… songs that speak of a Messiah who will suffer for his people – and in that suffering will gain victory for them… delivering them from their sins; taking whatever punishment they deserve for their sins upon himself.
In chapter 15:15-21 of his gospel Matthew will quote the Isaiah passage more extensively, noting how Jesus fulfils Isaiah's picture of what Messiah will be.
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The Isaiah pictures of the servant are not just about Jesus… they quite clearly refer also to the whole nation of Israel… the people through whom the nations will come to know the glory of God.
Just as Jesus identifies with our evil and our sin, taking it upon himself by being part of our community. So too – the community identifies (as unworthy as it may be) with the goodness of Christ, becoming a light to the nations; called to bring sight to the blind and freedom to those in captivity.
* * *
We – as a community of Christ's disciples share in the baptism which Jesus received. The baptism in which the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove, just as it descends on us today and gives us the power we need to do what he calls us to do.
The baptism in which we as a community of God's adopted children also hear the words – "You are my beloved child in whom I delight." Whether or not we are worthy of this love – we still receive it because Christ made it possible – by sharing in our sin; and taking it away by his death on the cross.
* * *
I invite us today to remember our baptism – baptism into this nation, this family of people who seek to follow God as revealed in Christ. I invite us to remember our new identity as God's beloved children in whom he delights…
And at the same time to remember our responsibility to be a servant people who share the message of God's love and grace with the whole world… As we seek to be more and more faithful disciples of Christ.
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