Gospel for Jan. 11, 2015

Marcel van Heerden portrays John the Baptist in “The Visual Bible: Matthew.”

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Mark 1:4-11

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OBSERVE:

This opening passage of the Gospel According to Mark is both an ending and a beginning.

John the Baptist briefly appears here as his ministry is briefly described, and the baptism of Jesus is explained; and he appears again in Mark 6 with the details of the conspiracy against him, and his execution by Herod’s order.

John is a transitional figure – bridging the gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament – preparing for the coming of the Messiah by calling the people to repentance.

Baptism for John represents repentance and cleansing of sin.  But he forecasts the coming of the One who will baptize with the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is keenly aware that he is to be surpassed by the One coming after him.

The baptism of Jesus is more simply and directly described here than in any of the other three Gospels.  There is no dialogue between the two cousins, no protest by John that he is unworthy to baptize Jesus.

Instead, the focus here is all turned toward Jesus.  As Jesus emerges from the waters of the Jordan River, Jesus (not John) sees that the heavens are torn open and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove.  The voice of the Father is a kind of endorsement, and clear statement of his identity: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

In this brief moment we see the manifestation of the Trinity.  Jesus identifies with our nature in his baptism; the Spirit is poured out as the heavens are “torn open;” and the Father declares that Jesus is his Son.  Each are unique, yet each of the three persons of the Godhead are present in this moment.

APPLY:  

This passage reminds us that in our Christian witness we are to point beyond ourselves toward Christ.  John was obviously a dynamic, charismatic figure who could draw the crowds.  Yet he understood that his purpose was to prepare the way for Christ.

Like John the Baptist, we may have unique personalities and lifestyles and special diets that other people might find interesting – but what really matters is pointing toward Christ in our words, our example, and our service.

 

 

RESPOND: 

I need to be careful that my own personality quirks and idiosyncrasies don’t become the focus in my Christian life – as so often we focus on John’s strange clothing and diet.  My prayer is that I may point beyond myself to Christ.

Thank you that you have identified with our nature, as illustrated in the baptism of your Son.  Thank you that because of the baptism of the cross I have received forgiveness of sins.  Now, may I not draw attention to myself, but only to you.  Amen. 

Epistle for Jan. 11, 2015

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Acts 19:1-7

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OBSERVE:

This passage is sometimes called the “mini-Pentecost” that happens among the Greek believers in Ephesus some years after the original Pentecost in Jerusalem.

This outpouring of the Spirit happens because of a doctrinal misunderstanding about baptism.  Apollos, who is a Jew from Alexandria and a recent convert to Christianity, has been preaching in Ephesus.  Although his doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ is fundamentally sound, his understanding of baptism is a bit off.

He has been preaching a baptism of repentance, as practiced by John the Baptist, not baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Consequently they had not received the full benefit of their faith, which included receiving the Holy Spirit.

With the baptism into Jesus, and the reception of the Holy Spirit, they also received the manifestation of spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy.

The baptism of John into repentance was understood as a kind of preparation for the coming of Christ.  However, now that Jesus has been made manifest as Savior and Lord through his life, teaching, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension, it has been made clear that he is the Christ.

We will remember at the beginning of each of the four Gospels John is introduced as a preparatory figure, who is “paving the way” for the Messiah.  And he had promised in Luke 3:16 “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Through baptism into Jesus, these disciples receive the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and, metaphorically, the spiritual fire.

APPLY:  

The doctrine of baptism can be very confusing in the church today, just as it was to the Ephesian converts. Is it a sign of repentance, new birth, the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, a symbol of death and resurrection – and the answer is, yes!

And what is the proper method?  That question is usually a prelude to what can be a pretty divisive discussion: sprinkling, immersion, pouring, infant, believer’s baptism?

What is really quite significant about this is that water baptism, though a powerful symbol, must be understood as a symbol.  What really matters is what God does through the Holy Spirit.

A person may be baptized as an infant or as an adult, and neither one of them may experience the fullness of the experience of the Holy Spirit unless their hearts are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here is an analogy: Paul compares baptism to circumcision in Colossians 2:11-12 Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

But Paul also points out that the only true circumcision is the circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit (Romans 2:29).

In other words, the power of baptism lies in what God does in our hearts, not merely that we have been dunked in a creek, or had some water put on our heads.

The baptism of the heart and the work of the Holy Spirit in us is what really matters.

The comfort we take from this passage is that the Holy Spirit continues to be poured out, just as he was at Pentecost, and later in Ephesus, and throughout the book of Acts, and in the life of the church these last 2000 years.

RESPOND: 

I live in a diverse Christian culture, with many interpretations of the act of baptism.  I think it is possible that each of them have a part of the story: the Methodists are right in thinking that baptism is a sign of our acceptance by God and his work in our lives even while we are too immature to understand what it means.  But the Baptists are also right in believing that we must appropriate this gift by faith.  Baptism, whether it is administered to a child or to a believer, is only as powerful as the receptivity of that individual to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their lives through faith.

Our Lord, cut through our confusion and our fussing about baptism, and pour out your Holy Spirit on all of your church, that we all may be the believers and the world changers you mean for us to be.  Amen. 

Psalm Reading for Jan. 11, 2015

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 29

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OBSERVE:

This is a Psalm of Praise that ascribes glory and strength and holiness to the Lord using the imagery of the storm and mighty floods to illustrate the power of God.  There are three movements in this Psalm: ascriptions of glory to God, from verses 1-2; the imagery of God’s voice in the storm, verses 3-9a; and the image of the people in the temple who cry out “Glory!” and worship the Lord enthroned as their King.

God is personified as speaking through the voice of thunder, mighty waters, and perhaps the wind that has the power to break strong, tall cedars in the mountains of Lebanon into kindling. Proud oak trees are twisted by his voice.  God’s voice is depicted as flashing like lightning, and shaking the desert.

What other response can the congregation have but to cry “Glory!” and worship God as Lord and King in the temple?  The Psalm moves from the violence and power of the storm to the safety and peace within the temple, where they are sheltered by his strength: The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

We are reminded that one of the chief deities of the Canaanite pantheon of gods is Baal Hadod, the god of the storm.  The Psalmist is making it clear that the Lord of Israel is the true God of the storm.  He speaks through the storm and the lightning and the thunder and the flood, and yet he also brings peace and safety to his people from those storms.

APPLY:  

Anyone who lives in the Midsouth of the United States, as I do, will be very aware of the power of thunderstorms, wind, and water.  Tornadoes bring great terror, as do straight-line winds.  The mighty Mississippi flows by just a few miles from my home, and there have been times in the past that the levies did not protect the Delta from its inundations.  And floods can carry away virtually everything in their path – as survivors of tsunami in the Pacific can attest.

The Psalmist is making two points for us to consider in this Psalm.  That God is powerful beyond our imagining.  His voice is like the thunder, the lightning, the wind, the flood.

I like what the Beaver in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia says of Aslan, the Christ figure in the book: “He’s wild you know. Not like a tame lion.”

We must be careful in our thinking about God that we not to try to domesticate him, or reduce him to our “nice” categories. God is all-powerful, and we do well to fear him.

On the other hand, God does provide strength and peace to his people.  God is benevolent.

To quote Lewis’ fantasy again, when Lucy asks on first hearing about this lion named Aslan whether he is safe, the Beaver answers: “‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver . . Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you’”

As we think of Baptism of our Lord Sunday, in association with the texts for this week, we are made aware that sometimes our use of water in baptism can be over-sentimentalized.  Water does give life, and cleanses – but it is also a powerful force of nature.

Baptism in the church also gives life and cleanses – but it is a powerful symbol of supernatural power as well.

RESPOND: 

I can seldom resist the urge to stand and watch a thunderstorm, or to watch the Mississippi slide powerfully and swiftly by.  But I don’t really want to be out in the storm or down in the river.  Similarly, I acknowledge the power and glory of my God, but I am also grateful for his protection and peace.

Our Lord, you are mighty and powerful and holy.  My efforts to make you ‘safe’ and ‘tame’ are futile.  I cry ‘Glory!’ at your name, and give thanks that you have saved me in the midst of the storms of life.  Amen. 

Old Testament for Jan. 11, 2015

Start with Scripture:

Genesis 1:1-5

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OBSERVE:

The first lines of Genesis begin with an assumption.  The assumption is that God, THE God, the one who is also known as the I AM who reveals himself to Moses in the Book of Exodus, is the one and only creator of all that exists.

There is no effort to prove God’s existence here, or to justify him.  The first sentence is a statement of faith.

St. Augustine points out that the supernatural and the natural realms are included in this statement, that God created the heavens and the earth.  I’m not sure this was the original intent of the author of Genesis, but it makes for a nice, comprehensive view of creation.  All creation is included, both visible and invisible.

The description of creation prior to God’s first words is that of chaos. It is formless and empty and dark.

However, there is the potential of divine power inherent in the words the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  One has the sense that something is about to happen.

What happens is seemingly effortless.  God speaks, and bids for light.  And the light comes into existence.

What God has done is to begin to create boundaries that will bring order to the chaos that has existed up until now.  There is a border between light and darkness, and between day and night.

Some commentators suggest that Genesis chapter one is a clear statement of faith in the reality of THE God who i.s above nature, not a part of nature.  In other words, unlike the polytheistic and pantheistic and animistic religions, biblical religion insists that God transcends his creation. God creates; God is not created.

The sun, moon, stars, waters, vegetation, animal life that is created later in the account are part of the created order.  They are not imbued with divinity as gods and goddesses.  There is One God and One Creator

APPLY:  

Even an amateur astronomer still learning to identify the constellations can quickly notice a dramatic similarity between the creation account of Genesis and what many astrophysicists describe as the “Big Bang” cosmology.

That very suddenly, without any warning, the universe began to explode and expand into the light of innumerable stars.

For some astrophysicists, this is a confirmation of the biblical account of creation, and causes them to transition from doubt to faith in God.

I believe it is also very possible to see the presence of the Triune God, One God in Three Persons, insinuated here.  Genesis begins with the declarative statement that God created the heavens and the earth.  Then there is the statement that  the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. There seems to be a distinction between God and the Spirit of God, and yet they are indistinguishable in identity – just as we might say “my spirit is brooding over a problem.”

And – stay with me here – I can even find evidence in my own mind that the Second Person of the Trinity is here, with a little creative biblical parallelism.  The Prologue to the Gospel of John says In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:1-3). 

This principle of the Logos, the Word, is interpreted as the Thought or the Mind of God.  And how is it that God creates?  And God said.  God speaks his thoughts into existence.  The Word causes all creation to come into existence.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made

And one more thing – light is considered one of the absolute constants in nature, to which everything else is relative.  Einstein’s theory of relativity has taught us that.  How appropriate that light is the very first act of God.  And even more so that Jesus tells us that he is the Light of the world!

RESPOND: 

 

 

Lord, my mind boggles when I consider the acts of creation, and the created order of this universe!  When I consider the stars, the moon, the earth and the teeming life on this tiny planet that is made possible by your delicate and careful boundaries and balances, how can I not believe in you?  How can I not praise you?  Amen.