Sunday, January 10, 2021

Baptism of Our Lord
Genesis 1:1-5
Psalm 29
Acts 19:1-7
Mark 1:4-11

A voice came out of the sky, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

There is an Italian artist who has lived in the United States since 1965, developing his style in Florida and Arkansas until he landed in Texas. Like all artists, Benini’s style has changed over the decades, but I love his more recent work. He uses an application process that combines hand blended backgrounds and selectively dropped acrylics in controlled patterns. These paintings are very geometric and often monochrome, with clean lines while still being almost chaotic. One series is called “The Face of God.” He used large canvases, 4ft x 6ft, and acrylic paints to create seventeen paintings that are all similar and yet very different. Each painting has an irregular oval in the center of the canvas and is surrounded by splotches of color, each canvas a different color focus.

Benini said about this series, “The God I was portraying had nothing to do with religious icons or established beliefs - identities man has created from the beginning of man time. It was more a quest for an abstract essence: universal in spirit. I used color, my lifetime ally, with all its powers and varieties.” While I might not agree with Benini’s understanding of God, the paintings are incredibly beautiful and they draw you into the light at the heart of the painting which his surrounded by a frame of colorful chaos. It is, in essence, an artist’s representation of the creation, and that’s why he called the series “The Face of God.”

As I look at artistic representations of creation, I wonder how I might represent the seven days from my own point of view. I think that the first day would be the hardest of all to paint. How do you capture “formless void” and “Day and Night” on canvas? How do you take common earthly elements to portray the incredible thing God did on that first day? Perhaps Benini captures it well with his chaos surrounding an oval of light, “The Face of God.”

The hardest thing about the creation story for us to wrap our minds around is that in the beginning there was nothing. The scriptures call the earth a formless void. What is that? If there was an ‘earth’ how could it be formless? How could it be void? And how can you recreate something so outside our limited earthly experience?

Yet, as I think about the first words of the Bible, it seems to me that the formless void is much like an empty canvas. The point is not that there was nothing for God to use to create the world, but that He had a vision. When God spoke, that vision came to life. It only took a word from the mouth of God for the formless void to become light and dark. By His word the light and the dark were divided and He gave them names: Day and Night. This aspect of the first day is as difficult to put to canvas as the formless void. The light, the Day, is Christ: love, mercy, hope, grace, joy, generosity, justice and all things good. The dark, the Night, is the absence of those good things. It is not enough to paint a canvas with white and black, with sun and moon. How do you portray God and all His goodness as it was “In the beginning.”

The formless void in the creation story is like an empty canvas to God the master painter. His vision of what would be is not limited like ours. We may not be able to find a truly fitting way to put it on canvas, but God spoke all of creation into existence, beginning with the spiritual foundation of all that there is. We don’t hear about Jesus until later, much later, in the history of mankind. Yet, Christ was there, at that moment, and it is through Him all things were created. On the first day God brought to life His imagination, everything He desired for that formless void was started with just a word, His Word.

When someone in my church wants to get the attention of the crowd, they will loudly speak the words, “Peace be with you.” They usually aren’t heard the first time, so they say it again a little louder. A few people hear and mumble, “And also with you.” The person says “Peace be with you” again, and by now most of the crowd is paying attention. They will say “And also with you” a little louder. Finally the person will say it one last time and everyone will join in the response.

There’s a comedic scene that is often used in television or movies. Two people are trying to talk in the middle of a noisy crowd. One wants to tell the other something important and very personal, but it is nearly impossible for the other person to hear. The character tries to whisper it in the other’s ear, hoping that the words will be heard above the noise. “I can’t hear you” is the response time after time. Finally, the character gets so frustrated that he or she screams out secret. Of course, a split second before the words leave the character’s mouth, something happens to stop the noise and everyone in the room hears the secret. The shout is much louder than anyone might expect, making it doubly humorous to those of us watching. It is usually followed by the comment, “You don’t have to shout.”

Public speakers learn how to talk so that they will be heard, especially if they are facing a room that has uncontrollable noise. In most cases, it is best to speak with a normal voice: not too loud or too soft. Sometimes it is helpful to use a soft voice, making it necessary for the listeners to focus on hearing the words. This is especially true in groups with young children. Teachers o learn quickly that raising their voice only raises the noise level in the room. It is sometimes better to talk in a whisper because the children realize that the words being said might be important and the only way to hear them is to be quiet.

One of my favorite passages of scripture is the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 when he was running away from Jezebel. He made it to a cave on a mountain to wait for a word from the Lord. He heard a great and powerful wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks, but God was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then came a fire, but God was not in the fire. Finally, there was a gentle whisper. Then Elijah knew the Lord had come to speak with him.

We hear God in the still small voice, the gentle whisper. There are other ways that God speaks to us that are quiet and subtle like through the creation and the love of other believers. How often do we miss that small voice because we are so busy listening to the chaos in our lives?

We are reminded that God does not speak only with that still small voice. The psalmist describes God’s voice as powerful, full of majesty. It breaks the cedars and shakes the wilderness. A quiet voice does not rattle the world, a thunderous voice does. Sometimes God speaks in a way that will get our attention.

The psalmist writes, “Yahweh’s voice is on the waters.” This brings us back to the image of God at the beginning of creation, speaking order into the chaos and something out of that formless void. He has not stopped speaking into the world He has created. His voice still makes the world tremble. But, even more so, He gives strength to His people. We have nothing about which to be afraid. God is King and He will bless us with peace.

Yahweh’s voice is over the water of baptism, too. The baptism liturgy that my church uses begins with the Spirit moving over the waters when God created heaven and earth. Water nourishes and sustains us. The liturgy tells of the flood that condemned the world and the grace that saved Noah and his family. It goes on to talk about the Red Sea that parted to allow Israel to escape slavery. It reminds us that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan. In baptism we join Jesus in His death and resurrection, saved from sin and death by Jesus who set us free. Water is a sign of the kingdom and of cleansing and rebirth. We join the church historic in obedience to His command to make disciples of all nations by baptizing, asking God to pour out His Spirit so that by baptism we will have new life. We ask God to wash away our sin so that we can be brought forth as inheritors of your glorious kingdom. We praise God for His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all this is possible.

I love the way the pastor proclaims God’s use of water in the baptismal prayer so that we see the connection of our baptism to the creation, to our sinfulness, to God’s grace. “He made water a sign of the kingdom and of cleansing and rebirth.” We are called to be instruments of His grace by using water and His Word to make disciples of all nations. This is an act of worship; it is an act of trust and obedience. We believe that God’s voice can put order to the chaos of our world; it can free us from the bondage of sin and death and grants us new life.

The image of that chaos is as frightening as a churning, dark and stormy sea might be, because there is no order and no light. But God had a vision for the formless void that was earth in the beginning. God said “Let there be light,” and there was light. It took only a word and everything changed. The chaotic formless void now had light. Even with nothing else, there is a peace in knowing that something, or someone, has dominion over the chaos.

Evil exists; we know this to be true. Besides our experience with evil, the Bible tells us that evil is in the world. We have suffered from the sins of others and we have suffered the consequences of our own sin. We die because of sin, even though that was not God’s intent. So, we are left once again with that question. “Why?” Why is there sin? Why is there evil? And the worst question of all is, “Why would God create evil?”

Evil exists because some of God’s creation rejected the light. Evil exists outside the Light; it is the lack of God. Some of God’s creation rejected God, and thus we are left with evil. It did not take very long for the evil to draw others away from the light. Even in the Garden of Eden, Paradise, Adam and Eve were swayed to turn from God and to leave the Light. Since that moment, sin has been a part of our world. We can’t fix it. We can’t defeat it. We can’t overcome sin by our own power because it has overpowered us. In the beginning, God spoke and our salvation was revealed.

With a word, God made the chaos orderly, the darkness light. With just a Word, He changed a formless void into the beginning of His vision for the world. Though it seems like darkness and evil still rule and that the world is still chaotic and void, today’s scriptures remind us in a very real, tangible way that God did not stop speaking. God had a plan to bring order to this world that was filled with sin. The voice of God ripped through the fabric of creation and God incarnate was born.

The Word He spoke on Christmas Day was His Son, Jesus Christ. In today’s Gospel lesson, we meet that Son as He enters fully into the lives of His people through the ministry of John the Baptist. John is the voice crying out in the wilderness, calling God’s people to repentance, making the way for the Lord. The people flock to John no matter who they are: young and old, rich and poor. Those who believed John’s message were baptized in the river Jordan, but even as he did this baptism he told them that another would come. The one to come would be greater than John, so great that John would not even be worthy to be His slave.

Then Jesus came to the River Jordan and was baptized by John. At that moment, God spoke again; with His voice He divided light and dark. He spoke hope into the world. Mark writes, “Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. A voice came out of the sky, ‘You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” The plan came to fruition when God named Jesus His beloved Son.

The voice of God continues to be heard today and when He speaks, things still happen. The Holy Spirit still hovers over that which is formless and void and brings life, light and peace. We hear God’s voice and believe through the beloved Son who came into the world to be just like you and me. Though He is different, though He is the incarnate Word of God, He came to be one of us, to live as we live, and to die as we die, so that we might become like Him. His voice gives us light and peace. His voice gives us life.

Sometimes we feel like that chaos still rules our world. We all have aspects of our life that need light and order. God is working on us, daily speaking His grace into our life. I have been writing devotions and bible studies for more than twenty years, and I’ve collected piles of notebooks with research and writing. It was rather chaotic and I have had to go through every notebook to find the things I need for my current projects. I spent time this week organizing those notebooks. I recycled the pages I didn’t need. I condensed the studies into one notebook and labeled each one so I would know what was inside. They will be much easier to use now that there is order in my office.

Like my notebooks, we need to be organized, changed, and picked through. Some things need to be thrown out while other things added. As God continues to speak in our lives and the world, the darkness will still exist. Through the Word who is Jesus Christ, we will be set apart in the light and will live in this chaotic world with peace and hope.

We face temptation every moment that we walk in this world. God knows how difficult it is for us to walk away from those things that are harmful to our spiritual life. Jesus Christ came in flesh and was tempted so that He could truly identify with the failures of our flesh. However, Jesus did not fall to temptation; He remained perfect and true to the Word of God no matter what Satan offered Him. His understanding of the grace and mercy of God was so perfect, that He was able to keep from sin. By His death and resurrection, we are forgiven our failures and given the freedom to live in His grace and mercy.

There used to be a television program called “True Beauty.” It was a reality show, but he contestants did not really know what the end game is. Men and women were invited on this show because they were physically beautiful people. They also had attitudes that weren’t quite so beautiful.

They thought they were competing to be the most beautiful (physically) person in the world. In reality, they were being judged on their character. Would they do what was right? Would they act responsibly? Would they care for other people’s needs? In the end, the people who were kicked off the show might have been physically attractive, but they weren’t really ‘beautiful’ because they proved themselves to be selfish, arrogant and mean. The challenges were simple but powerful. Would they help the delivery man? How did they respond when a waiter tripped, spilling drinks and upsetting food all over them? Would they take a peak at the other contestants’ folders if given the opportunity?

The woman who was kicked off the first episode was self-centered in every way, shape and form. Everything she did and said showed an ugly inner character. She failed every test, and when confronted about those failures she lied and made excuses. Even as she was walking out the door she claimed to be a good person and that they wrongly judged her.

I wonder how we would judge John the Baptist in today’s world? He was unusual in the days of Jesus. The writers of the Gospels are so specific about his wardrobe and diet that we have to assume it was not typical. Camel’s hair is not comfortable and locusts don’t taste very good. John stood out in a crowd, but his odd taste in clothing and food did not keep the crowds from gathering around to hear him preach. Would the crowds gather today? Would we believe his words like they did?

We might be fascinated with his character, like we are so fascinated by the characters on those reality television shows. Human nature doesn’t change. Perhaps we would rush out into the desert to hear him preach. Perhaps we might even get caught up in the excitement of the experience and step into the river to be baptized. But in the end, would we believe? Would we understand? Would we really see the Christ toward which John was pointing? It is easy to say “Yes,” but we don’t know. If we were in the same position, we would not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit as we do now. They didn’t, and I imagine many of those who listened to John ignored the Christ for whom he was sent to prepare the way.

I’ve often wondered who witnessed the baptism of Jesus. Did those who were gathered see what Jesus saw? Did they hear the voice? The stories do not make it clear if it was solely a personal experience or if others were part of the experience. In John’s Gospel, John the Baptist testifies to seeing the Holy Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. He knew because God told him that would be how he would recognize the Messiah.

How many on the banks of the River Jordan believed? Some must have because Jesus did gain a following. Those who truly had faith, though, were few. Many people fell away when Jesus began preaching the hard lessons. John’s message is so much easier. It is easier to be repentant than to accept the grace God gives. But in faith we know that we can’t fix our sinfulness. We can’t defeat death on our own. We can’t even overcome sin by our own power because sin has overpowered us. The power comes from the Son who was baptized that day in the wilderness.

We join in His death and resurrection through our baptism. Cleansed by the waters and the Word, we are made new creatures, no longer under the hold of sin and death, but embraced by the God who knew what we needed long before we needed it. We still dwell in a world filled with chaos and darkness, and we still need God’s grace because we continue to fall. Paul tells us that faith changes things. We walk in newness of life, and though forgiveness continues to be ours, we are reminded not to live as if we have never been baptized. We are no longer lost in the chaos and darkness; we dwell in the Light. We are dead to sin, called to trust and obey His Word as inheritors of His glorious Kingdom.

Though we are not Jesus the Beloved, we are beloved children of God. The Light shines in, with and through our lives when God speaks our name. On this Sunday as we remember the baptism of Jesus, we are called to remember our own baptisms. And yet, we should not simply recall the experience of getting wet in church one day.

In the beginning God spoke and a formless void was changed. He said just a word and the light was separated from the darkness. He continued to speak and everything came into existence. In the Old Testament, God spoke into and through the lives of His people. Despite God’s powerful word, we continue to fail, attracted by the darkness instead of the light. So He sent His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus came to change us, to make us whole, to give us the final word and faith.

With Jesus we receive a greater baptism. Just like Jesus in the River Jordan that day so long ago, the Holy Spirit comes out of Heaven and falls upon us while the voice of God speaks the assurance and encouragement of His love into our lives. At our own baptism, God says, “You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased.” This might seem impossible; after all, we do not deserve such kindness. We aren’t worthy of such an amazing promise. We know and we may even understand that God loves us, but these words say so much more. At our baptism, God says, “I like you and I want to be with you forever.” God’s Word brings light to our darkness, order to our chaos.