BAPTISM OF THE LORD
GENESIS 1:1-5
From the opening of the first story in the Bible, water is the one named substance. On the first day of creation God’s Spirit hovered over the waters. God separated the light and darkness. God calls the light day and darkness, night.
Psalm 29 relates God’s presence over a variety of bodies of water. God’s voice is strong, powerful, majestic that causes those in worship to cry, “Glory!” God’s throne is over the water. God is king forever and God gives strength and pace to his people. While Psalm 29 speaks of God’s voice as being loud and powerful, sometimes God’s speaks in peaceful, hushed, whispering tones as he did to Elijah in the cave. What are your experiences where God’s presence has been known to you through water?
Mark 1:4-11
The gospel of Mark is the oldest and the briefest of the four gospels. Mark begins with the story of John the Baptist who established a ministry of invitation to people to baptism of water and a preparation of one who would baptize with Holy Spirit. Jesus comes to John and is baptized by John. As Jesus is coming out of the water, he sees heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending like a dove. A voice calls, “You are my Son, whom I love. With you I am well pleased.” Mark does not give some of the details of other gospels, but gives us the core information.
Acts 19:1-7
The book of Acts gives us a glimpse of the early church and specifically of the leaders. Paul has traveled to Ephesus, which was in western Asia Minor in what is Turkey now. He encounters Christian believers, who were probably converts from a variety of non-Jewish faiths or perhaps no faith. Paul questions them about their baptism. They tell him they received John’s (the Baptist) baptism, which was for repentance in preparation for Jesus. Their baptism had no reference to Holy Spirit, so Paul both instructs them about the Holy Spirit and prays for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. They receive the Holy Spirit, speak in tongues and prophesy.
Think about baptism as taught in the Bible and practiced in churches. In Matthew’s gospel, the final chapter, Jesus gives the Great Commission just before his ascension. The disciples are commissioned to go through all the world, making disciples and baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching people to obey his commands. That is called the Trinitarian formula. In the United Methodist Church, as well as most Christian Churches, those words are still spoken at baptism. After the water baptism in the UMC, the pastor speaks this blessing and challenge: Having been born of water and the Spirit, my you be a true and faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.
How have you personally witnessed or experienced the Holy Spirit in your or other’s baptism?