Scripture Reflections for the Baptism of the Lord
Year A, Lectionary 21
Are we expecting Christ in our hearts? Are we willing to follow him through the baptismal water? In doing so we join unto Jesus' body and mission of bringing God's kingdom into the world. We take on God's calling of being beloved children.
Hate feeling lost on Sundays at church? Searching for a better explanation of the Bible than what you hear from your pastor's sermon? Check out the following collection of audio, video, and text commentaries from various Christian experts for a better understanding of today's scripture that deal with: Baptism • Change • Cross • Elijah • Exodus • Gift • Grace • Healing • Heaven • Hummilty • Identity • Idolatry • Incarnation • Inclusion • Isaac • John the Baptist • Jordan • Kingdom • Mission • Offering • Peter • Repent • Revelation • Sacrifice • Salvation • Serve • Sin • Solidarity • Time • Trinity • Value • Water •
“A lot of people think that Paul was the one who came up with the idea of baptizing the Gentiles and the door being open to the Gentiles...in Acts chapter 9, Paul's still persecuting the Church. In Acts chapter 10, it's Peter who first opens the door of salvation through baptism to the Gentiles.”
“Jesus steps into the water to renew the world, to transform it, and to embody justice. This moment reminds us that faith is never passive. Jesus begins his ministry with an act showing that God's justice is rooted in presence, solidarity, and love.”
“Here's the good news of it all. That while Jesus catches what we have, we catch what Jesus has. While Jesus catches our sinfulness, our muddiness and muckiness, we catch Jesus's grace.”
“Baptism is not just about God or what God does for us. It is about what God does through us.”
“It isn't the waters of the Jordan that part so you can go into the promised land like the Exodus from Egypt, it's the heavens that are opened in the same sense that Elijah went up into heaven at the end of his life. So Jesus here is at his baptism, there's being revealed the nature of the new Exodus.”
“the baptism of Jesus isn't just the end of John's ministry and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The baptism of Jesus is a sign, it's a revelation that points back to the Old Testament...but it's also pointing forward to the way he's going to do that...through his baptism in blood on the cross at Calvary.”
“And so, in the waters of the Jordan, the beloved Son begins the great work of the Servant...carrying the burden we cannot lift, and offering the grace without which we can do nothing.”
“God became a human being so that we would not seek him in the hereafter but in the face of our neighbor. When others see us, do they see God?”
“The baptism of Jesus is our baptism. It is a calling forth of a servant with whom God is well pleased and in whom the Spirit rests. Let us not forget that God is well pleased with each of us and within us the Spirit rests.”
“And what do we have to do, what's our response today? Listen to him. Church, do you listen to Jesus? He talks to you every morning.”
“Imagine, just imagine the Lord saying those same words about you. 'You are my beloved daughter, you're my beloved son and I'm pleased.' God wants a relationship with us and God sees something in us that's worthy.”