What Baptism Reveals Mark 1:4–11; Genesis 1:1–5; Romans 6:1–11 

Grace, mercy and peace be with you, from God, our Father, and our baptized Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today we’re going to talk about what Baptism reveals to the world.

We’re in the season of Epiphany, and the analogy of light is used to symbolize the gift of salvation being made known to the world through God’s Son. 

In Simeon’s song, in Luke 2:32, as Simeon held the 8 day old baby Jesus in his arms at the temple, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to call Jesus, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles”.

Our Old Testament today is the account of the creation of light. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.

In Scripture light cane be used as an analogy to salvation. Psalm 27:1 says, The Lord is my light and my salvation. 

Isaiah 49:6 is a prophecy about the Messiah using this analogy: I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

At His Baptism, Jesus was revealed as God’s Son, who would fulfill this promise and win salvation for the world. Mark says, 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Spirit descended as a dove, and the Father, spoke from above, encouraging His Son, assuring Him that He was very pleased with Him, and that the ministry He was about to begin had His blessing. 

But it also showed John and those who were there and all who would ever read or hear this account of Jesus’ Baptism, that He was who He who claimed to be, God’s Son sent to save the fallen world.

Back to our Old Testament, in Genesis 1, we’re told that God created the world, and created it good.

But man rebelled against God and His good creation, and everything fell into chaos; man and woman fell from God’s good and holy image.

In Baptism, God restores His holy image in us. Baptism is a part of God’s new creation or re-creation of His fallen creatures. 

2 Cor. 5:18 says, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.

In our Old Testament reading, we’re told that God’s creation was through His Word, it created the universe by saying “Let there be…”, and it became.

In our Epistle we’re told of God’s re-creation of His children, in Baptism. Paul says, 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Or, back to our Epiphany analogy, we might say… to walk in the light. 

Baptism creates light and love in us; it wakes us from spiritual death, and it leads us out of an eternal maze of darkness, and into an eternal path of life and light. This happens as the Holy Spirit comes to live in our spirit, with the power to believe that Jesus is who He says He is, and to trust in Him.

Jesus had no spiritual death and darkness to be awakened from, so His baptism affirmed His faith and revealed his true identity.

Jesus already had an identity as God’s true and only Son, but it was revealed to the world in His Baptism. 

And it would be revealed in His ministry, in the truths he taught and the miracles he did; above all it would be revealed as He fulfilled all prophecy and died on the cross and rose from the tomb for life of the world. 

As for those who follow Christ, Baptism gives us a true and honorable identity, as God’s chosen people. It changes who we are, and who we belong to; it changes what we’re about, and why we’re here. We’re about Jesus and His love for the world, and that’s why we’re here.

Speaking of identities, true identities, and secret identities, superhero movies are all the rage these days, DC Comics based movies like Wonder woman, and Aquaman. Marvel movies like the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, and many more.

Some of these fictional superheroes have two identities, like Bruce Wayne, who’s also Batman, or Clark Kent, who’s also Superman.

In the Disney movie “The Incredibles”, the superhero mother tells her superhero children, “Your secret identity is your most valuable possession.”

Hidden in Jesus was the all-glorious, all-powerful Son of God. That was His true, but hidden identity. When He comes again, that identity will be revealed for all the world to see. 

Because Jesus knew His true identity, who He was, and what His mission was, He was able to save the world. 

Last Sunday in our Gospel, we saw that Jesus already knew His true identity, that He was God’s only Son, when, as a 12 year old child in the temple, he told his parents, “Do you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” 

Not carpentry, but the business of teaching the Word, and saving the world

And it all got underway officially, publicly, at His Baptism, when God revealed Jesus as His dear Son.

In your Baptism, it all got underway for you. 

That’s when you became God’s child; that’s when your daily washing began, the daily drowning of your sinful nature as you repent, and the daily rising of your new identity as a saint, a fully forgiven child of God.

In fiction, a superhero may hide his or her powers, or inner identity, but in real life, you’re called to let your new and inner self show; to the love that has been born in you to shine on the world!

In our weakness, we sometimes fail to shine as we should, and we sin instead. Every day we struggle with the sin and selfishness that would neutralize God’s love and the Holy Spirit’s power in us.

But everyday, as we repent and live in the washing away of our sins, we’re restored and uplifted to walk in our Baptismal grace and the Gospel light for the world. 

Baptism revealed the real Jesus to the world, more than a carpenter, a Savior. Baptism reveals the real you to the world, a redeemed and enlightened child of God. 

Rejoice in the new person you’ve become; be loving and bold to shine the light of the Gospel you’ve been given, that the whole world might see who Jesus really is, and rejoice to believe in Him!

And as you live in His grace, and shine His light, His peace, which passes understanding, will guard your heart and mind, in Christ Jesus, our beloved and baptized Lord. Amen.