Preparing
Advent 2
Fr. Tim Nunez
December 10, 2023
May my spoken word be true to God’s written word and bring us all closer to the living word, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
To help us grasp this opening passage of Mark’s Gospel, I’d like to take us to the particular spot. “Bethany Beyond the Jordan,” present-day Al Maghtas, is the place where John the Baptist was baptizing. It’s a little east of Jericho, far enough from the Judean countryside and Jerusalem to make a significant pilgrimage but close enough that many people can do it in two or three days.
And they did. Mark says “all,” which means a lot, and that they are streaming continuously for John’s baptism of repentance.
We live in a world that is drenched in sin. That is true today. It was true way back then, and as far back as humanity can remember. It tears away at us in every context and institution of our lives. We struggle with it as individuals, in our families, at work and in our communities. We are continually aware of how things could and should be better. It’s like we are slogging through a muddy bog and we just want to be cleansed of it. So please, someone, dump a bucket of clean water over me so I can start fresh. The deep-seated need is very real.
And John is real. That itchy camel-hair robe reminds him, and everyone, of the constant irritation of sin. His whole look combined with his bold proclamations remind everyone of the prophet Elijah. You may recall that at the end of his ministry, Elijah was swept up into heaven (2 Kings, chapter 2). Just before that, he rolled up his cloak and parted the Jordan so he and Elisha could cross it on dry land. That was about 900 years before John the Baptist, and in the very same spot.
It's also the very same spot where Joshua crossed the Jordan (Joshua, chapter 3), leaving the desolate wilderness to begin Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. The Lord parted the waters for Israel to cross, just as he had parted the Red Sea when they entered the wilderness at the start of the Exodus.
People remembered that spot from generation to generation. Each of these memories speak to God’s provision of new life. Passing through the waters is a metaphor for deliverance, for passing through death into new life. In those times, they thought of new life in terms of this life, of a better life living by God’s will and under God’s favor. Forgiveness of sins would make things better, so they sacrificed animals in the Temple. They had developed ritual washing using permanent baths called mikvehs. Penitents would walk down one set of steps into the water to be cleansed then up another so as to not touch unclean people. And so they came out to be baptized by John, in the waters of the Jordan at that spot so special in their history as a people of God.
All of that is faithful and right as far as it goes. But John has more. One who is more powerful than him, mightier, more capable than him is coming! That is really saying something. John is like Moses, Elijah and Joshua all rolled up together. Jesus will say later that no one born of a woman was greater than John. And John is baptizing in that very spot.
Repentance is a big, big deal. We tell God from the bottom of our hearts that we are sorry, and we truly mean it, and there is huge blessing in that. But a baptism of repentance does not go far enough. This isn’t just about sorting out our current struggles and trying to be better people.
I’m reminded of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the Resurrection. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1st Corinthians 15:19) This One who is coming is going to reconcile us far beyond this life. He is about our transformation to be like Him, to be with Him, forever.
This is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.
Remember that in baptism we do follow John the Baptist’s example. We recall Israel passing through water in the Exodus and into the Promised land (BCP 306):
We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water.
Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation.
Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage
in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus
received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy
Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death
and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.
Please note the reference to passing through the Red Sea then, across the Jordan, into the land of promise. Jesus received the baptism of John AND was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Then we pray God to bless the water and wash away our sin. The baptism of repentance by water is a very good thing, and a necessary step, but not enough. We need Jesus. NEED. We need his gift of the Holy Spirit. NEED. We then seal them in the Holy Spirit and mark them as Christ’s own forever.
It’s like preparing for the holidays. I just love the tree, the lights and the other decorations that we do for this season. Meg has always made our home so nicely ready for Christmas. The enormous snowman my neighbor has across the street is up and I love it. I love the way this church is decorated and so very deeply thankful for the many hands that put it all together this year’s and those that built these traditions over almost 100 years. I love seeing lights on other people’s homes as I drive around.
But why do I love these things? It’s not just because they are pretty or fun, though they are. Even the most impressive displays really matter because of where they point me. They point to the love of family and friends shared in a special way at Christmas. How special and important is all of that? But nostalgia for good times past and anticipated isn’t really it, either. It’s very important, but it’s not enough.
And all of these traditions point to the source of all light and love, the One who is more powerful than everything we see or do, the One who gave everything to come and reconcile us with the Father.
AMEN