BAPTISM OF OUR LORD.

OUR RECREATION IN BAPTISM IS AN IMAGE OF THE GENESIS CREATION, WHERE THE SPIRIT/ WIND MOVED OVER THE WATERS. BOTH MARK'S GOSPEL AND THE STORY OF ACTS MAKE CLEAR THAT IT IS THE SPIRIT'S MOVEMENT THAT DISTINGUISHES JESUS BAPTISM FROM JOHN'S. THE SPIRIT HAS COME UPON US AS JESUS AND THE EPHESIANS, CALLING US GOD'S CHILDREN AND SETTING US ON JESUS MISSION TO RE-CREATE THE WORLD IN THE IMAGE OF GOD'S VISION OF JUSTICE AND PEACE.
AT THAT TIME JESUS CAME FROM NAZERTH IN GALILEE AND WAS BAPTIZED BY JOHN IN THE RIVER JORDAN. AS JESUS WAS COMING UP OUT OF THE WATER, HE SAW HEAVEN BEING TORN OPEN AND THE SPIRIT DESCENDING LIKE A DOVE. 'AND A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN; " YOU ARE MY SON, WHOM I LOVE; WITH YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.
MARK, IN TELLING OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS WITH THE SUBSEQUENT BESTOWAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE FATHER'S COMMENDATION, OFFERS A SECOND CREDENTIAL TO ASSURE US JESUS OF NAZRETH IS INDEED". JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD." NOTE THAT SCRIPTURE NOWHERE PRESCRIBES THE MODE OF BAPTISM WETHER BY IMMMERSION, POURING, OR SPRINKLING. RATHER, IT CONCERNS ITSELF WITH WHAT GOD DOES FOR US THROUGH BAPTISM. JOHN THE BAPTIST'S ACTIVITY AND POCLAMATION WAS A SIGN TO JESUS HIS HOUR HAD COME FOR HIM TO ENTER UPON HIS REDEPMTIVE WORK, THUS HE LEFT NAZARETH AND CAME TO JOHN AT THE JORDAN RIVER, WITHOUT BEING COMPELLED OR SUMMONED.
 HE ASKED JOHN TO BAPTIZE HIM AND THUS TO INAUGURATE HIM INTO HIS OFFICE,
 NO SHEPHERDS. NO ANGELS, NO MAGI. NO STAR. NO STABLE. NOT A WORD  ABOUT MARY AND JOSEPH. "MARK'S STORY OF JESUS BEGINS AT THE RIVER;" IN THOSE DAYS JESUS CAME FROM NAZARETH OF GALILEE AND WAS BAPTIZED BY JOHN IN THE JORDAN. THERE'S NO LIST OF ANCESTORS. NONE OF COSMIC WONDERS THAT OPEN'S JOHN GOSPEL. 'IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS GOD. MARK'S WORD IS FAR MORE ORDINARY AND DIRECT. " IN THOSE DAYS JESUS CAME FROM NAZARETH OF GALILEE AND WAS BAPTIZED BY JOHN IN THE JORDAN."
 THERE'S NO LIST OF ANCESTORS. NONE OF COSMIC WONDER THAT OPEN'S JOHN' GOSPEL. JESUS  ENTERED THE RIVER WITH OTHER'S TO BE WASHED IN A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
IN MATTHEW'S GOSPEL JOHN ARGUES WITH JESUS: " OH, I SHOULD BE BAPTIZED BY YOU." HE SAID. IT WAS JOHN'S OBLIGATION AS GOD'S MESSENGER AND JESUS OBLIGATION AS THE PROMISE ONE TO INAUGURATE. GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION.
BY INSISTING ON BEING BAPTIZED, JESUS DELIBERATELY TOOK OUR PLACE AS GOD.
 THE FATHER SENT HIM TO DO. GOD MADE HIM WHO HAD NO SIN TO BE SIN FOR US, SO THAT IN HIM WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. 
SOME OF US MAY JOIN THE ARGUMENT WORRIED ABOUT WHAT SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK IF JESUS SUBMITS TO A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE?  BUT, THIS IS WHERE JESUS WOULD SPEND HIS EARTHLY LIFE-IN THE MIDST OF SINNERS EATING- EATING WITH THEM, TALKING WITH THEM, HEALING THEM, CALLING THEM. WHY SHOULD HIS BAPTISM BE ANY DIFFERENT? JESUS WENT UNDER THE WATERS OF THE JORDAN AS OTHERS-HAD.UNDER THE WATERS HIS ANCESTORS CROSSED  AFTER 40 YEARS WILDERNESS WANDERING, HISTORIC WATERS, YET THEY LOOKED QUITE ORDINARY.
DID JESUS LOOK AT THE SKY BEFORE HE WENT UNDER THE WATER? THE NARRATOR DOSEN'T SAY,BUT WHEN JESUS CAME OUT OF THE WATER, WET FROM THE JORDAN, HE DID LOOK UP, AND HE SAW THE HEAVENS TORN APART AND THE SPIRIT DESCENDING ON HIM LIKE A DOVE.
THIS WAS NOT A VISION GRANTED TO JESUS, BUT WAS SEEN BY JOHN, 1:32 JOHN THE BAPTIST TESTIFIES HE SAW THE SPIRIT DESCEND ON JESUS.  HE SAW THE HEAVENS TORN APART, NOT OPEN AS IN MATTHEW OR LUKE, BUT TORN APART. THE GREEK WORD THERE IS A FORM OF THE VERB SCHITZO AS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA, IT IS NOT THE SAME WORD AS OPEN, I OPEN THE DOOR. I CLOSE THE DOOR. THE DOOR LOOKS THE SAME, BUT SOMETHING TORN APART IS NOT EASILY CLOSED AGAIN. THE RAGGED EDGES NEVER GO BACK TOGETHER AS THEY WERE. MARK WASN'T CARELESS IN USING THAT WORD: SCHITZO. HE REMEMBERS ISAIAH'S PLEA CENTURIES BEFORE WHEN THE PROPHET CRIED OUT TO GOD, ' O THAT YOU WOULD TEAR THE HEAVENS OPEN AND COME DOWN TO MAKE YOUR NAME KNOWN TO YOUR ENEMIES AND MAKE THE NATIONS TREMBLE AT YOUR PRESENCE. NOW JESUS, STOOD IN THE JORDAN,DRIPPING WET, WITHOUT A HINT THAT ANYONE ELSE SAW THE HEAVENS TORN APART OR SAW A DOVE OR HEARD A VOICE. AND THERE WASN'T A CLUE THAT THE NATIONS WERE TREMBLING.  THOUGH THAT DID NOT MEAN THAT NOTHING HAD CHANGED. THOUGH WE USUALLY IMAGINE GOD SPEAKING IN A BOOMING VOICE, RESONANT AND DEEP, THAT VOICE IS MORE OFTEN HEARD IN MOVIES THAN IN SCRIPTURE.  GOD'S VOICE CAN BE A WHISPER, A BREATH, QUIET AS THE STILL SMALL VOICE THAT REACHED ELIJAH HIDING IN HIS CAVE.
AT THE JORDAN THE VOICE THAT CAME FROM HEAVEN SPOKE TO JESUS ALONE.
IT WAS INTIMATE, DIRECT " YOU ARE MY SON, THE BELOVED. WITH YOU I AM WELL PLEASED. IN YOU MY SPIRIT WILL BE PRESENT ON THE EARTH IN A NEW WAY."
THE HEAVENS WERE TORN APART, AND THEY WOULD NEVER CLOSE AGAIN. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE THAT THE SPIRIT DESCENDED ON JESUS. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE AND WHY? THE PURPOSE WE LEARN (ACTS I0:38). GOD ANOITED JESUS OF NAZRETH WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND POWER. AT JESUS BAPTISM GOD PUBLICLY PRESENTED FOR HIM HIS GREAT TASK. AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE SPIRIT AT HIS SIDE, HE WAS EMPOWERED TO CARRY OUT THE TASK. THIS EXPLAINS MUCH OF THE AGONY IN GETHSEMANE AND LETS US UNDERSTAND HOW HE WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME THOUGH A TRUE HUMAN BEING, OUR SUBSTITUTE. HERE THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON HIM IS ALSO THE SPIRIT'S DESIGNATION THAT THIS HUMAN BEING IS INDEED THE PROMISE SAVIOR, THE  "SON OF GOD."
 BUT THE TORN PLACE IS WHERE GOD COMES THROUGH THE PLACE THAT NEVER AGAIN CLOSES AS NEATLY AS BEFORE. FROM THE DAY HE SAW THE HEAVENS TORN APART, THE PICTURES OF WHOM THE MESSIAH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE-

TEARING APART THE SOCIAL FABRIC THAT SEPARATED RICH FROM THE POOR.
BREAKING THROUGH HARDNESS OF HEART TO BRING FORTH COMPASSION.
 BREAKING THROUGH RITUALS THAT HAD GROWN RIGID OR ROUTINE.

NOTHING WOULD EVER BE THE SAME, FOR THE HEAVENS WOULD NEVER AGAIN COSE SO TIGHTLY.

AT THE END OF HIS LIFE JESUS HUNG ON THE CROSS. BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND WHE HE BREATHED HIS LAST, THE CURTAIN  OF THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, TORN APART AS THE HEAVENS HAD BEEN TORN APART. THE HOLY OF HOLIES NO LONGER SEPARATED THE SANCTUARY FROM THE PEOPLE. THE CURTAIN COULD NEVER BE REPAIRED. THERE WAS NO VOICE FROM THE DARKENED HEAVENS THAT DAY. GOD WAS SILENT, NOT EVEN A WHISPER.
 BUT THERE WAS A VOICE NOT FAR OFF BUT CLOSE. NOT UP BUT DOWN. A CENTURION SOLDIER STOOD AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS KEEPING, MARKING TIME, WAITING TO PRONOUNCE DEATH.  WHEN HE SAW JESUS DRAW HIS LAST, HE SAID, "TRUELY THIS MAN WAS GOD'S SON!"  WHO GAVE HIM THAT WORD? HEAVEN KNOWS. THAT SOLDIER HAD SOMEHOW HEARD FOR HIMSELF THE WORDS WHISPERED TO JESUS ALONE AT THE JORDAN. THE WORD CAME THROUGH THE TORN PLACE IN THE SKY, THROUGH THE TORN CURTAIN:" "THIS IS MY SON." THE BELOVED, WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED."
IS THERE A TORN PLACE IN, YOUR LIFE?