The reason that we remember sacred events, such as the Baptism of Jesus at the River Jordan by His cousin John; . . . the reason that we remember sacred events . . . is so that we might give precedence to the reality of sacred facts.  And the reason for giving priority to sacred facts . . . is so that the way we live might reflect what we believe; . . . so that our lives might be a light to the nations . . . or at least a light to our families and in our workplace.  . . . So, let’s examine this sacred event of Christ’s Baptism . . . and see what the sacred facts might be.

    Three verses prior to the portion of Saint Mark’s Gospel which has just been read to you . . . Saint Mark tells us that “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”  . . . Saint Mark records what all the other evangelists agree on:  that John the Baptizer’s baptism was with water for repentance of sin.  . . . So, why did Jesus come all the way down from Nazareth to the Jordan River to be baptized by John?  Because, you see, our tradition says that Jesus was truly man, but without sin(!).  Saint Paul tells the Corinthians that God “made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin”, and we read in the First Epistle of Peter that Jesus “committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips”; and so, when we pray the Proper Preface for Lent, we paraphrase the Epistle to the Hebrews and say that Jesus “was tempted in every way as we are, yet did not sin.”  That is what the Church believes.  . . . So, why did Jesus come to John to be baptized?  . . . Could it be that we’re wrong . . . and Jesus may have been tempted in every way as we are . . . and, on occasion, succumbed to temptation . . . and sinned?  . . . Or perhaps, as some suggest, . . . perhaps Jesus was simply feeling empathic for the rest of us; He was feeling generally burdened by the presence of sin within the human family and so, received John’s baptism on our behalf.  . . . Saint Mark doesn’t say.  He simply says that Jesus was baptized by the prophet John, who was baptizing for the repentance of sin.  . . . But, Saint Mark says that upon coming up out of the water Jesus was immediately under the authority of the Holy Spirit of God; . . . Jesus was immediately under the authority of the Holy Spirit of God . . . Who not only declared Jesus to be the beloved Son of God . . . but Who

immediately drove [Jesus] out into the wilderness.  And [Jesus] was in the wilderness [Saint Mark says], . . . [Jesus] was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan

At His baptism by John, Jesus was immediately under the authority of the Holy Spirit of God . . . Who compelled Him to go out into the wilderness.

    Now, why do you suppose the Holy Spirit did that?  Why do you suppose the Holy Spirit didn’t even allow Jesus time to visit with His cousin and have a cup of wild honey with him, but, instead, compelled Jesus to go from the Jordan out into the wilderness?  . . . Well, do you remember what the Lord God Almighty said to you only a mere month ago?  . . . Do you remember that the Prophet Isaiah has told us that God’s counsel is that “in the wilderness [we must] prepare the way of the Lord?”  . . . And do you remember what I said about God’s counsel; . . . that we need to tame the wild places in our soul; . . . that we need to get a grip on our fears and master our souls so that our lives might be something across which the righteousness of God shines without obstruction?

    Well, this is the sacred fact whose reality Saint Mark wants you to live.  By remembering the sacred event of Christ’s Baptism . . . Saint Mark wants you to recognize the reality that our Baptism places us under the authority of God.  Because, you see, you were not baptized chiefly for the forgiveness of sin.  You were baptized with the Holy Spirit!  You were not baptized with the baptism of the prophet John.  You were baptized with the Baptism of Jesus.  And because you are baptized with the Baptism of Jesus . . . the sacred fact about yourself is that, like Jesus, you are under the authority of the Holy Spirit.  You do not belong to yourself.  You belong to God.  You do not belong to yourself, you do not belong to the world; you do not belong to the devil.  You belong to the Holy Spirit of God.  The Holy Spirit of God has authority over you.

    And do you know God’s purpose in giving His Holy Spirit authority over you?  It is so that you might be brought by the Spirit to Jesus.  For, in Christ Jesus you are imbued with sufficient strength and restraint to be indifferent to Satan’s temptations.  . . . And you will be tempted by Satan.  Temptation is a condition of Creation.  But mastery of the wild places of your soul, by the grace and aid of the Holy Spirit; . . . by submission to Her counsel and by submission to Christ; . . . mastery of the wild places of your soul is to achieve mastery over your humanity; … it is to become the very Image of God; . . . it is to become yourself as you were created to be, . . . a beloved son of God; . . . it is to become God’s daughter in whom He is well pleased.

    But there is more.  For, what does the Prophet Isaiah tell us today?  . . . He tells us that the Lord God Almighty says of Jesus,

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.  He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.  He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

And then Isaiah tells us that the Lord God Almighty says of you,

“I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a . . . light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

. . . It is a very good thing for our common life as a sacred and worshiping community; . . . it is a very good thing that some of you who are not clergy . . . who are not priests or deacons; . . . it is a very good thing that some of you who are the laity of the Church . . . prepare the Altar for our worship . . . and that others fix breakfast for special occasions . . . and still others serve on the Vestry to look after our sacred community interests, . . . but none of that is lay ministry.  . . . Lay ministry is to be a light to the nations; . . . lay ministry is to make your household and workplace more humane than the profane world cares for it to be.  Your lay ministry is a call by God -- a vocation -- to communicate the health of Jesus to the sick and afflicted if you are a nurse; . . . to be the image of Jesus in compassion and wise counsel if you are a teacher; . . . to be the image of Jesus in honesty if you are a merchant; . . . to be the image of Jesus in righteousness toward your employer; . . . to be the image of Jesus in simplicity, detachment, and profound honor for God toward your spouse, toward your children; toward your grandchildren.  . . . For, how are they or anyone else to know Jesus . . . unless they encounter Him in you.  … And so, for this purpose you have been baptized with the Baptism of Jesus:  with water and the Holy Spirit of God . . . so that you might be under the authority of the Holy Spirit . . . to be ministers of Jesus:  to open eyes that are blind to Him; . . . to bring prisoners to sin out of their captivity; . . . to bring them out of darkness into the light of God’s grace and forgiveness.

    As a reminder of the reality of these two sacred facts:  that our Baptism places us under the authority of the Holy Spirit to help us achieve mastery over our humanity and make us perfectly God’s children . . . and to make us ministers of Jesus.  . . . As a reminder of what the Lord God Almighty has shown us in the Baptism of His Son, . . . it is the custom of the Church on this Day to renew Her baptismal vows, . . . using the form found on page 292 in The Book of Common Prayer.