We are “required” to consider Jesus’ baptism every year. The first Sunday after Epiphany is called the Baptism of our Lord Sunday, so it is more or less inescapable; but why?
Why is this in the church calendar and given its own Sunday? Why do we we need to revisit something like this every year? I have addressed the benefits of repetition more than once so I won’t bring the arguments up here, they are available in both of the sermons, but why this part of Jesus’ life? I think it is because it is such an excellent opportunity to discuss Jesus as example, even exemplar if you will, to us and his identification with us.
It seems to me that there are themes that arise quite organically through the use of the lectionary and it seems to me that the weekly texts are providing a rich opportunity for us to frequently think about the Incarnation and what it means to and for us. I am not in a position to work all that far ahead when it comes to preaching* but I wonder if this will turn out to be one of the themes we come back to this year. I don’t know for sure but I am very much looking forward to finding out.
Knox Presbyterian Baptized. Why?
St. Mark’s Presbyterian Baptized. Why?
Blessings,
*I’m not entirely sure I think it is all that good an idea to work “too” far ahead, without anything even remotely resembling a definition of “too” in this case.
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