St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Cleveland, Tennessee

First Sunday after Epiphany
January 11, 2009
The Rev'd Deacon Art Bass

Affirmation

In looking back over the years, there have been several times in my adult life as an Episcopalian when I have been called upon to “share my story” with other members of a group. In fact, each member of the group would be called upon to do this as a way of promoting bonding and trust, a way of building community and fellowship.

An exercise which is commonly used to assist in this community building is known variously as “stepping stones” or “milestones.” In the exercise, you are asked to identify those events in your life which you consider to be the most significant, the most formative of who you are. Invariably some of those events will have been sad and painful, but others will have been joyous. Some of those events will have been private in nature, but many, especially the joyous and positive events, will have been public.

In our lives, we tend to be especially observant of those events which denote beginnings or positive achievements, and affirmation is an important and key element of these observances.

We receive these affirmations in many different ways and from a variety of sources. Often affirmation comes from someone in authority, for example, the dean or chancellor at a college graduation, who hands you your diploma, shakes your hand, and says “Congratulations”. Sometimes our affirmation comes from a group of people, such as the cheering crowd at a sporting event or the applauding audience at the end of a performance. Still other times, the affirmation we receive is important to us because it comes from someone we care about, such as the adult child who telephones and says, “Happy birthday, Dad. I just wanted to call and tell you how much I love you.”

The point is, that as human beings, we all need affirmation, be it public or private, throughout our life’s journey.

We have just recently ended our celebration of the Christmas season, the time in the church year when we focus upon the great and holy mystery of the incarnation, how God became one of us in the person of Christ Jesus, who was fully God and fully man.

Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, from the time God caused him to be conceived in the womb of his mother Mary. That is why, when he was born, angels appeared in the night sky, praising God and singing joyfully. Jesus was born as the Christ.

Today, on this first Sunday after the Epiphany, we observe and celebrate, the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan River, a true milestone in the life of Christ. This is the day we observe and celebrate the affirmation of Jesus in his role and mission as Messiah, the Christ, an affirmation which comes from God, himself.

In fact, the Baptism of Christ is the only New Testament event in which all three persons of the Trinity appear together, each playing a distinctive role. The Son is immersed and baptized in the water, and as he comes forth, the anointing and empowering Spirit descends, while the Father speaks words of love and approval. The Eastern Church calls this the Theophany, which means “the revealing of God”.

The words of affirmation which God speaks to the Son are powerful indeed. “You are my Son. I love you. With you, I am well pleased.”

But these words become even more significant in a very personal way when we realize that through Christ and through our own baptisms, these are also God’s words of affirmation to us. You are my children. I love you, and no matter what, I approve of you. I validate you as my own.

In baptism, we commit ourselves to be God’s people. Sinners that we are, God’s grace transforms us and makes this possible. In the Baptism of Christ, Jesus was joined to his people, to us, in an act of complete identification.

The water baptism offered by John was a cleansing ritual. It was a baptism for repentance and forgiveness. Jesus was without sin. For himself, he had no need of repentance and forgiveness. Jesus underwent John’s baptism for us. He did it to initiate his mission of atonement, a mission which required his full and complete association with the human condition.

Jesus went to the cross for us as one of us. It was the only way his victory in resurrection could also be our victory. As St. Paul so famously explains in his Epistle to the Romans, in baptism we are joined to Christ and Christ to us. Our former selves were crucified with Christ. In baptism, we died with Christ and were buried with Christ that we might be raised with Christ.

Today’s gospel marks the beginning of the messianic mission of Jesus, and today, Jesus takes the first step to become one with his people, so that we like him might become children of God.

God affirms this. He affirms Jesus as his Son. He affirms the mission which Jesus began in baptism for our sake, and he affirms us also.

In today’s reading from the Book of Acts, when Cornelius together with his family and friends asked Peter to baptize them, Peter said, “God shows no partiality, but… anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Through the baptism of Jesus and through our own baptisms, we are united with Christ. He is joined to us, and us to him. Through our baptisms and by grace, God’s affirmation of Jesus becomes his affirmation of us as well. God loves us. God accepts us with approval, and God claims us as his own forever.