This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. It is another ‘Epiphany’ moment, where more of Jesus’ true identity is revealed. You are most welcome to join me at St Mary’s Church, Hemyock, where we will be joined by Ad Hoc voices to lead us in a Sung Eucharist.

There is a fresh movement blowing across the ancient lands. The people have moved from being despondent and rebellious and are looking towards a new hope. The preaching of John is speaking directly into their hearts and lives, and just as they recognise the wrongs and abuses of the governments that oppress them and the twisted truths of the religious leaders, even the aggressive actions of the freedom fighting zealots, there is a recognition of the brokenness within which needs to be healed, to be washed clean.

As John preaches, the people of Israel flock to be baptised, to be cleansed from all that has tainted them, to repent. There is a sense of things needing to change, and change needing to begin with me; but it isn’t as simple a washday renewal, of clearing away the spiritual grime so that we can start afresh, made clean, set apart from those others who are causing trouble, to be a new healthy cult. There is hope in John’s preaching too, because the Messiah is coming.

The Messiah is coming.

When the Messiah approaches though, it is not with the might and strength that John’s preaching had suggested, it is with humility and gentleness. Jesus doesn’t ask John to step aside, doesn’t briefly thank him before saying ‘I’ll take it from here.’ Instead Jesus requests that John baptises him.

Everyone else is being baptised to be cleansed from their sins, but Jesus? The Messiah, the one from God who is without sin? Why is Jesus being baptised? As Jesus steps down into the murky waters of the Jordan, he steps down into humanity. A phrase which sounds familiar, one which we hear so often over Christmas, the Divine become human, the Almighty become vulnerable. Jesus fully God and fully human, laid in a manger.

But we have moved on from Christmas. Jesus has grown into a fine young man, ready to embark on the ministry his whole human life has been preparing him for. So this Sunday we stand between Christmas and Easter. Just as a choir of angels and the brightest of stars attested to Jesus’ identity when he was born, so now a voice from heaven declares him God’s Son, and the Holy Spirit like a dove hovers over him and his waters of baptism as it once did over the waters of creation.

Jesus doesn’t just appear in regal and powerful form, either at his birth or the beginning of his ministry. There is no parade, no fanfare, no swearing allegiance: there is no need, because as he takes his rightful place amongst his people, God speaks, God declares, God pronounces the epiphany of Jesus’ true identity. Thus couldn’t be further from a coronation, from an election win, from a swearing in of a new president.

The times we are living in are not too dissimilar from those of Jesus’ and John’s time. Culturally we have moved on, we are more literate, more sanitised, more worldly aware, yet we too are living in a time where we are disillusioned with all that the world has seemingly had to offer; we are fed up with false leaders who abuse their powers, who allow greed and status to warp the definition of leadership. We yearn for true governance that comes from respect and humility, which seeks the wellbeing of all, and we cannot find it in our own endeavours.

And so, there’s a quiet revolution of disillusioned people seeking something new, yet ancient, something wise and true and loving, and … humble.

The humble birth gives way to humble accession as Jesus steps down into the murky waters, and steps up into his role as Messiah. His coronation will be not just humble, but humiliating as Jesus is once again stripped bare, as the Messiah makes a cross his throne and briars his crown.

As we stand in this in-between time time we can have choices to make: will we cling on to the Jesus of the Crib, or look to the Jesus of the Cross? Will we allow ourselves to be humbled alongside him, to be baptised with the repentance of our own wrong doings, to lament the sins of the world. Will we choose to live lives that are Godly, not greedy? We will we open our hearts to the voice which looks upon a river water soaked man and says ‘This is my Son’ and follow him?

Read this week’s gospel passage here.