A homily delivered on Sunday 12 January 2025 at St Mary Magdalene, Munster Square, London NW1 (11:00) and Open Table Central London, St John Waterloo, SE1 (18:00) on John’s Proclamation and Baptism of Jesus (Luke 3:15-17, 21-22)
The Gospel today brings us to the Jordan river, 30 years after Jesus was born, where expectation hangs thick in the air. The people are restless, wondering if John the Baptist might be the Messiah.
But John points beyond himself, saying,
“I baptise you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming.”
John emphasises his subservience to Christ by stating boldly his unworthiness to untie Jesus’s sandals. John tells us that Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire. That he will separate the wheat, the faithful, from the chaff.
When we think about John’s proclamation of Christ’s ministry and his baptism of Jesus in the waters of the Jordan and God’s declaration of that “you are my son”, what does it mean for us? And what does our own baptism mean?
For me, first of all, it means transformation.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t just sprinkle over the surface of our lives. The Spirit burns away what is broken, what holds us back, and what keeps us in chains. Like gold refined in fire, God is at work purifying us, permeating our lives, making us better, infusing us with his love.
But, this transformation isn’t easy – it’s not about quick fixes. It’s about a deep, lasting change that begins when we open ourselves to God’s love through baptism.
Second, it is about the resurrection that we see in Christ and that we long for, for ourselves, for our family members and for our friends.
In By Way of the Heart, Dean Mark Oakley describes Christ’s baptism in this way:
“Jesus goes down into the depths, the watery grave, and comes up to hear the voice that he is a wanted child, embraced and held for ever. As he comes up the dove is hovering, the same Spirit that hovered over the waters of creation in Genesis, the same dove that confirmed peace to Noah when the waters of the flood receded.”
Dean Mark continues
“Our own baptism is an entering into this mystery of fidelity. The divine love is stronger than the grave and will not let us go, but an old way of living and understanding things has to die before new life can enter us.”
Third, it’s about belonging.
When Jesus is baptised, the heavens open, the Spirit descends, and a voice declares,
“You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
That same voice speaks over us in our baptism. Whether we grew up here or moved here from far away, whether we’re struggling or thriving,
God says to each of us, “You are my beloved.” In a world that often makes us feel small or invisible, this is the foundation of our worth. We belong – to God, to the Church, to each other.
Finally, it means mission.
Baptism isn’t just a private moment. It’s a calling to live as God’s people, to bring light into the darkness of the area we live in, and beyond. Each of us is anointed with the Spirit to be a sign of hope.
It might look like helping a neighbour, standing up for what’s right, or praying for those who feel forgotten.
As we leave Church today, let us remember that, baptised or not, we, like Jesus, are beloved children of God.
The Holy Spirit is at work in us and through us, transforming our lives and our community.
Let us live boldly in that truth, trusting that the same God who opened the heavens at the river Jordan is opening new possibilities for each and every one of us here and now.
And if you have not yet been baptised, know that God’s invitation is open to you – come forward, talk with your priest, and through water of baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit, be cleansed from sin and born again to take your full place in God’s family of love and grace. Amen.
C. E. Lord OBE 