Matthew 3:13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Questions about my name have followed me my whole life. “Cogan? Wow, that's a unique name! Where does it come from? Or, what does it mean? Is that a family name? Or my personal favorite, “How'd your parents come up with that?” I’ve become quite fond of this interaction and some of us have already had it! As for the questions, I have no idea the name's origin or nationality, or what it means. It’s not a family name. And if or when you meet my parents you should ask them how they came up with it or why they plagued me with this practical joke for my whole life.
Shakespeare, by way of Juliet, quipped, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Meaning a name is nothing more than what we infer upon it, the emphasis we give it. And while there is certainly truth to that, in our culture we give enormous emphasis to names and even more so titles. Titles impress, they grant authority, respect, sometimes even honor. We work hard to get these titles!
Maybe their letters before or after our names, or a phrase: Dr, Engineer, Mother, Teacher, Director. Often we hide behind these titles or names that we’ve been given or claimed. We place our identity in them, thinking we will find affirmation out in the world through them.
I’ve thought a fair amount about this considering I soon will gain two new titles, pastor and father; both for which I’ve yearned. But even knowing all that you do about me, my name, my soon to be titles, you don’t really know me. You don’t know what kind of pastor or father I will be.
And if you judged me just by name you’d think “Idk… he must be kinda weird”. We assume much, but really we can’t know a lot about a person from names and titles alone. I think the same is true for Jesus and why the story of his baptism is so revealing.
Thus far in Matthew, Jesus is given a few names and titles: Jesus, meaning Yahweh is salvation, the Messiah, meaning the anointed, Emmanuel, King of the Jews. Talk about some impressive names and titles, can you imagine the pressure?! Yet, up until now, Jesus hasn’t done anything. Everything has happened to him: he was birthed, named, visited, taken to Egypt, and brought to Nazareth.
Jesus may have names and titles, and we can (and do) assume much about him because of those, just as the people of Matthew’s community did. But Jesus has yet to act or do anything himself. What kind of Messiah will he be? How will Yahweh’s salvation come from him? In what ways will he be God with us? And how do we, as readers or hearers of this story, know that these names and titles are right and true? I certainly don’t believe all of the things that happen in my dreams… do you?!
It’s as if the author of Matthew knew these questions would arise at this point in the story. And right on time, Jesus came to John at the Jordan. It’s really an odd event if we think about it: why would Jesus, the anointed, need baptism? And if John’s baptism is one for repentance of sins, why would the sinless Jesus need it? These questions are interesting and important and the early church wrestled with them fiercely. However, by focusing solely on such questions we risk missing what this baptism tells us about Jesus.
John, by his question, takes the position as the less important person when Jesus arrived. But Jesus flips the script, adamant that he was to be baptized by John. “for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” The “for us” links John and Jesus together as partners in carrying out God’s saving plan. Jesus chose to work with John, this mere mortal to bring about God’s will.
And then this most miraculous scene unfolds as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open to heavens, the Holy Spirit falling in dove form upon him, and then God spoke not only to Jesus, but to John and the others gathered, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased”. Now we can begin to hear and see more clearly who this Jesus is and the ways in which he works.
God did not speak of names and titles, but of Jesus' identity: child of God, beloved. And perhaps even better, God affirms, nay celebrates his identity saying, “with whom I am well pleased”. Jesus did nothing to earn this: he had done no miracle, no feeding of thousands, no teaching the crowds, no healing the sick. The only thing he did was get baptized, revealing to us the way Jesus works. Not with power or force, but in humble obedience Jesus joined with John so that he would bear the sin of all those baptized.
Think of all the names and titles you bear: some you love and some you don’t. Some you were given and some you claimed. Some you earned and for some you yearn. And yet, these names, these titles… they do not define you whether you want them to or you don’t. They don’t give affirmation as to who you are. Only baptism does that... because in baptism God claims you as God’s own and gives you not a name or a title, but your identity.
Above all you are a beloved child of God… and because of Christ, God looks upon you and says, “with you I am well pleased”. You did nothing to earn that. In fact, there’s nothing you could do. God freely gives it to you and we call that grace. And is there anything more that we could want? than to know who we are and whose we are… to be celebrated by the One who created us… to be loved and redeemed by the humble and obedient Servant who, as the prophet says, brings light to the nations, who opens the eyes of those blind to suffering and oppression, and who will establish justice in the earth.
Not only does God give us our identity but also our mission. Just as Jesus chose to work with John so also In baptism God chooses to work through us; the lowly, weak, sinful humans that we are because that’s who composes the body of Christ.
We, you and I, have mutually chosen to be partners in mission together, of which I am thrilled. Before that, You all chose to be partners in mission and have done incredible work. Yet most important is the fact that Christ chose you as a partner in mission. And together we are tasked with the mission of the humble and obedient servant: to bring light to the nations, to open the eyes of those blind to suffering and oppression, and to establish justice in the earth.
Over the next few weeks and months, I will learn your names and your titles. But more than that, I want to know who you are: how you experience God in your life, what your passions are, and the ways you feel God at work in this community.
And I am confident we will move forward in this mission we share, not because of our names or our titles, but because of our shared identity. I am confident because God has called us in righteousness, taken us by the hand, and kept us. God is doing new things: in your life, in this community, and in the world.
Together, we will discern, act, and give praise to the one whose name is the Lord. Amen.
