Sunday Readings: Isaiah 55.1-11 1John 5.1-9 Mark 1.7-11
“Immediately on coming up out of the water Jesus saw the sky splitting open and the Spirit descending like a dove. Then a voice came from the heavens, saying, “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.’” – Mark 1.10-11
Jesus’ baptism happens among sinners and seekers who come to John the Baptist. His preaching leads them to repent, toward God, and receive John’s baptism in the Jordan. Jesus baptism describes three signs of who he is. The heavens split open. In Jesus God is with us and one of us. Second, the Spirit descends upon Jesus, pointing to him as beginning a new creation. The descent is also an anointing. He is the Spirit-filled messiah who will bring peace. Third, the voice claims Jesus as my beloved Son, the same tender words the prophet Second Isaiah used of the Israelites suffering exile in Babylon.
In this scene we see Jesus as God’s beloved Son and servant, one with the Father and the Spirit. We, Jesus’ followers, are God’s beloved and God’s servants anointed in Confirmation to continue Jesus’ mission to heal and love one another.
Who surrounded you at your baptism and desired faith for you? In what ways does the Spirit within you challenge you to live Jesus’ mission?