“Objection overruled”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Sunday, January 8, 2023
Matthew 3:13-17 (Forward, p. 61) CEV p. 984
Probably most of us have viewed a television courtroom drama where one of the lawyers involved loudly interrupts the proceedings with the word, “objection”, only to hear the presiding judge say, ‘objection overruled.’ Of course, while the lawyer making that statement thinks that there are good and sufficient grounds for objecting, the judge presumably, in squashing it, sees the larger and more complete picture.
In a sense, this is entirely the case in today’s encounter between Jesus and John the Baptist at the River Jordan. Jesus comes to John to be baptized and John objects. He says to Jesus, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?” Now, whether John already knew Jesus, or whether he sensed something of Jesus’ character, we simply don’t know. But let it be said, that we, and the entire church over time, have consistently sided with John. If the baptism of John was for repentance and the forgiveness of sins, then why did the sinless Jesus insist on being baptised? It is a very good question indeed, and not one that is amenable to any quick or easy answer.
Jesus’ reply certainly doesn’t ‘do the trick’: “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us t do.” It is like the trial judge overruling an objection without giving any grounds for doing so. However, the text itself provides a couple of possible reasons:
a) Firstly, to provide an occasion for the bestowing, the descent, of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus: “So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove” (verse 16). This was necessary for the undergirding, the equipping, of Jesus’ ministry which He would undertake in only a few short days.
b) And secondly, to give Jesus a re-affirmation of His identity and calling: “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with Him” (verse 17). Once again, this was vital for Jesus to know. Knowing this securely would fortify Jesus in His trials against Satan in the desert and in His trials with human opposition as well.
To these two very logical and understandable reasons, let me add one of my own. Here, Jesus, in being baptized just as we need to do, was standing alongside us, identifying with us in our flawed state and in our need for restoration. He was ‘allowing Himself’ to be ‘tarred with our brush.” He was demonstrating in a very profound and meaningful way, just how completely He had become human, how totally He had taken upon Himself, our flawed and needy condition. Indeed, He would know sin intently, not by succumbing to it, but by being fully immersed in it and by being tempted by it in every conceivable way yet without sinning. And so, indeed, He would open up for us the way of salvation in such a way that no uninvolved person could ever pull off. He truly was Emmanuel, God with us, and thus a Saviour unlike any other that we have known. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Forward notes: “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased’” (verse 17).
“Helping to prepare youth confirmands is among the favourite parts of my job as a youth minister. When we learn about baptism together, the best questions start with ‘what’ and ‘why’: What is the point of being baptized? What does the water do? Why are babies baptized? Our unit culminates with our baptismal vows, which begin from a place of repentance: renouncing evil and turning to Christ.
“Today, we celebrate Jesus’s baptism. It’s a Sunday set aside by the church as being especially appropriate to baptize new Christians. Perhaps there will be a baptism at your church this morning. Or you might be invited to renew your baptismal covenant. Just as we continue to confess to God and amend our ways when we sin, God’s response to us is always forgiveness. God invites us to continue to turn to him, and God delights when we answer the call. Only with God’s help do our steps move closer to the beloved community every day.”
Moving Forward: “Read through the service of baptism, starting on page 299 of the [American] Book of Common Prayer or page 151 of the Canadian Book of Alternative Services or on page 161 of the 2019 Book of Common Prayer. What words speak to you today?”