Beloved is the name give to us by God through Jesus Christ. We see this most clearly in Jesus’ baptism, when He rises up out of the water and the Holy Spirit comes down to bless Him. It is the same power of God to raise Christ from the dead, that welcomes all into the church and claims us in Baptism.

Beloved, Baptized, Blessed. A rhythmic trinity.

Dungeon Dwellers Is. 42.1-9; Ps. 29; Acts 10.34-43; Matt 3. 13-17

Rev. Tiare L. Mathison, Pastor & Soul-Tender, January 12, 2020

BELOVED, BAPTIZED, BLESSED

When I can’t sleep at night, I lie in bed and rub a small cross pattern on my forehead with my left thumb, and repeat these words. Beloved, baptized, blessed. ‘Beloved’ is the name I am given when God first calls me into His Kingdom. My Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace, permanent. Blessed is the sense of gratitude I carry with me, humbled that God should call a Dungeon Dweller like me. It is my simple trinity, buried in the touch of forehead skin. Like helping a newborn baby rest.

Dungeon Dwellers.

He joined us you know. The one Human Being who never fell from grace, the only one who does not need to repent, does not need to be baptized for the forgiveness of sin, steps into the water to be marked. Its amazing. This incredible act of humility. Jesus did not grasp equality with God. Rather He became a servant even unto death, that humanity might be lifted up and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Thats how Paul says it in Philippians 2.

The first act of Jesus’ adult ministry signifies His complete identification with humanity. He gets down with the Dungeon Dwellers at the river’s edge, a gigantic baptism party. He stays down through out His ministry. He eats and drinks with sinners, He talks theology with women, He engages with foreigners and the despised gentiles, all the way to the cross, His life no more valuable than a thief. From the beginning to the end He belongs to us. As He comes up out of the roiled waters, the heavens open wide, the Dove Spirit descends and a voice rings with the rhythm of the universe, “This is my Beloved, I am deeply pleased with Him.”

Jesus’ baptism is his ordination & installation as the Christ. The Father in heaven opens up the brass doors to give a shout-out to the One He loves more than anything in the universe. I’ve often wondered if there was a tinge of sadness on an undercurrent of this voice, knowing the cross was 3 years waiting. (pause) God says, “here He is. This is it. This is all I got.” All God’s desires, hope, promises, everything in the Old Testament leads up to this razor-edge moment, offered to the world in Jesus the Christ. Liberator, Justice seeker and maker, Redeemer, Savior, Spirit-Bearer, our limited language falters. In a contained moment, the entire Trinity is present. The Father in the voice; the Spirit in the Dove and the Son dripping wet. The next time they appear together is at the end of Matthew’s gospel when the church gets baptized: Jesus says, “Go out into all the world and make disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

The inauguration of the office of the Christ opens up a worldview never seen before. Even John the Baptist is surprised by the Spirit coming as a Dove. He’d been hoping for a fire-breathing tiger! The Spirit in Jesus offers a strong Word yet does it in gentleness. He modulates His power to come along side people and offers a model of non-violence. Peace-making is what wins the day not more tribal or ethnic war. He pursues justice as the means and the end. This Pre-Fall possibility of human life is staggering in its implications. Humanity could be different. We are not stuck in our violent, tit for tat, defensive postures, arms crossed permanently over our chests, scowls on our faces. Only the cynical among us see it this way. The baptismal waters are infused with the life-breath of this Spirit-Bearer, Jesus. The doors of heaven are wide open, never to be shut again. Access to the Father is freely given. The Spirit comes to dwell permanently. The Son promises to be with us always, even to the end of the age. Magnificent words the Father says about the Son: “This is my Beloved, I am deeply pleased with him.” But there is a larger shock in store. (pause)

At our baptism, we are adopted and named BELOVED. Just like Jesus. All the kindness and affection heard in the Father’s voice at His baptism, is now whispered in our ears as we bury the old self in the powerful waters. We rise up to new life, singing with the angels, ‘Glory’.

I am here to tell you, again, that in your baptism you have been claimed as God’s own. God says, “This is my priceless daughter Wendy, I am deeply pleased with her.” “This is my priceless son, Matt, I am deeply pleased with him.” Every single one of us gets to hear our name in the deep, rhythmic voice of the universe: This is my daughter, this is my son. I am deeply pleased. The Spirit descends into the very fabric of your life and She does not leave. You can ignore Her of course. But be reminded, You have access to the open doors of heaven to let your Father know everything you need. The Christ welcomes you home. The Trinity is looking out for you. There is only one baptism. It is not like Jesus got a private ceremony and the rest of us are stuck with the public one. No. (pause) We are adopted into Jesus’ family and claimed as one of God’s precious, unrepeatable miracles of grace. You are one in a bazillion! It brings you to tears doesn’t it? The God of the Universe delights in you. Let me say that again, over and over. Through our adoption, we can now hear the drumbeat for justice that Isaiah sings, to set us Dungeon Dwellers free. God is relentless in Her pursuit to unlock the gates of the captives, to bring the light of life where darkness is all they see. As Peter declares, there is no partiality on God’s part.

Let me ask you this: What about on your part? Do you find yourself letting some in and leaving some out?

God sent Jesus preaching peace. The Message spreads, especially after John’s Baptism of Jesus. All over the place!

Let me ask you this: Do you still preach peace in the daily of your life?

Jesus had power and used it for good.

Hmmmm, et moi, et tu?

Put to death, but God raised Jesus up.

Jesus ate and drank with us, Peter says. His witnesses.

Let me ask you this: Is He still invited to your table?

As Jesus sat at table, many tax collectors and dungeon dwellers came and were sitting with Him... When the Senior Pastors and Bible Teachers saw this, they asked the disciples, “Why does Your Teacher eat and drink with them?!” People will come from north and south and east and west to share the banquet of Abraham/Sarah/Hagar, Isaac/Rebecca, Jacob/Rachel/Leah in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew says a little later on. Dungeon Dwellers. All. Amen