In the waters of the Jordan, Jesus is revealed as the beloved Son of God.
Through this great epiphany, Jesus fulfills all righteousness and becomes the servant of God who will bring forth justice and be a light to the nations. In the waters of baptism we too are washed by the Word, anointed by the Spirit, and named God’s beloved children. Our baptismal mission is to proclaim good news to all.
On our hymn of the day: Spirit of Gentleness (ELW 396) offers us this hymnic interpretation of the event:
The Spirit who descends upon Jesus in his Baptism remains active in the world today and we sing of the many ways this tent pole of the Trinity can still grab our attention. The Spirit blows, stirs, calls, frees, moves coaxes, creates, awakens, sweeps stings, goads, speaks, sings, cries, whispers, and breaks all forms of bondage!
Thinking about these words, some other questions come to mind ….
Home Devotional Questions:
Do you think much about your own baptism and the blessings it offers you?
What does “remembering your baptism” mean to you?
What does “following Jesus” mean?
Is God pleased with you?
