Brothers and sisters in Christ, we often find ourselves mirroring those we oppose. The temptation to fight fire with fire, to return evil for evil, is a constant struggle. But Jesus offers a different path. He doesn’t become like the enemies of God in their sin; instead, he becomes like them in their humanity, that they might be drawn to become more like him in his divinity. In the baptism of Jesus, we witness a profound act of identification and transformation, revealing three powerful themes: New Creation, New Life, and New Kingdom.

First, we see New Creation. Jesus’ baptism echoes the very act of creation. The waters of chaos, a symbol of pre-creation and potential, become the setting for this pivotal moment. Jesus is “dipped” in these waters, reminiscent of the Spirit hovering over the deep in Genesis. The Spirit descends upon him as a dove, a gentle yet powerful presence, mirroring that initial act of creation. And just as God affirmed his creation with the words “It is good,” so too does he affirm Jesus, declaring, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

This is not simply a repetition of the old creation, but a new creation, a restoration. Baptism is not a rejection of the material world, but a reclamation of it. It affirms that creation, in its essence, is good. This is why Jesus cared so deeply for the poor, the sick, and the suffering – because he understood the inherent value of every human life, every part of creation. In his baptism, Jesus creates a point of unity with all of humanity, as Luke tells us, “all the people, and Jesus also” were baptized. It is an act in which all of humanity can participate with him.

Secondly, the baptism of Jesus signifies New Life. What grace is this, that because Jesus was baptized, we too are offered baptism! He sanctified the waters with the fire of the Holy Spirit, so that when we enter those waters, we participate in that same Spirit-filled experience. It’s not something we do to earn God’s favor; it’s something we participate in, a gift freely given. We are united with Jesus in a profound and intimate way.

Remember Jesus’ words in Mark 10:38, where he speaks of his own suffering as a kind of baptism. His death and resurrection become an immersion in the very depths of human experience, an immersion from which he emerges victorious, offering us the same victory. Paul, in Romans 6:3-4, echoes this, saying that we are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, sharing in his story, and finding the promise of resurrection in our own lives. In baptism, we hear the same affirmation spoken over Jesus: “You are my beloved…with you I am well pleased.”

Thirdly, Jesus’ baptism inaugurates a New Kingdom. John baptized people in the Jordan River, the very river that the Israelites crossed under Joshua’s leadership to enter the Promised Land. Joshua led God’s people into a new land, a new order. Jesus, the new Joshua, leads us through the Spirit into a new kingdom, the Church. Baptism is our entrance into this new order, a new Israel, a new way of life.

This is not an exodus in the sense of escaping the world; it is an empowerment to live within it as transformed people, growing and maturing as Christ-like children of God. Baptism is not an individual act solely for personal salvation; it is profoundly communal. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer so eloquently stated, “Baptism is the actual consummated transfer of the human being into the church community…and incorporated into the body of Christ.” We are transferred from wandering in the wilderness to becoming citizens of God’s kingdom, part of the whole family of God through baptism.

So, in the baptism of Jesus, we see a new creation, a new life, and a new kingdom. He did not succumb to the patterns of this world, trading evil for evil. Instead, he transformed the world, and he transforms us. To live into our baptismal life is to be people who are constantly growing into the likeness of Jesus, inviting others to join us in this grace-filled transformation of creation, life, and kingdom. Amen.