Elma United Methodist Church

The Gift of Thanks

Elma United Methodist Church

Watermarked

Dan Shelly

Elma United Methodist Church

January 8, 2006

(Mark 1:4-13)

 

 With the coming of Christmas, we begin a new year in the life of the Church, and this Sunday we also begin our journey together through the Gospel Mark.  In spite of its’ order within the Bible, Mark is believed to be the earliest of the gospels to be written and it carries with it a real sense of urgency – in fact it uses the Greek word we first heard translated this morning as “immediately” over 40 times.   And the writer of Mark doesn’t waste a lot of time on details either.  He jumps right into the heart of the story of Jesus’ ministry here on Earth.  So whenever he does give a detail, it’s because he thinks it’s something pretty important.  Well Mark’s author takes time to paint a picture for us of John the Baptizer.

 

And he paints a pretty amazing picture.  John shows up out in the wilderness areas of Judea, far away from the comforts and safety of town.  In fact, he’s made his home out there amongst the wild animals in the wilderness and he’s living on roasted locusts and wild honey.  And he’s running around wearing clothes made of camel’s hair – rough and scratchy – with a piece of leather wrapped around his waist to keep it all together.  And John was probably a Nazarite, which meant that he would only have cut his hair and his beard once every seven years or so when he went up to the temple to offer a sacrifice.  So what you have is a picture of a wide-eyed, wild and wooly person running around out in the desert calling the people of Israel to repent for their sins.  And as a sign of repentance, he’s baptizing them in the river Jordan.

 

You’d think based on what we’ve just heard about John, that he wouldn’t have much of a following, but the writer of Mark tells us that all the people of Jerusalem and throughout the whole of Judea were turning out to hear John preach and to be baptized.  John’s message was one of repentance.  Repentance to avoid the Lord’s wrath in the days of judgment that John said were just about to come upon the people of Israel.  John also told about a Messiah who was ready to appear among them.  One so blessed by God that John wasn’t even worthy to stoop down and untie his sandal.  One who would baptize not just with water, but with the Holy Spirit.  And all of Israel was watching and waiting for this Messiah to appear.

 

And then one day, Jesus of Nazareth came out into the wilderness to hear John and be baptized.  It’s interesting that Jesus felt he even needed to be baptized by John, since John’s baptism was a sign of repentance from sins, and Jesus was the one person who the Bible tells us had no sins, but Jesus knew that it was important for him to be baptized.   And as he was coming up out of the water, an amazing thing happened. Mark says that the heavens were torn apart, we can imagine that the clouds parted and light shown down upon Jesus, and  the Spirit descended upon him like a dove.  So this wasn’t a bolt from on high like the Apostle Paul would one day experience, but a gentle caressing by God’s Spirit, and Jesus heard God’s voice declare “You are my Child, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  So just like Jesus entered the water as a public testimony to his trust in God, God’s Spirit descended upon him with a public testimony that he was a beloved child of God and a member of God’s family.  This passage appears right in the very beginning of Mark, the first action of the first gospel, to show us just how important the sacrament of baptism is in the Christian story.  And it’s one of the things identified as held in common across all the churches and denominations of the Christian faith – some of us may dunk, some of us may dip, and some of us may sprinkle, but we all hold baptism in common.

 

In fact, it reminds me of Jane and her little brother Johnny.  It had been raining and they had been running around inside the house all day constantly getting in the way of their mother who was trying to clean.  So when the rain finally stopped and the sun broke out, Mom sent them out into the backyard to play.  As they were going out, she told Jane, “Now no picking on your little brother today.  I want you to play nice!”  Well, they hadn’t been outside more than a few minutes when Mom looked out the window just in time to see Jane push her little brother into a large rain puddle.  She grabbed her coat and raced outside just as little Johnny, now all muddy and wet, was crawling out of the puddle.  Mom went up to Jane and said, “I thought I told you not to pick on your brother and to play nice!”  Well surprised by Mom’s reaction, Jane looked up at her and said, “Yes Mom, I heard you tell me to play nice with Johnny, so I thought there’s nothing’s nicer than church.  And I remember what pastor said just last week during baptism. He said, ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and in the Hole he Goes!”  and with that she pushed little Johnny back into the puddle!

 

Sometimes we can mix up the meanings behind even the sacraments that we participate in together as a church body. So what about baptism?  Why was it important for Jesus to be baptized by John, and why is it important for us as Christians to be baptized?  The gospel of Mark tells us, that after Jesus was baptized, God’s Spirit descended upon him, and God declared him to be a beloved child in whom God was well pleased, a member of the family of God.  And as Christians, followers and disciples of Christ, we too believe that in our baptism God declares each of us to be a beloved child of God, part of the body of Christ, and part of the family of God.  Through our baptism, we are watermarked by God.

 

I love the term watermarked, because it really highlights what occurs during baptism.  If you look closely at checks in a checkbook, you’ll see that most banks use a security system to make sure that no one washes off or changes the original writing that you put on your checks.  And this security system is called a watermark.  When they’re cashing a check, the teller can look at the watermark and it assures them that no one has tried to alter or erase the original amount that was written by the owner.  And God does the same thing with us.  Through our baptism, God declares each of us to be a beloved child of God, and seals it with a watermark.  Others may come and try to alter this seal, they may try to prove that you aren’t good enough, you aren’t pure enough, you aren’t holy enough to be a child of God.  They may try to trick you or beat you down, make you try to doubt your own worth in the eyes of God, but thanks be to God that each of us has been watermarked.  Each of us can remember our baptism and remember the promise of God that we are beloved children of God, in whom God delights. 

 

We can wander off, we can even try to turn our backs on God, but God continues to call to us, and like the prodigal son, God urges us to remember our baptism, and return home to God.  Remember that we are watermarked, sealed by the seal of God and loved as beloved children in God’s family.  Talk about a wonderful promise, no matter what else occurs in your life, remember that you are watermarked, sealed with God’s seal of approval and you are a beloved member of God’s family.

 

Now that doesn’t mean that from then on after our baptisms our lives are going to be a bed of roses, far from it!  Just look at Jesus who set the example.  Mark’s Gospel tells us that after his baptism, God’s Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness where he was surrounded by wild beasts and tested by Satan. And you can be sure that what he heard were all the reasons why he shouldn’t follow God’s will.  But Jesus remembered his baptism, Jesus remembered that he was watermarked, and Jesus used his faith in God and promises in God’s Word to withstand Satan’s attacks.  And Mark tells us that angels waited on him during his time in the wilderness.

 

So as a follower of Christ, there’s no promise that you won’t find yourself from time-to-time feeling stranded and alone, in a spot that seems like a wilderness.  In fact, you’re almost assured that when you’re following God’s leading; God’s Spirit will lead you to those times of testing, to help you ground and grow your faith and your beliefs.  But remember too, that you carry with you God’s watermark, the promise that in all places and in all circumstances there’s nothing that can separate you from the love of God.  And in those wilderness times in your life, take the time to look around, for God will send God’s angels when you least expect them, to minister to you and help to meet your needs.

 

Next Sunday, we’ll all have the opportunity to participate together as a Christian community in the joyful celebration of baptism.  As we do, take the time to thank God for your own baptism once again.  Thank God for your seal, your watermark, that declares for all the world, that you are a beloved child of God in whom God is well pleased.