The Baptism of Jesus
Mark gives us important insights into the early Jesus movement, which raises important questions for us today. Why was Jesus baptized? What happened at Jesus’ baptism? What kind of movement was John the Baptist leading that enticed Jesus to join?
This Sunday, I want to address what I consider an important affirmation in our times: that the Jesus movement is fundamentally a resistance movement. Jesus came to bring about the in-breaking of the reign and justice of God, as opposed to the reign and injustices of the Roman empire. This kingdom is not your typical kingdom, but inverts the values and practices of all earthly empires.
The story tells us that John the Baptist is beheaded. Likewise, Jesus is put to death as an insurrectionist. Simply put: the Jesus movement and the Roman empire were on a collision course from the beginning.
What do we do with this story in our contemporary context? How can we learn to live for something bigger than ourselves, that is, the kingdom of God? In a culture that praises individuality and independence, how can we learn to be communally focused once again? Come Sunday, and let’s talk about what the role of the church may be in this resistance movement.
