This sermon was delivered by Rev. David Underwood, District Superintendent, Crossroads District, North Central NY Annual Conference.

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            In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus first shows up with John the Baptist. There are no birth narratives, no angelic proclamations, shepherds or Wise Men. Matthew and Luke fill in much of those natal stories. Mark seems to want to just begin with the beginning of Jesus' ministry. There is just this hermitic image of a man in the wilderness baptizing for "repentance for the forgiveness of sins."  I think that the Gospel writer's interest is to show John as the Elijah figure promised by the prophets whose-purpose is to be the sign of the coming Messiah. It was a hard and bitter sweet time for the Jewish nation. Under Roman rule they were privileged to have the Temple and to practice their faith. But as we all know, the focus was so much on keeping the religion by not rocking the boat, there was more emphasis on preservation and survival than true worship. And then too, here was the set-apart nation of YHWH under the domination and rule of the Romans.

            There are of course a myriad of reasons that the Jewish nation was in this situation. Not, the least among them is their desire to live under the rule of human King, instead of becoming a true Theocracy, which is to simply to mean letting God be the ruler. To reflect on the ancient Hebrew scriptures, it is easy to see that the nation of Israel was at its finest when God ruled, and often the rule of Kings were filled with a certain amount of corruption. Often the Kings who were to be God's representatives on earth went their own way.

            The covenantal faith was compromised by the cultural gods that were in the area ... thus violating what I would suggest is the one commandment with nine corollaries and that is "you shall have no other god's before me. "

            It would seem to be too easy to suggest that the fault of the ancient Israelites was their idolatrous nature, but maybe it is that simplest. And maybe here at this time of Roman dominion they had lost their focus so badly they had estranged themselves from YHWH. We know the Temple had its own corruptions moving in an impossible legalism that further obscured the vision of God.

            There was a sense of hopelessness. And here upon the scene came a fresh voice calling people to repent and show your intentions in this ceremonial washing. Repentance seems like a harsh word today. It seems that people are more than willing to receive the grace of God in forgiveness and love, but does that mean without repentance. A cheap grace that takes without giving. Make no mistake I think that God's love and forgiveness are limitless to those who ask ... but where is the life change. Repentance in scripture comes from the word Metanoia ... and that means a change of direction. Not so much judging right or wrong as much as what is the move that I make that leads me in the direction of grace. It is literally turning around.

            It's what the Baptist's message was all about, prepare for the promised one, by turning around ... move in a different direction, a God direction .... And seal your commitment to live this new direction with a promise signed in baptism. A new and a fresh start and even new life; it's one of the great signs of faith. Modes and ages are not what this is about; it is about intention to live a life baptized in the Spirit, given by the One who is to come.

            "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan." Now other Gospel writers would have John try to stop Jesus because he knew who he was. In this Gospel it seems that John just went ahead and did it. The question has always come why Jesus would need John's baptism and I have reconciled it to understand this metanoia almost literally, not about necessarily turning from sin as much as turning to an intentional direction to God. Jesus was witnessing an intentional turn of what his life was to where his life was going. The affirmation of the act was seen when Jesus came out of the water and the heavens tore apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. Again though there is a Greek word here that can turn this scripture to a little different view, Eis is translated into, so using that understanding the Spirit was not on Jesus, but in Jesus, the Spirit became a part of his persona ... divine/human perhaps. But nonetheless the carpenters tools while maybe not abandoned were certainly put aside and life was never to be the same.

            And then the voice of God ... "you are my Son, my Beloved, with you I am well pleased." This is the affirmation that the "turn" was right, the Messiah had arrived, the ancient promise fulfilled, that this Jesus the Messiah came right when humanity was at its lowest, most desperate, most hopeless. And here in a figurative and literal wilderness hope begins in baptism.

            So what's different? The economy is depressed and so are the people. The culture has syncretized the faith to meet its own criteria and needs. Scripture is manipulated to create a god of accommodation rather than a God of commitment. There is a legalism that still makes access to God through rules more than choice.

            And while repentance can certainly mean turning from sin, I want to emphasize the act of turning. It is in this turning toward this loving and grace filled God that we feel the Spirit in us. I think this turn comes in the witness of baptism with intentionality to be changed, to walk a different walk, one that is positive in the face of negatives, a paradox of life that struggles with death and a word of hope as there seems to be hopelessness. It is the call of the church in hard times to make those repentant turns inviting others to come in their wilderness and have the Spirit come into them.