⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He proclaimed, .The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit..⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, .You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased..

"And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him."

That is, as the saying goes, the rest of the story...or at least the two verses that follow the gospel passage we just heard. Now I am sympathetic to those who hear these verses and find it a little disconcerting to move so quickly from "you are my beloved" to "driven out into the wilderness to face Satan's temptations." At the very least it leaves one with a different feeling about the "good news" for the day. However, it is also an important component of understanding the full impact of the baptism at the center of the story today.

As I reflected on the lesson (plus extra verses!) this week, some parts like the image of the wilderness sounded familiar. However, I found myself intrigued by, and drawn to, the detail of Jesus being tempted by Satan. You see I join with other moderate, mainline Protestants who do not spend much time with, and rarely focus much attention on, biblical language of Satan or demons. Unfortunately, by not talking about it we surrender the discussion about it to those who too often use scripture as a weapon to advance claims of some cosmic spiritual warfare. Frankly I find that kind of language is at best no more than a reflection of the user's ignorance and lack of education. At worst it is just a way to place sin outside of ourselves. Because if it was the devil's fault, then I don't have to worry about the more frightening possibility that just maybe it was my fault.

In spite of, or perhaps because of, those reservations about such language, I must say that I have found my reading of these texts evolving over time. It is probably safe to say that talk of "spiritual warfare" and references to demonic forces will probably never have a place of prominence in my vocabulary. However, it would be a mistake to dismiss such language entirely. We must not allow ourselves to declare that temptations drawing us away from our relationship with God do not exist. For one example, I would argue that we are, collectively, in the midst of a stream of such temptations right now. Most of us participated in New Year festivities a little over a week ago. As the parties wind down perhaps you have noticed, as I have, the advice on how to approach the new year picking up.

If you have turned on the television or browsed the internet at all this past week it is pretty clear that not only does your calendar need updating, but so do you. Dr. Oz wants you to be "fit and fabulous." Entire television networks are at your service with programming to provide tips on how to get organized. I even stumbled upon a website dedicated to make sure women over 50 kick the year off right by making sure your fashion sense is age appropriate.

These are just a few examples offered by a seemingly ubiquitous "New Year, New You" marketing campaign. Of course the problem here does not lie in the suggestion that there are aspects in our lives we might want to or need to improve. What I question...and the thing that must please any forces determined to defy God and erect a barrier between God and humanity...is that each of these elixirs marketed as a means of fixing ourselves tempts us to focus ourselves inward and away from our mission as people of God. To top it off, the sheer numbers of these temptations are enough to make us doubt where, or even whether, God is in the picture at all.

Well if we reverse course a bit we see that the assigned verses in today's gospel lesson have something to say about any attempts to place obstacles before God. Let's turn to the climax of the passage — Jesus' baptism.

"[J]ust as [Jesus] was coming up out of the water he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him."

Jesus "saw the heavens torn apart." Think for a minute about these words. To tear something is an aggressive act. Moreover, you tear something and it is changed. You can sew a torn garment, but the seam remains. You can try to tape paper shreds together, but the tears are still there. So part of our story today is that God did not just bring Jesus into the world on Christmas and head out of town for vacation. The message today is that God is not going to be contained. God is breaking through to make a new thing.

God rips through the heavens, and with it brings a message to Jesus at his baptism: "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." It is noteworthy that Jesus' public ministry begins not with a miracle or grand pronouncement on his part. Instead, Jesus is sent forth with God blessing and claiming Jesus as God's son.

This is especially remarkable because something very similar has happened to those of us who have been blessed by this sacrament. When we are baptized into Christ we are claimed by God and given a new identity. It is my favorite part of the baptism rite. The blessings have been spoken...professions of faith have been given...and the waters have been poured. Then, while marking the sign of the cross on the newly baptized, the presiding minister speaks to each new sister or brother in Christ by name. "[You], child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever." After tearing through the heavens to get to you, God's Holy Spirit, seals you — holds you tight. In Baptism we are named children of God for all time and eternity.

This word of assurance reminds us that we are filled with value and dignity and held with an everlasting love. Moreover, we hold this ceremony among a congregation of the faithful in order to provide a home for these new brothers and sisters. As such we are also assured that we are a part of the community which will care for us and support us in all the days of our life. We journey together, not alone.

But that is not all. It is in this new identity and as part of this community that the Holy Spirit then gets to work within us. In our baptism the Spirit acts to transform us.to call us to embrace a whole new mission or purpose in life . one that brings light and healing to the world.

This thing that happens to us, this transformation that comes about through baptism is captured quite beautifully in the Walt Disney film, The Lion King. The main character, a young lion named Simba, is separated from all that reminds him of his identity. He is away from home, away from his family and away from his responsibilities to the world. "Hakuna Matata!" he proclaims as he forsakes his true identity as a lion, much less the king of the lions. However, a wise baboon named Rafiki finds Simba in the jungle and calls him back to his identity. In "John the Baptist fashion," Rafiki leads Simba to a great lake. As Simba stares into the pool of water, it is not only his face that is reflected. It is also the face of his father. As he recognizes his father within himself, the heavens open and his father speaks to him from heaven. In that moment, Simba is transformed. He understands his true identity as the Lion King and sees the responsibility his identity carries. He is empowered for the mission that lies before him and is able to combat the evil forces of the world that have taken over. In the end, Simba is victorious and brings light and healing back into his kingdom.

Of course our lives are not a Disney movie. And the lines between good and evil are not always clear cut. Our baptism, however, does provide a foundation, as Martin Luther demonstrated, that allows us to resist the forces that might separate us from God. When he found himself on unsure faith footing and tempted to doubt who, and whose, he was, Luther would announce: "I am baptized." Not I was...but I am baptized. And note also that he did not attempt to will himself away from these temptations by insisting "I believe! I really, really do!." The strength of his faith was found in the sacrament of baptism — in being claimed by God. He understood that our baptisms are not what we have done, but what God has done to us.

On this morning we give thanks for the gift of baptism and its assurances of being children of God and being filled with the Holy Spirit -- even when it seems as though everything and everyone else is trying to throw up barriers and giving us messages to the contrary.

So when you face those persistent campaigns that obscure the truth and try to convince you to reject who you are...respond as Luther did and say...I. Am. Baptized.

When it seems like the cacophony of voices focused on the things of this world are keeping you fulfilling your vocation.answer with this...I. Am. Baptized.

When the time comes that you are tempted to doubt God's promises...remember...I. Am. Baptized.

God has broken through the heavens and come down to claim each of us. We are the beloved children of God who bring light and healing to the world. We. Are. Baptized.

Amen