Except for one or two traces here and there, Christmas is now officially over! Friday was January 6th--Epiphany--and the end of the Christmas season.

Culturally, of course, Christmas was over long before that! When I stopped at Acme this week I noticed shelf after shelf crammed with Valentine candy. We’ve already moved toward our culture’s next big holiday!

So, where are we? In church, today is being celebrated as the Baptism of Our Lord, the transition between Christmas and the season of Epiphany, which has just started.

This year, although there will be exceptions, our focus will be on exploring the story of Jesus through the eyes of the Gospel of Mark, our earliest gospel. And so, we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord today by asking what God has to say to us through Mark’s story of Jesus’ baptism.

We are only four verses into Mark’s gospel (the first verse of which, as I recently said, is actually the title). In other words, from Mark’s perspective, we are at the very beginning of the beginning of Jesus’ story. And, at the very beginning of the beginning of Jesus’ story, this is what happens!

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And 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. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” ...

Who here was baptized an an infant? I was! And, as important as that event was in my life, because I was an infant, I have no memory of it. (In fact, I don’t think there’s even a photograph of my baptism! Since both of my parents have already died, the only proof I have of my baptism was the certificate my family was given long ago.)

My point is that, for people like me—with no memory of our baptism—we have to learn about baptism from others. Seeing someone else baptized shows us what happened to us. Reflecting on someone else’s baptism deepens our understanding of what also happened to us.

So, that’s what today is all about! In watching what happens to Jesus when he is baptized, we are shown us what happens to us when we are baptized. And, in reflecting on what happens to Jesus when he is baptized, our understanding of what happens to us in baptism is also deepened.

And what happens in Jesus’ baptism is this: In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And 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. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Mark uses an interesting word to describe what happened as a result of Jesus’ baptism. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens--and here’s that interesting word--torn apart.

In Greek, the word “torn apart” is “schizo.” Just as a schizophrenic is someone whose personality has split in two, so what happens when Jesus is baptized is that the separation--the dividing line--between heaven--the realm where God resides--and earth--where humanity lives--is ripped or torn apart.

The Greek makes clear that this is an irreparable break! In other words, once Jesus is baptized and the heavens are torn apart, no longer will there be--no longer can there be--a dividing line--a separation--between God and humanity!

It has been ripped apart, once and for all. And, because of this, God can come down and whisper in Jesus’ ear, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well-pleased.”

By the way, before we finish talking about “schizo,” let me point out that the only other place where Mark uses this word for irreparably ripping something apart is when he describes what happens the moment that Jesus dies. “Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple--the barrier between the place where humanity could worship God in his Temple and the very Holy of Holies which was God’s alone--was torn--was schizo’ed--in two, from top to bottom.”

What happens at the very beginning of Mark’s gospel is seen only by Jesus himself--at his baptism the dividing line between heaven and earth is utterly ripped apart--is now, at the end of Mark’s gospel seen by the whole world: the dividing line between God and humanity is, as a result of what Jesus has done, utterly and irreparably ripped apart.

From now on, the barrier between God and humanity has been destroyed! And, while it takes until Jesus has died for everyone on earth to see this, it began at Jesus’ baptism.

And, it continues in our own! What happens in Jesus’ baptism is what is promised in each of our own! The dividing line between God and us is ripped apart. Nothing--and I mean nothing--can separate or isolate us from God. God then seals what has just happened by whispering in our ears what he said to Jesus, “You are my child, the Beloved; with you I am well-pleased.”

This is a baptismal blessing. This is a promise. And it is a promise that, in Jesus’ case, he carried with him throughout his life.

There was a time, of course, when Jesus’ belief in the blessing and the promise God made to him was put to the test. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Jesus asked from the cross. But that promise--and that blessing remained. God never allowed himself to be separated from his beloved child.

Earlier, as I mentioned that I had no memory of my own baptism, I said that, whenever we see a baptism, we can see what happened at our baptism and, whenever we reflect on a baptism, we can gain insight into our own baptism.

When Jesus was baptized, the heavens split open, never to be shut again, as he came out of the water. As the separation between God and humanity was obliterated one and for all, God blessed Jesus, saying to him, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well-pleased.”

So it is with us! In our baptism God rips apart and forever throws away whatever separates us. In Jesus, God has broken down the carefully constructed walls separating God from humanity. If we want God, God already wants us. And nothing can tear us apart!

In the blessing that God gives Jesus, we hear the blessing that God speaks over us, never to be taken away; never to be overruled or denied. “You are my child, the Beloved; with you I am well-pleased.”

We walk through life with this blessing! And, like Jesus, there will be times--many times, perhaps--when that blessing will be put to the test: “Prove to me you love me!” we might say to God. “If I’m well-pleasing to you, how come I’m not ‘well-pleasing’ to myself or to others? Why do I sometimes feel abandoned by you or that I’ve abandoned you?”

Jesus faced trials after his baptism and so do we. But the promise given to Jesus at his baptism and the action taken by God at his baptism remained and prevailed.

And so it does with us! Trust in the promises God made to you. And, like Jesus, live obediently by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!