“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” As the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters, God spoke: “Let there be light.” And there was light!

Mark’s Gospel starts in a very similar way. In “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” God brings about the New Creation through the waters of baptism by the same Word and Spirit of God. When John the Baptist came, “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,” Jesus also came “and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”

Though He had no sin, Jesus took His stand with sinners in His Baptism and took the sins and mortality of the world upon Himself. He was baptized into His own death, the sacrifice by which the heavens are opened and the Spirit is given to us. God the Father is well-pleased with His beloved Son and raises Him from the dead.

As we share His Baptism and are “united with Him in a death like His,” we also share His resurrection unto newness of life.

Pastor Nettleton’s message (mp3)

Download the bulletin (pdf)