When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.
Luke 3: 21-22
Last night, many Americans tuned in to watch the Academy Awards. Receiving an Oscar award is the ultimate validation for professional actors; a culmination of hard work and talent. Maybe you haven’t dreamed of getting this particular kind of award, but it is human to crave recognition. We can imagine how someone might feel getting an Oscar.
In 1985, when Sally Field won the Oscar for “Best Actress” for her role in “Places in the Heart”, she delivered one of the most famous Oscars acceptance speeches of all time. Addressing the Oscars committee and her fellow actors, she said, “More than anything I’ve wanted to earn your respect. And now I can’t deny the fact that you like me! You like me!”
While getting an Oscar is a very coveted piece of recognition, it really doesn’t compare to the kind of validation that Jesus gets at his baptism. “The heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove, and a voice from heaven said ‘You are my son, the beloved. In You I am well pleased.” A voice from heaven saying, “I like you! I really like you!” There really isn’t a bigger validation than that!
Many of us spend our whole lives trying to get some kind of formal recognition — some validation that we are worthy of love and belonging; that we’ve made it. Sometimes we even struggle with whether we’re worthy of being alive. Once I watched a documentary about sole survivors of plane crashes. It stuck out to me how often the survivors struggled with shame for not doing enough to earn their right to be alive.
Sometimes we can relate to that. We may ask, “Have I done enough? Is my life worth anything? Have I earned the right to be here?”
It’s really important, then, when we meet people who through their words or actions, let us know we are worthy just for being who we are. Hopefully you have some people in your life who have loved you unconditionally and let you know that you are worthy — not because of anything you’ve done, but simply for being you.
If that’s important to us, I imagine that this kind of love and acceptance was important to Jesus, too.
Here’s the thing that we all need to understand about the validation Jesus heard at his baptism, which makes all the difference to our own baptisms and identity. Jesus received God’s powerful and indisputable validation before he started his public ministry. Before he had healed anyone; before any public teachings; before any miracles; before recruiting disciples. He received God’s affirmation of love and belonging while he was standing among sinners in the waters of baptism.
You might remember that, immediately after this awesome experience at Jesus’ baptism, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted for 40 days.
During his time in the wilderness, Jesus was challenged to define who he was. The temptation of Jesus can be described as, “If you are the Son of God, prove it.” His whole identity was being called into question. I imagine that, for Jesus, in his moment of greatest struggle and temptation, he might have hung on to the memory of his baptism, and the words that he heard about who he truly was: You are my beloved child. In you I am well pleased.
At baptism, we are claiming our faith in God and our desire to join the community of faith. But more importantly, our baptism stories are first of all stories of God claiming us as God’s beloved.
Martin Luther used to say, “When you wash your face, remember your baptism.” He even wrote it on his desk, so he wouldn’t forget: “Remember you have been baptized.”
So when you are faced with doubt regarding your worth, take a moment to remember you are beloved by God – independent from any accomplishments or attributes.
When you are faced with temptation to prove your worth through means that would compromise your integrity, take a moment to remember you are God’s child.
When you are wrestling with guilt and self condemnation, take a moment to remember you are redeemed.
Gracious God, thank you for your unconditional love for us, and for claiming us as your beloved children. Help us to remember that we matter to you simply for being ourselves. May we share your unconditional love with those we meet today. Amen.