I’m trying to imagine Jesus standing in the midst of what the gospel calls ‘the multitudes’ (and the original Greek suggests might be ‘a rabble’)

Jesus is listening with the rest to (his cousin) John hold forth on the rules for membership in the kingdom of God.

Jesus – the one whom we proclaim and confess as the unique and divinely appointed sign of heaven on earth – part of a crowd identified as a ‘brood of vipers.’

Jesus, baptized by John ‘for the forgiveness of sins…’

Wait, you say. Does Jesus – the Messiah – really need this? What sort of smooth-talking salesman is this John, that he manages to convince the Saviour of the world to be dunked in the River Jordan?

Does Jesus need forgiveness? Is Jesus called to repentance? Just when you thought you had a grasp on how this religious stuff worked, Luke’s gospel throws one high and inside. It’s not fair. It’s not right.

John demands repentance, and forgiveness is the prize he offers. But his carrot and stick approach is…terrifying. He proclaims a fiery end for those who fail – for any who ‘don’t make the grade.’ Not just his promise, but (he claims) the one who is to come will have similar methods.  None of this sounds like ‘good news’ to me.

Not that I’m against repentance or forgiveness, but I don’t think it is wise to scare people into submission.

Of course, history (and current events) suggest that fear is a powerful motivator, but ‘be good, or else’ is not a good representation of the faith Jesus invites us to share. So why did Jesus fall for it?

What’s going on here?

John’s words are stark. He paints an ‘either/or’ picture that sounds very contemporary. He speaks of broken people in a broken system and suggests that the price of failure is a fiery death.

And yes, there are some within Christianity who still proclaim this stark message. It makes a point about the state of the world but adds such a layer of hopelessness to life that I cannot embrace it as ‘faithfulness.’

And Jesus arrives – without fanfare, just another face in the crowd. He is baptized and praying – looking for all the world like just another repentant sinner – until something sets him apart from the crowd.

That God is ‘well pleased’ with Jesus is a good thing. But there are some gaps in the story. John’s reputation had people believing that HE might be the promise made flesh…but Herod and a voice from heaven answer that question. Herod, who locks John away. And that voice – heard by those who need to hear it – that singles out Jesus for something wonderful.

From that moment on, John’s rough demands, and strident tones fade from memory. Jesus will take John’s ideas (don’t cheat one another – share generously – be content rather than covetous) and use them to cast a vision of the promised kingdom that has nothing to do with power, punishment, or privilege and everything to do with compassion, mercy, love and grace.

John offered a straight up challenge – he was fighting fire with fire. He demands immediate signs of change from people who are caught in a system that trades favours for status and measures power in terms of comfort and influence, physical strength and economic clout.

Jesus knows better. And by wading into the river and placing himself in John’s hands, Jesus acknowledges that the world he lives in and the system he inhabits need changing. His ‘repentance’ is a hard NO to the bland acceptance of ‘this is the way things work.’ By his baptism the worlds expectations are stripped from him.  Soaking wet and deep in prayer, he is committed to blaze a new trail – starting from John’s ‘either/or’ and moving boldly towards God’s ‘yes, and…’

Consenting to be baptized, Jesus shows us what must be done.

In a world that is STILL ruled by loud, divisive voices, followers of Jesus are called to offer something else. Our proclamation should not shout down the opposition (tempting as that is). Rather, we ought to be raising one another up. Pointing towards the light – finding the beauty – encouraging those reluctant kindnesses and empowering hesitant helpers.  In a world where people are struggling to find comfort and dignity, meaning and purpose, Jesus’ example has given us a starting point, that we might offer all of that and more. His baptism reminds us that he considered himself no better than the worst of those who had been drawn by John’s fiery speeches. And Jesus work and witness after his baptism would prove that love works better than a lecture when you trying to change people’s minds.

The world’s expectations – the ordinary habits of our society – are turned towards selfishness and self-preservation, and John’s harsh words seem to provide a way out: Behave or be damned. The church too often falls back on John’s methods – forgetting that he was just setting the stage for the main event. John would bully us into heaven. But Jesus takes John’s stark message and opens the doors to real change. Jesus would love us into a changed future.