What does Jesus’ baptism say to us? Jesus’ thirty years of preparation before his public  baptism remind us that it takes time to get ready for God’s mission. How many countless hours did Jesus spend in prayer? What study, what thought, what vision must he have undergone before appearing in front of John asking for baptism?

What do we learn from Jesus’ baptism? January is a time for new beginnings and fresh resolution. John the Baptist was an  expert on this. John’s ministry was all about repentance and reform … that’s what his baptism was all about. But anyone who has ever seriously tried to change themselves will know how difficult change really is. We all fondly imagine that change is just beyond our reach, and all we have to do is reach that little bit further. Perhaps we would be more giving if we had more money. Perhaps we would be more helpful to others if we could manage our time better. Perhaps we would manage to be  tidier if we had a home extension. Perhaps we could be happier if we found a perfect partner. Perhaps we could feel better fulfilled if we changed our job, passed a few more exams, moved to the country, lost weight, got a promotion, had a baby… the list goes on and on. Yet every January we find ourselves in much the same situation as the previous year. Those who were baptised by John were baptised as a sign of their intent to change from their old ways, but knowing how difficult change can be, we can’t help wondering how successful they must have been.  Perhaps John appreciated this too when he said “I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”

When we look for change in our lives, perhaps we are looking in all the wrong places. Perhaps all we need to do is to ask the Holy Spirit for help. We are told that the same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus at the outset of his ministry, is the same Holy Spirit that is given to us in our baptism. Validating our baptism anew every day, knowing that we are filled with the Holy Spirit …..  perhaps change isn’t just beyond our reach after all. The past doesn’t have to equal the future.