It happened a long time ago, and seems like a rather strange event.
John the Baptist, last of the Old Testament prophets, was preaching. Calling people to repent, to let go of God-dishonouring lifestyles and embrace a way of life that was pleasing to Him. As a sign of that commitment he baptized. Into the water and back out as a symbol of cleansing, of new beginnings, new commitment.

It was a preaching and baptism happening among people who were reaching out towards Heaven, longing for contact, longing for heavenly life.

John preaches about the coming of One far greater than himself.
A Holy One.
One with true power - fire-like, life altering power.

And then...... there He comes
Jesus.
Coming forward with all the rest at the end of sermon, responding to the altar call; lining up to be baptized as a sign of commitment to righteous living, sinless living, new beginnings with God.

John sees it, and the strangeness of it overwhelms.
Jesus - the Holy One - mingling among the people?
With them? Just like them?

He protests.
Jesus silences him. For it must be so. John doesn't understand but Jesus has to mingle with the rest of the people. He has to go down with them.
One with them. It must be so.

There was no sin in him, but there was sin on him. This baptism demonstrated that; publically showing Jesus assuming His role as Messiah, assuming the God-given responsibility of shouldering the sins of the world and bringing them righteousness.
And so - down into the water He goes.
Down - a posture Jesus assumes throughout His life;
emptying Himself completely, says Philippians 2, and taking the form of a servant - an emptiness that would eventually lead to death on a cross where the final washing away of human sin would happen;
only that would be a washing with His blood, not water.

As He goes down something incredible happens - incredibly exciting!
For years Jewish believers had experienced a real heaviness - the heaviness of a closed heaven. For years the heavenly glory of God had not been seen in the temple. For years there had been no prophetic word.
Heaven was closed up tight.

It was a heavy closeness that the people felt. Prophet Isaiah already cried:
"Lord, look upon us from heaven, where you live in your holiness and glory. Where is your great concern for us? Where is your power? Where are your love and compassion? Do not ignore us!.....Why don't you tear the skies open and come down?" (Is 63:15; 64:1 TEV)

Finally -
here was the day that the skies were torn open.
And down came...........
more than just a prophetic word!
It was the Holy Spirit of God Himself, settling on the One called The Word - the ultimate Word of God in the flesh, God with us, Jesus.

The Spirit settles on Jesus.
This is the same Holy Spirit that settled on the womb of Mary with the miracle of virgin conception, new life in her womb.
He comes down and hovers over Jesus just as He hovered over the waters of the earth at Creation.
He comes down in the form of a dove -
- a dove: the same bird that went out from Noah's ark and returned with an olive branch indicating that new life had blossomed.
- the Spirit here is a sign of the new life that Jesus will bring to all who believe in Him. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come."

The Spirit settles on Jesus, empowering and preparing Him for a life of service - service that begins right after this highlight moment with a huge time of testing, tempting and spiritual battle in the wilderness.

Jesus' going down opens the doors to heaven.
Jesus' going down brings the Spirit's presence.

And then comes another big thing!
Not only is heaven opened, but God speaks!
"This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased."

Those words of God draw from Old Testament scriptures that the people would have been very familiar with:
Ps 2:7 "You are my Son" - words spoken to the king of God's people.
Isaiah 42.1 "Here is my servant.... my chosen one with whom I am well pleased."
Jesus is the great Servant-King. Through his service, a service that included the very laying down of His life, He would gain ultimate Kingship of heaven and earth - the name above every name.

Like I said - all that happened a long time ago. A rather unique, strange sort of event. Distant, we may think. So far removed from the reality in which we live today..... we think.
Well - not so!

Not so, particularly on this day as we gather to celebrate Holy Communion.
Not so long ago.
Not so far away.

For in that crowd with whom Jesus came to identify are people with faces like you and me. WE are in that crowd.
We are among those to whom Christ has come to bring righteousness, from whom Christ will lift the burden of sin and its guilt.
We are among those who need to fall down in open, humble repentance for sins committed, violations of God's pure will and pleasure.

Jesus went down into the river to be baptized for us.
To become one with us.
To save us!

And that the heavens opened over Jesus - let that stand as a marker for us who wander to and fro here on earth, stuck on the treadmill of day to day life.
A marker that heaven remains open - the door will no more slam shut, the welcome mat is out for all who approach through that person of Jesus.
As we send our prayers heavenward and trust they are heard.
As we plead for daily guidance, and new strength.
Heaven is open to believers - and mercy is poured out.

The Spirit came on Jesus as a dove.
That same Spirit came down on the first believers in Jesus at Pentecost, and ever since rests in the heart of every single girl and boy, woman and man who believes in Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus the Spirit rests on you.
Lives in you.
And gives power to you.

And the voice -
Ah, the voice that proclaimed Jesus as the well-loved son!
That same voice speaks to believers, calling them daughters and sons of the Heavenly Father. It is the inner voice of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:16:
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."

Jesus is the conduit that brings the very voice of God into our lives.
"You are my son.
You are my daughter.
I am so pleased that you are mine!"

Today's workplace sends a rather harsh message to us:
Perhaps you please us. Perhaps not. Depends on your skill set. Depends on your productivity. The accountant's bottom line will say how pleasing you are. It will dictate if there is a place and a future for you.

Neighbourhoods and communities send another message:
You're not really pleasing. Or displeasing. We're just too busy to worry or think about you at all. Quite frankly - you don't matter.

But the heavenly Father looks at us through Jesus and says,
"I am delighted to have you!
You are mine, and that pleases me!"

In Isaiah 42, the passage quoted by heaven's voice, we read about Jesus -
that He will not break a bruised reed, or snuff out a smoldering wick.

He's not looking for the big, the beautiful, the powerful.
He has a special place and delight for the needy, the hurting, the weak.
When everyone else runs past you, Jesus stops and waits.
When noone else will listen - He, from open heaven, hears every sigh, every whisper.

Please hear that truth as you prepare to receive holy communion this evening.
Communion - where we come in a tangible way before the baptized Jesus, and where we are reminded of that which truly washes us clean -
- not water, but the sacrifice of His body and blood on the cross.

I'm going to invite you to get up out of your pew in a few minutes and come forward to take communion. As you do, I encourage you to see that as a coming forward of recommitment; of saying again,
"Holy Father, I acknowledge your delight in my life.
I hear you call me.
I desire your Spirit to land on me in ever fuller ways and empower me for your service - service that would give you pleasure.
Here I am, Lord. Use me, Holy Father."

Make your coming as deliberate as Jesus' coming was when he entered the Jordan river.

And as you come, let it be with expectation. The elements are simple. Bread and a small cup. But we call these outwardly simple things a "sacrament."
- sacred elements, a sacred act in the life of the Church community.

We believe that when we partake the Holy Spirit moves in a special way among the people of God. The power flows down from the open doors of heaven, through our living Saviour, and by faith into the hearts, the minds and the bodies of believers.
It will happen to those of you who actively partake.
And for those of you who are not yet in that space where you will partake, those of you who have not yet made a full public profession of your faith in a Christian Church - as you watch, and as you pray, you may count on the Spirit also doing a deep work in you.

No one will leave here untouched!

God has pleasure in the presence of His people - those that are counted as believers in Jesus. And moments where they eat at His table of grace are extra special moments in the family of heaven.
This is one of those moments.

So come!
Just as you are - come!