“When the world asks Christians the question, “Who are you?” the Church can respond with the answer, “We are the baptized.” We have buried our lives of being slaves of sin and the world and have been born anew and set afire by the Holy Spirit. We have risen to new life in Christ, we are claimed, we are spirit-filled, and we are set free. We are the people who have joined in the baptism of Jesus – and Jesus alone is our teacher, who came to the world but was not of it.

This coming Sunday is the day in the church year where we remember our Baptisms and reclaim the promises of God in our lives. It is a day where we recommit to live our lives in the primary identity of who we are – the baptized. It is a day when we receive once again the gift and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.”

Rev. Dr. Matthew Williams preaches on Matthew 3:13-17 at Trinity United Methodist Church on January 8, 2023 in Tallahassee, FL.