God calls you, "Beloved child"

Did you ever have a nickname as a child that you really hated?  Or even as an adult?

What do you think God calls you? 
The gospel reading for last Sunday, 1/9 was the story of Jesus' baptism.  What does that have to do with our baptism?  What does that mean for my life right now, today?

Click below to read the sermon.


Can you remember a time when someone called you something and it really stuck with you? Perhaps it was your child's first time saying “mom,” or “dad,” or the way your partner calls you an affectionate name.


But probably when you think of being called something, it might bring back memories of being teased or hurt. Who hasn't ever been called a mean or hurtful name? Unfortunately, I think this is a universal truth. Whether it was from a childhood classmate or sibling, or an adult relationship, we hurt each other with the names we call each other. And this is not a one-way street, I know I've been the name-caller too. This is not just a trivial issue of playground politics, but what we call each other can wound, can start wars, can start trends of hate in our families, relationships, neighborhood.

We call today the festival of the Baptism of Our Lord. In the story of Jesus' baptism, as Jesus comes up from the Jordan water, the Spirit of God descends like a dove alighting on him, and God's voice is heard calling “This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” God says, Jesus, this is my beloved.

Beloved – something the world doesn't call us too often. Walter Benton writes a poem by the title, This is my beloved. It begins:

Because Hate is legislated...written into
The primer and the testament,
Shot into our blood and brain like vaccine or vitamins


Because our day is of time - of hours - and the clock-hand turns,
Closes the circle upon us: and black timeless night
Sucks us in like quicksand, receives us totally -
Without a raincheck or a parachute, a key to heaven or the last long look


I need love more than ever now...I need your love,
I need love more than hope or money, wisdom or a drink

The world calls us a lot of things. But the world doesn't call us beloved. It doesn't claim us in love. The simple truth is, we spend our whole lives wanting to hear we are loved. It may sound cheesy, or trite, but isn't it true? We need love, we want love, and it hurts to be called anything that implies otherwise.

In this whole season, Jesus has been called by so many names. Emmanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Messiah, Savior, Jesus. But it is here, in the baptism, that the most important identity is given, when God's voice calls to Jesus, and says this, this is my son, the beloved. John has it right – Jesus doesn't need t0 be baptized. But it isn't about need. It's about love. In Romans 6 it says all of us who are baptized in Christ are united with him, baptized into his death and also into his resurrection to eternal life. United with Christ and made children of God in our baptism, God's words today to Jesus are spoken also to you. God says to you, you are my daughter, my son, beloved, with whom I am well pleased. You are God's beloved.

When someone says “I love you,” it changes the relationship. It naturally changes how you act, your priorities, and Through Jesus in each of our baptisms God says I love you, my child, and we are forever changed. It makes a difference in our lives. Names are powerful, and when we are called beloved, son, daughter, by God, we are reminded whose we are. Because we are united with Christ in baptism, when we rise from the baptismal water, the Holy Spirit moves and we call others too. When we help others, when we give of ourselves, when forgive, we are saying to that person – you are beloved to God. When we feed others, we say with each plate – you too – you are beloved to God. When we invite a friend to church or share a little about who we have been called, God's child, God calls to them through us. Because we are united with Christ, we also share in his ministry.

It all starts at the waters, at the identity given in our baptism, because we are united with Jesus there and in his whole life, death, and resurrection. As Luther reminds us in the small catechism, it is not just water that does this, but God's word in and with the water that does this, calls us God's own, a promise that is forever. Our last hymn echoes God's call in the first verse - “Go, My children, with My blessing, Never alone. Waking, sleeping, I am with you; You are My own. In My love's baptismal river I have made you Mine forever. Go, My children, with My blessing, You are My own.” So remember the time you were washed in the water, called God's child, beloved. God has called you by name, a name that will always stick with you.