13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?" 15But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

DIAGNOSIS: Keeping our Distance

Step 1: Initial Diagnosis: Preventing
John had just spoken about the One who was "coming after" him, the One who clears the threshing floor with his winnowing fork, gathering the wheat but burning the chaff with "unquenchable fire" (vv. 11-12). Now, guess who's "coming after" him, coming to the Jordan "to be baptized by him"? "John would have prevented him" (v. 14). Maybe there was something to hide? Or Someone from Whom to hide?

Step 2: Advanced Diagnosis: Offended
Among that which John would need to hide is his own offense. All along John had claimed that the Messiah' baptism was much more purifying than his own. John's baptism was in the water of repentance; but the Messiah would baptize with "the Holy Spirit and fire." Now he finds himself offended by his very own Messiah who comes "to him" to be baptized. His offense is a sign of his own mistrust of this Messiah and his intentions. John's greater trust is in his own legal righteousness through repentance. He does not believe that the Messiah knows what is best for him; that it is better for the Messiah to stay uncontaminated with John, let alone his baptism.

Step 3: Final Diagnosis: Unworthy
But why would John believe that, unless he was already aware, even for himself, that he had no business being in the same place with the Holy One. He is "not worthy" even to perform the slave's task (v. 11). Even that much of an admission was perhaps more than his (John's) disciples could confess: the truth of John's own inferiority, his own sinfulness. John has acknowledged his guilt; but now he complicates it further by his offense at the Messiah. Where, then, does that leave him in the final analysis? And not only him, but we ourselves who have our own preventative measures and offensiveness before the holy. Not as wheat -- only as chaff.

PROGNOSIS: Keeping the Faith

Step 4: Initial Prognosis: Chosen
This Messiah Jesus, however, does know what he is up to -- and for our good. He does, indeed, contaminate himself with the unholy, the unworthy; but in order that they should not be left as unworthy. He does so to make their unworthiness his, and give them instead the blessed cloak of worthiness, "fulfilling all righteousness." To be sure, his baptism would be one of "Holy Spirit and fire," though the real fire would come on a later day, on the cross. But in making this mission his, by stepping in, with, and deeply under our sin, he nonetheless has the blessing of being "pleasing" to the Father, who calls him his "Beloved," his Chosen One.

Step 5: Advanced Prognosis: Pleasing
That divine pleasure, however, is not limited by the Father for this Messiah Jesus, but for all of us. We, too, have become united with this Christ in our own baptism, and the pronouncement of being those "with whom I am [God is] well pleased." And we enjoy that pleasure already in our faith that Christ's baptism is for our own good, "proper for us" in the fullest sense of the hope.

Step 6: Final Prognosis: Participating
But the fuller joy is that we too get to participate in Christ's plan of "fulfilling all righteousness." While the fulfillment is not ours to grant -- it is Christ's and Christ's alone -- nonetheless, Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, designates us as his partners for whom it is good and proper -- in, with, and deeply under Christ's righteousness -- to be outreaching with that righteousness for "all."

"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." Isaiah 11:1

Everyone knows you shouldn't cross Santa, lest you end up getting a lump of coal for Christmas. Even the fear of crossing Santa, so it has come to my attention recently, can be a problem. Our little daughter Katie heard from her bigger brother Philip that Santa doesn't just watch children in December -- he watches them year round. The parents were brought in as witnesses, and both unwittingly confirmed Philip's version of the truth. Katie could not be consoled, sobbing and crying, "I don't want a lump of coal!" I know I don't want a lump of coal for Christmas, either. Do you? Ah, but what has Katie heard, and heard perceptively? For that, we may need to take up the dangerous task of crossing Santa -- critically, at least.... promisingly, at last.

What Katie has heard is the song that most of us have grown up hearing:

You better watch out, you better not cry
you better not pout, I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's making his list and checking it twice,
He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice,
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He sees you when you're sleeping,
he know's when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
so be good for goodness sake...

You get the idea.

What Katie perceives, and probably correctly, is that if our merits are the basis of reward, we can only pull the wool over Santa's eyes for so long. December, maybe. But the whole year? And what a year it has been! Newsweek has summed up the whole year in one name: Monica (not Augustine's mom, but the other one). Most of the country is willing to "forgive" the President (only because the economy's good), even though there is little Christmas spirit to be seen on Capitol Hill these last days of December. But does the country, do we all, see here an occasion where we are in need of repentance? (see Luke 13:1-5) Or are we only trying to fool Santa with our pretensions of better righteousness? Nevertheless, a better righteousness is what we all pretend. We somehow manage to put ourselves on the list of the "nice" rather than the "naughty," the "good" rather than the "bad." Why else could we get the presents, we ask? Ah, why else, indeed! Whose eyes are really covered in wool, as old as Santa's! We only add to our false assumptions if we think our presents are because we have behaved "good" and "nice" all year. We over-value our contributions to our own rewards. Eventually, however, the truth catches up with us. You may be able to fool Santa for a month. But God, never. We don't deserve any great rewards -- only what the "naughty" ones get: a lump -- or, in the words of Isaiah, a stump.

But wait: what if there is a way to trump the stump? Not our way, but the way of Another, a Branch that shoots out of promising roots? That new Branch is very tree-like, even cross-shaped. These new roots from whence come the Shoot are not finally traced to Jesse, but to Jesus. To be sure, this Jesus "shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear." He can see through any silly pretensions. But, in truth, that is not the primary reason he came. This Messiah King has entered our world in order to save it. Rather than leaving us with our lumps, he has taken those upon himself, and has given to us instead what other pretenders at kingship could not give: the eternally righteous, peaceable kingdom, where wolves and lambs, cows and bears, leopards and young goats, lions and cattle -- in short, bitter enemies -- have peace and harmony, and children get to play where the poisonous snakes dwell. For all who are grafted into the roots of this Messiah King, there is no longer any more hurting or destroying, for Christ is all in all. All are deemed "good" by their trusting his branching-out for them, in his coming, in his cross. Even Santa would have to agree that that is more than he can deliver -- and, do you suppose, maybe Santa delivers because of this Promise (not his, but Jesus'), in spite of all the evidence to the contrary?! As you might have guessed, it is not ultimately Santa who is crossed, but us.

Weep not, Katie! Weep not, Philip, Martin, Dawn, and Mike! Weep not, one and all! But, one and all, cry out with joy! For the King is coming to give you the kingdom!