Luke 3:15-22
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ .
Sermon
Who are you?
This is a great question to be asking on a day like today... we call this Sunday the “Baptism of our Lord”... the day we hear the story of heavens opened and Jesus Baptized. Jesus is named “the beloved.”
But... Who are you?
The answer to this question has many many answers. Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Boss, employee, teacher, that “german” lady, the gossip, the lover, the grumpy old man, dead beat, Alcoholic, superstar, nerd... the list goes on an on...
There are many labels that we could self apply to our lives but... today I want you to try on a label and see how it feels.
Precious...
This is a word that has been more recently tossed around and abused by people carrying small dogs and in sappy voices saying “oh my precious.”
Here precious simply means gushy cute...
We get a little closer to what the word means by people gushing over babies and looking in and saying, “Oh how precious”.
Here we get both the gushy and cute mixed in with the firm understanding of beloved... the baby is of great worth.
If we talk of Precious metals we get a little closer to the dictionary definition. Simply meaning “of great worth.”
And lastly... no analysis of the word precious would be complete without at least mentioning the Lord of the Rings fantasy novel where smeagle holds and caresses and ultimately dies trying to chase, keep, and have the own the ring. His precious.
Precious...
Who are you?
Precious...
In Isaiah we read today: Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6 I will say to the north, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.".
God makes a bold pronouncement to the people --- chosen to be a light for all --- that they are precious.
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Are we of this line? Can we apply these words spoken to a nation in exile 2500 years ago to ourselves?
Yes we can...
John... a prophet in the wilderness in a long line of prophets in the has a ministry of washing and repentance. He proclaims a Baptism of repentance.
So what is our understanding of Baptism?
This is an easy question to answer that takes a lifetime to understand... turn in your hymnals with me to page 1160.
This is a reproduction of the small catechism, so we turn to page. 1164 (Read section “The Sacrament of Baptism.”)
THE NATURE OF BAPTISM
What is Baptism?
Baptism is not just water, but it is the water used according to God’s command and connected with His Word.
What is that Word and command of God concerning Baptism?
Jesus says: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:18-20.
THE BLESSINGS OF BAPTISM
What does Baptism give or profit?
Baptism effects forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, just as the words and promises of God declare.
Which are these words and promises of God?
Christ our Lord says, Mark 16:16: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
THE POWER OF BAPTISM
How can water do such great things?
It is not the water that does these things, but the Word of God which is in and with the water, and faith which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without the Word of God the water is simply water, and no baptism; but with the Word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and washing of regeneration in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says, Titus 3:5-8: “According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that having been justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.”
THE MEANING OF BAPTISM
What does such baptizing with water mean?
Such baptizing with water means that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts; and that a new man daily come forth and arise, who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?
St. Paul writes, Romans 6:4: “We are buried with Christ by baptism into death, that just as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
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God’s action to us... Faith, also a gift of God, trusting that God’s words are true. Trusting that God has claimed is.
God naming us precious and beloved... even if you are from Samaria.
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Today we are also reading Acts 8 which tells us “Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John.”
This is no small thing... First of all... Peter and John? Peter the rock and John the beloved disciple. These are the big wigs from central command.
And... Samaritans? The ancient rival and enemy of God and Israel? The Word is being accepted in Samaria? Seems improbable at best but... as Peter and John arrive it is true... God seems to be choosing even samaritans, the Holy Spirit gets works and blows where it wants to.
These Samaritans were no less Samaritans after baptism but now they are Christians... God claiming and choosing where God chooses. The Spirit at work wherever the Word is preached... and even ahead of the preaching sometimes.
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There is another element that is part of this today...
Precious... of great value... deeply loved...
And so the image of the dove descending upon Jesus is given to us...
Jesus is Baptized and then the heaven is opened. This is something very new...
The Heavens will be opened again in this story but not till the very moment of Jesus death.
This is something very new...
And now the naming: “This is my beloved with whom I am well pleased.”
Beloved... precious... Jesus is named and claimed in baptism. And Jesus... after living for 3 decades on the planet... having now been named the beloved one of the Father... fresh from the waters of baptism, clearly hearing the call of God...
Jesus now begins his ministry.
Something new is born in baptism. Same Jesus... but also completely new. Heaven and earth are overlapped.
And Heaven (God’s Kingdom) and Earth are exposed to one another in a brand new way. Heaven is not some distant place with angels and harps... but heaven and earth are brought together. And in the prayer that Jesus taught us we plead that it will be more so:
Your Kingdom come... your will be done. God’s kingdom being made visible and present right in the middle of our existence.
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It is in a way unfortunate that most Christians in the world are baptized as infants. It makes perfect theological sense and I don’t advocate change in our practice but... for the reason alone of being aware of the event and remembering it clearly, this might be awesome.
However... I was baptized at the age of 14 (Shock and awe)...
My father was from the Evangelical Free tradition and didn’t want to make this ‘choice’ for me so... at the end of my confirmation I not only had to make the decision about joining the church membership, I had to allow that I would be baptized.
And I wish it could say that the heavens ripped open and I saw a dove... or maybe something cooler like an eagle descending upon me...
I wish that I could say that I saw the heavens open and a great voice calling down “You are my beloved son with whom I am well pleased”.
Well... Nothing that flashy happened.
But what did happen was, reading from the green LBW, Pastor Weatherington poured water on my head 3 times in the midst of the people and the liturgy. 3 times in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And on my head, made a mark of the sign of the cross saying “Sean, child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”
No Dove, no thunder, no eagle, no voice from heaven.
But my baptism was no small thing.
The fact that I was baptized has become the turning point in which I can firmly say that I am a beloved child of God. How do I know?
There was the promise spoken that has been passed down from Jesus to the present - that in Baptism God has chosen me using the body of Christ on earth - the church to speak a promise.
There was the Body of Christ - the church - saying “We welcome you in the Lord’s family. We receive you as a fellow member of the body Christ, child of the same heavenly Father, and worker with us in the kingdom of God.
And so when my self esteem is crushed, when my sinful nature leads me to do what I know I should not... I can look back and say... When the voice of the accuser is telling me I am unworthy I can simply respond... I am baptized.
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So I ask again...
Who are you?
As a way of passing on the faith with my children, I try to remember to put the mark on the cross on their foreheads when taking a bath or going to bed, and I ask “What was that for?” and they are now learning more about God’s love through baptism. Often they say “That means God loves me.”
In the bath the other day, my daughter reached up and marked my wife’s head with the sign of the cross and said,
“That’s so you know God loves you Mom, that’s what happened at Mattea’s BATH-tism.”
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Washed clean in bath-tism, named as precious and beloved by the God who breaks down all barriers to be with us, to claim us.
This is who you are... precious... beloved.
Amen.
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