The Baptism of our Lord, Cycle C

January 11, 2004

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lessons:    Isaiah 43:1-7;  Acts 8:14-17;  St. Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

     It would not be too hard to witness a baptism, and miss the point completely. For anyone watching, how would a Baptism appear?  The person being baptized stands, or is held--surrounded by family and maybe a few friends.  There's some talking--some pouring of water--some praying.  There's some fiddling with symbols, oil, a candle. And then, quickly, without much ado, it's over--and someone watching might conclude, "that's a nice little thing--nice for the family, nice for the person being baptized, nice for the congregation".  In many ways, we think of baptism as a nice little ritual--a rite of passage, just something that Christians do--but we can miss the real power and significance of Baptism, as a life-shaping, life-transforming, life-giving sacrament, instituted by God, for the salvation of the world--because what we see, in the rite of Baptism, is only the tip of the iceberg.  If we don't see, or understand, if we can't grasp the entire mass of the iceberg, the total purpose and meaning of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, then we will go about our lives thinking about our baptism, only when we stumble over the little chunk of the iceberg that now and then pops up in worship--a nice little ritual, but, often  something seen as almost a distraction to worshipers, often thought of as a bother, because as we all know, a baptism does lengthen the service.   

     The Festival of the Baptism of our Lord, if it does nothing else, should shake us up a bit, to help us to see, once again, the totality of Baptism;  how important baptism is, in the life of the Church, but also, how important Baptism is to be, in our lives as well. We see that, not so much in any theological discussion about Baptism in Holy Scripture;  we see that not so much, in any thing that John the baptizer says, but in what happens in our Gospel lesson for this festival day--as we see that Jesus himself, was baptized!

     This, of course, is the focus of this festival, hence the name, the Baptism--OF OUR LORD.  What is significant today, is that JESUS was baptized;  that Jesus fulfilled all righteousness;  that Jesus, himself, entered the waters of Baptism.  That is the first, and primary thing about this day--that we see how important baptism is, in the fact that Jesus himself, our Lord and Savior, Son of the Most High God, was baptized!  If we knew nothing else about baptism--if there were no specific commandment such as we hear in Matthew 28, "Go therefore and make disciples, baptizing…", still, we should want to be baptized, because Jesus was baptized! 

     But Baptism isn't just that--is it?  The totality of the meaning and purpose of Baptism, is not only that Jesus was baptized.  That's the first thing, and the most important thing about baptism--but there is more!  There is so much more.  There is John the baptizer, teaching us, saying, "You know that I baptized with water only--but one is coming who is more powerful than I--and baptism done in Jesus' name, will be a baptism with water, and with the Holy Spirit, and with fire!"  And then, to confirm Jesus' baptism, to affirm that Jesus WAS God's Son, and that what He was doing was in accordance with the Father's will--after Jesus was baptized, as He was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven saying, "You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased."  All of this, together, should speak to us of Holy Baptism in such a way that we are excited about Jesus' baptism--but even more, that we can hardly contain our excitement, our joy, that we, too, have been baptized!  Maybe we have forgotten what it means that we have been baptized, as Jesus is baptized--or maybe we never knew in the first place--but today, it is proclaimed, and we are reminded, that just as Jesus was baptized, you and I have been baptized.  That we have been washed with water, that the Holy Spirit has come to us, that the fire of the Spirit lives in us, to purify us, and to inspire us, to be children of the Light, children of God's eternal family.  By the fact that Jesus was baptized, and the fact that we, too, were baptized with the same baptism, we know, we know that we participate, with Him, in the gifts and blessings of baptism.  We know that God has made certain things available, in baptism, for those who are baptized.  The Holy Spirit comes to those who are baptized.  The forgiveness of sins comes to those who are baptized.  Death and resurrection comes to those who are baptized.  And--being eternal children of the heavenly Father, comes to those who are baptized.  Indeed, all these other gifts and blessings, are the wonderful inheritance of those who, in baptism, become God's children.  In his baptism by John in the Jordan, God the Father speaks to Jesus, affirming, "You are my Son, the Beloved."  In our baptism, we hear the words of the Father, through the prophet Isaiah, saying, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;  I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  when you walk through fire you shall not be burned;  for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."  This is the baptismal promise that comes to us, as we become baptized sons and daughters of God--that we need not fear, because God has called us by name--we are his, and He is our--Father, Brother, Savior.  And this baptismal promise, comes not because we have earned it or deserve it--not because we are good enough to be God's sons and daughters, but because God's only Son, Jesus Christ, was himself baptized, and connected the gifts and promises of God, with the waters of baptism.  We receive these gifts and promises, because when Jesus was baptized, Jesus left them there, like a puddle of rainbow tinted oil on water, so that all who would follow Jesus into and out of the waters of baptism, couldn't help but be coated, covered, with these gifts and promises.   

     The early Church Father, Hippolytus of Rome, preaching on the Baptism of our Lord around the second century, said, "If the Lord had not been baptized, do you realize what great blessings and how many blessings we should have been deprived of?  Heaven was closed until then;  our homeland on high was inaccessible.  Once we had descended into the depths we were incapable of rising again to such lofty heights.  The Lord was not only baptized himself;  he also renewed our fallen nature and restored to us our status as God's children."

     In Baptism, we receive great and wonderful blessings--but how do we remember, and celebrate, and live in those blessings, day by day?  How do we remain, ever mindful of the power and purpose of baptism, not reducing it to just the tip of an iceberg?  How do we live our baptism as a daily practice, not just as something that happened once, but is soon forgotten?  One way to be reminded, is to observe the festival of the Baptism of our Lord--hearing again about the great iceberg that is Baptism.  One way is to be sprinkled with baptismal water, as we will be shortly, as a reminder of our baptism--as we celebrate Baptism.  Another way is to dip your fingers into the baptismal font every time you come into the sanctuary, or leave the sanctuary, making the sign of the cross in remembrance of your Baptism.  Still another way is to allow each and every baptism, performed in worship, to be a renewal of our own baptism--to call to mind the fact that, as Jesus was baptized, you are baptized--as Jesus was proclaimed Son of God, you are proclaimed, child of God--for God has called you by name--you are His!  And still another way to remember, celebrate and live our baptism, is to do as Martin Luther counsels, as he writes in the Large Catechism, "To appreciate and use Baptism aright, we must draw strength and comfort from it when our sins or conscience oppress us, and we must retort, 'But I am baptized!  And if I am baptized, I have the promise that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body."  To appreciate and use Baptism aright--is to remember, "I am baptized!"  And to remember that we are baptized, is not to fear, to know we are God's child, called by God, by name; redeemed, forgiven, given new life, day after day--and from this, we draw strength and comfort.  If we are not drawing strength and comfort from our Baptism, then perhaps, we've forgotten that we are baptized--perhaps we need, today, this festival of the Baptism of our Lord, to hear again, the good news of Baptism!  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.