Matthew 3:13-17.                   Jesus’ baptism – for us!!                     13/1/13

 {13)  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. {14} But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" {15} Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness." Then John consented. {16} As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. {17} And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

 Today the focus for us is placed on Jesus’ baptism. But the question for many is; what is his baptism all about? After all he is God’s Son. He is a sinless being. Surely he does not need to be baptized for the forgiveness of his sins. But probably the bigger question for most today, is ‘what has this got to do with us anyway?’ ‘Here, then, is one sermon that we surely can go to sleep in because this has nothing to do with me. It is only a lot of theological mumbo jumbo.’

 

Well, let me begin by saying that this has got everything to do with you and me. If this event of Jesus’ baptism had not occurred you and I would be facing an eternity in Hell; guaranteed. Jesus’ baptism has everything to do with you and me and our salvation. If we think we can bypass this event, then you are also bypassing everything he did on the cross for us; and we are also bypassing the true significance and importance of our own baptisms today and the confidence and certainty we gain from it.

 Here again, God is doing something in and through Jesus Christ that gives us great assurance with regard to the certainty of our salvation. Here again Jesus becomes the centre and core of what our salvation really entails. It is what he has done that guarantees our salvation and helps us to now look away from ourselves and to place Jesus at the centre and focus of not only our salvation, but everything that we say and do. Because he did what he did there at the Jordan River we have every reason to now allow him to lead and guide and do what he wants to do in and through our lives.

 But I wonder; do we really want Jesus as the centre of our lives? Do we want his identification with us and his salvation that he has won for us; and thereby also the new life that he has for us? Or do we want to continue to justify ourselves before each other and before God? Do we continue to want to live and do as we please?

 Sadly I think, all too often, this is the case for us today. Life is all about me and what I think and what I make of life. This is sin! This is our desperate plight as human beings. We tell God and everyone else what we want to do and have, so that everything can go the way we want. From that flows all kinds of deeds which break the harmony that God intended for us. As a result we are all left hurt, lonely and depressed. Deep down we know that we are guilty; but we continue to try to justify ourselves; we keep trying to prove that we are alright. But we are not. We are in deep trouble.

 Yet, it is right here that Jesus’ baptism becomes so significant for us. Here Jesus, as he now is about to begin his ministry of seeking to save this lost, lonely and guilty humanity, goes to John the Baptist on the banks of the Jordan to be baptized. Here John the Baptist gets it right. Jesus doesn’t need to be baptized, for he is sinless; he is God come to us. John’s baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. It is interesting that John does not baptize some of the Pharisees because of their impenitence, and here he is unwilling to baptize Jesus because of his sinlessness.

 But Jesus insists, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness." Even though John is right in his assessment of the situation, Jesus says it is right and proper that he should be baptized. Why? To fulfil all righteousness. That is to fulfil everything that is necessary in order for us to be right with God. Here at the Jordan, Jesus enacts God’s saving deeds for human kind by [literally] standing with sinners. There he joins with us sinners. In his baptism he becomes one of us. He takes on himself our sin; and then heads forward to Jerusalem and the cross. There He as the sinless one offers up his own life as the ransom payment in the place of many; in the place of you and me.

 So here, get this straight, at his baptism Jesus joins himself to you and me. He fully becomes one of us, sinful human beings. He knows full well the dire situation of us human beings: sinful and without any way of being able to get ourselves out of our own mess. Yet he takes all of that on himself; and then proceeds to Jerusalem to ensure that we can once again be made right with God. That is absolutely incredible.

 Now recognising that in his baptism Jesus has identified fully with us, God’s words from the heavens immediately following, then also becomes very significant. "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."  So here we have acknowledgement that Jesus is God’s very own Son; but this also signifies that all with whom Jesus has joined himself to and are identified with him, are here in Jesus’ baptism addressed by these words. In a number of places in the Old Testament God addresses his people as his ‘sons.’ So with Jesus and his baptism he identified himself with us so that he could save God’s ‘sons’ lost in sin. So here in these words that are spoken of Jesus also comes the acknowledgment that all for whom Jesus died on the cross, these words are spoken; "This is my ‘son’, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Truly remarkable!

 Again that can only be because of Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection three days later. There he died our death; taking the punishment that we deserve on himself so that we might be forgiven and accepted as his Fathers own dear ‘sons.’ Then he was raised from the dead three days later as a clear confirmation that what he has done on the cross is accepted by God and his work of salvation for us is complete. Now he and we can once again live at peace with God and with one another.

 Jesus has come, connected himself to us as sinful human beings that he can bring about salvation and eternal life for us. His baptism and his connecting himself to us had as its focal point, his death on the cross and his resurrection: For there alone is our salvation!

 Now then, for us living this side of his death and resurrection he gives us baptism where he can again connect, not only himself, but also the Father and the Holy Spirit, with us, so that again he can impart to us, all that he has done for us through his death on the cross. Now the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are now freely available to all who are connected to him and his death and resurrection. Through baptism he washes away our sin and joins us to his family for all eternity.  All now may become members of God’s people, God’s ‘sons’, through baptism and faith in him.

 So yes we say that the cross and the empty tomb stand at the centre of the Christian faith, with Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan pointing forward to those central saving events in anticipation; and with Baptism flowing out from those events. There God places on us the salvation that he has won for us. Just as he connected himself to sinful humanity at his baptism, now he joins us to himself and the new life that he has for us.

 Now we can have complete certainty as we go forward in life, for God himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit has united himself to us and to all that Jesus has won for us through his death on the cross. Forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are now guaranteed for us, and confirmed in us. Now there is hope for us; there is new life; there is a new ‘Lord’ for us as we live out our lives every day.

 Now, surely, Jesus and the cross, stand at the centre and the core of our very life. He and what he has done for us is what gives us our meaning and direction for life. There is what is important to us. That also surely will mean that everything we say and do will be guided by him as well. Now, He is Lord for us, instead of ourselves. Now we will be outward looking, focussing on the needs of others instead of ourselves and our wants. It means we will love one another, even though we recognise that as long as we live here on this earth, that we will constantly be dealing with the results of sin. So we will be forgiving of one another; but at the same time seeking to overcome weakness so that we do not cause offence and hardship.

 But most importantly of all, we will constantly be seeking to give glory to Christ and the cross. We will want to do all that we can so that others also may know of this wonderful Good News that is here for us through Jesus Christ and his identification with us and his death and resurrection for us. Jesus and what he has done for us is what is absolutely essential for us and for our lives.

 Thank God that in his baptism Jesus Christ identified with us in our sinfulness, so that he might do what was necessary for our salvation. He truly is Lord. To him be all glory and honour, now and forever. AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish