Baptism of Our Lord
Video of Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer
Isaiah 43:1-7
Romans 6:1-11
Luke 3:15-22
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.
The Baptism of our Lord comes on the heels of the Feast of the Epiphany which was celebrated world-wide on Monday. In the western church Epiphany is the coming of the Wise Men from the East. A monumental occasion in and of itself because Gentiles recognize that Jesus is the Christ. In the eastern church it is their official Christmas. So, the whole Christian church throughout the world celebrates on January 6.
Once we get past The Epiphany, then the church calendar leads us into a series of epiphanies where some aspect of Jesus’ uniqueness is revealed. This includes his ability to work miracles and demonstrate that He has authority and power over sins, all kinds of sickness, and the demonic realm. In this epiphany season, Jesus also states that he is the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy in Isaiah 61 and He provides insight into how He and our heavenly Father expect those called into the Kingdom of God to believe and behave in thought, word, and deed.
We recall that the Christmas story has epiphany moments. The Angel Gabriel reveals to Zechariah that his son is to be named John and that he is the prophet who will prepare the way for the coming Messiah. Joseph encountered an angel in a dream that revealed to him that Mary is pregnant and that he should NOT end the engagement and marriage. The Angel Gabriel reveals to Mary that she is chosen to bear the Christ child. The angels announce to the shepherds that Jesus is born. Simeon and Anna reveal their perception that Jesus is the Christ child.
The Epiphany moments in the Christmas story are wonderful and delightful but they are localized revelations that affect two families. The shepherds aren’t part of the family, but who listens to shepherds when they babble on about hearing singing in the fields and a special baby being born in the Bethlehem?
The Epiphany with the Wise Men is a different matter. Jesus’ birth and his designation as King enters into the wider political realm. Jesus’ presence has real world implications for leaders. Herod’s unhappiness about the news of a potential political rival has terrifying consequences for citizens of Jerusalem, Judah, and of course Bethlehem, a mere six miles away. The Epiphany that occurs because of the Wise Men appearing from the east affects the whole region.
Today’s Epiphany in Jesus’ baptism also reverberates far beyond Jesus, John the Baptist, and those in line waiting for their turn to confess their sins, offer their prayers of repentance, and be baptized by John in the Jordan river. Jesus’ baptism directly impacts us in 2025.
Four things happen in this Epiphany moment. First, Jesus is baptized by John. Second, Jesus is praying. Third, the Holy Spirit visibly comes upon Jesus. Fourth, our heavenly Father speaks. All four of these movements directly affect us.
First, Jesus is baptized. Jesus is not baptized for the same reason as all of the others. John the Baptist preached repentance of sins. He baptized to prepare people for the coming Christ. But Jesus has nothing to repent of. He has no secret life. The Christian Church has always understood that Jesus was born without sin. Since he is born without our condition of original sin, Jesus is able to be the perfect, all encompassing, once for all, sacrifice in behalf of the whole world. His perfection as the God-Man, enables Him to bear the sins of the world when it comes time for him to take up the cross.
Jesus is not in the Jordan River to repent. Jesus is there to begin His earthly ministry of teaching, miracles, and his death upon the cross. His baptism is a clear beginning, just as his birth was a clear entrance of the Incarnate God born of Mary. So, should we wonder when Jesus’ ministry really starts, it starts at his baptism. His clear beginning is also our clear beginning.
The circumstances of your life may be such that you are raised in a family that has no connection to the church and that no one brought you forward to be baptized. Yet, because God desires that all people should come to faith in Christ Jesus, you somehow hear the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit creates faith within you and you discover that you have faith that the crucified and risen Jesus is the Christ, and is YOUR CHRIST. The next step is given by example in the book of ACTS. Those who come to faith as adults, then seek instruction and are baptized. A famous example is what happened to Saul before he became the Apostle Paul.
When do you truly become a Christian? Is it the hour in which you first believed or is it when you are baptized? The answer that Jesus and the New Testament give us, is when you are baptized. Baptism is not only the work of the Holy Spirit, but it is the visible sign that God has claimed you as His own.
Holy Baptism is the visible starting point of our walk toward heaven. Jesus’ baptism is the visible starting point of His earthly ministry to us.
The second action is Jesus praying. Prayer is communication. We talk, God listens. In prayer, we also listen, while God talks. The Gospels regularly show us Jesus praying to our heavenly Father. Holy Baptism is God’s initiation of a relationship with us. How is every kind of relationship that exists maintained and strengthened? Communication. Regardless of whether the relationship is casual, work related, friends, or family, communication is essential to understand and be understood. Upon the visible start of His earthly ministry, Jesus immediately communicates to the Father through prayer. When we are baptized, we are brought into a relationship with God. Jesus teaches us by example that communication is an essential component of the Christian life. Jesus teaches us how to pray. Throughout the Bible we have many examples of different ways to pray. Communication is something we continue to learn how to do. It begins immediately upon Holy Baptism.
A third aspect of Jesus’ baptism is the visible descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the anointing. In days of old, when kings were called forth into their kingly office, they were anointed. The anointing is a sign that God has appointed them and they are receiving the blessing of God for their service as leaders. Here, at the clear beginning of His ministry, the Father anoints Jesus with the Holy Spirit. This is a visible sign of the Father’s blessing upon Jesus. Go forth, my Son, as the Christ for the world! For those of us who are fortunate to be baptized as infants, the Holy Spirit works through the Word of Promise to create faith within us. The Holy Spirit serves as our conscience and our guide. The Holy Spirit calls to mind the teachings of the Bible and Church when we need it. The Holy Spirit leads us to confess our faith. The Holy Spirit remains with us until our baptismal journey is complete.
The fourth action in Jesus’ baptism is that Jesus and others hear our heavenly Father speak. This is an unusual event. Generally, our heavenly Father speaks through others. When the universe came into being, he spoke through Jesus. Jesus is the WORD by which all things are created and are sustained. The Father spoke through Angels to announce the birth of His Son. In the passage from Isaiah 43, we heard the Father speaking through the Prophet Isaiah.
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; …. 5 Fear not, for I am with you 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
But here at Jesus’ baptism, our heavenly Father chooses to speak and be heard. He wants us to understand, beyond any shadow of doubt, that Jesus is His Son. Jesus is doing exactly what He is supposed to be doing. The Father says, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Those words from the Father, coupled with the words that we hear from Him at Jesus’ transfiguration, serve to assure us that Jesus is who He says He is, that we are to receive instruction from Him, we are to put our faith in Him, and we are to follow Him. When He dies on that cross, even though the disciples are mystified by what has just happened, they are to have faith and wait. Because a great surprise is coming Sunday morning.
Jesus’ baptism is an Epiphany moment, a revelation to us. He comes down for us, to dwell amongst us, to make the choices that Adam could not and would not make. Jesus is the visible, tangible, presence of God. The pre-incarnate Jesus walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. The Incarnate Jesus walks amongst us now. His Baptism is the beginning of his ministry to us so that we may walk with Him for eternity in heaven.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Coming up for the next six Sundays in Epiphany.
John 2:1-11 Wedding at Cana
Luke 4:16-30 Jesus reads Isaiah 61 in the Synagogue and says, “Today this Scripture has
been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4:31-44 Jesus heals the possessed and the sick
Luke 5:1-11 Jesus calls his first disciples
Luke 6:17-26 Preaches about the Kingdom of God
Luke 6:27-38 Preaches about how to live in the Kingdom of God
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