“Baptism Is God’s Great ‘Fear Not’ assurance”
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [Amen.]
“‘Fear not! I am with you, O be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
“‘The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!’”
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
728:2-3)
Old Testament Reading................................................ Isaiah
43:1-7 (esp. 1ab & 5a)
1But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
5Fear not, for I am with you;
Prologue: Every Sunday’s “News & Information” bulletin (that’s the one with
the cover that’s usually color-coordinated with the altar, pulpit, and
lectern paraments as well as Pastor Marks’ and my stoles) has an item in it
that explains the significance of that Sunday’s liturgical occasion and
shows how the three appointed Bible readings relate to it. The one for
today, “The Baptism of Our Lord,” explains that “The Baptism of our Lord is
an ‘Epiphany’ of the one true God in the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.
In divine mercy, He takes His place with sinners and takes their sin upon
Himself. … Jesus submitted Himself to a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:21). He had no sins of His own, but He took the
sins of the world upon Himself and so was baptized into His own death. As
you are baptized with a baptism like His, so also are you united with Him in
His death and resurrection … (Rom. 6:4). For all who are baptized into
Christ Jesus receive His anointing of the Holy Spirit and are named by His
Father as beloved and well-pleasing sons and daughters.”
Another way of describing it is that “Epiphany may include as many
as nine Sundays, depending on the date of Easter. The season is marked at
its beginning and at its end by two important feasts of Christ. On the
first Sunday after the Epiphany [that would be tomorrow/today], the Church
celebrates the Baptism of Our Lord. The Father had sent Jesus to bear the
sins of the world. So Jesus steps down into baptismal waters so that He can
soak up the sins of the world: He is baptized into our sins, so that our
Baptism might be into His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of
sins.” (Treasury of Daily Prayer. Scot A. Kinnaman, General Editor.
Copyright © 2008 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Pages 9f.) By
the way, notice that at Jesus’ Baptism the Father declared as we heard in
today’s Gospel Reading, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well
pleased.” (St Luke 3:22 ESV) and at His Transfiguration the Father stated,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (St
Matt 17:5 ESV)
Focusing on today’s Old Testament Reading, then, we receive the
certain comfort that …
“Baptism Is God’s Great ‘Fear Not’ assurance.”
Well, this seems like a good place to briefly review the meaning
and significance of “Epiphany.” So, recall with me that the word itself
means reveal … manifest … make known. As Pastor Marks alluded to in his
sermon last weekend, “The feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord commemorates no
event but presents an idea that assumes concrete form only through the facts
of our Lord’s life. The idea of Epiphany is that the Christ who was born at
Bethlehem is recognized by the world as God. At Christmas, God appears as
man, and at Epiphany, this man appears before the world as God. That Christ
became man needed no proof. But that this man, this helpless child, is God
needed proof. The manifestations of the Trinity, the signs and wonders
performed by this man, and all His miracles have the purpose of proving to
men that Jesus is God. Lately, especially in the Western Church, the story
of the Magi has been associated with this feast day. As Gentiles who were
brought to faith in Jesus Christ, the Magi represent all believers from the
Gentile world.” (Treasury of Daily Prayer. Page 1094.) As such, it has a
distinct missional emphasis in that it’s all about God revealing that His
mercy and grace are for all people.
In other words, the one and only holy God came in the holy person
of Jesus Christ to unholy mankind whom He created holy to atone for unholy
mankind’s sinful rebellion and thereby provide for mankind to be holy once
again. In Holy Baptism the Holy Spirit takes what Jesus did for you and
makes it your personal possession. In order to grasp this reality more
fully, let’s review “The Sacrament of Holy Baptism as the head of the family
should teach it in a simple way to his household.” Please turn to page 325
in your Lutheran Service Book hymnals and read the answers to the questions
about Holy Baptism as I ask them. Page 325.
“First: What is Baptism? Baptism is not just plain water, but it is
the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word.
“Which is that word of God? Christ our Lord says in the last chapter
of Matthew: ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ Matthew
28:19
“Second: What benefits does Baptism give? It works forgiveness of
sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all
who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.
“Which are these words and promises of God? Christ our Lord says in
the last chapter of Mark: ‘Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,
but whoever does not believe will be condemned.’ Mark 16:16
“Third: How can water do such great things? Certainly not just water,
but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the
faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word
the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a
Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the
new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three: ‘He
saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom
He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that,
having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of
eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.’ Titus 3:5-8
“Fourth: What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates
that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned
and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily
emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
“Where is this written? St. Paul writes in Romans, chapter six: ‘We
were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we
too may live a new life.’ Romans 6:4” (Lutheran Service Book. Prepared by
The Commission on Worship of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Copyright
© 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page 325.)
Within the context of all of that our Baptism assures us that …
I. God Possesses and Protects His Own Personal Possessions. (1c-4)
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
Well, what fills you with fear, fright, and trepidation? Is it
the present political unrest in our nation? Is it the strange weather that
appears to be growing more unstable? Is it the intrusion into what had been
thought to be safe places by evil people who massacre young children and
adults … or the murder of hundreds of thousands of unborn babies still in
what was once considered a very safe place, namely, their mothers’ wombs?
Is it the economy that threatens job and income security, the increase of
taxes that will decrease spendable income, or government-imposed medical
insurance requirements that continue to infringe on personal freedoms and
convictions? Is it physical illness, injury, or other infirmity … or simply
the aging process that makes life more difficult with each passing year?
The Reverend Doctor Kenneth R. Klaus, former Speaker of The
Lutheran Hour, stated in his Lutheran Hour Ministries Daily Devotion this
past December 21, “Many of us have fear and lose hope when facing problems.
In this respect we are not so very different than those who are guilty of a
crime and know they must face the judge and receive justice. It is a sad
thing that most of the time we forget God is on our side and think we must
try to deal with our sinful condition, by using our own solutions. The Word
of God, however, instructs us not to fear. This passage of Scripture gives
us a blood-bought guarantee that God has redeemed us, and we are His. We
are redeemed by Jesus, who shed His blood on the cross of Calvary, so we may
be saved from the power of the devil, death and sin. This is the redemption
that gives us hope for eternal life.” (LHM Daily Devotions. Ref:
LHM0021835A-0018222#. 1997-2012 Lutheran Hour Ministries, St. Louis, MO.
All rights reserved.)
Another LHM devotion presented on November 15, 2008 stated, “Big
things like financial disaster, sickness, or death are not always the
culprits in messing up peoples’ lives. Small things can also stop us. It
may be interruptions at the office or the ringing of your cell phone. It
could be a boss who seems harsh or a spouse who forgot your anniversary. We
have a God who has shown Himself to be the best Cleaner Upper this sinful,
old world has ever seen. In the Person of Jesus, our sins have been
discarded, our eternal future has been affirmed and we will never have to
deal with the big and small difficulties of today by ourselves.” (LHM Daily
Devotions. Ref: LHM0010916A-0018222#. 1997-2008 Lutheran Hour Ministries,
St. Louis, MO. All rights reserved.)
You know, “Public figures often have their body guards.
Candidates for the presidency are protected by the secret service. Yet we
know from experience that there is no foolproof protection. If someone is
really determined to hurt or harm another person, he will at times be
successful despite all protective efforts. The Lord does allow trouble to
come to us. We are exposed to dangers, to injury, to sickness, to death.
Yet the Lord protects us by bringing us through these dangers and troubles.
He brings us through … earthly trials and tribulations. With the Lord
walking at our side, we will reach the goal of our journey unharmed.” (For
Such a Time as This: Old Testament. Copyright © 1991 by Northwestern
Publishing House, Milwaukee, WI. Page 8.)
You see, your Baptism is God’s guarantee to you that you belong to
Him and He will never leave you nor forsake you. The gruesome fact is that
“By nature Isaiah and all humans of all time are spiritually blind, dead,
and enemies of God. All deserve the fearsome judgment of God, because all
have sinned. But the Lord himself, that is, the God of free and faithful
love, announces the unexpected.
“The unexpected announcement to set aside fear comes for three reasons;
all three of them trace the comfort back to the Lord himself. First, the
Lord says, ‘I have redeemed you.’ Second, God called his people by name.
He singled them out from all the nations of the earth and called them. God
chose them to be his. Third, these people were God’s own possession. He
claimed them: ‘You are mine.’”
In like manner, “The Lord has redeemed [you] too but from that
greater bondage. The Lord redeemed [you] from sin, death, and hell. He
bought [you] with the price of the blood of Christ [that He shed unto death]
on Calvary. God called [you] by name when he washed [you] in the water of
Baptism. All believers belong to the Lord; [you] are his possession.” (John
A. Braun in People’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah II. Copyright © 2004
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Pages 73ff.)
Because of all that you also have the absolute comfort and
security of knowing that, since God placed His claim on you in Holy
Baptism, …
II. God Will Gather His Recreated Namesakes into Eternal Glory. (5b-7)
5bI will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
The fact is that upon death your immortal soul will immediately go
to either heaven or hell. There is no gray or middle place. It’s either …
or. Sadly, many (quite frankly, most) people either don’t realize this
truth or choose to ignore it hoping that it will go away. They do so
because they don’t have the assurance of eternal security.
Your Baptism gives you that assurance of eternal security. It’s
God’s very own promise that today’s Introit declared, “Behold my servant,
whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.” (Is 42:1a ESV) and “I
will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have
begotten you. Blessèd are all who take refuge in him.’” (Ps 2:7, 12c ESV)
Consider also the grand assurance you heard in today’s Gradual,
“For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord
endures forever.” (Ps 117:2a ESV) And John the baptizer, Jesus’ very own
cousin, confessed the absolute reliability of the Christ, for whom he paved
the way, when he told the crowds, “I baptize you with water, but he who is
mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to
untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His
winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather
the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
(St Luke 3:16-17 ESV)
Notice how the text communicates God’s deeply intimate and
personal relationship with His people. He repeatedly used the first person
“I” thereby reminding His people then and you today of His deeply intimate
and personal relationship with you. In your Baptism God began that
relationship by claiming you as His own dear children, placing the sign of
the cross upon your forehead and heart thereby marking you as His redeemed
possessions, and promising to remain with you forever. He reminds and
reassures you of that promise through the reading and hearing His Holy Word,
the declaration of sins forgiven, your reflecting upon your baptismal
adoption by God, and when you properly partake of Christ’s body and blood
given in, with, and under the sacramental bread and wine of Holy Communion.
In conclusion, therefore, today’s Collect prayerfully connects the
Baptism of Jesus to your own Baptism with the recollection and request,
“Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You
proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make
all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children
and inheritors with Him of everlasting life.” The words of that prayer
remind you that …
“Baptism Is God’s Great ‘Fear Not’ assurance.”
Saint Paul said it this way in today’s Epistle Reading, “Do you
not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into
death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory
of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:3-4 ESV) Those
statements together with today’s sermon text truly do remind and reassure
you that
I. God Possesses and Protects His Own Personal Possessions. (1c-4)
among whom you are counted by virtue of your Baptism; and …
II. God Will Gather His Recreated Namesakes into Eternal Glory. (5b-7)
to which all baptized believers in Jesus eagerly look forward.
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our
holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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