The Baptism of the LORD (Sermon)

Baptism as Proclamation 

John 1:29-34

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our text for this morning is from the Gospel of John. But as we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord, Saint John does not tell us about Jesus going down to the River, where John the Baptist is baptizing. There is no talk about John trying to stop Jesus. There is no voice from heaven nor narrative depiction of the Holy Spirit's descent. All we get is the simple testimony of the prophet, John the Baptist. John the Baptist is even only recounting how he knows this man is the actual Lamb of God, and Son of God.

 But today is not a day of celebrating prophecy fulfilled, but baptism. Many sermons will be preached on this day celebrating the gift God has given you in Baptism. Others will spend time actually talking about Jesus getting wet and bing Baptized by John the Baptist. I want to look at Baptism as the message of the promise.

In Acts, Philip is moved by the Spirit to approach a chariot. He hears the words of Isaiah being spoken. He uses these words of Isaiah to point to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World. He begins with Isaiah and points the Eunuch to Jesus Christ. 

I would urge you to take a little while this week, and think about that conversation. How would you talk about the sheep remaining silent before his slaughter, or his life being taken away from the earth, and lead that to Jesus? How does this conversation lead us to the Lamb of God who goes uncomplaining forth to the cross to die for the forgiveness of your sins? This Lamb of God who would even welcome the bodily mutilated, Eunuch, to be a part of his fellowship, family, or church.

I don't know about you but every time I think about this conversation, Baptism does not seem to have a strong part. Maybe you mention how now as children of God we are washed in the blood of the Lamb. Maybe you talk about Jesus going down to the river to take our sins upon himself, before he is led to the slaughter. But once the Ethiopian hears the message, and then they come across water, he says, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

The Eunuch after hearing about Jesus immediately recognizes a desire to be baptized. The message of Jesus, as the Lamb who goes to the slaughter, leads us to look to the waters of Baptism. The true promise that being Baptized in the Name of Christ helps connect you to life of Christ. St Paul writes, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?"

Likewise, John the Baptist comes to prepare the way of the Lord. He proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World. He recounts how he knows this, is because when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him." This event and sign confirms Jesus to be the one John was sent to prepare the way for, and the Lamb of God. John even says, "And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” 

Many of you can quote various passages from scripture that tells us we are saved by faith. It is not what we do. It is not about any great event in our life, or conversion experience. It is not even about the family into which we have been born. It is all about faith. You are saved by faith, and faith comes by hearing, hearing through the word of God.

But today we see the connection between faith and baptism. This leads Jesus to say, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, who who does not believe will be condemned." Naturally, the question is asked what about he that believes and is not baptized. In the proclamation of Jesus Christ we do not envision how this scenario can happen.

When the good news of Jesus Christ is preached to you, there automatically comes a thought, move, or desire to be Baptized. This is why the Ethiopian asks to be baptized. This is why John calls people and Baptizes them. It is also through Baptism we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus had the Holy Spirit come upon him and remain. So in Baptism the Holy Spirit came upon you. He continues to call you to believe, but the more we entrench our lives in the way of the world, the more we harden our hearts to the word of God, and the more we simply ignore the Holy Spirit, we are actively rejecting him.

Then the Holy Spirit does not remain with us. We stop being clean and become like everyone else, faithless. But as long as we continue to hear the Word of God, repent of our sins, because we have been granted faith by the Holy Spirit. We seek to remember and hold onto our Baptism, because in Baptism we died with Christ to sin, and have been raised to new life.

The proclamation or good news of saying Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World, is connected to your life through Baptism. You who have been Baptized in the name of Jesus can point to this moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon you and remains there. He is there to forgive your sins. He is there to strengthen your faith. He is there to help point you to the testimony of John the Baptist and Saint John's testimony. 

"these [things] are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.