St. Matthew Lutheran Church

The First Sunday After the Epiphany
January 7, 2024
Pastor Tim Weiser

In Holy Baptism, the Triune God Reveals Himself and Recreates Us in His Image

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Then, as “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2), God spoke His Word: “‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). In the same way, “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Mark 1:1) brings about the new creation through the waters of Baptism by the same Word and Spirit of God.

When John the Baptist came, “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,” Jesus also came “and was baptized by John in the Jordan” (Mark 1:4, 9). Although He had no sins of His own, He took His stand with sinners in His Baptism and took the sins and mortality of the world upon Himself. He was baptized into His own death, by which the heavens are opened, and the Spirit is given to us.

God the Father is well pleased with His beloved Son and raises Him from the dead. As we share His Baptism and are “united with him in a death like his” (Rom. 6:5), we also share His resurrection unto “newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). In Christ’s Baptism, Luther Sees Our Baptism ask the question: What does it mean that “We were buried . . . with [Christ]by baptism into death” (Rom 6:4a)? Perhaps no one has illustrated that better than Martin Luther in our Hymn LSB 406. 

This is one of Luther’s catechetical hymns; he wrote a hymn for each of the Six Chief Parts of the catechism to help people learn the major doctrines of Scripture. But this one is interesting, because to teach the doctrine of Baptism, he doesn’t choose a doctrinal passage of Scripture to be the text for his hymn. He doesn’t base it on, say, 1 Peter 3:21, “Baptism . . . now saves you,” which we quote in our liturgy of Baptism, or Titus 3:5, “the washing of [rebirth],” or even our text, Romans 6, both of which he himself quotes in the catechism. Instead of using a doctrinal passage, he bases his hymn on today’s Bible story from the Gospel reading.

The title, “To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord,” tells you, obviously, that the hymn is about Jesus’ Baptism. And it tells the story very well, doesn’t it? Stanza 1: “Baptized by John.” Stanza 3: “The Father’s voice from heav’n came down, Which we do well to ponder: ‘This man is My beloved Son, In whom My heart has pleasure.’ ” Stanza 4: “The Holy Spirit like a dove Upon the scene descending.”

But within the story, Luther interweaves what Baptism means for us. Stanza 1: “The Father’s Word Was given us to treasure. This heavenly washing now shall be A cleansing from transgression And by His blood and agony Release from death’s oppression. A new life now awaits us.” Stanza 2: “O hear and mark the message well, . . . Our Lord here with His Word endows Pure water, freely flowing. God’s Holy Spirit here avows Our kinship.” Stanza 4: “That in our Baptism [God] will thus Among us find a dwelling.”

This, ultimately, is the point of Jesus’ Baptism. By being baptized when he himself had no need, he placed himself in our shoes so that by our Baptism, we are then placed in his. That is, he does all that is required for our salvation—obeys God’s Law perfectly, suffers the punishment of the sinners with whom his Baptism places him—and then God declares that by our Baptism, we have also obeyed him perfectly and have already now died as our sins deserve. By our Baptism, we are buried with Christ into death so that “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (6:4b). Carl C. Fickenscher II, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

It is hard to live in this fallen world, but the reality of our Baptism gives us forgiveness, identity, salvation, and hope. Epiphany is indeed our time to proclaim Jesus’ credentials as we head toward Lent and the most important weekend in the history of the world.

This revealing began with a star announcing God’s birth. But it becomes even clearer—and even more dramatic—at Jesus’ Baptism. The Introit previews the event in the Jordan: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights. I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you’ ” (cf Is 42:1a; Ps 2:7).

The Word of God. The Psalm amplifies: “The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters” (Ps 29:3). The Word and water.

The reality is, every one of us is dying . . . and dying to fill holes in our lives. We need something real to fill those holes within us.

Holy Baptism connects us to Jesus, who fills the holes within us. God gives us very real things to fill our senses and strengthen our faith.

Jesus Christ is the very practical solution to the way sin has made our lives.

Sin is unbearable with it’s many consequences. But, God has a means for bringing you salvation.

When you confess your sins and I announce God’s forgiveness of sins to you, it is not a different forgiveness than you receive in your bedroom, but God wants you to hear it. He wants you to hear that you are really forgiven. In the words of the sermon and the liturgy that we speak together, you hear that you are a sinner, but that you are also saved by God’s grace alone.

The Christian life is not a perfect life. Christians will be at times lonely and afraid, and they will suffer. Sin on earth, both ours and that of others, has made our lives the way they are. But the Christian life is also a life of assurance and hope. As you return to the world this morning, remember your Baptism. It is real water joined to God’s real Word. Baptism has made you alive where once you were dead in trespasses. It has washed away your guilt and has pardoned your regret and shame. Jesus himself has given you the mercy he won for you at the cross. Look to your Baptism daily, for there you will find your identity. There you will find your connection to the history of your people. There you will find life and salvation. Look to your Baptism. There you will find the reality of Christ. There is something you can hang on to in the trials of your daily lives.

Amen.