The
Baptism of Our Lord – Series C (January 10, 2016)
“God’s
Great Interruption” (Isaiah 43:1-7)
“But
now.” Those are the first two words of
our Old Testament reading today. It’s
always awkward when a reading begins like that.
We want to know what came before.
What’s the reason for this “But now”?
This “But now” introduces to us God’s great interruption in the history
of the people of Israel, and it will lead us to consider God’s great
interruption in world history in the Baptism of our Lord. And then, we’ll see how God interrupts our
lives in the waters of Holy Baptism.
At
the end of chapter 42, Isaiah foresees the way in which Israel would be
plundered by the nations because of their unfaithfulness to God and his
Word. They would be swept away and taken
off into exile far away from their homeland.
Then comes God’s great interruption.
“But now…” Although Israel has
been disobedient, Yahweh will rescue them.
Although they were scattered to the nations, he will gather them. Isaiah foretells the day when Israel, God’s
elect people, will be brought back from exile.
They were created and formed by God, created for his glory … created for
him to display his saving grace among them.
Therefore, there is no need to fear.
Yahweh assures them, “I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.
I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. You are precious in my eyes, and honored, and
I love you.
The
Lord also promises to be with them in their watery and fiery trials. They
passed through the waters of the Red Sea on their way out of Egypt. They crossed the waters of the Jordan River
on their way to conquer Canaan. During
their stay in Babylon, three of their own would be delivered from the flames of
Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. Ultimately,
through repentant trust in God’s promises, they would be delivered from the
fire of God’s wrath.
Still, a great is price necessary to rescue
them from their sinful disobedience. “I
give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you,” says the
Lord. “I give men in return for you, peoples
in exchange for your life.” Although the
people of Israel deserved to die because of their sins, God continued to care
for them and rescue them, in particular by involving himself in the history of
other nations, especially those who have afflicted his people. Egypt was nearby. Cush and Seba were farther away. All this to say that God will go to any
length in order to save and deliver his people.
And that is exactly what he did in the
Incarnation. God himself became Man. This was God’s great interruption in the life
of the world … or should I say the death of the world, for this is a dying
world which he entered to give life.
But until his Baptism, Jesus lived in
relative obscurity. Another great
interruption occurred when he was baptized by John.
The
people were wondering if John was the Christ.
He replied that one mightier than he is coming, one who will baptize
with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Yet when
Jesus arrives at the Jordan, he does not baptize. Instead, he receives baptism by John. He does not give the Holy Spirit (that came later),
but the Holy Spirit descends upon him. This
was the public manifestation – an “Epiphany” – that Jesus is God’s chosen One,
precious in his Father’s eyes, honored, and beloved. “Behold, my servant whom I uphold, my chosen
in whom my soul delights” (Is 42:1a; Introit).
“You are my Son, today I have begotten you” (Ps. 2:7). “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well
pleased” (Luke 3:22).
The baptism of Jesus was God’s great
interruption in a long line of sinners.
All the people of Israel from days of old. All the people lined up to be baptized by
John. “But now” the sinless Son of God shows
up and cuts in line. He goes to the head
of the line. Here to begin his public
ministry. Here to pass through the
waters for us, to bear the sin of the world all the way to the cross. Here to face the fiery judgment of God’s
wrath as our substitute. Although each
of us deserves to die because of our sins, Jesus received our punishment. One man was given in return for us, the Son
of God in exchange for our life.
Jesus goes forth from the waters and begins
to gather a new people. Instead of 12
tribes, he calls 12 disciples. He commissions
them and sends them out to baptize and teach.
He gathers in a new people to be the Church, to gather in all who are
far from God and bring them near to him in faith and forgiveness. And he sends the Church into the world to
carry the apostolic message, to baptize and teach and gather in all whom the
Lord will call to faith, everyone who is called by his name, those created for
his glory … those among whom he will display his saving grace … that’s you!
Baptism is the great “But now” in your
life. You and I were disobedient like
the people of Israel. We were outside of
God’s promises, scattered, far away from God’s love and promises. “By nature children of wrath, like the rest
of mankind,” is the way Paul describes us in Ephesians 2 (Eph. 2:3). “But now” … in water and the Word … God
interrupts our sinful, selfish existence.
He washes away our sin, adopts into his family, chooses us in connection
with Christ. He calls you by name. Your name takes on new significance when you
are named at the font. It becomes your
“Christian” name. And the Lord calls you
by HIS own name. The name of the Triune
God is placed upon you as you are baptized in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit. You were in
the devil’s kingdom, apart from the life and the love of God. “But now” you belong to the one true God, a
member of his kingdom, joined to his eternal life and everlasting love.
Recreated,
reformed, redeemed, when you pass through your own watery and fiery trials, you
do not need to fear. God is with you. He joined himself to you in the waters of
Baptism. Jesus endured your fiery trial
at the cross. The flames of hell will
not consume you.
And
the refining fire of the Holy Spirit is upon you. You are no longer living in sin, but walking
in newness of life. Your old sinful self
was crucified with Christ. The body of
sin that still clings to you has been brought to nothing. Oh, sure, it seems like something. We fight it all the time. You know all about that battle. But as God’s baptized child, your sinful
nature is not the ruling factor in your life.
The Holy Spirit is. The new
spiritual life that he gives you in Word and Water has the upper hand. That’s why you know you need to be here often,
to confess your sins, to receive the forgiveness of sins that God offers to
you, to eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of all
your sins.
So
acknowledge who you are. Confess who you
are. Remember your baptism, just like we
did a few moments ago in our service. “Consider
yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” That is your condition! That is what you are! And the Lord’s words through Isaiah are for
you, too. “Fear not, for I have redeemed
you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When 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.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior … you
are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.”
Amen.
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