[Sermon Archive] - [Weekly Devotional Guide]

This Week's Sermon THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD 10 January 2010 "You Are The Baptized" Luke 3:15-22 LSB Series C Vicar Jeffrey M. Dock Soli Deo Gloria!

In the name of Jesus + Amen.

You are The Baptized.

That is not a throwaway phrase. Your baptism is not an unimportant event. It is the most important thing to ever happen to you. It is the instrument God used to rescue you and make you His child. It is spoken of again and again throughout the entirety of the Scriptures. Images of death and rebirth, of water and blood, of sin and forgiveness, of light and darkness- these are found everywhere in the Bible. During the course of this sermon, listen to the Biblical imagery used to describe Baptism. Listen to all the different images and metaphors used to describe you, the Baptized. Hear how precious this gift given to you is.

You are The Baptized.

To you, the Heavens are opened¹. What was previously inaccessible and beyond your reach is now opened to you. The dream of a Heavenly Jerusalem is now made possible. Though you were forbidden to enter because of your sin, now the gates of righteousness have been pulled open and you have the hope of an eternity with God².

You are The Baptized.

Once lost and condemned, you have now been saved. You could not find God on your own, and so God Himself came to Earth and found you. For the Son of Man comes to seek and save the lost³. He who created you now becomes one of you, and shows you the salvation found only in Himself. Though in former days you did not obey, now you have been brought safely through water into the ark that is Christ's church⁴.

You are The Baptized.

You were covered in your own sins, corrupt to your very core, indulging in the ways of this world and the tools of Satan. But no more. Now your sins are taken from you, and placed upon the innocent Lamb of God⁵. You who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ⁶. Your corruption is allowed to taint the Incorruptible one⁷. His death sets you free, crushing Satan and marveling the nations of this world.

You are The Baptized.

Psalm 2 speaks of the world which sets itself against God. You were once subject to this world and to these raging nations and the plotting peoples who set themselves against the Lord, but no more. The Lord laughs at their plans, and speaks to them in His wrath. Christ has been set upon the Holy Hill, and all their plans are brought to naught⁸. Though you once trusted in princes and in mortal men who cannot save⁹, no more. Now you serve the Lord in fear and trembling, and blessed are you who take refuge in Him¹⁰.

You are The Baptized.

You were once wandering lost in this valley of sorrows, unable to find your way. Now the voice of the Good Shepherd calls you¹¹. Now there resounds a voice that punches through the clouds and fog of this world. A voice which calls you unto Himself. A voice which echoes from the heights of Heaven to even the darkest depths of Earth. The voice of God¹².

You are The Baptized.

In the words of the ever familiar reading heard at Christmas- Though you were dwelling in darkness, now you have seen a great light. Though you lived in the shadow of death, upon you a light has dawned¹³ and this is the light which gives light to the entire World¹⁴. The sunrise from on high has dawned upon you¹⁵. The bright morning star has risen¹⁶. A lamp that cannot be extinguished. A light which shall never dim.

You are The Baptized.

Once you feared only a death which led to eternal death, but no more. Don't you know that you who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? A death which defeated death itself. Death has no victory and has lost its sting¹⁷. You were buried with Jesus through baptism into death. And therefore, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, you too may live a new life. You who have been united with Him in Baptism shall certainly be united with him in His resurrection¹⁸.

You are The Baptized.

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that he must be born again, and this was what occurred at your Baptism. You who were born of a woman have now received a new birth. You who were headed only toward the grave have now been born again of water and the spirit¹⁹. Water and blood pour from Christ's side and washes away your sins²⁰. Christ gives up His spirit and It comes upon you, and now you shall inherit the kingdom of God²¹. Your hearts have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and your bodies have been washed with pure water²². Streams of living water flow forth from your hearts²³.

You are The Baptized.

You once had a name with no standing. You were the poor, lacking any inheritance. But to you the Gospel was preached²⁴. Your name was ridicule to the nations, but no more. Now you are marked with the Name of God. You are engraved into the palms of His hands²⁵. You are the heirs of all of Christ's good gifts, given freely to you. You bear the name 'Father, Son, and Holy Spirit' and your very acts of worship are begun and ended in this name. You are His dear children, and He is your dear Father²⁶.

You are The Baptized.

You who wandered from the Lord's ways, and hardened your hearts against God have now had God return to you²⁷. He has given you His Holy Word as your guide, and has once again guided your feet into the way of peace²⁸. You who did not know the road to walk have now had the knowledge of salvation given to you through the forgiveness of your sins²⁹. The scriptures testify to you of Christ30, and these are God-breathed words that are read to you for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness³¹.

You are The Baptized.

Trapped in the depths of Satan kingdoms, the bronze gates that kept you in have been shattered apart and the iron bars are no more³². The Lord sets the prisoners free³³. Once a slave, you are now an heir of the kingdom³⁴. Though you were captives, now liberty has been proclaimed to you³⁵- and you who have now been set free are free indeed³⁶.

You are The Baptized.

You who ate the bread of wickedness and drank the wine of violence are now given a feast of peace³⁷. Before by the sweat of your face you ate bread of dust that merely kept you alive for a little while longer³⁸, but no more. Now you eat the heavenly bread which gives life³⁹. The very bread of life which is Jesus Himself⁴⁰.

You are The Baptized.

Before the wine of this world merely led to drunkenness and shame, but no more. Now the prophecy given to Judah in Genesis 49 is fulfilled, as your garments are washed in wine and your clothes in grapes that is actually the true blood of your savior⁴¹. Now you drink blood that is true drink and gives life⁴². You are regenerated- and made into new wineskins, fit to hold the new wine that is the Lord Himself⁴³.

You are The Baptized.

Proverbs 9 paints the picture of Wisdom, another name for Christ, preparing a feast. Here at this feast your heart is filled with great joy as wine and grain abound⁴⁴. Wisdom has set her table, and mixed her wine. Behold she calls to you from the heights. You who are simple are brought here, and here you leave your simple ways and find life. Here you are fed with the food that enables you to walk in understanding⁴⁵. Here you believe and come to Jesus, and therefore you shall never hunger and never thirst⁴⁶.

You are The Baptized.

Ezekiel's famous prophecy of dead bones coming to life is one made of you. You, who were a valley of dry bones, now live once again. To you who lacked breath and could not speak, words have been spoken to you. The very Breath of God has entered into your ears and given you flesh. God has placed His spirit into you and now you live. Though your hope was gone, and you were cut off- God would have none of it. Your graves have been opened and you have been brought forth, standing as a vast army and belonging to the Lord⁴⁷.

You are The Baptized.

I could go on. The blessings of your baptism are innumerable, and each one is more glorious than the last. The language Scripture uses to describe your Holy washing is beautiful and abundant. Christ has been baptized that you might share all the good things which God has to give. You are united with him, and everything He could give is yours. You are the Baptized.

Look around you. The Sanctuary looks much sparser than it did last week. The Christmas tree has been discarded. The glittering lights and ornaments stowed away. The greenery decorating our choir loft is boxed up once more. Our myriad of poinsettias taken home. The candles which lined the center aisle are safely put away. The incense back in its cabinet. Things look pretty plain once again.

So perhaps it is fitting that this day, we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. For this day is an ever-important reminder than things are never as plain as they may seem. The Baptism of Jesus reminds us that in the midst of the simple and bare things in this world, there is something grand. Something beyond words. Someone whose sight dazzles the eyes. Christ Himself, and because you have been united with Him- also You. The Baptized. You are glorious. You shine in the darkness of this world as the redeemed children of God. The most wondrous thing imaginable.

Heaven shall have no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for Christ shall be its light⁴⁸. Heaven shall need no decoration, for those of you who wear the dazzling garments of Christ's righteousness given freely to you shall be the greatest sight on Earth or in Heaven. You are the Baptized.

Hear once more the words of Isaiah from our Old Testament reading

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob,
He who formed you, O Israel:
"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;
....
Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
...
Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
...
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

You are the Baptized. Now and forevermore. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

¹ Luke 3:21
² Psalm 118:19
³ Luke 19:10
⁴ 1 Peter 3:18-21
⁵ John 1:29
⁶ Gal 3:26-27
⁷ 2 Cor 5:21
⁸ Psalm 2
⁹ Psalm 146:3
¹⁰ Psalm 2:12
¹¹ John 10:14
¹² Matthew 4:4, 5:2
¹³ Matthew 4:16
¹⁴ John 8:12
¹⁵ Luke 1:78
¹⁶ Rev 22:16 (NOT to be confused with Isaiah 14:12)
¹⁷ 1 Cor 15:55
¹⁸ Romans 6
¹⁹ John 3:5
²⁰ John 19:34
²¹ John 19:30
²² Hebrews 11:22
²³ John 7:38
²⁴ Luke 7:22
²⁵ Isaiah 49:16
²⁶ Romans 8:17
²⁷ Isaiah 63: 17
²⁸ Luke 1:79
²⁹ Luke 1:77
³⁰ John 5:39
³¹ 2 Timothy 3:16
³² Psalm 107:16
³³ Psalm 146:7
³⁴ Galatians 4:7
³⁵ Luke 4:18
³⁶ John 8:36
³⁷ Proverbs 4:17, John 14:27
³⁸ Genesis 3:19
³⁹ John 6:50
⁴⁰ John 6:35
⁴¹ Gen 49:11
⁴² John 6:55
⁴³ Luke 5:37-38
⁴⁴ Psalm 4:7
⁴⁵ Proverbs 9:1-6
⁴⁶ John 6:35
⁴⁷ Ezekiel 37
⁴⁸ Rev 21:23