When U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to place a boot onto the moon’s surface, he intoned: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Armstrong meant of course that the distance from the bottom rung of the lunar lander to the moon’s surface was not far—nothing but a small step. But for Armstrong to be in such a position to be able to step onto the moon meant a giant leap in mankind’s technological ability. That mission to the moon had involved 400,000 engineers, technicians, and scientists from 20,000 companies and the military at a cost of $150 billion dollars in today’s money.
Did you know that we too have benefitted from that 1969 mission to the moon? Technology invented for the lunar mission has found its way into our lives—things like better shock absorbers for shoes, cordless drills, miniature heart monitors and a dozen other inventions. Armstrong’s moon-landing pronouncement, therefore, was not overstated.
About two thousand years before Armstrong stepped onto the moon, another man took a small step which resulted in an even greater leap for mankind. When Jesus waded into the Jordan River to be baptized both he and we were forever changed. Let’s find out how Jesus’ baptism was one small step for the Man-God, and one giant leap for mankind.
Jesus was 30 years old when he came to the Jordan River to be baptized by his cousin John. But when he made his request, John objected: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matthew 3:14) Jesus’ desire for baptism was as strange as if I would ask you to bleach a white t-shirt I had just bought. “But it’s already snow white!” you would protest. And so was Jesus. Not a speck of sin clung to him. Why did he need baptism? John’s objection highlights the truth that baptism is not just a mere ceremony; it does something. It washes away sin in accordance with God’s promise. So why would Jesus, the sinless Son of God, request baptism? Jesus acknowledged John’s objection but stated: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).
What did Jesus mean that his baptism would “fulfill all righteousness”? It can’t mean that Jesus wanted to be baptized because this was another item on his to-do list from the heavenly Father. If so, John would have praised Jesus for desiring baptism. Like Jesus we don’t seek baptism simply because this is what God has told us to do. He has of course, but not to test our faithfulness, instead to assure us of his faithfulness. Baptism is not what we do for God; it’s what God does for us. Why then would we want to reject or even put off receiving the blessings of baptism? People will do that, however, when they don’t know what the blessings of baptism are. So let’s get back to our text so I can show you how Jesus’ one small step into the Jordan River was indeed a giant leap for mankind.
When Jesus told John that he needed to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness, what he meant can be easily understood if we picture the scene where John was baptizing. Since all of Judea was coming out to be baptized by John there must have been hundreds of people waiting in line for their turn. Among those sinners now stood Jesus, the sinless Son of God who had no need for baptism. And so we ask again: what’s he doing there? He didn’t belong! But then again Jesus didn’t belong in most of the places we find him during his earthly ministry. He didn’t belong in a manger as a helpless babe. And he certainly didn’t belong on a cross, dying like a common thief. What was he doing in those places? He was saving us from sin by taking our place. That’s also why Jesus stepped into the Jordan River. He was signalling his intent to take our place under God’s judgment. (Paul Janke)
Now if I had been directing Jesus’ ministry, I would have told him to walk on not into the waters of the Jordan River. After all John already had everyone whipped into a frenzy to expect the Messiah. What a grand entrance that would have been had Jesus chosen that time and place to walk on water. But it was actually harder for Jesus to walk into the water of the Jordan River than it would have been for him to walk on it. Why? Because hundreds of sinners had been in that water before Jesus. How “clean” do you suppose the water was? Oh, I’m not talking about the sweat and grime that would have washed off and was now eddying around John in glistening pools. I’m talking about the sin that washed off with the application of baptism—sin which Jesus, as the Son of God, would have easily detected with his omniscient eyes, and sin which would have turned his stomach as the holy one of God. It looked like a small step into the Jordan River for Jesus to take, but in reality it was a plunge into hell because eventually all those sins would stick to him instead of to us. That’s why that one small step into the Jordan River was a giant leap for mankind: it brought us to God.
And God the Father did make his presence known that day. When Jesus stepped out of the Jordan River, the heavens were ripped opened and God the Father spoke: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Normally parents aren’t happy when their children hang out with the “bad” kids, but not the heavenly Father. He was glad that his Son had chosen to identify himself with sinners. For it was this very reason the Father had sent his Son into this world so that he could save us rebellious sinners.
The Father was pleased with Jesus, but are we? Not always. We charge him with neglect. And we grumble when we “have to” shuffle to church when it’s -30C outside. But look at what Jesus did: save us from hell by taking our place. If he’s done that, what won’t he do for you? Be pleased with Jesus just as the Father was.
The Father’s pronouncement was important for another reason: it would bring Jesus encouragement. When Satan or wicked men would later challenge Jesus, saying, “If you are God’s Son, …” Jesus could look back at his baptism and say to himself, “I am God’s Son: he said so at my baptism.” (Chris Doerr) But would Jesus really need that kind of comfort and encouragement? After all, he was the Son of God. He knew who he was and where he had come from. Yes, but as true man Jesus also had a need to rely on his heavenly Father. That’s probably why he was praying after his baptism. We don’t know what Jesus said in that prayer, but can we doubt that he was thinking of the great work that he had now begun and was asking his Father to give him joy in that work and faithfulness to do it to the bitter end? If this is what Jesus prayed, the Father answered immediately by sending the Holy Spirit who drifted down onto Jesus in the guise of a dove. Endowed with the fullness of the Spirit, Jesus was now equipped for his awesome task of redeeming sinners.
While Jesus’ baptism is different from ours in terms of need, it’s the same in terms of effect. (Brian Pechmann) At your baptism you too were declared God’s child (John 3). Therefore when Satan gets you to question your relationship with God, you can always look back on your baptism and reply with confidence: “I am God’s child: he said so at my baptism.” Your relationship with God doesn’t depend on your feelings. No, you might not feel God’s presence on a particular day, but that feeling isn’t reality. What is real is what God has said at your baptism.
Another way in which your baptism is the same as Jesus’ baptism is that you too received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit strengthened Jesus for his God-given mission, he will strengthen you for your God-given mission of living a righteous life and saying no to sin and temptation. This is one reason we’re placing stones in our baptism font today with our names and baptismal dates inscribed on them. We want a way to constantly remind ourselves of this ongoing blessing of baptism. Because of baptism I am God’s child and I have eternal life. And because of baptism I can be patient, forgiving, and pure in thought, word, and deed because the Holy Spirit is my helper too.
But now what if one of us should fall away from the faith? Will that person’s stone be removed from the font and be banished to a shelf of shame in a storage closet? What do you think? No! For while we can walk away from the blessings God gives to us in baptism, our rejection of him does not equate his rejection of us. Just as the father in that parable never stopped thinking about and loving his prodigal son, so our heavenly Father never stops thinking about and loving us even when we stray from him. That doesn’t mean of course that all those who are baptized will make it to heaven. Sadly there will be many baptized people in hell. Why? Because they continued to spurn God’s grace until their dying die. But should we fall away and then repent of our sins, there is no need to be re-baptized. God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness are just as valid as it was on the day we were baptized. When you place your stone into the font, do so with prayer. Pray that the Holy Spirit would indeed equip you to fight through whatever temptations you are currently struggling with. And pray for those who are not here today to put their baptismal stones in the font. Pray that God would bring them back soon to listen to his Word.
I hope you come to cherish this new tradition of placing name-inscribed stones into the baptismal font. But you know there is one stone that is missing today. We should have prepared a stone with Jesus’ name on it, for he too is baptized just as you are. Jesus was baptized to show that he came to be with us, even more than that, he was baptized to become one of us so that we would become like him. Sure, when he stepped into the waters of the Jordan River I doubt that many people took notice. But that one small step for the Man-God was one giant leap for mankind. Thanks to Jesus’ baptism and our own we have a new status, a new purpose, and best of all a new home in heaven. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
Why was John so startled that Jesus would request baptism?
(2 questions) Jesus said that he wanted to be baptized to “fulfill all righteousness.”
What did he not mean?
What did he mean?
Jesus could have walked on the water of the Jordan River rather than into it. Why didn’t he?
Explain: Jesus’ baptism is different from ours in terms of need, but it’s the same in terms of effect.
