First Sunday after the Epiphany
Baptism of Jesus Sermon
Matthew 3:13-17
"Baptism as Epiphany’’
This morning, I would like to do something different! I propose to tell you three stories and as you listen to them think about how each of them relate to Baptism.
Story 1.
A dying judge said to his pastor; "Do you know enough about law to understand what is meant by "joint tenancy?"
"No," was the reply, "I know nothing about law; I know a little about grace, and that satisfies me."
"Well", said the judge, "if you and I were joint tenants on a farm, I could not say to you, that is your hill of corn and this is mine, that is your blade of grass and this is mine; but we would share and share alike in everything on the place. I have been just lying here and thinking with joy that Jesus Christ has nothing apart from me, and that everything He has is mine and we will share alike through all eternity."
Story 2.
Spencer Marsh has written a book entitled, God Man, and Archie Bunker and in it he says,
"Every time Archie has a scrape with God, he becomes more religious. This we saw when a ton crate of machine parts fell off the crane at work and missed Archie by inches. Though Mike or better known as meathead, raised the possibility that God may have been trying to hit Archie and missed, Archie was convinced it was God’s doing that he escaped. The crate fell close enough to scare a little religion into him, which he seemed to think is not only a panacea for himself but for the whole world.
Archie says, "I tell you my heart goes out to a lot of guys I know. They spend all their lives belonging to one of them anthing-goes religions. They raise their kids in it, they give money to it, they run dances for it...only to get up there some day to find out they was fooling around with the wrong one all the time!!! It’s sad, you know that?’’
Story, 3.
Napoleon’s soldiers known as the Old guard were grumbling and about to mutiny. Napoleon knew how to handle the situation. He went into a room that had two doors. He had his troops line up outside one of the doors. He called each man into the room, and the door was shut behind him. Not a word was spoken, but Napoleon clasped the man’s hand looked him full in the face, then the man left by the other door. This scene was repeated over and over again until all the men in the Old Guard had passed through. The silent look and the handclasp had done their work: every man was Napoleon’s now."
Were you able to figure out what each of these stories had to do with Baptism??
Story #1 about the judge tells us in Baptism we do become a child of God’s and then share in everything that is God’s. We become people who have joint tenancy with God. Story #2 about Archie Bunker tells us sadly, that many people believe, Baptism as some magical rite that is preformed for them and their children and if they have this little bit of religion then everything is going to he ok. And story #3 about Napoleon tells us that in Baptism we too come into the presence of our leader, we come into the presence of God through the water and the word at the font and we become totally his. God’s Spirit comes to us and we are his.
In Jesus’ Baptism, this was a sign for Jesus as well as John that God had indeed chosen Jesus to be his incarnate presence in this world. Jesus’ Baptism was an Epiphany event, or a manifestation, or a light, or a revelation of God’s presence in this world.
Jesus as he grew up in his father’s carpenter shop must have been looking for a sign from God to tell him when he was to go about his public ministry. John’s preaching, John’s baptism was just that sign. Jesus came to John not because he needed to be forgiven of his sins, but as a sign, a revelation to all people and a revelation to himself that he was to begin his public ministry. He received conformation in a physical way what he knew in his heart to be his task. God’s voice, the coming of the spirit on him all confirmed for Jesus he was indeed God’s chosen one, the one who would bring the good news to all people.
In Baptism, we too become God’s chosen ones. In the pouring of the water and in the saying of the words, we become God’s children in Baptism. We are chosen by God. He acts, he comes to us through the water and the word to make us his. A baby might be either sleep or cry during Baptism, but that is all it will do. The baby will have no active part, that is because God is the one who acts. God comes to the baby and claims it for his own. God does all the action in Baptism. God claims it’s life for eternity.
"A pastor stood by the grave side of a young mother with her husband and 3 children. The husband looked into the eyes of the pastor and demdanded; "Now tell me what you really believe, Pastor, Is this the end of everything. the way God meant it to be?"
The pastor said, "It’s not what t I believe that matters,.. you have the answer in your heart. You know deep in your heart, this is not the end. You haven’t stopped loving your wife. Do you think God has?? You know that life with God is eternal. God gave you that faith.. All YOU have to do my friend is believe what your heart already knows."
Yes,the claim upon us in Baptism is for eternity
In our baptism, we are also anointed with the Spirit. A sign of the cross is made to seal the covenant agreement made through the water and the word. Our sins are forgiven as it says in Titus 3:5 " He saved us not on tile basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the HoIy Spirit."
Our sins are forgiven, and at the same time, we agree, since that what an covenant is, an agreement between two parties, to fight against sin and to confess our sins daily to God so that he might drown them and raise out of the waters of our Baptism a new person. Baptism is not a magical rite which as Archie Bunker would say is a little religion just to be on the safe side, but in Baptism an agreement is made between us and God.
This agreement is for a lifetime. God agrees to forgive my sins, and I agree to fight against sin and when I do sin, to ask, God to cleanse me and renew me again in the waters of my Baptism. That is not to say we need to be Baptized each day, but each day I relive my Baptism in that God drowns my sinful self and raises up a new person.
So Baptism happends once, but I live in it daily. And if I don’t keep my part of the agreement, to confess my sins, to seek God’s forgiveness, then the promise of Baptism means nothing, because in my forsaking I also turn away f rom God’s action of forgivness.
Luther says in his works these ideas about Baptism: ’Therefore they greatly err who think that through baptism they have become wholly pure. They go about in their unwisdom and do not slay their sins, they do not admit that it is sin; they persist in it, and so they make their baptism of no effect....To them who do this not, seek forgiveness, God will not forgive their sins because they do not live according to their baptism and covenant, and hinder the work which God and their baptism have begun."
He goes on to say: "If any one has fallen into sin, he should the more remember his baptism and how God has there made a covenant with him to forgive all his sins’ if only he has the will to fight them even until death."
Luther, says further," So we find that through sin baptism is, indeed hindered in its work, in the forgiveness and the slaying of sin; yet only by unbelief in its operation is baptism brought to, naught."
Finally Luther says’"Sin remains in our flesh even until death, and works without ceasing; but so long as we do not consent thereto or remain therein, it is so overruled by our baptism that it does not condemn us and is not harmful to us, but is daily more and more destroyed until your death."
A baptismal covenant made with God and you is one of the most important things in your live. Live in your baptism.
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale January 7, 2002
