A, The First Sunday after the Epiphany, The Baptism of our Lord - Matthew 3:13-17 "The Appearance of Righteousness"

Matthew 3:13–17 (ESV)  Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.  John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”  But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.  And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;  and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

You have just appeared from the water, you stand there fully undressed in your birthday suit, and ponder your existence.

But you appear not from the Jordan, it’s the shower, or the bath!  And you do not appear before John the Baptist, nor the crowd looking on.  No!  Just the mirror, and yourself looking back at you.  What do you see, what is appearing before your eyes?  A blemish here, a lump there, not enough hair, too much hair!

Now a very important question for all of you, and I need a show of hands.  Who after emerging from the water has heard the words, “This is my beloved, with whom I am well pleased”?  Has anyone here seen the heavens open, and the Spirit of God descend like a dove?  I’m not speaking of the dove with one quarter moisturiser or dove deodorant either!

Similarly, those who were going to the Jordan did not hear these words either!  Well, not until Jesus appeared and was baptised by John in the Jordan.

So, what does God the Father see at the Jordan and what appears before him when we stand in front of the bathroom mirror?

What we see and what God sees are perhaps very different things.  Some of us might lament our lumps and bumps.  Some might flex their muscles, or brush and pluck their hair and say, “not bad, not bad at all!”  Some might look deeper into their being, into their position in life, their families, their work, their heartache, their goodness, their knowledge, or their happiness.

But what does God look for?  What disturbs or pleases God as he reflects on your appearance?

As the Israelites reflect on their lives and are baptised in the Jordan for the forgiveness of sin, Jesus also appears so he can be baptised by John.  What Jesus saw and what John the Baptist saw is shown to be different through their conflicting conversation as to who should be baptising who! 

John has been preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  John has been doing so in preparation for the coming of he whose sandals John was not worthy to carry!   Now the “Mighty One” appears and seeks to submit to this preacher of repentance in the Jordan.

John knows that Jesus does not need to repent.  Indeed, John reflects with refusal, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matthew 3:14 ESV)

We know too that Jesus is different, but unlike John we already know that God said of Jesus from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 ESV)

Last week we heard that within the person of Jesus the obedience of Israel is fulfilled.  Here at the Jordan this great exchange begins.  The people of Israel come in repentance for the forgiveness of sins, by being baptised by John in the Jordan.  The child born in Bethlehem, whom Joseph was commanded to name Jesus, now appears to save his people from their sins.

The perfect telephoto eye of God, saw the full faithfulness and obedience of Jesus to save his people from their sins.   He also saw this perfect faithfulness and obedience “zoom out” to include the gentiles, through Peter, who said, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,  but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34–35 ESV)

God your Heavenly Father, saw you, when Jesus came to the Jordan to be baptised, to fulfill all righteousness for you.

We now participate in this righteousness of Jesus.  Jesus has fulfilled all righteousness, and now we please God by trusting the fulfilment of it.  Like those who came in repentance and received a baptism for the forgiveness of sins, we were brought to baptism by the work of the Holy Spirit, so that baptised into Jesus’ death, the Holy Spirit sifts and separates sin in us and fires it on the cross.

God could see all this reflecting in Jesus when he rose up out of the waters of the Jordan.  He could see Jesus’ perfect life, he saw his sinless death, he saw the faithful atonement the Saviour made in becoming what Israel could not be, what humanity could not be, what you and I could not be.

God saw your unrighteousness, my unrighteousness, Israel’s, and humanity’s unrighteousness and sent his Son with whom he is well pleased to fulfil all righteousness.  He saw the unrighteous made righteous in Jesus’ baptism into his ministry of death and resurrection.

Like a scientist examining an atom under a microscope, God telephotos in on humanity to the “…nth degree”.  In doing so he saw what appeared and had to save us from the shortness of our sight.  When we looked at ourselves, we saw any righteous gift from God as our own righteousness.  And when God caused us to see our unrighteousness, we thought we could regain our righteousness through our own ends.

God our Father had to chart and map a plan of salvation for us.  He looked forward to the time when Jesus would fulfil all righteousness.  God, like an explorer, beholding the horizon of salvation with a telescope, prophesied through the prophets who saw, and proclaimed salvation was coming. 

And the prophets looked forward to this happened till the last great prophet, John the Baptist, who baptised the promised Saviour named Jesus when he appeared.  All the prophets bore witness to Jesus Christ, “that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”  (Acts 10:43 ESV)

So next time you appear having come out of the waters of a bath or shower don’t just look at yourself in the mirror but truly look!  Behold!  See that when God looks at you, he sees the full scope of Jesus’ work for you and within you. 

From his birth and baptism to his death and resurrection, behold, see it was for you!  Behold, see his continual bestowal of the Holy Spirit into you! 

Behold, see the Holy Spirit leads you from the alpha to the omega of salvation perfected and finished only in Jesus Christ. 

Behold, see that having been made holy in Jesus Christ, God’s word to him, is his word to you!  To you a sinner whom the Holy Spirit leads to reflect on God’s word and repent. 

Because of Jesus’ faithfulness, now, God is your Father in heaven!  Because of Jesus’ faithfulness, now, God shows no favouritism!  Because of Jesus’ faithfulness, behold, now God says of you!  “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  Amen.