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.

C, The Baptism of our Lord, Epiphany 1 - Luke 3:18-22 "The Heavens were Opened"

Luke 3:18–22 (ESV) So with many other exhortations he (John the Baptist) preached good news to the people.  But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done,  added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.  Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,  and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

It seems strange that Luke would set out his account of Jesus’ baptism in this way.

We know from the other Gospel writers; Jesus was baptised by John in the Jordan.  But here in Luke’s account of the Gospel, when the people suspect him of being the Christ, he says, “I baptise you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16 ESV)

After this, Luke has John detained by Herod the tetrarch before Jesus was baptised.  Why does he do this when we know John baptised him?

After this, twice only is John the Baptist, mentioned in Luke’s Gospel account.  In chapter seven Jesus speaks about him and quotes Malachi 3:1 as one being sent as a herald for the Messiah’s coming.

He says, “This is he of whom it is written,  ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’  I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.  Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:27–28 ESV)

In chapter nine Luke reports Herod as being perplexed by the rumours that Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets raised from the dead.  Luke has not even reported John’s death but uses Herod’s words to declare his death, how he died, and his interest in seeing Jesus, saying,  “‘John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he sought to see him. ” (Luke 9:9 ESV)

It appears Luke is deliberately setting out his account to make it extremely clear that John the Baptist and what he represents is closed.  His calling of those being baptised to repent is finished.  He was the last prophet of God and therefore the last herald of the Messiah.

With John finished we hear of Jesus having been baptised and while praying the heavens were opened.  In this opening the hearer of the Gospel is given a revelation of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descending in a bodily form, like a dove, and the voice of God the Father declaring this Jesus of Nazareth as his beloved Son.

Heaven is open and the full Triune Godhead is made known at Jesus’ baptism.  Not only is John finished, but Jesus is the first born of a new way of salvation.  One that is pleasing to God, through his beloved Son.

With the baptism of Jesus begins a transitional period.  Apart from Jesus’ disciples reported baptising at the beginning of John chapter four, the only mention of baptism is of Jesus being baptised with the baptism of the cross. 

Jesus says, “I have a baptism to be baptised with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50 ESV)

And again, Jesus says to his disciples in Mark 10, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?”  And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptised, you will be baptised.” (Mark 10:38–39 ESV)

It's not until Jesus’ baptism of fire at the cross, his descent into hell, and resurrection from the dead that the transitional period is complete. 

After this we hear the great baptismal proclamation of heaven remaining permanently open, where Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  (Matthew 28:19 ESV)

And from the end of Mark’s Gospel Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16 ESV)

This transitional period was the opening of heaven through the baptismal opening afforded to us by Jesus being the Messiah.  What does this mean?

Jesus being the Messiah, or the Christ, is, the Son of God,  the Son of Man, being anointed to bear all the things confessed by those who received John’s baptism of repentance.  To bear all the infirmities of those he healed, to bear all from those he cleansed of evil spirits, to bear all the sins of those who heard him and believed, as well as bearing those who came to belief after he was raised and ascended into heaven. 

Jesus opened the gate of heaven by fulfilling all the requirements of God to be holy.  Jesus was not just good!  His goodness was second to none, so much so he was as perfect as his Father in heaven is holy.  But on the cross, he became all your sin and evil, and mine too!  He perfectly pleased the Father and opened the way closed to Adam and Eve because of sin.

The heavens were opened for the forgiveness of sins.  Now we no longer repent in fear as those did before John the Baptist, but we repent knowing that our sins have been forgiven, our sin is being forgiven, and our sin will be forgiven.

How is this possible?  How are we able to come to God now that he has become all sin for us?  Even though Jesus has done all this for us, if left to our own means we would flee straight back into the darkness and deny his forgiveness is “for me, for you”.

We need to go back to the Jesus’ baptism to hear once again what John the Baptist said and what happened at his baptism.

John said of baptism,  “I baptise you with water…  He (Jesus) will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16 ESV)

Now, we know when Jesus was baptised with water, the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form, as that of a dove.  And he underwent a baptism of fire on the cross.  We also know, he did not baptise anyone.  But John says, “he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire”.  Is this a mistake, a contradiction?

What we need to realise is the Holy Spirit was revealed when Jesus was revealed as the Son of God.  The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are inseparable as far as the forgiveness of sins, our faith, and our willingness to repent are concerned.

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit is named only three times.  Once in Psalm 51 and twice in Isaiah 63.  Incidentally, these two passages speak of David’s and Israel’s sin and God’s mercy.

Turn to the New Testament and the Holy Spirit is mentioned numerous times.  In fact, by the time Luke reports the Holy Spirit coming down on Jesus in bodily form as a dove, just after his baptism, he has already mentioned the Holy Spirit seven times.  And after Jesus was baptised, Luke tells us he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan.

Luke also gives us the book of Acts.  Commonly it is called the Acts of the Apostles, but in reality, it is the Acts of the Holy Spirit, beginning with the bestowal of the Holy Spirit at the festival of Pentecost just ten days after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven.

The heavens were opened, and they remain open.  The Holy Spirit keeps it open in our ears, and in our mouths.  He enables us to pray to our Father in heaven, he empowers us to believe we join in with Jesus, praying the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest and Saviour.  The Holy Spirit wills us to return to the Law to see our sin, so we can confess our sin, and remain in the holiness of God, where we’re kept in the true faith.

Because the heavens are open, we live in the open reality of the Triune God.  The Holy Spirit is not just present by himself, but is present with the Father and the Son, with us, in the realm of heavenly forgiveness.  Here again, the Holy Spirit works to open our hearts and minds to this reality.  He does this through God’s Word and the Sacraments, continually reminding us of, and bringing us to, Jesus Christ.  He does this so we might receive the forgiveness of sins.

Now that heaven is open, let the light of God shine on you.  Are you reading this sermon,  watching it  online, or falling into habits disconnecting you from the light of God shining on you?

In the office of Christ, I encourage you to pray and let the Holy Spirit return you to the light of God’s forgiveness and receive your Baptismal booster, face to face with the Triune God in church!

The heavens were opened at Jesus’ baptism, and the narrow door remains open through the forgiveness of sins.  Amen.

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation 22:17 ESV) Amen.