The Voice Over the Waters

A guy I went to high school with, who spent most of his time in the dojo of the local YMCA, began to dally in Buddhism after graduation. Years later—in fact, some 20 years—he took offense to me being a minister of the gospel. What is odd about this is that I didn’t really know him. We never ran in the same circles, and so, I never had the opportunity to tell him about Jesus. But something set him off. One day, I received an email from him that he may as well have typed in BOLD CAPITAL letters and then underlined. By the tone of his email, he was obviously angry toward me.

Here is the gist of his email—and it is pretty much a quote. Don’t give me any of that crap about Jesus. There are many paths up the mountain.

Now, what I replied is what I want to talk about this morning. But first I would like us to pray together.

Lord of us all, Lord of all, I ask that you would speak to us this morning from your Word, and that through your promises, you would give us peace for your sake. Amen

Of course, I replied to his email. First, I told him I didn’t know where this was all coming from and asked if I had done something specific to cause this blast from out of nowhere. All I could figure is that he heard I was a Christian minister. We did have friends in common, some of whom did not like the idea of me being a pastor. Maybe they had talked about this among themselves.

Next, I agreed with him about there being many paths up a mountain. But then, I told him to make sure he was climbing the right mountain. I also reminded him that many paths do not even reach the top. Indeed, some of them ending up having an unwary traveler walking right off a cliff.

Of course, I never heard from him again. Few did. He was shot and killed by a friend of his a few years later. His journey up the mountain came to an end and now, he knows what I was trying to tell him.

Now, what am I trying to tell you by relating this story? Well, first of all, that there are indeed many paths and that they are all fraught with peril. So, make sure you are on the right path. Jesus clues you in here in the Gospel of John, where says that he is the way.

Still, there are many paths to choose from. Buddhism is a path generally known to promote peace, but a certain kind of peace, on that comes from within. But there are Buddhist groups who attack religious minorities. Hindis too, are well-known today to attack Christians, particularly in India. Back in the day, the Roman Catholic Church persecuted and martyred its own people for holding Reformation views. And Jewish leaders, the chief priests in particular, demanded Jesus’ crucifixion. The crowds in Jerusalem (with no Buddhists, Hindis, or Catholics in attendance) went right along with it. In fact, they shouted at Pilate, “His blood be upon us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:25)

These various paths up the mountain can be murder to navigate. Particularly if you are navigating out of feelings and intuition. There is a better way, and you heard it in today’s readings.

Listen to the voice over the waters.

God tells us through the prophet Isaiah that he sent his servant. He sent himself to accomplish his mission. In doing so, God fully identified with sinners, even being baptized, and so, fulfilling all righteousness. As a result, sinners may now be baptized into Jesus’ baptism. This is no baptism of repentance like John’s but a baptism of death and resurrection. Being baptized therefore, into his very death, the sinner’s nature dies. Likewise, because Christ arose, those who are regenerated through baptism into Christ will also rise in newness of life and to eternal life.

This Is the promise given by Lord’s voice over the waters of baptism. Therefore, the promise is sure.  

In the closing verses of the previous chapter, Isaiah sets the matter right. Works of self-righteousness are a “delusion” (Isaiah 41:29). Manmade metal images are simply a solid form of our works. We can trust in neither. We are nothing, and our works are less than nothing (Isaiah 41:24). The outward show is just that: a show. It is not real in the eyes of God.

There is one who is very real, though, one whose work amounts to something — to everything. This one is the Servant of God whom Isaiah prophesies, the incarnate Savior, the one in whom the Father delights. There is no help in any other name. Idols fall. Works fail. But the Servant of God is called in righteousness to take us by the hand and lead us by his own righteousness. Look to him who cannot fall because his Father will never fail him. Put your trust in him, and God cannot fail you either. Luther said, “Keep your eye on Him, observe what He does, says, and teaches, because He is [God’s] Servant” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 17).

The theme of today’s psalm is the voice of God. God’s voice must be important; it is referenced a complete seven times in these eleven verses. Of course, we know his voice is important, but do we act as though it is absolutely crucial, his Word and voice therefore, being over all things.

When I read or hear Psalm 29:3, I think of those chaotic waters in Genesis 1:1–2

Genesis 1:1–2 ESV

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Chaos and darkness are always overcome by the voice of the Lord.

Psalm 29:3 ESV

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.

When his voice is enthroned in our lives, he rules there in strength and peace. In strength. And peace. Does his Word thunder in your life or are you distracted. Peace comes in this life only through God’s Servant. Peace comes through Jesus. Through hearing his voice over the chaos of the world. Through hearing him speak over the roar of your life. Listen. Do not get distracted. Listen closely.

Baptism is the beginning of God’s path up the mountain. There, God buries folk into the very death of his Servant Christ. That means that the old are now dead. This seems a brutal thing to the world, but to the redeemed it is glorious. We know that through death to sin, we are no longer bound to it. In this promise of Christ, we may know peace.

And we will not know it any other way.

We will not have peace by following the latest religious fads. We will not know peace by looking within. We will not find peace by aligning with the universe. We can never ever find peace in ourselves. We are the chaotic waters of the abyss itself. Jesus came to free us from all of this confusion and noise. He came to free us from our conflict with God and our neighbor.

Ephesians 2:14 says it well. “He himself is our peace.” Jesus is our peace. There is no other way to God, as he himself said in John 14:6. He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Do not be confused. Do not be distracted. Follow Jesus only, Christian.

I invite you to do so today by coming to the altar to receive God’s grace in bread and wine. On your way to the altar, stop at the font. Dip your fingers in the water and make the sign of the cross on your forehead. Thank God that he sent his Son to die for you, so that you could be saved from the dark chaos of sin and death.

Then thank him that you are baptized into his death and life...and as a result know real peace, as Paul wrote to the Philippians and echoes down to you today.

Philippians 4:7 ESV

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

May that word, that voice, be the only one you hear over the chaos.