Epiphany 1

Luke 3:15–17 NIV

15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Luke 3:21–22 NIV

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Today’s sermon is about the baptism of Jesus. My goal is to answer the question, “Why was Jesus baptized?” Before I answer that question, I want to ask a related question. Why were you baptized? If you were baptized in a confessional Lutheran church the answer should be this. You were baptized because your parents believed the teaching of the Bible that you needed it. You were born spiritually dead, an enemy of God, and outside of the Christian community even though your parents were Christian. You needed baptism to bring you to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit working through the word, to forgive your sins by connecting you to the work of Jesus Christ, and to bring you into the family of God as his own dear child. In the past many infants were baptized soon after they were born so that they would receive these blessings as early as possible and because parents were uncertain as to what would happen to an infant’s soul who died before they were baptized (although the Bible does not definitively answer that question.)

In other Christian faith communities people are baptized for different reasons but that is because they do not agree with what we believe is the biblical teaching of baptism. It may be a ceremonial way of bringing a child into the faith community or an outward sign of God’s covenant promises. It is usually not regarded as a means of grace.

Some questions come up as to the benefits of “when all the people were being baptized” in our text. Some believe that the act of baptism conveyed the forgiveness of sins. Others believe that it only symbolized the washing away of sins. (Research).

These are reasons why sinful human beings are baptized.

But this is not why Jesus was baptized. He was not a sinful human being. He had no sins to be forgiven. He also did not need to be brought into God’s family. He is the Son of God from all eternity as God himself confirms at Jesus’ baptism when he spoke from heaven.

So why was Jesus baptized?

Luke doesn’t tell us explicitly. But we are told elsewhere in the Bible.

“To fulfill all righteousness.”

“To mark the beginning of his public ministry.”

“To anoint him with the Holy Spirit.”

The first part of our text should sound familiar since it is from a sermon in December in which we heard about how John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. People were looking for a dramatic change as had been promised by God. The history of Israel shows a very close relationship between God and this nation. We may debate whether or not the United States is or every really was a Christian nation and some people get upset when new members of congress are sworn in by a sacred book other than The Holy Bible, but for Israel, there was to be no doubt as to which God they were to worship, obey, and trust in his promises. The problems came when the people were unfaithful to the Lord God. Nevertheless, he did not forsake his people or his promises and the faithful in the land believed that God would send the one they called “The Christ”. Since John met most of the criteria, they asked the legitimate question. “Are you the One?”

John quickly pointed out that he was NOT and pointed them to someone else. But he did not know 100% for sure who it would be as he himself explains in John. (NIV)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

So here is one reason why Jesus was baptized. So that God would reveal to John for sure that Jesus is the Christ also described as “God’s Chosen One.”

This is reassuring for us even today. We are warned that there would be many who would claim to be God’s chosen messenger who would in some way either reveal God’s plan or even save us. (NIV)

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

We think of Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Charles Russell, and Jim Jones.

How do we know Jesus is God’s Chosen One? God himself confirms it with the Holy Spirit and with his own pronouncement at his baptism. Later he would reaffirm him with the resurrection of Jesus. (NIV)

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Another reason why Jesus was baptized is told us in (NIV)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

See Franzmann on what this means.

Bible History Commentary: New Testament 9. The Baptism of Jesus

There could be no more proper or fitting way for him and John (“for us”) to inaugurate his public redeeming work. Nothing could be more becoming than that Jesus ask to be baptized and that John consent to baptize him. For in doing so, they were about to “fulfill all righteousness.”

Here is the point where many go wrong. They take “to fulfill all righteousness” to mean “to fulfill the whole law of God for us, to meet all its requirements in our stead.” But this cannot be meant—for two reasons. First, in that case Jesus would have to speak of what was necessary, not what was proper. He was under obligation to fulfill all the demands of the law for us who were under the law, that is, under its condemnation. (Galatians 4:4, 5) That was a “must,” something absolutely necessary.

Secondly, it cannot be shown that baptism was a legal requirement. Baptism as a sacrament was unknown until this time. Yes, there were rites of purification prescribed by the Mosaic law, but none of these was a sacrament, as baptism is. The Jews indeed expected their Messiah to bring purification from sin. (See especially Zechariah 13:1.) Accordingly, that the expected Redeemer would administer a rite that cleansed from sin and guilt was in line with such expectations. Because John came with a “baptism for the forgiveness of sins,” he caused them to wonder whether he might not be the Messiah (Christ). This thought lay behind their question: “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” (John 1:24).

We must forget about the idea of Jesus fulfilling some legal requirement by permitting himself to be baptized. Here we are in the field of the gospel. Jesus was beginning his earthly mission of being the divine substitute for sinners. John could not have a part in the redeeming work itself, the work of “fulfilling all righteousness,” that is, of carrying out fully the Father’s redeeming will for the slaves of sin. But John could and did have a part in ushering in Jesus’ work as the Christ. Both together, John by baptizing one who was sinless and divine, and Jesus by submitting to a baptism he did not need, took the divinely proper way of telling sinful men: Here Jesus steps to your side, takes up your cause, and sees it through to the bitter and victorious end!

So we see that to “fulfill all righteousness” is another way of saying that this is how Jesus would publicly announce the beginning of his gospel ministry. Not much is know about the life of Jesus prior to this aside from his birth, his trip to Jerusalem when he was 12, and a summary that he grew in stature and in favor with God and men and was obedient to his parents. Why not? Because he was not openly displaying himself as the Messiah. Some traditions have him doing miracles and other cute little story but they are more fiction than anything else. No, it was at his baptism that he was anointed to begin his public ministry. (NIV)

26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. (NIV)

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

The reason our OT lesson was about David was to remind us that the practice of anointing someone was to mark that they were set apart for a special task. Kings were anointed with oil. The King of Kings was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power at his baptism. What follows in the Gospels is the record of what Jesus did to save us from our sins.

So we see that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism for some very special reasons. We also have been anointed with the Holy Spirit. Through the Gospel in the word and sacraments he comes into our hearts to bring us to faith, to keep us in the faith, and to motivate us to live godly lives as we trust in Jesus as the Christ. Our anointing may not have come in such a dramatic historical way as when John baptized Jesus and God spoke from heaven, but John the disciple teaches us that it is very important nevertheless.

1 John 2:20–27 NIV

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

2 Corinthians 1:18–22 NIV

18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.