010806 Epiphany 1
Epiphany 1, January 8, 2006
Children of the Heavenly Father
Text: Mark 1:4–11
Other Lessons: Psalm 45:7–9; Isaiah 42:1–7; Acts 10:34–38
Theme: In Jesus’ Baptism, the baptized are made children of the heavenly Father.
Goal: That hearers believe they are the anointed children of God through Holy Baptism.
Mark 1:4-11 (ESV)
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Psalm 45:7-9 (ESV)
7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
Isaiah 42:1-7 (ESV)
1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Acts 10:34-38 (ESV)
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
3.
What does the baptism of Jesus some 2000 years ago have to do with us who live over 2 millennia from the event? The connecting point is what the Father declares of His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. As He rises up from the waters of the Jordan, the heavenly Father says matter-of-factly, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The Baptism of Jesus begins in a rather plain, ordinary, and earthy manner. John confesses no significance as the prophet or the Messiah who was to come. He looks and sounds like some uncivilized hermit who was a religious zealot. Similarly, the Jordan may have an honored past among the Jews, but it’s merely a muddy creek compared to the Tigris and Euphrates of the East, the Nile of Egypt, or the Yellow River of China. And then there is Jesus. He is from the insignificant village of Nazareth, and a simple son of a carpenter. It all looks and sounds so ordinary.
But, as soon as Jesus is baptized, the extraordinary occurs: the heavenly Father anoints his beloved Son with the Holy Spirit. And St. Mark gives us a vivid picture of our God. What a picture of the Trinity! 1The heavenly Father who first spoke at creation speaks. 2The Holy Spirit who initially hovered above the primordial waters of creation now descends upon Jesus. And 3the Eternal Word made flesh is anointed as Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s people. That is pretty extraordinary to our human existence, don’t you think?
Can you imagine being there to see this impressive event? In the midst of the common and ordinary, God reveals himself to a people who would not otherwise know him: God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2.
Although this is one of the most beautiful pictures in all of Holy Writ, it is also quite overwhelming in that it shows to us what we are lacking: proper relations.
Think of the familial, family relationship involved in this event. “This is my Son in whom I am well-pleased.” Compare that to what we face and experience with our failed family relations on earth. How many parents today would just as soon never acknowledge their children, especially when they have done something destructive to others, or themselves? Think about the close relationship between the Heavenly Father and His Son: whatever the Son sees His Father doing, He does. But, how many of us would rather hide ourselves from getting too involved with the church stuff? Think about the close relationship and presence of the Heavenly Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as they all appear at the same time, and in the same place, each person of that Trinity agreeing with the other two persons in what is good. “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” But compare that to how we exist in the midst of disagreement, distrust, disfavor, and how we delight in having the upper hand. Consider the image of a husband and wife united in holy matrimony to be one flesh. And yet the natural tendency of our sinful human nature is to lord it over one another, rather than to submit to God’s gracious will and plan for us in marriage.
Yes, the intimate Father-Son-Spirit relation so clearly portrayed in the Baptism of our Lord reminds us of our failed relations with the heavenly and with each other. The first commandment is clear: you shall have no other gods. But, we too easily bow down to other gods, committing spiritual adultery against our divine Bridegroom. We put our own personal values above God’s values, and expect God to accept them as valid and valuable. And so, like spoiled children, and adulterous people, we rant and rave that our heavenly Father must not truly love us, because that’s the faulty image we have of how life is.
The point is this: When it comes to familial relations, we are utter failures. The purpose of our Lord’s Baptism, though, is neither to remind us of these failures nor to put unobtainable goals on our backs. Instead, Jesus’ Baptism reveals the ultimate familial relation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and at the same time shows us the promise of new and better relations with Him and our fellow man.
1.
Here is what I mean. When we were sprinkled with the water and word in Holy Baptism, God gave us access to a new family, and new relations, earthbound and heavenly. This family consists of all true believers in Jesus Christ in heaven and on earth. Even the angels rejoice over us—not because of our failures, but because of God’s power and goodness to bring into one all things. By virtue of our acceptance (faith) in Him, the old family ties are cut and dissolved, and new ones formed. Human parents, good or bad, are replaced with a heavenly Father, Human siblings are replaced with a brother who is both divine yet not ashamed to call us brother and sister. This relation with God is based not on us, but on the promise of God, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Of this, there is no doubt. God has spoken decisively in that He has connected our Baptism with the Baptism of Jesus. That means that God’s declaration and approval of His Son, is now directed to us who believe, in Christ! That is so extraordinary, it boggles the mind. In our Baptism, our heavenly Father spoke and promised us His Holy Spirit. And, by that Spirit, He anoints us as His beloved sons and daughters. There, in the water and word of Holy Baptism, God identified himself as our heavenly Father, our confidant and guide, our brother.
Only sustained unbelief separates the baptized from the one baptizing with the Holy Spirit; namely, Jesus. And unbelief keeps us locked in the past, so that our sins remain and the full reconciliation of the cross is lost. Let’s not kid ourselves. Our sin against God, against husband, wife, brother, sister, child, that separated us from each other, remains unless we are bold enough to say, as the Psalmist says: "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:23-24, ESV). The way everlasting is the way provided to us when our heavenly Father anointed us with the Holy Spirit at our Baptism. There, God removed all doubts that we are indeed recognized as His very own sons and daughters. But, please remember our faithless ability to deny, denounce, or otherwise separate ourselves from Him.
And let’s consider again the motive of the sinful heart when we speak, act, and think, not in terms of what God says, does, and thinks. Do you see how we easily ignore the Word that called us to faith? The Word that says, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:4–6) You see, we all have something in common as His children; we are but poor reflections of our God. Unlike Jesus, we must deal with our sinful selves. Every element of our life would be better if we were more attentive to His Word. But, like Jesus, God declares His acceptance of us in our Baptism. That’s extraordinary!
Yes, Baptism looks only like a rather simple and mundane earthbound, but religious practice. But through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, God has given His declaration of acceptance of us in Christ Jesus. Thus, Baptism is the point at which God rends the heavens to reveal Himself to us in a most miraculous way. And that is just what He did when Jesus was baptized! Let’s hang onto that, and work together to be better reflections of the Holy glory He has given us as His very own sons and daughters. Amen.