Sermon 12th January 2025 – 1st Sunday after Epiphany Text: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – The Baptism of Jesus

 Sermon 12th January 2025 – 1st Sunday after Epiphany

Text: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – The Baptism of Jesus

Today is an interesting day in the life of Jesus. The baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This sacred event marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry and serves as a powerful reminder of His mission and the place of Baptism in our salvation – which is Jesus’ mission. When Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist, He humbly submitted Himself to the will of God.  Despite being sinless, Jesus chose to be baptized as an example for all of us where God’s grace can be found. Jesus' baptism was not an act of repentance for himself, for He was sinless. Instead, it was an act of humility, a declaration of His mission to identify with lost humanity and to fulfill all righteousness. As St Paul describes in 2 Corinthians and Philippians: God made him who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And - Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he emptied himself taking the very nature of a servant,

Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of His public ministry, a servant ministry that would ultimately lead to the cross and resurrection – the fulfilment of his mission – “it is finished”. Again, as Paul says, this  is all part of his mission through his Baptism: And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! That obedience comes through his Baptism – as Jesus’ says in Matthew’s version of his Baptism when John objects saying that he needed to be Baptised by Jesus: John said: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” To which Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. And because of this humility, Paul says that “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name”.

In that moment, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove, affirming Jesus as the beloved Son of God to whom every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Here, in Jesus Baptism we have a clear message of the Trinity – the Father proclaiming his love for his Son marked by the receiving of the Holy Spirit through his Baptism. And likewise, in our Baptism, we too receive the mark of the Holy Spirit as our Baptism rite states – “you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever” And this is why we follow Jesus’ command to baptise – in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit so we too can be sure of where God’s grace can be found in our lives. In our Baptism.

Through His baptism, Jesus identified Himself with humanity and entered into solidarity with us in our brokenness. He will go on to experience the full weight of our sin as he who had no sin becomes our sin and experiences the abandonment that we were destined for – My God, my God – why have you forsaken me? Through Jesus and the assurance of our Baptism we will never utter those words. Jesus pays in full the cost of our price - for the wages of sin is death. Jesus showed us that He is not a distant and apathetic God, but a God who is intimately involved in our lives and our struggles.  Our great high-priest able to empathise with as he experiences our brokenness yet without sin. And therefore, through Jesus, through our Baptism, the book of Hebrews says we can approach the throne of God’s grace with confidence to receive help in our time of need.

Jesus' baptism reminds us that He is with us in our own baptism, washing away our sins and granting us new life in Him. Furthermore, Jesus' baptism also serves as a powerful path to repentance and renewal. Just as Jesus emerged from the waters of the Jordan, we too are called to emerge from the waters of our baptism as new creations in Christ.  As Luther explains in his Small Catechism, we are to drown the old Adam in the waters of repentance to rise a new each day, As St Paul declares in Romans 6 - Through baptism, we are cleansed of our sins and united with Christ in His death and resurrection.  And if anyone is in Christ – there is a new creation. The old has gone – the new has arrived.

Through our Baptism we are adopted as children of God and filled with the Holy Spirit to live as His beloved sons and daughters. So if you ever have any doubts about God’s love for you – about God’s acceptance of you – about your worth as a human being – look to your Baptism where God repeats those same words to you – You are my son – you are my daughter whom I love.

As we reflect on Jesus' baptism, let us remember the profound love and grace that He demonstrated for us.  Let us be inspired by Jesus’ example of humility and obedience to the will of God.  And let us recommit ourselves to living out our own baptismal vows, striving to follow Jesus in all that we do. Renouncing the devil and all his works and all his ways. May we always remember the significance of Jesus' baptism and the incredible gift of salvation that it brings. And may we continually seek to grow in our relationship with Him, drawing closer to His love and mercy each day.