Sermon for the Baptism of Our Lord: "Jordan River Gift Exchange"

+ The Baptism of Our Lord – January 13^th, 2019 +

Series C: Isaiah 43:1-7; Romans 6:1-11; Luke 3:15-22

Beautiful Savior Lutheran, Milton

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

No matter our age, we love receiving gifts. There’s nothing quite like a gift exchange to awaken the kid at heart, even for the toughest or gruffest among us. The mystery of the wrapped gift before you. Watching the gift you want get passed: left-right-left-right…no not left again! Wondering who drew your name in the family gift exchange. 

If Christmas celebrates the Father’s giving of the gift of Christ Jesus to us sinners, then Epiphany is the unwrapping of God’s gift for us in his beloved Son. 

So it is with Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan River. It may have looked just like every other river, full of plain, ordinary water. But there was something truly extraordinary happening in that ordinary water. Jesus comes to the Jordan River. The place where Joshua and Israel crossed into the promised land. The place where Namaan was washed of his leprosy. The place where John preaches: behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 

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.” 

Here in Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River is God’s gift exchange with us. And it’s the greatest of all gift exchanges. For it is entirely unexpected and surprising.

The Christ, the Savior, the long-expected Messiah foretold by Isaiah and the prophets, the very Son of God in human flesh, stands in line with sinners to receive a sinner’s baptism. Jesus has no sin and yet willingly, lovingly, and graciously takes his place among sinners. 

To see how mind-boggling, and yet marvelous this gift exchange is, we must see it from John’s point of view. John beholds the One who is to judge the world with unquenchable fire, to lay the axe to the root of the tree, and carry the winnowing fork of judgment. And yet, Jesus comes empty handed to make God’s gift exchange with all humanity. No fire. No axe. No winnowing fork. Open hands that will be defiled by our sin. Open hands that will bear the nails for us. Open hands that will take all that has gone wrong with us – all our sin – and in exchange, give us his perfect life. His death for us. His Word. Promise. Body and blood.

Jesus stands in the Jordan River as the Son of Mary and the Son of God ,true God and true Man for you born, baptized, crucified, and risen for you. Jesus stands in the Jordan River as the Father declares: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased”so that the Father is well-pleased with you through His Son. Jesus stands in the Jordan River and heaven is opened for you. 

Jesus stands in the Jordan River as he will stand upon the cross – in solidarity with us. As a substitute for us. As God’s great, gracious gift exchange for us. 

A gift exchange that is yours in Holy Baptism. As St. Paul proclaims: We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

You see, there’s a grand, gracious gift exchange in our baptism too. Plain, ordinary water yet God gives us his extraordinary forgiveness in this gift. Jesus takes our sin and death, and in exchange, gives us everything He did in his Baptism, crucifixion, and resurrection as he gives you his gifts of water, word, and the Holy Spirit. 

Baptism makes us God’s chosen, beloved, holy, children. We are not some random, meaningless, hopeless, bunch of atoms bouncing around in space, but a chosen, holy people, loved by God. Like Andy would inscribe his name upon his toys in Disney’s Toy Story, marking them as special, we are God’s great possession, and we have something greater written upon us by water and word, the saving name of Jesus. 

Jesus, our greater Joshua ,who leads us into the promised land through the Jordan River of our Baptism. Jesus, our greater Elisha, who washes all of us Naamans in the cleansing waters of the font. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus, God’s great gift exchange for us.

The Sinless for us sinners. The Holy One for us unholy. The Righteous for the unrighteous. The Son of God for us sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. 

Everything that is his is now yours. Jesus is baptized and crucified to fill your baptism with his death and life for you. Jesus is baptized so that the Father who delights in him will delight in you too. Jesus is baptized so that what the Lord promised Israel, he promises you as well:

thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;    I have called you by name, you are mine.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.