The Shepherd’s Voice

Readings for Sunday, January 9^th
Isaiah 42:1–9
Psalm 29
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters. (Ps. 29:3)
Acts 10:34–43
Matthew 3:13–17

As many of you know I’ve just returned from Minnesota where it got a little cold.
Since leaving I’ve heard from a friend in central North Dakota.
He says it has been snowing heavily for three days now.
His wife has done nothing but stare through the window;
And if it doesn’t stop soon, he’ll probably have to let her in.

Let us pray….
What does it mean to be touched by the Spirit to be anointed by God? What happens when God anoints us through baptism? What did it mean for Jesus to be baptized by God and how might we be changed by/through God’s anointing?

There are two things I’d like to focus on or talk about today.
• Jesus being baptized by John, the significance, the importance, the reason
• God’s anointing of us by water and the word, it’s a significant event

Back to Jesus being baptized by John, why? Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized and John said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

John seems to not understand the significance of this event, and maybe we don’t comprehend it either. Did Jesus, the one who last Sunday we heard was Jesus the incarnate, the Word made flesh among us really needing repentance? No….

So why might Jesus have asked to be baptized? Paul in writing to the Corinthian church said this, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor 5:21)

Remember, part of the role Jesus played while here on earth was to humble himself, (Phil 2:8) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! It was all part of God’s plan.

Here we see Jesus submitting to God. Look at what Jesus says is verse 15. After John’s response, Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”

Fulfilling all righteousness means saying yes to God’s plan. Fulfilling all righteousness is a tricky term in the Greek. It’s difficult to comprehend theologically because it is complex and has notions of correctness, innocence, justice, and even redemption.

According to Eric Barreto, Assit Prof at Luther, “to fulfill all righteousness” likely means acting in obedience to God in a way that coordinates internal dispositions and external action.

Jesus’ first steps in public ministry are a combination of a compliant spirit and a powerful, public display of his obedience to God’s call. This is modeling for us.

Jesus is baptized by John, it’s significant, it’s important and it was done to fulfill God’s plan for salvation, moving forward. This act was also confirmed by God, a divine voice from heaven saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

We should all be well pleased. This anointing of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit was an event that began reshaping the world. It was the beginning of Jesus ministry here on earth. It was a holy moment where a voice cried out “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Something else happened here. This was a moment where a new identity was taken on. It was a time of God’s anointing by water and the word. The water of baptism being poured out represented a change and God’s word poured out from heaven.

This past week Sharon, Josh and I visited the Minnesota Institute of Art in Minneapolis. It is a grand museum with numerous collections of art, history, sculpture, paintings and whole room settings from the past. There was something else that caught my eye while we were there.

In a display on an LCD screen, maybe about 5 feet tall there was a scene of an older woman and what looking like two younger daughters standing in the background, which looked gray, they were gray in the scene. As the mother moved forward it looked like she stepped into a sheet of water and as the water touched her, pored over her, it sparkled with a dazzling white brightness. As she slowly stepped through it, her daughters were still in the gray, in the darkness, but she took on a glow of white light.

This was all done in slow motion, with very methodical movements. Once she was through the water curtain of dazzling white brightness she reached he hand back and the older daughter took it, held on to it and the mother gently pulled her through the water sheet, which once again became a dazzling display of bright white sparkling light. Once she was through she moved her hand back so the youngest daughter could reach out and take it. Next she is slowly being encouraged through the dazzling white brightness as the water fell on her.

This whole scene reminded me of baptism as we understand it today. God anointed Jesus and pulled him through this dazzling white brightness into a new world, a new way of life, a new ministry, a new way of seeing the world in full clarity, not diminished by sin.

In our baptism, God through water and the word brings us into a new world and maybe we don’t see at the time this dazzling white brightness being poured out upon us, but we should have that image in our mind of God ushering us into a new way of life.

When our parents or we are given the opportunity for baptism one of the first parts of the ritual is for the sponsor to present the child or candidate by giving them a name. I present Richard Lyle Braun for baptism. This is an act of identity, a naming of not only who we are, but whose we are in this troubled world.

Baptism is nothing less than the promise by God that we are to God’s beloved child and that where ever we go God will be with us. Sin may try to steal us away from order and new life, disrupt our connection with God, but God will always be there for us, never abandoning us.

Look at what played out for Jesus’ baptism. Jesus presented himself to John for baptism and a divine voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,”

So what’s in a name? Some of us have what I call name baggage that we carry around in this world. Not named luggage like Loui Vuitton or Eddie Bauer or Samsonite. The baggage we carry around are names not given to us by God, we are not anointed with these names, but since evil exists in the world we are labeled, or should I say mislabeled, not of our own doing, usually by someone who is disconnected with God.

I want you to take a moment now to think about what names you may have received over the years and are still carrying them around as baggage. Maybe it’s “stupid” or “fatso” or “ugly” or “know-it-all” or “loser.” These are just a few I have heard over the years, you have your own. Can you recall some of the names you have heard?

Can you hear God calling you by any of these names? I don’t think so. God created us as beautiful human beings with dignity, we are made in the image of our creator, beloved children of God. It’s sin that keeps us from recognizing our worth as God’s children.

The early church suffered from some name calling. Being labeled a Gentile meant you were on the outside looking in. You were a heathen, not a person of God. However, look at our second reading today and see that this was not God’s plan. Luke in writing about Peter’s interaction with the household and friends of Cornelius, a notable leader of Roman soldiers who never-the-less was described as “God-fearing” gives us some insight into God’s direction for the early church, which should also be insight for our direction today.

Hear what Peter has to say, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Thinking too small about the church, too small about God’s plan for salvation, and thinking too small about our baptism into the kingdom of God is unhelpful.

In Peter’s time, the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s mission was unthinkable by the Jews, but just as God brings us into the kingdom through baptism, we too must have a spirit of hospitality, a spirit of welcome with regard to baptism into the Christian faith.

Look at what it says about our responsibilities with regards to baptism. P228 – ELW
We do NOT make these promises lightly.

Do you promise to help your children, your brothers and sisters in Christ grow in the Christian faith and life. If so, respond with ‘I do.” Amen