"Baptism: A Sign of God’s Grace"  2014

Isaiah 42:1-9           Matthew 3:13-17

Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is 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. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. 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 upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. 

 

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

 

All four of the gospels tell about John the Baptist and his ministry

    by the Jordan river  preparing the way for the coming of Christ.

                             John’s ministry was primarily a stark warning about

                             God’s coming wrath and harsh judgment, vs. 10 & 12

            Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

 

In response to the fear and dread of that divine judgment,

            John preached repentance, of changing one’s direction in life

                        away from human sin, corruption and moral complacency.

            This repentance was symbolized  by the ritual of “mikva”,

                        which is the Hebrew word for a bath or cleansing; baptism.

 

John taught and practiced   a baptism of sinner’s repentance,

            so, it is somewhat surprising that Jesus asked to be baptized,

                        since he had never sinned in any way against God.

 

    Matthew’s gospel tells us that John objected, saying that

            it would be more appropriate for Jesus to baptize him,

                        but the Lord was insistent and explained,  vs. 15         

                                    … it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.

 

Generally, we think of “righteousness” as doing the right thing,

            but it’s full and theological meaning goes a little deeper.

In this context,

            righteousness is about fulfilling the obligations

                        that result from having a right relationship with God.

 

What that means, is that Jesus submitted to baptism

            in obedience to God’s plan and purpose in sending him,

                        and it was his commissioning to begin his ministry…

 

            … which was not to judge and punish sinners as John thought,

                        but to fulfill God’s promise and purpose,

                                    to seek and save the lost as explained in John 3:17

            Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

 

For Jesus,  “to fulfill all righteousness”

            was to obey and fulfill the purpose of his coming,

                        i.e.  God’s plan for our redemption as it was

                                    promised and foreshadowed back in the Old Testament.

 

John’s ministry was a baptism of repentance and cleansing,

        but with Jesus, baptism became something more,

                        a sign of God's love, invitation, and redeeming purpose.

 

Many of the phrases and words used in this Matthew passage

            come from the Isaiah 42 text, and are intended as a connection

                        with its promise and description of a servant sent by God

                      to seek & save the lost according to God’s gracious love…

… as promised by God in vs. 6-7

            I am the LORD, I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.           

 

              You may also recall that Jesus referred to this Isaiah passage

                        and declared it fulfilled in the first sermon he preached.

 

In this passage of Isaiah, the prophet goes on to describe

            how this servant sent by God would come as an expression

                 of God’s compassion and mercy for the weak and broken, vs. 1~3

            Here is 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… a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

 

   a bruised reed and a bruised reed are parallel images that represent

            God's compassion toward the weak, the vulnerable and broken.

 

First,       'a bruised reed    he will not break'

            refers to the reeds that grow in marshes in the wetlands,

                        that are very easily damaged and crushed if stepped on.

 

These reeds were often used as quill pens for writing on parchment;

            very cheap and easy to make, and when the tips quickly wore out,

                        they would be cast aside as useless and worthless.

 

The promise is that God’s servant will not break the bruised reed,

            for God will not reject the vulnerable, the broken or hurting…

                       … and God never casts us aside   as worthless or useless.                      

The other illustration is, 'a dimly burning wick   he will not quench'

            Ancient lamps were little clay pots with a hole up the spout

                        with a flax wick running from the oil out through the hole.

 

When you refilled such a lamp with fresh oil,

            you would normally replace the burned out wick with a new one.

Since flax was very cheap,

            it was easier to replace than to trim and restore the old one.

 

But it’s not God’s way to extinguish, toss out and replace.

            God doesn't reject us, even when damaged or nearly burned out,

                        or because we are worn or weary, or when we have failed.

 

These images match

            the ministry of Jesus,  reaching out with God's grace toward

                   the lost and outcasts, those the world would reject,

                          such as lepers, the lame, the blind, and tax collectors.

 

            When John baptized, it was all about repentance and cleansing,

                        but with Jesus it became a sign of God’s gracious love.

When Jesus submitted to being baptized by John,

            he was accepting his commission to fulfill God’s purpose,

                        and God declares in vs. 17

                                    “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

 

When we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ,

            it is a sign of God’s love,

                        and that in Christ, we are the beloved children of God,

                                    and invited to live and grow in that relationship.

For Presbyterians,

          baptism is a window through which we see the grace of God.

 

It is not about God coming to judge and punish us,   but to save us;

            and through that grace and the power of the Holy Spirit,

                        we can live useful, and meaningful, and faithful livesà

                                    that proclaim God’s love and compassion,

                                          and reflect that light into this world’s darkness.

                                   

The message we are called by God to live, to reflect and make known,

       and the wonderful truth that Christians are called to proclaim:

                        is that God loves us, and continues to love us

                                    regardless of our sins,  or our mistakes or failures…

 

…   and I know of nothing in this world,

          that better illustrates that truth about God's gracious love,

                   than the baptism of an infant or a young child.

 

Infant baptism uniquely gives expression to the ultimate truth,

            that we are saved by grace, by God's grace alone

                        quite apart from our own good works or any deeds of faith.

 

The babies and young children that we baptize

            haven't repented  or done anything to deserve God's love…

                  … therefore,  whatever it is that happens at their baptism

                          it's entirely God's doing, and it's all about God's love.

 

Baptism is a wonderful mystery that signifies

            something awesome that God has already decided & accomplished,

      and in response, we, parents & congregation, vow that we willà

             faithfully make that truth  of God's love known to them.

 

The essence of the promise that we make before God in baptism

          is to provide an environment that reflects God's love and mercy

             so that our children will learn and respond to God’s grace.

 

The task of both family  and Church,   is to demonstrate and model

            the truth and depth of our Christian faith by both word & deed,

*    for it is by how we live that we truly instruct and prove

            that our words of faith   have integrity and real meaning.

 

I believe that the most significant task of this church

            is to create a caring and  faith-nurturing environment

                        where we do faithfully reflect God's gracious love

                                    by welcoming all and being attentive to human needs.

 

A few years ago I got a phone call from my granddaughter,

            to tell me that she had invited Jesus into her heart,

                        and of course I was thrilled,   but not really surprised…

… because I don't think there was ever a time,

            that she didn't know herself to be a beloved child of God.

 

You see, the first time I held her, there in the hospital,

            we prayed for her to grow up in a godly home of love and faith…

… saying,  

            "may there never be a day or a moment when this child,

                    does not know that she is uniquely loved by her God…

                             so that in time, at the appropriate age,

                                       she may claim that love and faith for herself."

 

God was active all of her childhood years fulfilling that prayer

    as her understanding and faith gradually grew and deepened,

          but she wasn't saved by her decision, it was by God's grace.

 

Her decision to invite Jesus to dwell in her heart

            is just one of many steps of faith along her spiritual journey,

                        one of many faith choices that she will be making

                                    over a lifetime of deciding to follow Jesus   or not.

 

Our hope and our confidence resides in the fact

            is that God's love   will always remain with her,

                        whether she obeys and chooses to follow Jesus or not;

          and always

                   God will be waiting to welcome her back where she belongs

                             each time she may sin or turn aside from God's path.

 

Baptism is a sign & declaration, God is already at work in our lives

            and it serves to remind us of God's promise and covenant,

                        as it reassures us of God's life-transforming love.

 

In baptism we express our fervent trust and hope

            that our children will decide  to stay in the covenant

                        and will accept for themselves the loving grace of God;

                                    and say, "YES" to the vows made at their baptism.

 

Lately, there has been much conversation about government & courts

            limiting Christian influence in schools and public places…

… but what right do we have to complain about that,

          if we are not deliberately teaching about faith in our homes?,

 

          and engaging our children in the life of Christian community?,

 

                  and if they are not observing us,

                   actively deepening our own faith through Christian Educ.?

 

Our call is to intentionally and actively demonstrate

             God’s love and grace and truth in every way we can by serving

                        as   caring dispensers   of the Good News about Jesus;

**        and nothing that we'll ever do  will matter more than that!

 

            And if we are faithful to the vows and promises we’ve made,

                            as we have promised before God and one another

                                    to provide an environment of God's truth and grace,à

 

            then when someone asks our children, "Who are you?",

                        they will know to answer with trust and certainty: 

              "I am beloved, one who is loved, cherished and called by God."