Baptism of our Lord (7 January, 2018)

Exodus

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.  He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.  He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.  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: "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, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.  Isaiah 42:1-7

(To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.)  LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.  You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah  You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.  Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us!  Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?  Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?  Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.  Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.  Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.  Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.  Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky.  Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.  Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.  Psalm 85:1-13

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."  1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, 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 thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.  And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."  Matthew 3:13-17

Repeat after me: Jesus is Israel reduced to one.

Think about it.  Israel was set apart to be a royal and holy nation whose task was to follow God's law and be the example to point to the Messiah.  Jesus was sent to be a royal and holy King who followed God's law and was the Messiah.

Like Israel, Jesus went to Egypt in search of a safe haven.  And like Israel, Jesus was baptized.

The people of Israel were "baptized" as they crossed through the waters of the parted Red Sea.  It was an act of redemption; saving them from the enemies that were set on killing them.  Later on the next generation was "baptized" as they crossed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land.  This "baptism" transformed them from nomads to heirs who would receive the land.

Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River too, but not because He needed the cleansing.  Rather, His baptism was the first, much as how the Last Supper was the first Lord's Supper and His resurrection was the first resurrection from the dead.  This was the first instance of baptism, which now saves us.  How?

Because Jesus received it first.  The only way we pass through death to life is because Christ died and rose first.  By participating in it, by experiencing everything we can experience, He took the broken thing and remade it into something for our good.

Now, instead of drowning in the water and dying, our sinful nature is drowned and we rise from the water, given new life through Christ's death and life.