Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. Our text today is the Gospel lesson just read, along with these words from the Old Testament Lesson, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Thus far our text for today.
Dear friends in Christ. Israel passed through the Red Sea to escape the tyranny of Pharaoh on their way to enter the promised land. 40 years later, Israel again passed through the waters of the Jordan River on dry land as it entered the land flowing with milk and honey. Noah and his family went safely through the savage flood waters that destroyed the world on the Ark. And so in our text today, it is necessary for Jesus to pass through water as well.
And so it is that Jesus comes to the Jordan River in our text today, to see his cousin John. Luke tells it very plainly, especially compared to the rest of Luke’s Gospel. “And while the rest of the people were being baptized, Jesus too came. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son whom I love, with you I am well pleased.”
And so Jesus passes through water, as his people of old had. Jesus passes through water, declared to be the Holy Son of God, and then begins his ministry. Jesus passes through water before he sets his eyes for the cross and ministry it will bring him. Immediately following his baptism Jesus is tempted by Satan, the same temptations that we face every day of our lives. Jesus is tested by his hunger, his desire for earthly things, and his faith in God, just as we are everyday. But unlike our so often failure, the baptized Jesus passes the temptation without sin.
The baptized Jesus then continues his ministry. He cares for the sick, he heals the blind, he raises the dead. The baptized Jesus feeds the hungry, and casts out demons. He teaches the people of Israel about the true God. The washed in water Lord spends time with the lowest and dirtiest of society - tax collectors and sinners. He speaks the truth to all of them, that you too must be washed, that your sin must be taken away, that your robes must be washed white in the blood of the lamb - baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit - and then, and only then will your sins all be forgiven.
And with his work done, the baptized Jesus cleanses the world with his blood. He takes the sin of the world upon himself, and destroys it in a washing and flood of his own blood. The baptized Jesus’ blood spills out upon the ground, to forgive all Israel. The baptized Jesus’ is pierced with a spear, and water and blood flood this world, and sin is destroyed forever and ever amen!
And this he does for you as well. You need his saving washing just as much as any Israelite of old. You need forgiveness also, because the truth is, you are filthy with sin as well. Your guilt is plain also. Your need of a savior is there. Day by day, you fall into the devil’s temptation. Your sin is ever before you face, accusing you, condemning you, saying with the very words of Satan - “You have not lived up to God’s will for your life, you’ve failed. You have desired more in this world than God has deigned to give to you, and have stolen and cheated to gain it for yourself. You have worshipped the many false gods of this world: fame, fortune and self, and feared, loved and trusted in them above all things. You are guilty, and there’s not a single thing that you can do about it.
And what Satan says of our sin is the truth - we are guilty, we are wrong, we are sinners headed to hell on our own. But Satan’s words are only a half truth because of what the Baptized Jesus has done for you. Satan’s words ring deaf to our ears because of the washed Jesus - the Son of God with whom the Father is well pleased.
Because you too, like Israel of old, and like Jesus himself, have passed through water. And when you were baptized, God said the words of our Old Testament lesson to you, ““Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Do those last words ring a bell? Just a few weeks ago we sat here and greeted the birth of a savior - God with us -Immanuel. Its the same words Jesus says before he ascends into heaven -Surely I am with you always - Immanuel.
And not only is He with you, but he has redeemed you, in a washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. You see with a few drops of water, combined with the Holy Word of God made flesh, we were washed with Jesus. We passed through the waters with Israel and our Lord. We have been saved by baptism, as St. Peter himself says. And as we read today in our Epistle lesson, ‘We were therefore buried with Jesus through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead... we too may live a new life.”
The water and blood that poured from he baptized Jesus’ side at his death flowed into our baptismal font. It flowed into our lives. It flowed over your forehead, as you received a new name upon you to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. And now, because you are washed, God says of you, along with Jesus, “This is my beloved child, with him I am well pleased!” Now you belong to God, now you are his.
In baptism, you went with Noah through the ark. In baptism, you went with Israel through the Red Sea and the Jordan River. And most importantly, in that Water and Word, you went with Jesus through death into life. And its in baptism that you now belong - a holy child of God, who has washed your robe and made it white in the blood of the Lamb Jesus.
Today, Jesus goes to be baptized. Why? To sanctify all waters to be a life giving flood, and a washing of rebirth and renewal for you. Today Jesus is washed, so that you may be in his blood - even forevermore. And now God is with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
