Sermon Index
The Baptism of our Lord, January 10, 2016
There are three elements in Baptism: the water, the word, and faith. That is, there is ordinary water, and the Word of Godfs Promise that gives meaning and saving power to that water, and our faith which grasps onto that Promise. Godfs promise is so great that the amount of water is no longer important. It does not matter if you have an ocean or only three drops ? one for each the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And the Promise of God is greater than my faith, which is good, because although sometimes my faith is big enough to move a mountain, sometimes it is so small with doubts and worries that it can hardly be seen. And yet, even the smallest of faith can look to the Promise of God and wholly rely on that promise to save us even when our faith is small. And so we do not rely on our faith for salvation, but rather rely solely on the promise and grace of God.
Baptism is a washing away of our sin. Baptism can do that because Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sin. And our baptism is a sign of what Jesus did, and in faith, we accept that Jesus is our Savior.
Baptism is also the entrance rite into the church. Mark 16:16 says, gWhoever believes and is baptized will be saved.h The church is made up of humans. We cannot see into the heart of another person. We really cannot tell if someone has true faith or is a hypocrite, just pretending to believe. And so baptism is necessary. In the water and the word, we have Godfs promise, and we believe that promise. And we have to trust someone on face value when they confess their faith and make their baptism vows. And we pray that faith will be nurtured and grow in their hearts and in their lives. This is especially true in the case of infant baptism, but also when adults are baptized. Baptism is not the graduation ceremony, but the initiation ceremony, the welcoming ceremony into the church, into the Kingdom of God.
Today I want to meditate for a bit on the Water of Baptism. Why is water used? Water is such a common, everyday thing. It seems so trivial. Why does God demand water baptism? Yes, water washes away dirt, and with the promise of God it also washes away sin. But how about using something else? How about using fire? Fire would burn away sin and purify us. Some Polynesian Island rituals have rituals where you have to walk through fire, or over a bed of hot coals. If Jesus had commanded baptism by fire, would you do it? Is your faith strong enough, do you want to get to heaven badly enough that you would go through fire? I would. But, it is not necessary. Jesus died on the cross and proclaimed victory over the devil and hell. If hell is a place of fire, then Jesus has already passed through hell and fire for us.
What if the Baptism were some sort of great test? What about if you had to do some great and daring deed to get into heaven? Like to climb a high mountain or go on some great adventure to find some hidden treasure? Some sects say that if you want to go to heaven you have work hard in the church or do missionary work. For Christians, that is really stupid. We know that Jesus did all the work necessary for salvation. He had the great adventure of coming to earth to save us. Yes, he sent out his disciples to do evangelism, yes, we work in the church, but this is an act of love because we have already been saved by Christ.
Various groups have various initiation rituals. Some groups demand a tattoo. There are a lot of gangs like that. To be a Christian, would you receive a tattoo? Maybe a mark on the back of the hand, maybe a black cross tattooed on your forehead. You cannot wash it off. Everyone can see it.@It would be impossible to hide your faith. Maybe that would be a good thing!@ We might be shamed and forced to doing the right thing.
That is one of the things about water baptism. Even if you get baptized in the ocean, the water will soon dry off. Except for the memories, there is no lasting physical proof of baptism. We are forced to rely only on the promise of Jesus. gWhoever believes and is baptized shall be saved.h Just by looking, no one can tell whether we are Christian or not. Or can they? Jesus once said, gBy their fruit you shall know themh Mt.7:20. It is the fruit of repentance. It is the fruit of love. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is the fruit of a tree of faith watered by the water of Baptism.
Do you ever feel dry? Do you want to refresh your faith? Then remember your baptism. Splash yourself with the Word of God, the Promise of God, Prayer and Praise. Refresh your baptismal faith with the sacrament of Holy Communion. Live wet! Live in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church