Baptism is a Powerful Act of God
Today we recall the baptism of Jesus and we rejoice in our own baptism, both of them acts of God similar to insurance policies put into effect in the past and they continue to be binding arrangements that remain valid, as we look at Acts 10:37,38. Baptism is a Powerful Act of God – not covered by a special policy but it is the policy – a powerful, binding promise that will always be effective. January 13, 2008.
It hadn’t happened in Wisconsin in 41 years until Monday: a tornado touched down during January. Actually five tornadoes were sighted, spawned by a freakishly warm winter weather system that tore through the southern part of the state. The storm destroyed 30 homes, injured a dozen people, and knocked out power to thousands. Some call it a natural disaster. Insurance companies call it an act of God. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and floods are other examples of acts of God for which nobody can be liable – unless you purchase a special insurance policy which your agent will be happy to sell you. My brother-in-law from Michigan, who grows grapes for Welch’s, owns a grape insurance policy in case of severe frost, another act of God.
Today we recall the baptism of Jesus and we rejoice in our own baptism, both of them acts of God similar to insurance policies put into effect in the past and they continue to be binding arrangements that remain valid. Baptism isn’t like a car wash in January when you drive out of the car wash and immediately the shiny effects of the act deteriorate as your car gets plastered with salt and splashed with slush and you need to go back and do the whole thing again. Baptism is a Powerful Act of God – not covered by a special policy but it is the policy – a powerful, binding promise that will always be effective.
Jesus was anointed by God
The account of Jesus’ baptism is an excellent place in the Bible to show the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – in action. Today’s episode from Matthew states that at his baptism Jesus “saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16,17). Here we see in one place the three individuals of the one God doing three things at one time. Jesus (God the Son) is the recipient of the action, and the dove and voice (God the Holy Spirit and God the Father) are performing the action. Therefore, not only do we see that Jesus is God, but we notice that Jesus is baptized by God. Sure, John the Baptist applies the water but this is an act of God, as much as weather observers report and analyze a tornado that touches down but it is an act of God. Jesus’ baptism was not just a ceremony to symbolize something else, like graduation symbolizes an accomplishment of study. It was more like an inauguration – setting aside a special person for a special task and bestowing special powers for that task. The Bible puts it this way: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.”
Jesus was anointed with God
Don’t misunderstand the inauguration idea here. When a president is inaugurated that doesn’t mean the president is first doing what it takes to be president. Such implications may be true as far as the president’s official capacity with that title, but the president who takes office has been preparing for that task beforehand in other positions, with schooling, and from experiences. Jesus had already been preparing for his baptism beforehand. When he was one month old he and his parents kept the ceremonial law sacred when Mary and Joseph offered sacrifices at the temple. When he was twelve years old the Bible reports he “was obedient to them … and [he] grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people” (Luke 2:52). After that we hear nothing in the Gospels about Jesus until his baptism but we do know this: he was preparing for his baptism by perfectly obeying God’s will. Perfect obedience, however, would become more difficult for Jesus as he entered into a new role of public activity among friends, followers, enemies, demons, temptations, confusion, and loneliness. It would become harder for Jesus, living in humiliation here on earth without the full use of his heavenly glory, to be perfect and obey everything every time without a sinful thought, decision, or reaction. Antagonists would soon argue against him, winning converts to their worldly ideas. Religious leaders would brand him a heretic and call him a blasphemer, damaging his reputation. Demons would haunt and harass him. Even on this very day of his baptism the Holy Spirit would lead Jesus out to be broken down and beat up by the wilderness as the devil himself would personally assault him for a period of 40 days. After that Jesus’ own disciples would test his patience when they were slow to believe, and tear his heart out by their denial and betrayal. The groping fingers of death would grab him and drag him down into its lifeless slavery. He couldn’t do it all alone. His baptism means that he didn’t do it all alone.
“He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” God the Holy Spirit, poured into Jesus at his baptism with extra measure, was always there with Jesus strengthening him to stand up to the religious leaders. God the Holy Spirit was always there with Jesus to help him cast out demons and heal diseases. God the Holy Spirit was always there with Jesus giving him patience with his disciples, and in his death was there with him to breathe the first wisps of air when he came to life. Baptism is a Powerful Act of God for Jesus. It is an act when God did something to him and a binding, effective promise that God continues to do everything with him. Your baptism does the same.
We are anointed by God
The difference between Jesus’ baptism and ours lies not in the effect but in the need. Jesus was baptized because he needed to save. We are baptized because we need to be saved. Jesus’ baptism fulfilled all righteousness. Our baptism fills us with righteousness. When Jesus was baptized he took our disobedience on himself. When we were baptized we took Jesus’ obedience on ourselves.
One of our senior members at Grace gave me an article from the AARP magazine about the powerful effect of regret in the lives of senior citizens. The retirement years don’t always bring what is hoped for. Could have invested more wisely. Should have saved more carefully. Would have had more children or vacationed in the Caribbean. Coulda. Shoulda. Woulda. But didn’t. Now, years later, the pot of regret simmers. And what is true years later is true for all of us right now. The good we should have done or decided, we didn’t. And it burns. It shames. Especially when it comes to the good that God expected us to do to others that we didn’t do. How are we supposed to show up for church and sit in these pews and approach this altar knowing what we know about ourselves? How are we supposed to pray and ask God for favors, realizing we haven’t done what he has asked of us? The answer is here in the water and Word. Baptism is a Powerful Act of God.
The Bible says, “God saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). We are anointed by God. The all powerful and all perfect God took action on you in your baptism and there, with water and the Word, he doused your guilt, saved you from your sins, dismissed all your regret, and flooded you with the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ. Your baptism is not merely a symbol. It is an inaugural act performed on you by God that gives you a powerful new life in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We are anointed with God
Your baptism means more than a powerful status, however. It means powerful activity. It means doing what Jesus did: fighting off temptation, standing up to the lies of the devil, triumphing over evil, and even rising from the dead. That’s what you can do because God gives you himself. In your baptism the powerful God didn’t just pour water on your head but he poured out himself into your heart. You have him with you and in you. Jesus “went around doing good … because God was with him.” God is with you too. Go out and do what is good by the power of your baptism – do something good that you haven’t been able to do in 41 years … or 41 days. The power of baptism is yours. Use it.
In our modern world we aren’t familiar with that act of anointing. But we do use ointments or lotions to cover parts of our body. Lotion for dry hands. Vick’s vapor rub on a congested chest. Sunscreen that protects nose, neck, and shoulders. Some of these feel tingly or even burn. Others we don’t feel at all. But they all work. More than that, they keep working long after you apply them. So does your baptism. You may not feel it. You may not even remember it. But your baptism is working right now. Baptism is a Powerful Act of God. Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on January 13, 2008
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