Christ’s Baptism

Foreshadows Our Own

Sermon for Sunday, January 13, 2008

1. Good Morning. Let’s pray. O Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

2. Today’s feast of the Baptism of Jesus Christ marks a swift transition from Jesus’ infancy and childhood to the event which, in all four gospels, inaugurates His adult public ministry.

Today we remember and celebrate the Baptism of Jesus Christ and just last Sunday we celebrated Epiphany when the wise men visited Jesus and worshipped Him. So in just two weeks we’ve remembered two very significant events spanning 30 years of our Lord’s life!

So what is it that we’re to take from this event? In other words, what does the resurrected Jesus – He who was actually baptized those many years ago - want to tell us today about this event that will ultimately enrich and change our lives and perhaps make our own Baptism’s more efficacious in our lives and in the lives of the world about us?

The real question here is “What was His baptism all about and what was our baptism all about?”

I am going to let the cat out of the bag and suggest to you that Christ’s baptism foreshadows our own – what does that mean???

3. Focus on Scripture: Let me read our Gospel verses once again and then let’s try to answer those questions:

Matt. 3:13

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Matt. 3:15

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

Matt. 3:16

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Why was Jesus who was and is completely sinless baptized?

When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John asked the same question. Why should he, a sinful man, baptize the Messiah? He tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized saying “I need to be baptized by You and You are coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14). The baptisms that John performed symbolized repentance, and he saw this as inappropriate for the One he knew to be the spotless Lamb of God.

Jesus replied that it should be done because “it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).

Christ was here identifying Himself with us sinners. He would ultimately bear our sins and the result of this would be that His perfect righteousness would be imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, this act of baptism was a necessary part of the righteousness He secured for sinners.

His was a perfect righteousness in that He fulfilled all the requirements of the Law which we, for whose sin He would exchange His righteousness, are not capable of fulfilling. He is our perfect substitute.

Now we need to add one additional theological piece to make the theological picture complete and that’s the definition of a sacrament. The ancient church has always believed that a sacrament actually accomplishes what it signifies. Let me say that again – a sacrament accomplishes what is signifies. So, when you and I were baptized we were not symbolically cleansed and ushered into the Kingdom of God – we were actually – dare I say “ontologically” cleansed and actually – in fact – not only in symbol – ushered into the Kingdom of God!

Now that’s the theological dimension of what we’re exploring but . . . what I sense Jesus wants us to grasp is the deeper truth which is found in His heart and which when seen by us may compel us to live the rest of our lives in ways that literally incarnate – enflesh – what was signaled and accomplished in “OUR” baptism!

What I think Jesus wants to challenge us to do is to fully enter into what has already been accomplished within us in reality – substantially.

In other words, if we were baptized, we have been washed clean and we have been inducted into the Kingdom of God – now let’s stop acting as if that wasn’t true and enter fully into the actual reality of our salvation!

4. So let’s try to come at this from a visceral or heart level now that the theological stuff is in place.

How important is your baptism to you? For many Christians Baptism doesn’t seem that important. Most realize that it’s supposed to be but the sad practical reality is that it really isn’t. It’s just a rite that you have to do to get in.

But I don’t think that John or Jesus felt this way about the sacrament of Baptism. I think that they both saw baptism as very very important!

Clearly John did when he said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

But Jesus persisted with this logic: Matt. 3:15 . . . “Let it be so now; it’s proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” So obviously Jesus thought His baptism was very very important too!

HMMMM. . . what does that mean and what’s the significance for you and me today? What’s Baptism all about?

To answer this question we have to go to Philippians chapter 2:

Phil. 2:5

Your attitude – that’s you and me - should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Phil. 2:6

Who, being in very nature God,

Didn’t consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7 but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

Allowing Himself to be baptized – just like us!

Phil. 2:8

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Ah! Jesus emptied himself and was baptized!

He entered fully into the mission of our rescue! He didn’t play at it – tinker with it, give it a try. NO! He completely gave himself to it! Body and Soul!

Baptism was at its core an act of supreme humility and commitment!

We’re told that Jesus emptied Himself and then was baptized!

Now what did I mean when I said that Jesus’ baptism foreshadowed our own?

This act of emptying – this humble act was much much more than just a bit of religious formality!

In this sacrament Jesus was showing that He was to fulfill His Messianic and Kingly role not through the exercise of power and domination in the conventional way of rulers throughout the world, but through His drawing close to the sinful, the suffering, and the burdened mass of humanity. Submission to baptism is the first gesture He makes in that direction! It sets the pattern and direction for the ministry which He is now about to begin!

It’s the very sign and seal of who He is and what He’s about and the way He’s going to go about it!

His Baptism said it all for anyone watching and listening at the time!

He humbled Himself – He allowed Himself to be baptized Phil. 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man,he humbled himself and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

He humbled Himself and died on the cross – His Baptism whispered that this was coming!

Now I need to remind us that this was not only an act of sublime humility but it was the most sublime act of utter surrender and commitment to us – His Brothers and Sisters!

5. Ah Humble Commitment! This is to become the defining reality in our living out of our baptisms!

Now we need to focus on us and our living out of our baptisms! The two virtues of humility and utter commitment – how do we apprehend them?

Let me offer a modern day parable to help us apprehend what I think our Lord is getting at here.

In 1972 the then young Michael Cane played opposite Sir Lawrence Olivier in the now classic thriller Sleuth.

Years later James Lipton host of the television show “Inside the Actor’s Studio” was interviewing Sir Michael Cane and asking him questions about his extensive and illustrious acting career. I remember only one segment of this show – Lipton was commenting that up until the movie “Sleuth” Michael’s career was primarily that of an action hero which required little acting skill. But Lipton went on the note that it seems that Michael’s career turned a corner with the making of this movie and it was after this one movie that Michael began to really branch out and do more and more challenging parts all of which lead to his being Knighted by the Queen of England in the year 2000 as Sir Michael Cane.

Lipton asked his if anything happened in that movie with Sir Lawrence which he attributes this transformation.

Sir Michael smiled and made this comment and I’m not quoting exactly, “Yes, I learnt the difference between acting and acting. Sir Lawrence was so generous that when I acted beside him he became the scary sociopathic murdered he was cast to be and when he did this I didn’t need to act – he scared the living daylights out of me and I was just along for the ride!”

Lipton probed for more and what came out of this fascinating interview was the insight that when an actor is conscious of acting – following the script dutifully – he or she is acting but – and this a huge but – but when he allows a great Director to draw him into becoming the part – the character – he forgets the script and becomes – fully embraces the character. He’s no longer acting – He has become the character.

And so when Michael learned this one very very important skill he was on his way to becoming Sir Michael!

Now, you ask – what does that have to do with our Baptism?

Let me tell you!

Most of us, I fear, live out of lives as amateur actors on the stage of life frantically following the script that someone has given to us . . . but our Director – our God – has given us all that we need in our Baptism to enter fully into our characters – ones that were made to fit us perfectly. In our Baptism we have been given our character and the Spirit that will enable us to “BE” – to BE . . COME” that character. The challenge for us is either to remain safe and sound amateur actors always able to go home to our own little self-made homes or to enter with total abandonment into the part that our Baptism has empowered us to become and live brave and full lives in the parts that our God has called us to become!

Jesus did this and the world knows who he is! May we become worthy of the characters we have been called to become – here and now! Amen and Amen!

Let us pray . . .