Sunday, January 9, 2022

Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29
Romans 6:1-11
Luke 3:15-22

We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

We often set our minds so completely on one idea that we refuse to look beyond for other possibilities, including our ideas about God. Oswald Chambers once said, “It is perilously possible to make our conceptions of God like molten lead poured into a specifically designed mold, and when it is cold and hard we fling it at the heads of the religious people who don’t agree with us.” God is far more than we can imagine. By His Word, the world exists. By His Word, we have life. His Word gives us all we need to live and to serve Him to His glory. Yet, with our words we still try to make Him fit into a box that suits our needs and desires. The psalmist in today’s passage knows that God is far bigger than human reason and understanding can imagine. He praises God by singing of the awesome power of His Word.

God’s Word is powerful, but we have little experience with the actual voice of God. Have you ever heard Him speak to you audibly? Most people will say that you are crazy if you claim such a thing. The cynics question why God would talk to a specific person in particular; the skeptics wonder if anyone else could hear the voice. They want details about the tone and tenor. Is it booming and thunderous, or the sweet and melodious? I’m not sure that we can describe such a thing; for those who have heard the voice of God it is a very personal moment. Perhaps it is just in their head, but that doesn’t make it any less real. Was Joseph’s visitation less than Mary’s because it was dream rather than a face-to-face encounter? God has spoken to His people in many ways over the years.

The scriptures tell us about the ways God speaks to His people. He spoke out of a burning bush to Moses, but to Elijah His voice was like a whisper. He came to Mary and Joseph in words from an angel. He even spoke to Balaam out of the mouth of a donkey. The psalm for this week describes God’s voice as thunderous and powerful. It is not God who breaks the cedars, but God’s voice. His voice strikes like flashes of lightning. It shakes the desert, twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. The response of God’s creation to this voice is awe. “In his temple everything says, ‘Glory!’”

This is not an image of God with which we can easily identify. We tend to prefer the idea of God’s still, sweet voice, the quiet calling of a Father to a child. Thunder and lightning bring fear to our hearts. We tremble at the thought of God’s voice shaking the desert, twisting the oaks and stripping the forests bare. If He can do that to something strong like a tree, what will that voice do to us? Instead of expressing awe, many people are offended by an image of God that might denote an iron fist over His creation. We are willing to ascribe to Him the glory we know He deserves, but we’d much rather keep Him confined to a softer image. We like the idea of the shepherd king or the mother hen protecting her chicks. We like the image of a loving father or a brotherly friend. There is little room for wrath in that perception of God.

We struggle with passages like today’s Old Testament lesson from Isaiah. Isaiah spoke about the destruction of others. God’s people would return home, but He gave the people of Egypt, Cush, and Seba as a ransom for Israel. Persia conquered those places, and it was the Persians who allowed the Jews to go home. The wrath was necessary for God’s grace to be complete.

The text was given to a people who were far from home. They were exiles in Babylon, sent there by God so that they would be brought to their knees and remember that He is the LORD their God. They were separated from everything they loved, seemingly abandoned by their God. It was heartbreaking, but necessary.

The text from Isaiah is an oracle of promise for the exiles who have been away from home for so long. It is a promise that they will return soon to Jerusalem. Yet life in exile was not nearly as bad as we would suppose. As a matter of fact, the Jews who were taken to Babylon were often the educated and gifted. They were well respected, given decent jobs and wages. Many had accumulated wealth and property. Some even married. They were in exile for so long that many of the Jews who had been taken captive were dead and it was their children who received the promise. Would they really want to leave the good life they had created to return to a desolate and barren place?

Isaiah reminds those wondering if they should go that the Lord God Almighty loves His people. He is their Creator and Redeemer. They are His chosen people, called by His name and created for His glory. He dwells amongst them, and they are His. It might seem foolish to leave a good life to go back to the unknown, but that unknown is the life to which they have been called and for which they have been created.

We have this phrase that is heard constantly in our area when the rain threatens to become dangerous: turn around, don’t drown. See, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of dry creek beds around the state of Texas. These are creeks that don’t run with water constantly but get filled with the runoff during times of heavy rain. These creeks often cross roadways, but it isn’t worthwhile to build a bridge because the water rarely causes a problem. Sometimes those creeks look mild; people think that they can easily drive through the running water. They don’t realize that it only takes a few inches of rushing water to carry away a car. Too many people die because they don’t turn around.

There are usually barriers that hinder a driver from going into the rushing creek, although there always some people who think they can handle it. They go around the barrier, get into the water and suddenly realize they have no control. It is almost impossible to save yourself at that point. Sadly, some people are found dead in their car miles downstream. Those barriers are there for a reason: it might cause you to drive well out of your way and make you late for your appointment, but turn around, don’t drown.

Unfortunately, these dry creek beds are not easy to predict. It might not even be raining in one place, but as the water gathers in the creek upstream, it races down, catching people off guard. Those dry creek beds can go from dry to overflowing in seconds and you don’t want to get hit with a foot of water rushing at you. It is foolish to try to cross a raging creek, especially when there is a barrier place for your protection, but sometimes we can’t avoid the danger because we simply don’t know when it will come.

The same is true with other severe weather. We can’t predict a lightning strike or a tornado. We might be able to give warning, but even a large storm like a hurricane can be unpredictable. Wildfires can seem to be under control until the wind turns and then they can suddenly burst to new life. We can be careful, we can prepare, we can even do whatever we can in expectation of the worst, but we can’t know exactly what will happen.

The Bible uses the physical world to help us see and understand God. Many of the stories revolve around water. In the beginning the earth is a formless void and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. A river watered the Garden of Eden. At God’s command, Noah built an ark to survive the flood. Drought and famine sent the patriarchs on journeys to new places. Jacob sent his wives and all their possessions across the stream and was left alone to wrestle with God. Moses took the Israelites through the Red Sea and they later crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. During the Exodus they found water in the most unexpected places. Elijah covered the altar of Baal with water, and yet God still burned it all.

Fire is another subject of so many stories. The altar of Baal was destroyed by fire, as was Sodom and Gomorrah. The bush Moses encountered was on fire but did not burn. God led the people out of Egypt with a pillar of fire. These elements are so often identified with God, perhaps because they are so unpredictable. No human could have made the Red Sea part or burnt the stone altar, but God can. He then uses those same elements to bring faith and hope to His people.

Water and fire. During Israel’s history some of the most important moments were when God led His people through one or the other. Noah was protected through the flood. Lot was saved from the fire at Sodom and Gomorrah. Moses was guided through the waters of the Red Sea. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego lived through the fiery furnace. Water and fire were elements that brought death, but also cleansing. Only by God’s power could His people overcome the destruction of either water or fire. And He always promised to be with His people in the midst of it all.

Just as God was quiet during the exile, He was also silent in the days before the coming of the Messiah. The people knew the prophecies, they knew that God would fulfill His promises to His people, but they did not know what to expect. They thought they understood, and they were watching and waiting for the deliverer. They expected a powerful man, one who would become king and save them from the Romans. When John the Baptist began preaching about the Kingdom of God, it was easy to assume that he was the one for whom they were waiting.

In today’s Gospel lesson, John answered their questions. “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire, whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Later, Jesus approached John for baptism. John was just a minor figure in Luke’s version of this story; he does not even talk to Jesus. But the voice of God does.

Luke tells us that Jesus was praying as He was baptized, and that while He did so the heavens opened and a voice spoke, “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.” I wonder what this sounded like to those who were watching. Did they hear the words of God, or did they hear something like thunder? The voice of the Lord is powerful indeed.

We may not be able to claim that we have heard His voice audibly in our life, but His voice still speaks to His people today. It brings us through the water and the fire and makes us one of His own. In baptism, we take on His name and become children of God. There are times when it is difficult to notice God’s presence in this world, particularly in times of pain and confusion. We doubt that we can even hear Him amid the noise of the world. Yet, in faith we can hear God’s voice calling to us, reminding us that He is always near. His voice is heard in the thunder, it rattles the deserts, and it changes us into new creation.

He is the Lord, the one who reigns over the water and the fire, who gives strength to his people; He blesses us with peace. He calls us to worship Him, the only one worthy to be praised. He is bigger than we can imagine; His majesty is sometimes frightening, but we need not fear. God’s voice can level a forest, but He uses His voice to call His people to hope and peace. We are called to a life that glorifies God. The journey might not be easy. We may have to walk through the waters of a flood or face the fire, but God is with us. He has called us by name. We can rest assured that God is with us through it all.

The whole story of Jesus can be offensive to those who do not believe. We begin with the offense that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Perhaps this is even truer today than ever before. We live in a pluralistic world where there is no truth and righteousness is relative. We don’t talk about sin anymore because the world rejects the notion. We don’t talk about it because we don’t want to offend anyone. We don’t want to seem judgmental. We don’t want to seem as though we are being haughty. We are all sinners; we all sin. We all need God to save us, and we need to talk about it even if the whole idea seems offensive to the world. They need to hear that they need forgiveness, and that Jesus is the only One who can save them.

In a world where we are to love one another for who we are, we do not appreciate that God calls us to become something new, transformed, and different. God doesn’t demand that we change so that He can love us, He loves us so much that He takes us through the water and the fire to transform us into the people He created and redeemed us to be. The world suggests that we are to love one another as we are no matter what; they expect us to agree with the saying “Be you, Boo!” But God calls us to love one another into being the best we can be. If we accept people exactly as they are, then we can’t help them become what they are meant to be. There are people who think we should be canceled for even thinking such things, but should we really stay silent and let people die in their comfort. Or should we speak God’s Word into their lives and encourage them to be transformed by the water and fire of God?

God is offensive. He is both Law and Gospel. He is both wrath and love. He is both Judge and Father. We need Him to be all those things, and we need to be reminded by His Word that God IS. He is more than our expectation. He is more than we can imagine. He is more than we want. But it is in that more that we find what we really need to be the people He has created and redeemed us to be.

In today’s Gospel passage we hear God Himself proclaim the name of Jesus and embrace Him as His own beloved Son. While Jesus prayed, the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. While our baptism may not have appeared to be so dramatic, the same thing happened to us at the font: God called us His beloved child and the Holy Spirit descended upon us joining us to His body forever. Today as we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, we are reminded of our own baptisms. When we came out from the water, the heavens opened up and God spoke our name. He anointed us with the Spirit that gave Jesus His strength and sense of purpose in this world. We are called as Christians to live in our baptism.

When we are faced by temptation, we usually claim our own strength, “I can avoid this” or “I can make it go away.” Despite God’s saving grace we are still sinners and we have no power over sin by our own will. But by His grace we can answer every temptation with the reminder, “I am baptized.” The devil has no power over us when we are covered by the grace of God. God was with us through the water and the fire, and He will stay with us as we continue to face the world.

We are sinners, there is no doubt about that, and unfortunately we all continue to make foolish mistakes. Like those who think they can get through the raging waters of a rising creek, we go around the barriers meant to stop us and get caught up in the consequences of our sinfulness. We justify our actions by the mantra that God loves us anyway, and while that is true, we need to know that God is disappointed when we reject the transforming power of His grace. And yes, there are those who sin because they know how much greater God’s grace is than our failure.

Paul writes, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” No, God has cleansed us with the water and fire of baptism to be something better, to be like Christ. Like those cars that get caught in the sudden, unexpected flood, we will fail, but we should never go about our life purposely acting against the Word of God. We died to sin. We were made new. The old desires no longer have the power to keep us enslaved. We are freed from those sinful desires and made part of the body of Christ, raised to new life in Him.

The tallest building in the old villages in England was the church; it was the center of the community. All life passed through its doors at one point or another, if only to be baptized, married or buried. The church bells were used to call people together and to inform them of important announcements. Church buildings rarely dominate the skyline today and church bells are barely heard. Many churches are not even built with a tower, and few consider the cost of bells worthwhile. We have radio, television, telephone, email, and social media to share news. We gather in public buildings to do the business of the community. Church is often only for church these days.

We live in a multicultural society where the church is not the center of most people’s lives. In those days when the church played a more prominent role, the lines between church and state got confused and even lost. People were Christian because everyone was Christian. Yet many were not quite Christian. They went to church because it was expected but did not understand what they claimed to believe. There are still many who suffer the same trouble.

It is almost as if they can hear the church bells, but they have no idea what the ringing means. The call to worship draws them in but they don’t understand what they have gathered to do. In faith it is easy to look out at all of creation and see the hand of God, but without faith the world just looks like it is revolving on its own. God is not visible to those who do not see with the eyes of their heart. His voice is silent to those who refuse to listen.

The psalmist understood this problem. This song of praise calls us together with words that give honor and glory to the One who created. Yet, in the call to worship the psalmist found it necessary to tell us to whom we should attribute the praise. “Ascribe to Yahweh, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array.” We get distracted by the things of this world, but God the divine King is the only one worthy to be praised.

Unfortunately, we do not always recognize the presence of God. Like the exiles, there are times in our lives when it seems like God is nowhere to be found. The Jews were in exile. Perhaps they believed that God had abandoned them. Why else would they be in such a terrible state? After many years, God spoke to His people through Isaiah and promised that they would be saved. The national of Israel was His, they were called by His name. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you” He promised. The churches may not be the center of life in many towns in our world today, but God is no less available to those who believe.

Through His baptism, Jesus identified Himself completely with us, taking upon His shoulders our burdens, our sin and death. He truly became one of us. Yet, at that moment God embraced His Son whom He had sent, anointed Him with power and glory as His Beloved. We who are baptized followed our Lord Jesus into the water and fire. We are all beloved, named by God as one of His own children. We have been given the Holy Spirit to make us part of the one body. Sadly, we continue to sin because we have not yet been made perfect, but by His grace we are daily being transformed by His Word into the people who will praise His name forever and ever, worshipping at His throne for all eternity.

The key is to remember that we don’t have to go about it alone. We don’t have to try to avoid our temptations with our own strength or make things go away by our own willpower. We can say, “I am baptized” and trust that God will be with us through the cleansing that we need to undergo. Whether it comes by water or fire does not matter; we simply rest in the knowledge that God is doing good things in and through us. Let us pay heed to the barriers that block our way to sin because they might just be God’s way of stopping us from falling to the temptations that can destroy us. He is there with us, even when we get overwhelmed by the rushing floods. He is constantly working in our lives so that we will be forgiven, healed, cleansed, made whole and transformed into the people He has created and redeemed us to be. By His promises and in His faithfulness He will bring us through the waters and fires of life and into His presence for eternity.