Luke 3:15-22 At the public examination I will ask the children these questions: What is the difference between the Old Testament and the News Testament? And they will answer: The Old Testament tells of the coming of Christ and the New Testament tells of his life and promise to return. And then I will ask: What is the key to understanding the Holy Scriptures? And they will answer: Jesus Christ. And they will be correct.
The whole Bible—from Genesis in the beginning to Revelation at the end-- tells but one story and that is the story of Jesus Christ.
He is the Offspring of the Woman who will crush Satan that God promised to Adam and Eve. It is his sacrifice on the cross that all of the animal sacrifices pointed to. It is his saving work that is revealed as the children of Israel are shielded from death and set free from slavery in Egypt and delivered safely to the Promised Land. It is his final judgment on the Last Day that is shown in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. And it is his baptism that is revealed in the waters of the flood of Noah’s day which both buried and lifted to safety.
The Bible tells just one story—whether it is the promise in the Old Testament or the fulfillment in the New Testament-- and it is the story of Jesus. The exact point where promise and fulfillment come together is revealed in our text today as Jesus is baptized in the Jordan by his forerunner John the Baptist. St. Luke writes that:
…when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
That Jesus is the subject of all Scripture—that the Bible tells just one story that is his story—that the only difference between the Old Testament and the New is where they stand in relation to Jesus- is not just a pious opinion—it is the testimony of the one, true Triune God.
When Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove and the heavenly Father publicly testified that Jesus was his Son. It’s like a big neon Trinitarian arrow in the sky above Jesus’ head that shines so brightly that it lights up the past and the future and says: this is the One! This the one I promised!
This is the one I have chosen to accomplish my saving work. That is why the Holy Spirit was there: to anoint Jesus as prophet, priest and king for his saving work.
In the Old Testament God’s servants were anointed with oil to set them apart for their work: prophets to speak God’s Word- priests to offer sacrifices to God for man’s sins-and kings to rule God’s people—all of them pointing to various aspects of the work of the Messiah.
In Jesus Christ these three offices came together. Oil was wholly insufficient for this anointing and so he was anointed with the Spirit. When Jesus began his ministry he said:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor…to proclaim liberty to the captives…to give sight to the blind”
This was the work of the Messiah and as Jesus stood in the waters of the Jordan River Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled and Jesus was publicly set aside for that saving work.
That is what God wants us to know and believe and so heaven is opened and we see the Spirit’s anointing and hear the Father’s testimony that this Jesus is wholly different than every servant of God who has come before-- because he is God’s Son. St. Luke writes that:
…the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.
God appointed Noah as a preacher of righteousness before the flood. He made a covenant to bless the world through Abraham. He raised-up Moses to set his people free. And the foundation of the church is built upon the apostles.
John the Baptist stood among these great servants of God (and indeed was the greatest of all by Jesus’ own testimony) but none of them compared to Jesus for he was God’s own Son. John recognized this about himself—that his one purpose was to bear witness to Jesus Christ.
Here is the key to humility! Here is the key to understanding our purpose in the world! When we are focused on Jesus and when we find our meaning in him-- genuine humility and clarity of purpose cannot help but follow.
To know Jesus for who he is—God in flesh—is to know the truth about ourselves: that the greatest honor on earth is to count ourselves his servants who are content with the lowliest tasks so long as they are directed towards Jesus.
We see that humility throughout the Bible in those who had faith. Elizabeth was honored to have the pregnant Mary come to her home. Mary praised God because he looked upon her humble estate and blessed her with a child. The kings knelt in worship beside Jesus’ bed.
Only when we know Jesus and what he has done for us can we have a proper view of ourselves and our own place in the world and our purpose in life.
John’s work was important: to call sinners to repentance and faith in Jesus--and that work of the pastoral office is still important and necessary. But it pales in comparison to what Jesus would do in his work as the Savior of the world. John the Baptist said that Jesus would:
…baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
John was already looking forward to Pentecost when the ascended Savior would pour out his Spirit (just as he had promised) on the young and old—on men and women—so that all people could hear and believe and bear witness to his saving work.
Sins had been paid for on the cross. Life had been promised at the empty tomb. Eternity in heaven was guaranteed by Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of God.
All that was left was the gift of the Spirit for faith and proclamation and so on Pentecost Jesus sent the Spirit as a mighty wind and tongues of flame above the heads of his disciples and the message of salvation went forward and thousands came to faith in Jesus that day and are still coming to faith in Jesus in a great harvest of souls.
This is the best possible news for us and for all who are being saved by faith but it is also a warning to those who do not believe. The same Jesus who entered the Jordan River and identified with our sin—the same Jesus whose blood has washed away those sins—the same Jesus who has given the Spirit so that we might believe this and be saved—is also the same Jesus who will judge the world.
The wheat—that is those believers who produced the fruit of faith will be gathered safely into their eternal home with God—but the chaff, those who did not bear the fruit of faith will be burned forever in the flames of hell.
Many, even in the church, deny hell and deem it unworthy of a merciful God. But the Bible is perfectly clear that hell exists and that Jesus himself will send people there to be tormented forever by fire.
Eternal salvation was what was at stake there along the Jordan River and that is why there was the heartfelt plea of John to repent of sin and look to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Eternal salvation is still at stake here at this font and pulpit and altar. That is why we baptize and commune and preach and absolve. That is what this place exists for no less than the banks of the Jordan River and the Upper Room and the mount where Jesus preached. That is why we generously support the mission and ministry of this congregation—because eternity itself is at stake—and there is plenty of opposition in the world around us. St. Luke wrote that:
…Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
Many, many people are confused about what to expect from the Christian life. Their own flesh wants them to believe that it is about getting what you want in this life and having eternity thrown in as a prize at the end and there are plenty of false prophets in the church today who will tell them just exactly what their itching ears want to hear.
But the Christian life is actually a battle and the Bible never hides that truth. Jesus said that we are to take up our cross and follow him. Peter said that we shouldn’t be surprised at the fiery trial we undergo. Paul told us that there is a battle within us between what our flesh wants to do and what the new man in us wants to do as a child of God.
The Christian life is a battle against the world, our flesh, and the devil and it has always been! John the Baptist was the greatest man who ever lived and yet the end of his life of service to the cause of Christ was persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom. How can it not be so!
In Holy Baptism we are crucified with Christ and raised with Christ and called to walk in newness of life. This newness of life is a rebuke of the ways of the world and a denial of that all that they value. How can the world not be opposed to Christ and his people!?
But those who are baptized into Christ Jesus and walk in his ways know that the words spoken about Jesus by his Father: “This is my beloved Son. With him I am well pleased” are also spoken about us and we too have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and that gives us the strength we need to carry on as his people. Amen.
