Pastor Michael Neumann

January 10, 2010

Luke 3:15-17,21,22

Jesus is Declared to be the Promised Savior

1) John bears witness to him.

2) The Holy Spirit anoints him.

3) The Father approves him.

 Who is that baby born in Bethlehem? Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated Christmas; we celebrated the birthday of Jesus. But why? Just who is this Jewish man born in a stable more than 2000 years ago? We know that Jesus is not just another baby born to poor parents. We know that Jesus is more than just a religious leader whose moral teachings and example we are to follow.  We know that child is in fact the almighty God come in human flesh to be our Savior and substitute. As the angels announced, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

 During the season of Epiphany we focus on those things which clearly reveal the fact that this Jesus is God’s Son and our Savior. Epiphany means to make something know, to understand and to realize some truth. During Epiphany our gospel readings focus on Jesus’ miracles and teaching. Through his ministry - by his teaching and his miracles - Jesus was clearly shown to be God’s Son and our Savior. This morning our reading focuses our attention on the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. His public ministry began with his baptism. At his baptism, we are given powerful testimony about who Jesus is. Jesus is declared to be the promised Savior. John the Baptist bears witness to him. The Holy Spirit anoints him and the Father approves him.

 Our text points us first of all to the ministry of John the Baptist. Crowds of people made their way out to listen to John and to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. From Jerusalem to the Jordan was a rather difficult twenty mile trip on foot for most. But the people were excited. John’s preaching and message caused quite a stir. After all, it had been 400 years since a legitimate prophet had appeared in Israel. From the writing of the last book of the Old Testament, all those years had passed - had the Lord forgotten his people? When would the Savior come? No doubt, those were questions on the minds of the faithful in Israel. Now as they listened to John’s preaching, some even wondered if he might be the promised Savior.

 John was the forerunner of the Savior. He had been sent to prepare the way for the Christ. John answered their question as to whether he might be the Savior. John taught, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” When John the Baptist came, those who saw and heard him should have drawn the conclusion that the Savior would soon appear. Old Testament prophecy made it clear that John was sent by God to announce the coming of the Savior and to prepare the people to receive him. 

 John in his teaching used an illustration to point people to the fact that the Savior is the Judge of all. In those days, a farmer threshed grain by having his oxen step on the stalks of grain piled on a threshing floor. Then he forked away the loose straw. Next, he used a large shovel or basket to toss the grain mixed with the chaff into the air. The wind blew the chaff aside. The grain fell to the floor. The grain was then gathered into containers for storage and the chaff was burned. So the Savior would separate believers from unbelievers. His judgment would be thorough. On the last day, it will be public. Believers will enter eternal life in heaven. Unbelievers will suffer the punishment of hell.

 So John’s message was one of repentance. By pointing them to the final judgment, John was reminding the people of their great need for a Savior. He was reminding them that they who were sinners would one day have to stand before a holy and just God. John called for people to repent and to turn away from sin. He pointed out sin for the rebellion against God that it is. He proclaimed the full force of God’s law. But then he pointed them to the only way for them to stand in that judgment. He pointed them to the one greater, to the one who would give the gift of the Holy Spirit, to the Savior who would bear the sin of the world in his body and make payment for it all with his death on the cross.

 We too and all people need that reminder that one day we will be called to stand before God to give account and face judgment. Of course, as we look into God’s perfect law, we are shown the terrible sinners that we are. That isn’t a message we like to hear. Our society doesn’t like to talk about sin. Our society doesn’t want to judge anyone or say anything is wrong as long as it doesn’t openly hurt others. Talk about sin – that hurts people’s self-esteem, the world says. When we point out sinful behavior people may be quick to accuse – “who are you to tell me that something is wrong?” Certainly, the law isn’t pleasant to hear. The law is a harsh message. Our own sinful flesh doesn’t like to hear the message of the law. We don’t like to realize that we are rotten sinners who deserve nothing but trouble and punishment. But God’s word makes it clear - “‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’ … Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”

 We are often tempted to overlook sin, to soften the message of the law, to let ourselves think that we aren’t that bad. But that message of the law, to call sinners to repentance – as tempted as we might be to ignore or to soften it – is a message which we, need. Because it is only once a person realizes his complete worthlessness before God, once a person recognizes his complete inability to save himself, that he then has need for a Savior. And John points us to that Savior – Jesus of Nazareth, God’s own Son.

 But here at Jesus’ baptism, we are given even greater proof of who he is. If you’re cashing a check or with many other business transactions, you might be asked to provide some identification, evidence or proof that you are who you claim to be. What about Jesus? What evidence could he point to, that he was who he claimed to be; that he was the promised Savior? How would the people of Jesus’ day recognize that he was the Savior; that he wasn’t a fraud, just a pretender - but that he actually was the Savior of the world. A number of times during Jesus ministry, the people question his claims. They knew Jesus from Nazareth, Mary and Joseph’s son, a carpenter. Why should they listen to him? Why should they believe his claims? Here at his baptism, we have powerful testimony that Jesus is who he claimed. At Jesus’ baptism, we are clearly shown, who he is. 

 God himself testifies that Jesus is his Son. After Jesus was baptized, he went up onto the bank of the Jordan River and “heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Here we see the three persons of the Triune God. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit testify to who Jesus is - he is God the Son.

Jesus with his baptism was beginning his public ministry. In the Old Testament when kings or priests entered their office, they were anointed with oil. As Jesus enters into his office and begins his public ministry, he is anointed with the Holy Spirit. This anointing with the Holy Spirit is something which had been prophesied. Isaiah had written concerning the Messiah - “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” 

 God had given to John a sign by which he would know definitely who was the Messiah. God had told John, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” So Jesus at his baptism was anointed with the Holy Spirit, giving testimony that he is the Christ, the promise Savior.

 God the Father also confirmed who Jesus is. In a voice from heaven, God declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” God first of all confirmed that Jesus was indeed his Son. But with these words, God also gives approval of the work which Jesus is about to carry out. Jesus is entering publicly into his work as the Savior.  Jesus had come into this world for this purpose - to redeem us from sin. God here also gives his approval for that work and tells us that he accepts the work his Son is about to do.

 What a great assurance we are given here at Jesus’ baptism. We are clearly shown who our Savior is. We can be confident of our salvation because it rest upon Jesus and he is the Son of God. God the Holy Spirit and God the Father have confirmed that fact. We don’t have to worry or wonder who Jesus is. He is our Savior.

 In their preaching, both John and Jesus pointed to Jesus’ baptism and the testimony given by God as proof of who he is. When John pointed to Jesus as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” he gave as proof of this fact the testimony given by God at Jesus’ baptism. Throughout Jesus ministry, when his opponents attacked and challenged him, he pointed to the testimony given by God at his baptism for his approval and authority. Jesus is clearly revealed as the Savior of the world and we too are to point people to Jesus as the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

 And our baptism unites us with Jesus. The apostle Paul writes, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” At our baptism, we were clothed with Christ and his righteousness. We were intimately joined together with him in his death and resurrection. All the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection became ours personally. The washing with water symbolizes our sins having been washed away in Jesus’ blood. But it is not just symbolic. Baptism is real power. Through baptism, God actually gives forgiveness of sins and eternal life. In baptism, God actually works either to create faith or to strengthen it. In a very special and personal way, God comes to us in baptism and makes us his own. What a wonderful power baptism is. What an important, significant event our baptism is. The effect and significance of baptism lasts for eternity. 

Since baptism gives the forgiveness of sins, we might wonder why Jesus was baptized. He had no sin. But Jesus was baptized as our substitute. Jesus’ baptism serves to show us who our Savior is and to show us how we are saved. At Jesus baptism, he steps forward and now publicly identifies himself with all sinners. With his baptism, Jesus now in a public way begins that work of saving us.

 So at Jesus’ baptism, we are clearly shown who Jesus is. He is God’s Son. He is our Savior. There is no doubt. This is the Savior from sin God promised already in the Garden of Eden. This is the one who would rescue us from sin and death. What blessing God gives – at Jesus’ baptism we are given strong testimony as to who Jesus is – our Savior. What blessing God gives – with our own baptism. All the benefits of Jesus saving work become our own and God adopts us as his dearly loved children. May we cherish and find great comfort and hope in Jesus’ baptism and in our own baptism.