Jesus Stands With Sinners (Matthew 3:13-17)
Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today we shift from the Christmas Season, where we found
Jesus in a manger and as a child in a house in Bethlehem, to Jesus at the age
of about 30 years old. Yes, we take a
big jump in time from the Christmas story to the baptism of Jesus; some 30
years have passed.
As we think back to our Gospel reading from today, we
heard that Jesus traveled out to John the Baptist where hundreds of baptisms
were taking place in the Jordan River. If
you can recall, John the Baptist was sent out into the desert away from the
synagogues and away from the temple where the religious system of Jerusalem had
been corrupted by a man-centered theology.
He was called out to the wilderness to carry out his ministry of
preparing people for the Messiah. John
the Baptist was out by the Jordan River calling people to repent of their sins
and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.
Thus, hundreds of people were gathered around the Jordan River; people
of everyday life, as well as many religious leaders.
But why did Jesus come out to the Jordan River? The answer is that this is the place where
Jesus’ ministry, as we know it in the scriptures, begins. After 30 years of silence, the baptism of
Jesus serves as the starting point of His ministry. Many people have pointed to this event of
Jesus’ baptism as His inauguration, ordination, or installation, if you will. The baptism of Jesus marks the start of
Jesus’ public ministry, a ministry that would last for about 3-4 years and
conclude with Jesus dying on the cross.
This is a place where God’s redemptive plan was really set into motion;
it was the starting point of Jesus’ victorious campaign over sin, death, and
the devil.
But why is the baptism of Jesus important for us to consider today in 2014? What is the significance of it for the here and now? Sure, it is the starting point of Jesus’ ministry. But is that all it is? No, there is so much more for us to consider in the Gospel reading.
My
friends take a moment and ponder this.
Who was being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River? What was John calling the people to be
baptized for? Was his baptism for those who
considered themselves morally good and only considered themselves as needing a
bit of improvement here and there? Was his baptism for those who made mistakes
and had sorrow over their job performance? Was his baptism for those who
lamented over bad investment decisions, poor parenting skills, and a lacking
marriage? No, John was not calling people who had worldly sorrow to be baptized
but he was calling forth for Godly sorrow.
Keep in mind that John the Baptist’s message was not a message of repentance
for people to succeed in avoiding sin and then do righteous things, though this
is very good. Rather, his message of
repentance was deeper, it was a delivery of the Word to bring about confession
of sin; confession that the people had sinned, that they continued to sin, and
that they cannot stop sinning, and that they actually like to sin because of
their sinful nature. To be sorrowful
about one’s sinful longings and the inability to fix the problem of sin by one’s
own strength is at the core of John’s message of repentance. Therefore, the baptism of John was for those
who lamented over their sin in light of a Holy God and an approaching kingdom. It was a baptism for those who confessed and
knew that they were poor miserable sinners by nature; sinners who sinned
against God in thought, word, and deed.
John the Baptist’s baptism was for sinners only. Self-righteous and pompous people were not
allowed; those who did not consider themselves to be sinners were not admitted.
Now,
with that said, we see that Jesus arrives on the scene and He approaches John
the Baptist and seeks to be baptized by John. Is this not crazy? It seems crazy and certainly is unexpected;
however, as backwards as it might seem to us it is extremely significant for us
to consider. Just what is Jesus going to
enter into when He asks to be baptized by John?
When He was baptized, what did he enter into? Jesus entered into the waters of the Jordan,
water that was polluted by Israel’s sin.
This is shocking! Jesus, who is
the sinless Lamb of God, submits Himself to the baptism that sinful Israel was
undergoing. Jesus, who is the Mighty
Savior and the one who will execute justice on the last day, steps into the
Jordan River, a river and water contaminated by the idolatry, profanity,
rebellion, murder, hate, adultery, lust, theft, dishonesty, lying, betrayal,
and coveting of Israel. It makes perfect sense why John did not want
to baptize Jesus. If you were in John’s
shoes, wouldn’t have you felt the same hesitancy? In our Gospel reading, John the Baptist tries
to change the mind of Jesus by saying, “Whoa… I need to be baptized by you!” In other words John is saying, “Why on earth
do you Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, need to be baptized by me, a sinner and
especially in a baptism of repentance of sin?
What sin do you have to be sorry for Jesus? Jesus, it is not you who should be baptized
by me, John the Baptist, but you, Jesus, should baptize me!”
Baptized
saints, the baptism of Jesus not only marks the beginning of His ministry, but
it shows us perfectly how Jesus will save people from their sins; how He saves
you and me. The baptism of Jesus shows
how the kingdom of heaven and God’s plan of salvation works. The baptism of Jesus shows us that Christ
enacts God’s saving plan for mankind when He Himself literally stands with
sinners. Yes, by receiving from John the
Baptist this baptism that sinners receive, Jesus is not only standing with
sinners but He begins His ministry where He takes the place of sinners. This is absolutely awesome, for this is a
bold picture of God’s love for you and me as sinners. Indeed, Jesus steps into the pollution of sin,
stands with us, receives a baptism that sinners receive, and then ultimately
heads towards His trial, condemnation, and crucifixion; all of which He does
for you and me. Indeed, Jesus gives His
life as a ransom for many, for you. It
is fitting for Christ to be baptized in the Jordan, for His whole ministry is
one where He identifies and dies for sinners.[1]
Martin
Luther, in a letter to Friar George in 1516, comments on the idea of Christ
standing and identifying with sinners.
He says,
Therefore, my dear Friar, learn Christ and him
crucified. Learn to praise him and, despairing of yourself, say, "Lord Jesus, you are my
righteousness, just as I am your sin. You have taken upon yourself what
is mine and have given to me what is yours. You have taken upon yourself
what you were not and have given to me what I was not." Beware
of aspiring to such purity that you will not wish to be looked upon as a
sinner, or to be one. For Christ dwells only in sinners. On this
account he [Christ] descended from heaven, where he dwelt among the righteous,
to dwell among sinners. Meditate on this love of his and you will see his
sweet consolation . . . you will learn from him that just as he has received
you, so he has made your sins his own and has made his righteousness yours...
My
friends, Christ identifies with us; He identifies with you. For your sake, God made Him who had no sin to
be sin for you, so that in Him you might become the righteousness of God. (1
Corinthians 5:21) You are not only
forgiven in Christ, but you are counted as perfectly righteous for you are
washed not in polluted waters, but the water of God; water that bears the name Father, Son, Holy
Spirit; water that washed you, marks you, and names you as one of the Father’s
own. You are God’s Own Child, for you
have been baptized into Christ.
May
the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1]
Jeffery Gibbs, Concordia Commentary:
Matthew 1:1-11:1 (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2006), 181.
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