prepared for Sunday January 12, 2003. Pittsworth Lutheran Parish, Qld. (Pastor Wayne Logan)
4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: ''After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."Prayer:
How long do your new year resolutions last? Do you make new year resolutions? Some do, some don't. A resolution is a goal or a decision to change something about your life. Some people are able to set goals that give them a clear focus for the year, and then they work steadily to meet those goals. Others are not goal-oriented, and at best, can only come up with some wishful thinking that might inspire them for a few days, but then rugged reality sets in, and those grand thoughts fade away. Most would agree that it's easier to think about the improvements we'd like to make in our lives, than to make the effort to actually change. Change isn't easy. We are creatures of habit, and even if we don't like the things we do and the way we live our lives, it takes a lot to get us out of our comfortable ruts. Someone called a rut, "a shallow grave." A sobering thought.
Our text tells us about a lot of people who felt the need for a change in their lives. A sobering change. A change in their relationship to God. This change involved something called'repentance.' Repentance means a change of direction. The people in the text became aware that they were walking a path away from God, and they needed to turn around. A special, ritual washing called baptism, became a popular way of symbolising their resolution to 'come clean' with God, so to speak, and have their sins washed away. It symbolised the death of the old way, and the opportunity for a fresh new beginning. A lot of people came out to John to be baptised. First they confessed their sins, and then John dipped them in the Jordan river, or poured the water over them (the actual mode or process isn't clear, and isn't really the point. The point was that they had a burning need for God's mercy and forgiveness, and they wanted a way of showing they were really in earnest.
The image of washing is a powerful one. We can all relate to it, because we need to wash ourselves every day. We know what it feels like to be dirty, and what it feels like to be clean. Our sins soil and stain us, and render us offensive to God, whether we are sensitive to this or not. We need a deep, spiritual washing. One that can leave us with clean hearts and minds, wholly acceptable to God.
Many people came to John to be baptised. But he proclaimed his baptism rite was only, and could only be, symbolic. He didn't have the power to really change the hearts of people. "I baptise you with water" he said. "That's all - it's just water." There was no power in his baptism, except perhaps the power of human commitment. On a good day, this can seem strong, and sincere. But just as the most impressive building will eventually collapse if made with faulty materials, so too the most impressive human life. History is full of stories of great men and women, with equally great personal collapses. When things go well, we can be kind, gentle, and generous. But it's under testing that the true quality of a of a metal is proven. So too our nature will be seen.
The gospels of Matthew and Luke tell us that there were some who came out to John, who denied the gravity of their spiritual condition. He stripped away their self-styled coverings of invented righteouness, and told them to prove they were serious about turning to God. He spoke about an axe being put to the root of fruitless trees, and this might apply to some of us today. In fact, it applies to all of us.
The truth of the matter is that there is no way we can become the kind of people we should be, by our will-power alone. Nor is it possible to just get a bit of help from God and others, and then get the rest of the way by ourselves. The evil root of sin that is in every human heart, however old or young, can only be dealt with by the strongest will, and the greatest power, and this is the Lord Jesus Christ!
(verse 7)"After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie." John continued (verse 8) " I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
We may be able to change our behaviour, and alter our thinking in various ways, by clear-eyed commitment, diligence, and support from others. But the deepest and most important change is beyond us. As Luther confesses in the small catechism, "I believe that I cannot, by my own reason and strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. ...But the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel and enlightened me with his gifts! He has made me holy - that is, acceptable to God, and keeps me in the true faith."
This, then, is our hope, and our confidence! it's not in ourselves, and our commitment. Our efforts might bring superficial cleanness to our lives, but only Christ can wash our hearts of the sin that lies in those depths. Today the Lord invites us to believe what his word tells us, about his gift of forgiveness and new life. This gift was wrought on the cross of Christ, and is applied to all who are baptised, and who hear his Word.
Titus 3:5b,6 says, "...He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour."
1 Peter 1:3 tells us that the new birth he has given us, is a "new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Romans 6:3 and 4 say, "all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised 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."
In John 3, our Lord speaks about being born again, of "water and the Spirit." The baptism ritual that Christ Jesus gave the church, is not about wishful thinking or the strength of a person's commitment. It was and is a powerful action by God, that deals with all our sin, and renders us clean and pure before God now and forever!
This means we can move into this new year with confidence. Not in ourselves, but confidence in God. We are called to put our hope in Him, and continue in his Word. He gently reminds us in John 15, "Apart from me, you can do nothing. but stay with me: I will save you. I bring you forgiveness for all your sins, and I will effect the changes you need in your life." This is our Lord's loving resolution for us, and we can be sure that his resolutions won't be broken! Amen! The peace of God, which is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.