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If I were to ask you to list the most significant events in the life of Jesus, you would probably list Christmas, Easter, Good Friday and His Ascension. You would probably not include His baptism on that list. But the Baptism of Jesus is an event in the life of Christ that deserves the same kind of attention and consideration as his birth, death, resurrection and ascension does. We really ought to celebrate Christ's baptism more than we do. And here's why.
On Christmas morning, when was born, He came into the world. On Good Friday, when He was crucified on the cross, He died for the sins of THE WORLD. On Easter Sunday, when He rose from the dead, He reconciled God to THE WORLD. Forty days after Easter, He ascended into heaven to intercede with the Father for the life of THE WORLD. You notice that in all of this, we haven't once said, "FOR YOU." It's all very general and non-specific. And so we rightly wonder, 'how does this apply TO ME?' How does this connect TO ME? How is all that Jesus Christ has done, FOR ME?
When our children were getting ready for college, we wanted to get them connected to all of that scholarship and grant money that we heard was out there. We went to a couple of seminars and read a couple of books on how to tap into these things. And then the children had to fill out the applications, write the essays. And we had to learn how FAFSA forms work. And what we discovered was that for all of the scholarships out there, it's very hard to get any of it to apply to me, to my son or my daughter.
The Federal and State governments have all kinds of programs and benefits in place to help people in all kinds of situations and needs. But none of it benefits me in my situation until I fill out the forms and do the interviews, and then out the forms again and appeal the interviews and finally receive the benefit. Only then does the general become specific and FOR ME.
This is the great significance and important of Jesus' Baptism. Luke writes, "when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized." Baptism is where Jesus meets "all the people." It's where individual men and women, boys and girls, one at a time, individually and joins Himself to them. This is how and where all of the benefits that He has accomplished for THE WORLD by His birth, death, resurrection and ascension are connected and applied specifically TO YOU.
This is simply what Paul says in our Epistle reading, his letter to the Romans. Through holy baptism, "we have been united to Him." "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death? We were buried with him by baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Through baptism, we have been united with Him in a death like His and [in a resurrection like His.]"
Here's where analogies and illustrations get a little dangerous. They all break down because you just can't fit the work of the Triune God an analogy or illustration. Baptism is not where we come to apply for the benefits that the Bible says are available from God. It's not where we report to plead our case and prove our need. This is entirely the work of the Triune God who opens up all of the earthly and heavenly benefits which Jesus has accomplished and distributes them to the world, one soul at a time, there in the water. We simply meet Him where He tells us to meet Him and where He promises to poor out all of His blessings upon ME, upon YOU.
Another analogy with limitations. I heard a report a few months ago about Maine's growing capacity for producing electricity from offshore wind turbines. Evidently, there is enough electricity currently being generated by these things to supply a significant portion of the electrical needs of state. The problem is, Maine doesn't have the grid work in place to get this electricity to individual homes and businesses. If I recall, most of the offshore wind-generated power Maine produces is going to Canada that has the grid work in place to actually benefit by it.
What good is all that Christ has accomplished for the world if it doesn't get to you? Baptism is the grid work that brings all of Christ Jesus to you so that you may have and enjoy the benefits of all that He has accomplished by His birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and by His whole life.
This is why the number one mission that Jesus gives to His Church through His Apostles is to go into all the world, baptizing all nations. They are not sent to tell people that they must be born of virgin to reap the benefits of Jesus' virgin birth, or be crucified in order to reap the benefits of Jesus' crucifixion, or be raised from their graves in order to benefit from Jesus' ascension. They're sent to baptize. One soul at a time connected to Jesus and all of His benefits poured out and given to you.
Of all of the high points of Jesus' life, there is something very unique about His baptism that alerts us to the fact that this is special. This is significant. This is the only place in all of the Scriptures where the entire Trinity is revealed before our eyes and ears. "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 whom I am well pleased." Let's consider what this means.
First, "the heavens were opened." That connects us to Adam and Even in the beginning.
When Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, they lived in paradise in the presence of God. Of course their sin ruined everything. After they ate the forbidden thing, the garden was closed to them. God drove them out of paradise and away from His presence and He stationed a couple of angels with flaming swords at the entrance to the Garden to keep them out.
But at His birth, the angels were given a whole new mission. They beat their flaming swords into plowshares and announced the good news to the shepherds. What had been closed has now been reopened. The baby born in Bethlehem would reconcile God with man. "Glory to God in the Highest."
Now, here in the Jordan River, the baby has grown out of His swaddling clothes and is ready to do the work He was born for. He opens heaven to sinners. What was closed to sinners has been reopened. Not only so that we may go to heaven when we die, but also so that we may go to heaven while we still alive on earth. Heaven has been opened so that the Father in heaven may hear or prayers. Only through your connection to Jesus is heaven opened to your prayers, because no one comes to the Father except through Jesus.
In your baptism, you have been united to Jesus' baptism and heaven has been opened to you.
Second, "the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove." That connects us to Noah.
When God wanted to wash away the sin of the world, He opened the spigots below and above and flooded it. There was only one safe place to be – on the ark. Eventually, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. Noah sent a raven out from the ark. But it came right back, which meant that the world was still covered in water. Then Noah sent out a dove. It came back too, but with an olive branch in its mouth. What hope must have filled Noah's heart by the sight of that branch? The waters were subsiding. Noah sent the dove out again, and this time, it never returned. Which could only mean that the water had subsided. Things had dried out. God's anger had passed. Noah and his family began a whole new life in a world at peace with God.
But God would once again flood the world to wash away our sin. Only this time it would not be a flood of water from the ground and the sky but a flood of blood from the one righteous man hanging on a cross.
At His baptism, the Holy Spirit lands on Jesus. The dove that never returned to Noah has now returned to the greater than Noah. Jesus is the ark, the only safe place to be. The Spirit brings Jesus to us just like the dove brought the olive branch to Noah. What hope fills our heart at the sight of Him. He is the sure and certain sign that God's anger has passed.
In your baptism you have been united to Jesus' baptism, and the Holy Spirit rests on you and He brings you Jesus, and a new beginning, a life at peace with God.
Third, "A voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." That connects us to Abraham and Isaac.
A voice came from heaven to Abraham and said, "Abraham, Abraham, take your son, your only son, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (Gen.22:2).
If you know the rest of the story, you know how closely Isaac prefigures Jesus. At his father's command, Isaac willingly goes to his own sacrifice. In fact, He carries the wood for his sacrifice on his own shoulders. He allows himself to be bound to the wood for the sacrifice.
But that's as far as the parallel to Jesus goes. For as his father Abraham is about to plunge the knife into his son to kill him, an angel of the Lord intervenes and tells the father to put the knife down, untie the boy and sacrifice a ram who has got its head caught in a tangle of thorns nearby.
Now, at the Jordan River, the same voice that commanded Abraham to take his beloved son to be sacrificed is heard again. Jesus is the Son who is greater than Isaac. And God the Father is the Father who is greater than Abraham. From His baptism, God the Father will lead His beloved Son to the land of Moriah, now called Golgatha. And there, the Father spares not His beloved Son, but sacrifices Him who goes willingly and carries the wood for His sacrifice, his head caught in a tangle of thorns.
Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets repeatedly announce that God is not pleased with the all of the sacrifices of lambs and goats and bulls. But at His baptism, God the Father announces that He is well pleased with His beloved Son and the sacrifice that He will make. So pleased is He that He will count His sacrifice as the atoning satisfaction for the sins of the whole world so that no other sacrifice will ever be needed. In your baptism, you were united this too, and the sacrifice of Jesus is for you, and you are the Father's beloved child, and with you the Father is well pleased.
So, if I were to ask you to make a list of the most significant events in your life, what would be on that list? Your birth, maybe your graduation from school, your marriage, the birth of your children? Your baptism ought to be at the very top of that list. Because it was there that you were connected to Jesus Christ and received all of the benefits of His birth, death, resurrection and ascension. It is where you were united to the Triune God and given His name. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.