Miserere Mei

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Our Scripture today comes from the Gospel of Christ according to St. Matthew. St. Matthew writes about St. John the Baptist encountering Christ at the riverside. The Baptist was there, preaching repentance. He was “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” He was calling for repentance. He challenged all the people, including the Pharisees and Sadducees, to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” He said, the One coming after him was greater than he.

As John was preaching this fiery message and dunking sinners into the river of repentance, along came Jesus. The Scripture says that Jesus came “to be baptized by” John. Christ came with the intent of baptism under John’s ministry. Why did Jesus submit himself to this incident?

Firstly, he submitted himself to God’s will. When he was twelve, he said he must be about the will of his Father. After his baptism, he went in the wilderness, led by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil. He was driven by the Spirit of God.

Secondly, he lived righteously. Again, when he was twelve, he was talking with the scholars about the rightness of the Law. He was learned in the commandments of God. He was obedient to the statutes of the Father. In this passage, he tells John to baptize him so that they may “fulfill all righteousness.” He sought to bring glory to the Father.

Thirdly, he was pleasing to God. He couldn’t help being pleasing to God. He was obedient to the Father by being submitted to him; he was bringing glory to the Father by living righteously. Through those steps, he was a sweet fragrance to his Father. And, because of this, the Father spoke from above and said that he is “well pleased” with his Son.

We see Jesus’ obedience and submission affirmed by the Father and his calling witnessed by the Holy Spirit. As he came out of the water, the sky opened up—it was an important moment in time; so important that God rolled back the heavens so that his words could be clearly understood.

By his obedience, righteousness, and honor of God the Father, Jesus fulfilled the Law, showed us the way, and laid everything at the Father’s feet. So, too, is our challenge. We must be obedient, live righteously, and bring glory to God. Being unworthy sinners, how can we do it?

This affirmation came from the Father to show his approval of Christ’s ministry. This affirmation was a witness of his place in the Godhead, of his place in the world, of his place in the work of salvation. From that point, Jesus began the public phase of his life. He began to do the works of healing and miracles and preach the truth to the people. He began to teach the way of the Father.

Christ lived a sinless life. He brought glory to his Father through his life. And, he brought glory to the Father through his death. He died, was buried, and resurrected. He fulfilled the plan of the Father for the redemption of mankind.

Paul, in writing to the Romans (6:3-11, ESV), tells what baptism means to us:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore 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 might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We have experienced the benefit of Christ’s glorious birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Through baptism, we have been brought into the covenant of new and unending life in him. We, who were dead in our sins, were buried with him in baptism and raised to new life in him. It is because of Christ’s baptism, because of his redemptive work of death and resurrection, because of his preparing the way, that we are set free from sin.

Our resurrection is in Christ Jesus alone. There is no other name by which we must be saved. Of him the Father has said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” He is the hope of our salvation; he is the anchor of our existence; he is the true promise of eternal life. We who have died with him shall also live with him. We are no longer bound to this world of sin and destruction; we are bound to the world of the heavenly kingdom—the world of love, of peace, of everlasting joy.

When I am in trials of all kinds, when I face the uncertainties of the future—as I do right now, when I am discouraged and downtrodden, when I am heavy beneath the burden of my own sins, I remember my baptism. I remember that I have been bought with a price, the price of Christ’s blood, poured out for me. I remember that, though I was dead, I was buried with him and I now have new life; I now have hope; I now have the way prepared before me.

[Song from CD: "Been Through the Water" by Kyle Matthews]

Have you been through the water? Have you come out clean? Have you new clothes to cover you?

Or, have you put your old shoes on your brand new feet?

Today is a perfect opportunity for all of us to renew our pledge to Christ—to renew our baptismal affirmation. Will you please stand with me, facing the altar, and renew that affirmation?

[Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows]

At your baptism, Christ showed that he has chosen you. The Father has affirmed your ministry. The Spirit has come to guide you in his pathways.

When you go forth from this place, go forth in the name of Christ, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Those are the words spoken each week as we depart. Let’s really live them. When you are hurt and broken, maybe discouraged, maybe tired and worn, maybe suffering from a numbed mind after all the week’s or day’s troubles, remember your conversion, remember your baptism. You can pause at the holy water stoup on your way out to touch the holy water to your forehead as an invocation of Christ’s blessing and protection and as a means of remembering the sacred act of grace his Spirit bestowed on you in your baptism. We have Christ within us, among us; let us continually recognize him and call upon his name with thanksgiving.