Baptism of our Lord, 01/12/2014

Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17, by Phillip Gagnon

The old negro spiritual sings "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, nobody knows but Jesus." Those slaves knew beautifully the grace and presence of God in their sorrows and it echoed poignantly in their singing. In their estate they understood the gift of Jesus lowly birth.

He comes in flesh emptying himself in obedience and humility to the Father. Being born of a woman he knows our circumstances, our needs and desires. He knows and understands our struggles as flesh, all without the burden of sin, but not without, one might say, the burden of love.

Because of love, Jesus exchanges the glory of his estate for that of our frailty and finite lives and all that it entails. In his baptism by John his journey continues in obedience and love as he identifies with us not only in being born in flesh as one of us, but also being baptized with us and for us.

At Jesus' birth the angels sang,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

And now we hear The Father echo similar words at his Son's baptism, "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased."

The Father's love pours from his heart to his Son and now to humanity in that his beloved is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world by emptying his very self for that of the crown of his creation - us.

We are his weak beloved and Jesus, as the faithful Son Israel, does what frail flesh could not in the journey of the people of Israel. While Israel was unable, Jesus accomplishes in love and obedience. He pours out his life so that ours could be filled with the power and grace and love of God.

The Father is pleased to save those who he loves and he is further pleased with his Son who has given everything for the beloved. For we who are known by God are sons and daughters of God, the beloved of God for we are in Christ himself and he in us!

No longer are we blown about by the winds of human fancy and foolishness. For now by faith, we belong to him who gave himself for us, adopted as children of the most high. And not only does Jesus identify with us in flesh and Spirit, but we are born again by that same Spirit, a new creation in Christ, no condemnation rests upon us as children of God.

From promise in Genesis, to birth as one of us, taking on flesh Jesus empties himself for us, is baptized by John for us again, walking beside us as fully man and fully God realizing in flesh and spirit the fullness of God and the humility of the human condition.

Jesus in his love has given everything for us exchanging the glory of his estate for the poverty of our existence in every way - from birth, to walking with us, knowing joy and sorrow, temptation and perseverance, frailty of flesh and growing in wisdom, being baptized as Son of man and messiah and fulfilling all righteousness in every way known to God and man - all for love's sake.

By tabernacling among us "full of grace and truth" Jesus in his emptying of himself for us has elevated and made new by the Spirit of God those who would receive him.

In Christ Jesus, we are those with whom God is pleased and so called to serve as Christ served and loved. We are in him and he is in us. He comes to us everyday in every moment whispering to us gentle words of grace and love calling us to remain in him as branches on the vine.

For in our baptism we are his and he is ours. He is the vine and we are the branches. In him we are loved and forgiven sinners given the blessing and joy of new life, the life of the Servant King resides within us and nothing can separate us from his love.

For what can separate the love of a mother from her child and the love of a God who would become a child for us and would weep for our weakness?

Such love knows no bounds! Such is the breadth and depth of God's love! And so we return to that old hymn,

"One day when I was walkin' along
Oh yes, Lord
The sky opened up and love come down
Oh yes, Lord"

Pastor Phillip Gagnon
St. Alberta, Alberta, Canada
E-Mail: pastorphil@me.com

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