The Baptism of Our Lord

The Holy Gospel for the celebration of the Baptism of Our Lord for the first Sunday after Epiphany: The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:15-17, 21, 22)

When Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened. They were opened not to let the Holy Spirit out to descend in the form of a dove; and not so that the Father’s voice could be heard. They were opened because already in Jesus’ baptism, His death and resurrection had begun. In the cesspool of the Jordan He is already taking His place with us sinners. The water of His baptism means that the wood of His cross is not far away. Through Jesus’ baptism, the heavens were opened so that sinners like us could gain access to our heavenly Father. As the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, so the Holy Spirit has descended upon us in our baptism and made His home in our hearts. As the heavenly Father called out, “You are my Son, with whom I am well pleased,” so the Father as calls out to us, “You are my son, my daughter, through your baptism into my holy family. I am well pleased with you.”

We celebrate our own baptism as we remember and celebrate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan so many years ago.

A favorite Baptism prayer
One of my favorite Baptism prayers because it unites our baptismal waters with the waters of the Flood and the waters of the Red Sea:

Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father, through your stern judgment the unbelieving world was destroyed by the flood, but according to your great mercy, you saved Noah and his family. You engulfed stubborn Pharaoh and his army in the waters of the Red Sea but led your people through those same waters to safety on dry land. In the waters of the Jordan your own Son was baptized and anointed with the Spirit. By these signs you foreshadowed the precious, cleansing bath which you give us in Holy Baptism.

Clinging to your command and promise, we ask that you would look with favor on _________. Through this water of Baptism, drown in him all sin inherited from Adam and any other evil he may do. Set him apart from the unbelieving world and hold him safe and secure in the holy ark of the Church. Keep him always fervent in spirit and joyful in hope so that he may honor your holy name and at last receive, together with all your people, the promised inheritance of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A great quote on Baptism from Martin Luther’s Large Catechism:

Baptism promises and brings: victory over death and the devil (Rom 6:3-6), forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38), God’s grace (Titus 3:5-6), the entire Christ, and the Holy Spirit with His gifts (1 Cor 6:11). …

Imagine there was a doctor somewhere who understood the art of saving people from death or, even though they died, could restore them quickly to life so that they would afterward live forever. Oh, how the world would pour in money like snow and rain. No one could find access to him because of the throng of the rich! But here in Baptism there is freely brought to everyone’s door such a treasure and medicine that it utterly destroys death and preserves all people alive. (LC, par 43)