A New Creation by Water and the Word
Genesis 1: 1-5
January 11, 2009
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this mornings meditation is recorded in the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verses 1 through 5, particularly these words: “In the beginning, God…” This is our text.
In the name of Jesus … (Amen). We are now in the Epiphany season of the Church year. This is the season where God reveals himself to us in the life of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. In the man Jesus Christ, we see God himself. Jesus told his disciples, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” “I and the Father are one.” We do not want to confuse the persons of the Triune God with these verses — and yet we do want to remember that our God is one God. And the more we know about Jesus Christ — the more we know about God, because Jesus Christ is God made man.
Our text for today is a very familiar verse. It is one of those verses which most Christians can quote: like Matt. 3: 16, The 23rd Psalm, Luke 2, and Matt 28: 19. We all know that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” But what does the beginning of the world, the creation story, have to do with the Baptism of our Lord?
As I looked at this text, my first thought was that I had copied the wrong text. Actually, I had. Because my first listing of readings and hymns I based on series A – this year we are in series B. So my first sermon for today was written on a text in Isaiah, one you will get 8 years from now when I preach on Old Testament Texts from Series A. But what does Jesus’ Baptism and Creation have in common?
At first I thought, Jesus begins his preaching and teaching ministry with his Baptism by John. So as creation was the beginning of our world, so his Baptism was the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. But that wouldn’t be totally true. He was already about his Father’s business at the age of 12 when he was asking and answering questions with the priests and teachers in the Temple at Jerusalem. And at his birth, he began his ministry as God took on human flesh and became man – born of the Virgin Mary. But then Jesus is God, and the Apostle John reminds us clearly, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God – Through Him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” Now things were beginning to fall together. Jesus was there at Creation. Jesus was the light of the world – the light that shined that first day. A light the world has never understood. A light that darkness cannot overcome.
Why did Jesus appear before John that day for Baptism? Certainly it was not for himself. Jesus was sinless. He had no sins to wash away. In the book of Matthew, John protested – “I ought to be baptized by you! Why do you ask me to baptize you?” But Jesus explained it to John by saying, “It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” It was proper so that Jesus should dot all the “I”s and cross all the “t”s. Jesus leaves nothing undone. He does everything necessary to live the perfect life demanded of you and me, so that we might have forgiveness in him. Christ fulfills all righteousness for you and for me. And then he dies on the cross, and arises again, for you and for me. In Christ, we have forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. No wonder Peter can proclaim, “Baptism doth now save us.” Baptism brings life. As the Epistle lesson for today points out, we were buried with Christ in Baptism so that we might have a resurrection – new life – like his.
As God created this world of ours – he brought life out of nothing. He said let there be plants – and there were plants. He said let there be animals of all kinds – and there were animals. God breathed into man the breath of life, and man became a living soul. It was God’s Word that brought life and light into this dark world, both at creation and at his baptism. And John reminds us that this Word of God, is Christ – It is Christ who brings life and light.
But this light is always being challenged by the darkness. God divided the light and the dark in Creation. Our text said: “God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.” Ever since that time, the Scriptures have used Light to symbolize what is good and right. And the reverse was also true, that darkness was used to refer to what was bad and evil. The Apostle John said, “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” Paul told the Corinthians, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness.” Paul also said to the Ephesians, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Mark tells us right after today’s Gospel lesson that immediately after Jesus’ Baptism, he goes out into the wilderness, and there he is tempted by the devil. Jesus against the Devil. Good against Evil. Light against darkness. But Jesus is the light that no darkness can overcome. Jesus withstands the temptations for you and for me. With Christ there is no darkness, only the light of life and salvation. Christ lives the perfect life, for you and for me.
Today we have a baptism. We’re not in the Jordan River – but the water in our font, together with the Word, has God’s power to fulfill all righteousness. Out of the death of sin, comes life and salvation. New life in Christ is created through water and the Word. And where the darkness of sin once stood, now shines the true light of the World, God’s light in Jesus Christ, who brings to us forgiveness, life, and salvation.
Behold the old is washed away. New life is given in Jesus Christ, our Lord. To God be the glory, now and always. Amen.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.
