Jesus Washing Away Our Squirming

First Sunday after the Epiphany

Baptism of Our Lord

January 8, 2017

Matthew 3:14

Jesus Washing Away Our Squirming

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

In the story of Jesus’ life there are times when He asks others to do something. When a large crowd of over 5,000 had come to listen to Him preach were getting hungry, He asked one of His disciples, Philip:

“Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

JOHN 6:5 NIV 1984

Philip’s answers was basically no, Lord, it can’t be done.

But other times His commands are obeyed without objection. When Jesus told a paralytic,

“Get up, take your mat and go home.” [Then the man] got up and went home.

MATTHEW 9:6b-7

Today Jesus asked John to baptize Him. And at first John said no.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

MATTHEW 3:14

Baptism is washing. But it does more than wash the dirt off of your face and from under your fingernails. This water and the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” washes away your sin. We were all born with me-first on our hearts. So when Jesus asks us to do anything, we say no. Even when He asks we to do something that is good, we makes excuses.

For example, Jesus tells a husband and wife to be fruitful and multiply. Often the objection among God's own people is, “Well, okay, but not too much fruit and not too much multiplication.” To be clear, this isn’t about a setting of minimum number of kids. Instead the point is how we naturally squirm away from what Jesus says to us. This squirming is our sinful selfishness.

Kids, why do you try to weasel out of chores or homework?

“I didn't make that mess. Reggie did that, not me.”

“Another quiz. We just had a quiz yesterday.”

We squirm, we sin.

John, on the other hand, tried to squirm away because he knew exactly what a wretched sinner he was. It is strange to have a sinner baptize the Only Perfect Man. Yet this was the way Jesus wanted it to be.

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

MATTHEW 3:15

When Jesus assured John that this way was His way, John said yes. And by being baptized, Jesus stepped further into our lives and into our sin, so that He might take our sin and our squirming far away. This is what Jesus did to you when His pastor baptized you. He exchanged our sin for His perfection and He took our sin on Himself. This is how He serves us. And what does He ask us? To trust Him.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.