Baptised to be victorious!

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Friends in Christ, as we enter this first Sunday in lent our focus today shifts to two things: baptism of Jesus, which was soon followed by, Christ’s temptation in the wilderness. Our Christian journey follows similar pattern, we are born into God’s family through our baptism, and then, as we live in this fallen world, we eventually face temptations in our own wilderness experiences. In the midst of temptations, how must we carry on is the focus of today’s meditation.

Let us pray:

Gracious Heavenly Father, your word for us says, you have saved the chosen in the waters of flood, and in the wilderness of temptation you protected your Son from sin. Through him, you offer us life and salvation, so renew us in the gift of baptism today. May your holy angels be with us, that the wicked foe may have no power over us, for we ask in Jesus saving name. Amen.

 Friends in Christ, as I was preparing for this sermon, I was reminded of a popular tale of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and I would like to share that with you today:

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson decide to go on a camping trip, so they found a beautiful spot and pitched their tent. After dinner and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and went to sleep. Some hours later, Sherlock Holmes woke up and nudged his faithful friend.

"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."

Watson replied, "I see millions of stars."

"What does that tell you?"

Watson pondered for a minute.

"Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets."

"Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in the Leo constellation."

"Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three."

"Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful and that we are small and insignificant."

"Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow."

Thinking, he covered all bases, Dr. Watson asked, "What does it tell you, Holmes?"

Holmes was stunned by his companion’s ability to deduce things, after a brief pause said: "Watson, you idiot! someone has stolen our tent!"

While it is humorous tale to share, it also sheds light on human frailty on perception of things. As humans we are prone to miss out on considering very obvious things.

Even the best of us can miss the mark sometimes. It is easy to lose sight of the target, miss the mark and fall into the trap of temptations. What do people say? ‘Opportunity knocks only once, yet temptation bangs on the door constantly.’ If the temptation bangs on the door sooner or later someone ought to open the door, don’t they? By opening the door, we might let temptations in and miss out on the obvious things of God in our life. Does this happen to you? No one is perfect, we all have our shortcomings to deal with as we carry through wilderness journey of this life.

By the way, ‘wilderness’, in the Bible, is not just a place or isolated location, it rather refers to a condition, a state of separation and isolation from the presence of God. In spiritual sense, to be ‘in wilderness’ means to be ‘on your own’ and out of relationship with God.

This is why, wilderness survival of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel is important story to reflect upon! Mark 1: 9-13 gives us details of Jesus’ baptism and the exemplary way Christ endured evil one’s temptations.

In Mark’s gospel, things tend to happen rather ‘immediately’, so we hear post baptism, ‘immediately’ Jesus was led into wilderness to be tempted. But before we go to wilderness temptations, let us retrace Jesus baptism story. At the time of Jesus baptism we have heard, of a voice declaring: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. Let us pause there for a second and reflect what is obvious. Why would God say such thing? What does God’s words symbolise here?

As humans, we know we might miss the mark at times, but not God! At Jesus baptism, God proclaimed three things: ‘you are my Son’, two: ‘I love you’, three: ‘I am well pleased with you.’ Perhaps these words are a sign of Father’s love and care towards his son? Wouldn’t we see expressions of such tender care, love and fellowship even in everyday relationships?  For example, a parent might demonstrate similar care and love, when they their child goes out of home to play or work. A loving voice of a parent might send them saying, ‘be careful, I love you’.

Recently, my nephew started school, we were told, little fella needed so many assurances before he put his foot into the new school. Each day, his mother constantly reminded him that, he was well loved by her, and she only wanted best for him, that is the whole reason why they were sending him to school. The little fella might have thought, his parents were being unkind to him, sending him to a strange place called school – a unique wilderness for him! The truth is eventually he will discover benefits of going to school, as he makes friends, and settles in, the thought of going to school won’t seem bad after all. The words of assurance his mother spoke on the first days of school will become real to him, as he learns to spend away from his toys and ‘comforts of his home.’ Whether sending a child to school, or sports field, university, overseas, etc, parents need to say words which assure a child of constant love, support, and care. Such security in identity, instils a sense of confidence to face challenges of the ‘real’ world.

Maybe that is what Heavenly Father is up to here with Jesus. Giving words of approval as sign of his love. Father preparing Son to remain strong to endure what is ahead of him. Guess what? At your baptism, God said these words to you as well: ‘You are my beloved son/daughter, in you I am well pleased.’ Today we witnessed an adult baptism, what a joy it is witness God giving a new life to this fine young man. Let me tell you newly baptised friend, God your redeemer also spoke these words upon your life. Baptism is the sign of God’s love and tender care towards all of us. By that love, he called us into his family. There is nothing we could do to change His love towards us. The Word of God (Ephesians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 1: 2) promises, all baptised people are marked by God for life and salvation by the power of the gospel. The seal of baptism is meant to give us such confidence. As each day of our wilderness journey passes by, our salvation draws near, because we are baptised.

It is God’s nature to give us signs to make us secure. To the descendants of Noah, God gave a sign in the sky (rainbow) that flood waters will never destroy all life on earth. Same God also gives us a sign through waters of baptism. Listen to this promise from the Epistle reading for us today:

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—…(offering) the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3: 18-21).

Baptism identifies us as children of God. Baptismal journey provides forgiveness of sins, and renewal of our being. Just as water removes dirt from our bodies, in the same way waters of baptism removes our sin. While the journey starts on baptism day, our renewal must happen each day. Just as we need to take shower on a regular basis to keep clean, because by nature we collect dust, in the same way, to keep clean conscience we ought to return to the promises of repentance and renewal in baptismal life (Romans 6: 3-4). This we must, because the evil one works around the clock to drag us into despair about who we really are. Jesus warned us saying, the evil one comes to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10), that is his obvious target! Not even Jesus was spared by the devil. Knowing this nature of the evil one, our Lord Jesus taught us to pray: ‘lead us not into temptation.’ How do we make sense of this petition of the Lord’s Prayer?

Martin Luther explained it this way in Small Catechism (Lord’s Prayer, Article 6):

God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.

No one is exempt from temptations, so, we ought to pray for victory. Because Satan did not even leave Jesus alone, fully knowing God declared Jesus as his beloved son already, the deceiver still gave a shot, testing to see if Jesus would miss the obvious, forget to remember he is beloved Son of God.

The devil treated Jesus baptism as if it were a show, questioning his real identity. Satan’s line of attack was, alright Jesus, there is no one here; put away the act now; it is just you and me. Even today, this line of attack does not change much. The evil one still asks for a reality check from behind closed doors. The tempter might as well say to us, ‘sure I know what you are truly like in the public, at church, a well-behaved perfect lady or perfect gentlemen, but is that the real you?’ Then it comes up with a list of accusations against us. The evil one might remind us of the debt that we owe, the problems we carry, sins we have committed, with the sole intent to make us guilty, to shame, to humiliate us, to destroy hope, and lay heavy burden of punishment over our conscience. The deceivers plan is to rob us of baptismal future. The real question to the child of God, this lent is how will you handle this temptation? Will you give up or give in to anger or rage as you battle through life?

Remember the danger of missing the obvious. In times of temptation, rather than going to ‘self’ searching for answers, flee to Christ for refuge. Remember your salvation is already a reality because of your newfound identity. By the nature of your baptism, you are now a child of God. Your Heavenly Father is already pleased with you, ever since he adopted you into his family. The parameters for such love do not rely on your worthiness or deservedness, but purely on your Saviour’s unconditional love toward you, and has relentless compassion and grace for you.

The cross that sits at front and centre of our worship life reminds us of this. The point of season of lent is to remind us of completed work of God. Christ already won the victory for us! Jesus was 100% God at the same time was also 100% human when he achieved this. As flesh and blood, Jesus, did not give into temptation, but resisted it for forty days. Fully human, neither was Jesus complacent, nor was he rebellious. Unlike us, he did not succumb to temptation, did not break God’s commandments, but remained perfect, and obedient all the way to the point of death. Therefore, God has raised him from the grave and gave him authority over all things. Jesus’ authority surpasses the authority of the devil, death, and hell. By this authority, our brother Jesus, grants grace to us by pouring new life over us.

Martin Luther said these words about baptism: “…God who in this sacrament showers upon us the vast and boundless riches of his grace. He himself calls it a ‘new birth,’ through which we are being freed from the devil’s tyranny and loosed from sin, death, and hell, become children of life, heirs of all God’s possessions. God’s own children, and brothers and sisters of Christ.

Ah, dear Christians, let us not value and treat this unspeakable gift so half-heartedly. For Baptism is our only comfort and doorway to all God’s possessions and to the communion of all the saints…” (From the Service of Holy Baptism). This is obvious and the plain truth.

Such is the blessed life we are called to because of baptism. So, brothers and sisters as you leave this place today go out remembering your God-given identity through your baptism. Go out rejoicing and thanking God for His on-going presence with you, in the water, in the word, in the body and blood. Go out remembering the obvious and praise God for his love and tender care towards you. Child of God, in times of temptation, remember Christ has already won the battle. Stay secure in the promise of the gospel, with Jesus your brother on your side.

The peace of God that surpasses all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen.