✠ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit ✠

Many Christians would probably say that Christmas is their favorite day in the church’s liturgical calendar. Even if we know that Good Friday and Easter are the high points, the most solemn and festive celebrations in the Church, we just tend to prefer Christmas. We have trees and candles, parties and celebrations, gifts and special music, we even have a whole liturgical season in preparation for Christmas. Christmas is special. It is the celebration of our Lord’s coming in our flesh and blood, born of virgin, born as baby in manager. For us, Christmas is special.

Given the importance that we attribute to Christmas, it should come as shock to us, that two of the Gospels don’t even mention our Lord’s birth. It’s simply not there. No angels. No Shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. No star. No Virgin. No baby Jesus. 

But what none of the Gospel lack or ignore is the Baptism of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all mention our Lord’s baptism. His coming to John. His entry into the waters of the Jordan. The Spirit descending upon Him in the form of dove, and the voice of God the Father declaring that this one, this man, standing in the Jordan, is His beloved Son. 

Isn’t it strange that two of the gospels completely omit our Lord’s birth, but not one of them neglects His baptism? 

For us this is strange—we think that next to his death and resurrection, his Nativity, his birth, is the most important event in the life of Jesus. But our Fathers in the faith, who lived in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries, did not. For them, next to our Lord’s resurrection, they hailed Jesus’ baptism as the event of His life to celebrate and commemorate more than any other. For centuries, the early Christians did not celebrate our Lord’s birth—but they did His baptism. 

So how is it then, that many Christians, even us, hardly think about Jesus’ washing in the Jordan? 

Quite simply: it is strange. Jesus' baptism is unexpected. It’s counterintuitive. His washing in the Jordan defies expectation. 

Of all people who have lived, no one was more prepared for the coming of Jesus than John. John was set apart from his conception in order to make ready the way of the Lord. John was in the wilderness, in the very waters of the Jordan, for this purpose. He was calling to repentance, he was baptizing, all for the purpose of preparing for the coming Christ.

But when Jesus came to John, when He descended into the Jordan in order to be baptized by him, this prophet whom God had sent ahead of Christ, to make His path straight, even he, John, was perplexed. Why is Jesus come to baptized? 

Baptism was the work of John's preparation. A baptism for repentance. A washing for forgiveness. Baptism is for sinners. And this is what John was sent to do. To call sinners to repentance. To drown them in the waters of baptism for their sins. This is why we still today are washed in the waters of baptism. We are sinners in need of forgiveness. We are the rebellious who need to repent. We are the sons of Adam who must be drowned and made new. Baptism is for sinners.

This is what is strange about Jesus' baptism. John has come point sinners to the Messiah. And now before Him stands the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and he is asking to be baptized, no different than all of the countless horde of sinners who entered these waters before him, who submitted themselves to John's baptism of repentance.

This makes no sense. It is Jesus who should be baptizing. For is this not His purpose and work?  For He is the Lamb of God, who has come to take away the sins of the world, baptizing is what we would expect Him to do. It is what John expects. John should be baptized by Jesus.

John is caught off guard. And this is the way of Jesus. This is how God works. Jesus does not work according to the order of human logic. His works defy our expectations. Messiahs are for the purpose of liberation, but the first work of Jesus is to receive a baptism for repentance. God is supposed to be strong, mighty, and powerful, but the God-made-man stands shoulder-to-shoulder with sinners in waters of the Jordan.

In all of the false religions of the world, their so-called gods demonstrate their divinity by acts of brute force and strength. And this is what we expect. They fight and kill, they rape and enslave humans. 

But Jesus comes not to be served, but to serve. He comes not to take life, but to give His life as a ransom for many.  This makes no sense according to human reason. Zeus does not give his life as a sacrifice for the world—and neither does Apollo, nor Athena, nor Thor, nor Oden. The might of the gods was known in their awful power. But the might of Jesus is shown in His awful suffering. 

And so Jesus enters the waters of the Jordan. He is baptized. But Jesus is not baptized for Himself. He has no need of the waters of repentance, because He has nothing for which to repent. He is the spotless lamb who needs no washing.

The strength of God is not shown in brutal acts of might, nor in standing over humanity as slave-master. The strength of God is shown in His weakness. God does not stand over humanity, but He stands with, as one of them. God becomes man. The sinless one stands with sinners. 

But Jesus does not merely stand with sinners in some act of solidarity. Jesus takes your place. Jesus takes your sin. Jesus is baptized as the Messiah, the sacrificial lamb who takes away the sin of the world, by taking the sin of the world onto Himself. He identifies with sinners because He has come to die for them. He identifies with you because He has come to do for you. 

All of our wickedness, our unbelief, our hatred, our lust, our jealousy, all of our brokenness and corruption, He willingly takes upon Himself. 

And His baptism in the Jordan, is completed in His baptism on the cross, where He is submerged in the wrath of the Father. There He drowns and dies, that you might live. Jesus receives the baptism of sinners and so He dies the death of sin. And this is why The Father says “You are my beloved Son.” He stands with sinners. He takes their sin, so that they might take His life. 

The Sinless One is baptized: How strange this is. And thanks be to God, that His ways are not our ways. For Jesus is baptized for you. Jesus dies for you. Your sins are His. And He is yours. And all that He is, is yours through baptism. His Baptism is Your Baptism, joining you to Him; burying you in His death, and raising you by the glory of the Father in His resurrection. You are baptized into Jesus. His Name is given to you. You now belong to Him. His Baptism, His anointing, His inheritance, is yours. 

And so it is that the Father is “well-pleased” with you.

✠ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit ✠