Epiphany 1 – The Baptism of Our Lord January 10, 2021
Isaiah 42:1-7
A Servant Who Saves!
v.3 a bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
Dear friends in Christ, this past week we in the church transitioned from the blessed season of Christmas (celebrating the nativity of Jesus) to the season of Epiphany (the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles—Christmas to the non-Jews, if you will). You will recall that prior to Christmas, during the preparatory season of Advent, we heard the call of Isaiah the prophet, noting that God would send One who would comfort His people (40:1). Today, as we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord Jesus, we find that He is now here—for all! From various sects and idolatries, God calls us to this One Christ who is the unique servant who heals us.
Isaiah prophesying the Word of God in our text today, boldly declared, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations." Hear the good news of our loving God. The Chosen Servant of God has come to help and save God's people. God's own Spirit will rest upon Him. We see this in the account of Jesus' Baptism in the Gospels. As St. Matthew records (3:16), "And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of god descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him…"
Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy from Isaiah. He is the Chosen Servant of God! Boy, don't we need to hear this. The holidays are over, and we are back, once again, to the depressing grind. The pandemic persists. Lockdowns continue. Lives are disrupted. People are hurting—aching for comfort and peace. What is the cure for this? As always, we must take the focus off of ourselves and the world—and put it back on Christ. Listen to what God declares, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights…" Look not to yourselves. Look to my servant—look to Jesus! He has been anointed with the Holy Spirit—to do what? To teach and to save! He is the servant of God—and it is to Him we must listen. As God the Father spoke from the cloud at Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35), "This is my Son, my Chosen one; listen to Him!"
This Jesus comes meekly and gently, proclaiming the love of God to all in need. He does not "cry aloud or lift up His voice, or make it heard in the street…" Jesus does not come to exalt Himself—but rather to deny Himself—to take up the cross for you and for me. At His Baptism, He was immersed in the sin of the world—He took it all into His own flesh—sunk down into its deepest depths—so that on the cross He could suffer and die for it all—for you!
And so, beloved, Jesus comes to you now in tender pastoral care. "A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench…" What is cracked and half broken already He will not break. What is burning feebly He will not snuff out. Those whose inner and outer life is hanging by a thread—in a complete shambles—not only will He not destroy—but rather will save! For Jesus does what we cannot. He redeems and saves—by His perfect fulfilling of the Law of God in its entirety—and by His sacrificial death on the cross—taking our place under the wrath of God—faithfully bringing forth justice by paying the penalty for all sin—so that by faith we might receive forgiveness and mercy—all by His grace.
This is what we receive in Holy Baptism. As St. Paul writes in Romans 6:(3-4, 8, 11), "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life…Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him…So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
Dear friends, you may be bruised reeds—outwardly broken—by the circumstances of this world and life. Your may feel completely lost and alone: family life falling apart—personal life on the brink of destruction—terrified of the great evil and darkness that seemingly plagues your every step. You may be a dimly burning wick—one utterly broken on the inside. Outwardly, you appear fine to all—you put a brave smile on your face—and no one seems to know just how terribly you are hurting on the inside. You may struggle with guilt over your own sin—shame and despair over what you have done in your life against God's clear Word—or what has been inflicted upon you. You may struggle deeply with doubt over the truthfulness of what God has declared in the Scriptures—your faith is weak—just the briefest glimmer in the darkness—the devil anxiously waiting to lick his fingers and put an end to your dim hope—plunging you into everlasting darkness and despair.
What can be said in the face of such dire circumstances? Behold the Servant of the Lord! Behold Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour. Look not to yourselves—look not to your own heart—your own feeble attempts to improve your life—to better yourself, which always fall short. Look not to the strength of your own weak faith. Rather, look outside of yourselves—look to Christ Jesus. He is your strength and your salvation. He is your Rock and your Fortress. You think the devil or the world can assault His great power and might? "He will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth…" He is upheld by God Almighty—indeed Jesus is God Almighty in the flesh! He has been given by the Father in fulfillment of the covenant He made with Abraham—Jesus is the "light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness."
Look to Jesus who is the Light of the world! He beats back the furious assaults of the world by His mighty Word—granting us His own Spirit in Baptism—so that we may be strengthened in our faith—clinging to His Word of hope, no matter what befalls us in this life. Furthermore, Jesus calmly smiles in the face of the devil's infuriated roar—protecting us from his fiery arrows with the shield of faith. Faith given to you in your Baptism. Faith firmly established by water and the Word of God. What have you to fear—you who have the Holy Name of God upon you?! You have been marked with the cross of Christ who bled and died and for you! You have died with Him in your Baptism and now have been raised to eternal life in Him who has conquered sin, death, and the devil for you.
Whether afflicted with a guilty conscience or a frightening world—look to Christ—and remember your Baptism. That which took place outside of you, and which no one and no thing can ever undo. When lost and hurting, frightened and alone, assaulted by the evil one—you can boldly say, "Be gone Satan! For I am baptized into Christ! He has washed me clean of all sin—He has given me His life and salvation—and promised me a home in His heavenly kingdom. Scowl and rage all you want—I rest secure in Him."
Indeed, for Jesus was Baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit for the very purpose of binding up the brokenhearted. He will not break you who are bruised and battered by the storms of this life in this broken world. He will not extinguish the faith of those who struggle against the madly persistent assaults of the devil and their own sinful flesh. Rather, Jesus has come to care for you—to heal your deep wounds of sin and death—and He will fan the flame of your faith into a bright and shining light for all the world to see. Through the power of the Word and Sacraments, Christ comes to give you His forgiveness and mercy—all by His grace. Your eyes have been opened to Him who is the Light of the world. He has brought you out of the prison house of the darkness of sin and death by the Light of His death and resurrection for you.
So hear the Word and promise of God, "I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you." You, too, have been called in righteousness through your Baptism into Christ. He has taken you by the hand—and He will keep you now and forevermore, according to His grace and mercy, by the blood that He shed for you. Truly, thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Isaiah 42:1-7
A Servant Who Saves!
v.3 a bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
Dear friends in Christ, this past week we in the church transitioned from the blessed season of Christmas (celebrating the nativity of Jesus) to the season of Epiphany (the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles—Christmas to the non-Jews, if you will). You will recall that prior to Christmas, during the preparatory season of Advent, we heard the call of Isaiah the prophet, noting that God would send One who would comfort His people (40:1). Today, as we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord Jesus, we find that He is now here—for all! From various sects and idolatries, God calls us to this One Christ who is the unique servant who heals us.
Isaiah prophesying the Word of God in our text today, boldly declared, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations." Hear the good news of our loving God. The Chosen Servant of God has come to help and save God's people. God's own Spirit will rest upon Him. We see this in the account of Jesus' Baptism in the Gospels. As St. Matthew records (3:16), "And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of god descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him…"
Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy from Isaiah. He is the Chosen Servant of God! Boy, don't we need to hear this. The holidays are over, and we are back, once again, to the depressing grind. The pandemic persists. Lockdowns continue. Lives are disrupted. People are hurting—aching for comfort and peace. What is the cure for this? As always, we must take the focus off of ourselves and the world—and put it back on Christ. Listen to what God declares, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights…" Look not to yourselves. Look to my servant—look to Jesus! He has been anointed with the Holy Spirit—to do what? To teach and to save! He is the servant of God—and it is to Him we must listen. As God the Father spoke from the cloud at Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35), "This is my Son, my Chosen one; listen to Him!"
This Jesus comes meekly and gently, proclaiming the love of God to all in need. He does not "cry aloud or lift up His voice, or make it heard in the street…" Jesus does not come to exalt Himself—but rather to deny Himself—to take up the cross for you and for me. At His Baptism, He was immersed in the sin of the world—He took it all into His own flesh—sunk down into its deepest depths—so that on the cross He could suffer and die for it all—for you!
And so, beloved, Jesus comes to you now in tender pastoral care. "A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench…" What is cracked and half broken already He will not break. What is burning feebly He will not snuff out. Those whose inner and outer life is hanging by a thread—in a complete shambles—not only will He not destroy—but rather will save! For Jesus does what we cannot. He redeems and saves—by His perfect fulfilling of the Law of God in its entirety—and by His sacrificial death on the cross—taking our place under the wrath of God—faithfully bringing forth justice by paying the penalty for all sin—so that by faith we might receive forgiveness and mercy—all by His grace.
This is what we receive in Holy Baptism. As St. Paul writes in Romans 6:(3-4, 8, 11), "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life…Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him…So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
Dear friends, you may be bruised reeds—outwardly broken—by the circumstances of this world and life. Your may feel completely lost and alone: family life falling apart—personal life on the brink of destruction—terrified of the great evil and darkness that seemingly plagues your every step. You may be a dimly burning wick—one utterly broken on the inside. Outwardly, you appear fine to all—you put a brave smile on your face—and no one seems to know just how terribly you are hurting on the inside. You may struggle with guilt over your own sin—shame and despair over what you have done in your life against God's clear Word—or what has been inflicted upon you. You may struggle deeply with doubt over the truthfulness of what God has declared in the Scriptures—your faith is weak—just the briefest glimmer in the darkness—the devil anxiously waiting to lick his fingers and put an end to your dim hope—plunging you into everlasting darkness and despair.
What can be said in the face of such dire circumstances? Behold the Servant of the Lord! Behold Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour. Look not to yourselves—look not to your own heart—your own feeble attempts to improve your life—to better yourself, which always fall short. Look not to the strength of your own weak faith. Rather, look outside of yourselves—look to Christ Jesus. He is your strength and your salvation. He is your Rock and your Fortress. You think the devil or the world can assault His great power and might? "He will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth…" He is upheld by God Almighty—indeed Jesus is God Almighty in the flesh! He has been given by the Father in fulfillment of the covenant He made with Abraham—Jesus is the "light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness."
Look to Jesus who is the Light of the world! He beats back the furious assaults of the world by His mighty Word—granting us His own Spirit in Baptism—so that we may be strengthened in our faith—clinging to His Word of hope, no matter what befalls us in this life. Furthermore, Jesus calmly smiles in the face of the devil's infuriated roar—protecting us from his fiery arrows with the shield of faith. Faith given to you in your Baptism. Faith firmly established by water and the Word of God. What have you to fear—you who have the Holy Name of God upon you?! You have been marked with the cross of Christ who bled and died and for you! You have died with Him in your Baptism and now have been raised to eternal life in Him who has conquered sin, death, and the devil for you.
Whether afflicted with a guilty conscience or a frightening world—look to Christ—and remember your Baptism. That which took place outside of you, and which no one and no thing can ever undo. When lost and hurting, frightened and alone, assaulted by the evil one—you can boldly say, "Be gone Satan! For I am baptized into Christ! He has washed me clean of all sin—He has given me His life and salvation—and promised me a home in His heavenly kingdom. Scowl and rage all you want—I rest secure in Him."
Indeed, for Jesus was Baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit for the very purpose of binding up the brokenhearted. He will not break you who are bruised and battered by the storms of this life in this broken world. He will not extinguish the faith of those who struggle against the madly persistent assaults of the devil and their own sinful flesh. Rather, Jesus has come to care for you—to heal your deep wounds of sin and death—and He will fan the flame of your faith into a bright and shining light for all the world to see. Through the power of the Word and Sacraments, Christ comes to give you His forgiveness and mercy—all by His grace. Your eyes have been opened to Him who is the Light of the world. He has brought you out of the prison house of the darkness of sin and death by the Light of His death and resurrection for you.
So hear the Word and promise of God, "I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you." You, too, have been called in righteousness through your Baptism into Christ. He has taken you by the hand—and He will keep you now and forevermore, according to His grace and mercy, by the blood that He shed for you. Truly, thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.