January 9, 2022 – Baptism of our Lord Text: Luke 3:15-22
Dear Friends in Christ,
Zeno of Elea was a 5th century BC mathematician and philosopher known for paradoxical thought experiments. Here is one such experiment. Imagine walking across a street. Now imagine that after your first step, you are required to limit each further step to one half of the distance of the previous step. You take a two-foot step and then a one-foot step and then a six-inch step and then a three-inch step. The paradox occurs because we keep halving our distance in miniscule movements. In other words, Zeno is observing the possibility of constant, forward motion that never arrives at a destination. Zeno’s paradox has us always moving, seemingly making progress, but never getting anywhere.
Ever felt that way about life? Or equate the paradox with eternity? Will you get where you want and need to go? And what does this have to do with Jesus’ Baptism? Let’s find out together . . .
“THE DESTINATION IS IN SIGHT!”
Our eyes are directed in our Gospel lesson to people in expectation. They are waiting for something to happen. The Israelites could appreciate Zeno’s thought experiment. For generations they moved a lot but never seemed to get to their desired destination.
The people were expectant but also in a predicament. Caesar and the Roman Empire oppressed them. Herod and their local government abused them. They were weary of their national heritage and their earthly descendancy from Abraham was getting them nowhere. Heaven certainly appeared closed on this day.
We identify with their predicament. We have our own troubled days. We too experience weary frustration on the banks of the Covid River. We have seen the failure of human knowledge, human rules, and human government to bring us to the destination that we seek. We are men and women endlessly moving, but never getting anywhere.
Since the Fall we are powerless to do anything about it. Stubbornly we refuse to admit we have a problem. After all, we are moving forward, aren’t we? If we just try a little more we will get there, won’t we?
The people in our text think the amazing John might be their solution. John understands his limited power and unworthiness. He can’t even untie sandals. Human beings can’t create things that aren’t there. The dinner you make is limited by the ingredients that you have. If we expect human solutions from the ingredients of human knowledge, human rules, human politics, human ability, we will always be disappointed, always moving but never getting anywhere.
Don’t despair, oh little soul. Everything changes in verse 21: “When Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened.” The heavens are opened! The destination is in sight! For the first time since the Garden of Eden and for all time evermore, the destination is reachable. The Son of God, fully human, yet fully divine, in future time and timelessly crucified and risen from the dead, enters the waters of Baptism. In this man the finite and infinite are miraculously made into one. “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” (v. 22)
Jesus Christ is revealed by the Father’s voice. Jesus, the only perfect human worthy of perfection has opened the infinite destination. It is opened because He is the Creator of that destination. Heaven is open to Christ because it belongs to Him.
How does Jesus’ baptism end our predicament? Because Jesus, Word in the flesh, in a miraculous way; remains in the water of Baptism. He enters the water for all of eternity so that He might meet us in our Baptism.
In the water of our Baptism, our failures as humans are killed with Christ upon the cross. The life-giving Spirit creates faith, which gives this life. Paul writes, “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.” (Rom. 6:3-4)
Rejoice! The destination is in sight! What you could not achieve yourself has been granted to you by the power of God’s Son. You have the assurance of heaven. Have confidence in the Baptism of Jesus. Have confidence in your Baptism. We were powerless when Water and Word were used at our place of Baptism. We are still powerless to progress to our destination. Christ has ended our predicament, He has solved our problem, and He provides the means to arrive at our heavenly home. True progress has been provided. The destination is in sight!
Amen.