Lowly is our theme for today as we consider the Baptism of Jesus.
It especially comes from our Epistle, 1 Cor. 1:27 – God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
Jesus submits Himself to a low position, receiving the baptism of John, a baptism for repentance, even though He needed no repentance. John initially prevents Jesus,
I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? But Jesus answered him, Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.
And the days theme is especially brought out in the prayer of the day that we would all consider never consider our baptism as lowly, but instead treasure it as we pray:
Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life…
I honestly don’t know if it’s still popular, but for a long time this PBS series called the Antiques Road Show was incredibly popular.
People would bring things like furniture and jewelry, paintings and collectors items to a large show and have them appraised. They’d tell the story of how they got it or how they received it from their family and then the appraiser would often tell a more detailed story of that piece and finally would reveal how much it was worth.
It could be junk or it could be an incredible but shocking treasure.
The shows appeal I think is because we all might wonder if we too might possess a treasure in hiding. We see the great worth something has and we start to have hope that we too might benefit from having an appraiser reveal the worth of what we have.
Well, today, your Jesus gives you an appraisal of your baptism, again.
You might have a story of your own. A particular time in your life when you were baptized. An article of clothing passed down from generations. A special person or pastor who was there.
But you really don’t know the value of your baptism until Jesus appraises it for you.
And He speaks of the hidden treasure of baptism all the time in Scripture.
Baptism now saves you (1 Peter 3). Jesus washes you with water and the Word and presents you holy and blameless before the Father (Ephesians 5). Jesus forgives all of your sins and gives the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). You’re buried with Christ in a death like His and will certainly be united with Christ in a resurrection like His (Romans 6).
You have a treasure in this gift of baptism. Your baptism is worth more than anything in this life because it lasts more than anything in this life.
So, today, listen to your appraiser, again. Listen to Jesus.
And trust that He knows the full story. Listen, because this treasure of baptism is so easily despised.
There are many, and you know some of them, who throw it away because they think it’s not worth anything.
We are tempted to not treasure our baptism, because it appears as Paul in 1 Corinthians might give us some words, baptism appears foolish, weak, low.
Don’t we need something more powerful day to day activity and struggles and sufferings.
What does your baptism have to do with the news that you have cancer?
What does baptism have to do with your struggle against anger or an addiction or anxiety or depression?
Don’t you need something more to get you through the weariness and discouragement and of the daily grind? Something wiser to get you through the anger and confusion and lies of this world.
We are sometimes not very good appraisers of the true treasures of this life or of the most important gifts of God He gives us.
Money, health, a life free of suffering or pain.
Looking out for ourselves, doing what feels good and right, not being criticized or corrected by others or even by God.
When we are sick or lonely or disappointed or confused or as to the right way or weary of going that right way, our souls need Jesus tell us the story of what we should treasure the most, to give us an appraisal of the hidden treasures He constantly gives us.
It’s lowly, it’s humble, it’s not impressive.
But we preach Christ crucified.
It’s a stumbling block to much of the world. Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, they want something more, more impressive but to us who are being saved, Christ crucified, and our baptism which unites us to Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
God has the final say in all things. All things will finally be appraised by Him. The wisdom of the wise apart from Him will be foolish. The strength of the strong apart from Him will be weak.
But you are not apart from Him. And He is never apart from you.
That’s baptism. That’s the promise. And God does not lie.
You are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
What Jesus does for you in allowing Himself to be baptized in part shows you that He treasures baptism.
But He also begins to show you that He is God who has come to be with sinners.
The Father is pleased that Jesus came for you and I and all the world of sinners. That’s His appraisal of Jesus saving you, there in the waters with the sins of the world. This is my beloved Son, fulfilling all righteousness. I am well pleased.
The Spirit descends on Christ in the form of the dove, strengthening Him in His mission to save you – to not grow faint or be discouraged until He has fulfilled all righteousness.
The act of your salvation, from Christ’s baptism to His crucifixion and resurrection and receiving all the benefits that heaven has been opened and given in your baptism, the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is all in until it is all finished.
Finished on the cross, given you to you in baptism, strengthening you in faith today in His gifts as you grow weary and discouraged, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
Your baptism is the promise of God that in the midst of sickness and struggles and sufferings, you don’t need something more than Him.
Because in Him, we are more than conquerors.
And we are in Him. He put us Himself. Baptism in His Name, baptized into Christ.
You have this as a treasure.
And you ought be reminded by He who is all strength and all wisdom and all power what a treasure it is to be baptized in Him.
As you tire of the daily calling as a Christian to love and serve and be wise in the daily grind of the home and the workplace,
as you find your works of love be so very unimpressive, that’s ok, consider your calling, not many of us are wise or powerful or of noble birth, but God uses us. God called us. God strengthens us in our callings as husbands and wives, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, workers and friends.
We don’t have to see our good works as impressive. They don’t either. Our good works are not meant for us to boast in any way.
Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
Our good works are meant to serve our neighbor, even as they also show us how weary and discouraged we grow by our own strength.
All so we might look forward to our Sundays when the Lord that He is here again to give us an appraisal of us. You are His beloved. He is well pleased with you. Heaven is open.
What a treasure you have in your baptism. You just need to listen to Jesus tell more of the story of the worth you and of the treasure you have in Him.