The Baptism of Our Lord - Luke 3:15-22

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[Luke 3:15-22] As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people… 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus Supplies the Spirit

There’s what a thing is on the outside, and there’s the inward substance of the thing that fully makes it what it is. A stuffed bear without its stuffing isn’t finished yet. Filling it with its stuffing makes it what it is.

Thanksgiving Day is just a day on the calendar until you fill it with family, guests, and food. A body without its soul is lifeless. With its soul it’s a living being.

And water is just water, until it’s filled with Jesus Christ and all He brings to it. Then it’s a Baptism. In today’s Gospel, Jesus brings Himself and the Holy Spirit into Baptism to make it what it is – “a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit.” [Small Catechism; Titus 3:5-8]

What is Baptism? What does it do? How can water do such great things?

Let’s look at today’s Gospel. John the Baptist – which means John the Baptizer – came baptizing in the Jordan River with “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” [Luke 3:3].

Many were coming out to be baptized by John the Baptist, and they began to wonder, “Could he be the Christ?” [Luke 3:15]. John answered them, “I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” [Luke 3:16]

John provided the water. Jesus would come and provide its saving substance. Not apart from the water, but intimately connected to it. Jesus comes and steps into that Baptism.

“When all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized…” we heard today [Luke 3:21-22]. And in the other Gospels, “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” [Matthew 3:13; Mark 1:9-10]

The sinless Son of God – the “Word of God made flesh” “through whom all things were made” [John 1:1-3,14], including all water – puts Himself into that Baptism meant for sinners. Jesus does this to “fulfill all righteousness” [Matthew 3:15].

Jesus puts Himself into Baptism to connect to it all that He would do to make fallen sinners righteous to God – and to bring to them His Holy Spirit: “…when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove” [Luke 3:21-22]. “…immediately he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” [Mark 1:9-10]

“I baptize you with water… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” [Luke 3:16]. All that Jesus would do as Savior – His cross and resurrection to win the forgiveness of sins for the world, to open heaven, to bring down the Holy Spirit for our rebirth and renewal – Jesus brought all this into Baptism, making it what it is by filling it with Himself and His work.

The work Jesus has done for your salvation and His sending of the Holy Spirit are not something separate from the water. They are always connected to the water.

John said “one mightier than I will come” and Jesus came to the water of Baptism, and there in that Baptism we first see the Holy Spirit come.

Jesus completed His bringing of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, when He poured out the Spirit in full measure from heaven upon His disciples as flames of fire (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit is then, on that very day, promised to the rest of the people – and to us – through Baptism:

(Peter said in his sermon that day) “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” [Acts 2:38]

And our Epistle reading from Holy Scripture today tells us that it’s in Baptism that we come to the saving death and resurrection of Jesus: “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.” [Romas 6:3-4]

John baptized with water. Jesus brought to it Himself, the Holy Spirit, the opening of heaven, and the word from His Father: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

This is everything that now comes to you in Baptism. The pastor supplies the water. Jesus supplies Himself, His saving work, and His Holy Spirit as the substance – as the stuffing – which fills that Baptismal water.

This is why Scripture can attach such great promises to the water of Baptism, such as “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” [Mark 16:16] and “Baptism now saves you” [1 Peter 3:21].

Baptism makes us disciples of Jesus [Matthew 28:19], gives us the forgiveness of sins [Acts 2:38], washes the Church clean to be His Bride [Ephesians 5:25-27], and is for our children – “the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off” [Acts 2:39].

Some object that such great things cannot be done through physical things like water. But we should remember that God is the Creator of physical things – and He is saving physical creatures.

In fact, everything God has done for your salvation involves physical means. The Son of God became flesh. He was hung with metal nails upon a wooden cross. He shed His blood. He was raised bodily. As we saw in today’s Gospel, even the Holy Spirt came in a bodily form.

Even God’s Word comes to you physically. It’s written with ink on paper. It’s spoken with a man’s vocal cords, travels as sound waves in the air, and hits your eardrum to make it vibrate.

Unsurprisingly then, God has attached His saving work and His Holy Spirit also to water to be poured on your head – and to bread and wine to be eaten and drunk.

When we call upon the name of the Lord to be saved [Romans 10:13; Acts 22:16], we are calling upon the one who works in these physical ways. When we are saved by faith alone [Romans 3:22; 4:3-5], we are trusting, by faith, in the one who works in these physical ways.

John the Baptist had the water – he had the bear without the stuffing – until Jesus came and filled Baptism with Himself and His Holy Spirit.

Let’s give thanks to God and live every day remembering and aware that Jesus has now given – and gives daily – Himself and His Spirit to us through the same means, through the water of Baptism in God’s triune name. Amen.