[Titus 1:1-9] Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; 4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior…
For the Sake of Faith
For the health of your body, you call upon someone to be your doctor. To make your children into safe and capable drivers, you call upon someone to be their driving instructor. To become an accountant or an engineer, you go to college and call upon someone to be professor.
And, for the sake of saving faith in Christ – that you may be children of God, saved by faith alone – God created the preaching office, the office of teaching and preaching God’s Word. So, a congregation calls for itself a pastor.
Today, on the Church’s calendar, is the feast of St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor. In the New Testament scriptures, we get two main examples of young men serving as pastors – Timothy and Titus. Titus, like Timothy, was a pastor of God’s flock, a confessor of the saving Gospel.
The book called “Titus” in the Bible is a letter, not written by Titus, but written by the Apostle Paul to Titus – “To Titus, my true child in a common faith…” Titus was a young man – a gentile, a non-Israelite – who accompanied Paul and was made a pastor, an under-shepherd of the true Shepherd, Jesus, for God’s people in an area called Crete.
In the New Testament, the terms Elder, Shepherd, and Overseer (bishop) are used interchangeably [Titus 1:5,7] to refer to the same people: Men called to care for and oversee a congregation of God’s people by preaching God’s Word. What we call a pastor.
Titus is, for now, responsible for an entire region in Crete. Paul is writing to Titus from prison in Rome (68 AD). This is during Paul’s second imprisonment for the Gospel just before his martyrdom.
When Paul was hauled away, he appointed Titus to finish his work of finding men to be elders/overseers in the various towns in Crete: “…This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” [Titus 1:5]
The appointing of elders/pastors/overseers has a purpose – the same purpose there is for pastors today. The same purpose the Apostle Paul had in his ministry, which he mentions in the introduction of this letter: Saving faith in Christ. That the Word of God may work saving faith into hearts. “…for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth.”
How can a sinner become right with God? How does an unbeliever become a believer? How can our ungodly nature decrees and godliness increase? By the power of God’s Word preached.
But our natural tendency – the tendency of our fallen nature – is to look to ourselves. The job of the preacher is to constantly proclaim the saving work of Jesus to direct your faith to your Savior.
We know that, on our own, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God…” And that “by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight” – “since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” [Romans 3:10-11,20]
And we know this: that “the righteousness of God” – in a sinner – is “through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” – “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith.” [Romans 3:22-25]
Therefore, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:13]. But, here’s the question: “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” [Romans 10:14-17]
Faith in Jesus comes through hearing. Faith in Jesus comes through hearing about Jesus – hearing of His death and resurrection for sinners. Faith doesn’t come by our own strength or reason. Faith is the work of the Holy Spirit who comes to our hearts in the message of the cross of Jesus about what He has done for you.
So, if you would be saved by faith in Jesus, be a hearer of His Word. Because faith comes by hearing. And hearing comes when there is someone preaching. This is the purpose of the pastoral ministry. Just as we have doctors for the health of our bodies, the Church has preachers and shepherds for the sake of saving faith in Christ.
The “knowledge of the truth” about God’s love in Christ, and “the faith of God’s elect” in that truth, is also the source – the fountain – of all good works and growing-godliness in us. We don’t naturally know how to live the new life Christ has given us. But “the knowledge of the truth” “accords with godliness.” The preacher preaches the Gospel to give life and then preaches God’s commandments to give us guidance in that new life.
Just as you utilize your doctor – asking questions or bringing up health issues – utilize your pastor. Ask the questions you have. Ask for Bible studies on the issues you’re thinking about. Seek guidance. Ask to be visited. Seek comfort and God’s forgiveness spoken to you. Increase the use of the pastor God has put in your life. (That’s what we want!)
And, consider this: The Apostle Paul writes to the young pastor, Titus, in today’s Scripture reading because pastors are sinners too who fall short of their tasks and as persons. In this letter to Titus, the assurance of the Gospel by faith, not by works, is given [Titus 3:4-7] – and the comfort of baptism – which speaks to both Titus and his flock hearing this letter.
Also, helpful instruction and guidance is given in this letter – including a reminder about the expectations for an elder/overseer: “…the husband of one wife” – “his children are believers” – “above reproach” – “not arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain” – “but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined” – holding “firm to the trustworthy word as taught” – “able to give instruction in sound doctrine” and to “rebuke those who contradict it.” [Titus 1:6-9]
Scripture gives requirements to the preachers: “Pay careful attention… to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God…” [Acts 20:28] — And requirements to the hearers: “Respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and who admonish you… esteem them very highly in love” [1 Thessalonians 5:12-13] – “for they are keeping watch over your souls…” [Hebrews 13:17]
Lastly, because of the work of saving faith that Christ works through the preaching of the Gospel, our Savior Himself urges us to pray that more such laborers would enter His harvest field – “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few… Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” [Luke 10:2]
The Church must pray – and men must consider if perhaps they may be called to enter the harvest in the role of pastors. Every man in the pulpit was once a layperson in the pew. God does call men from His flock into this ministry. Pray and consider and encourage one another.
Lastly last of all, do pray for and encourage your current pastor. Pastors are fellow redeemed sinners – who cannot do this task without the prayers and encouraging attitudes of God’s people – nor can we do this task without the forgiveness and patience of God’s people, and assurance of God’s forgiveness in Christ. [Isaiah 6:5-8]
Let’s give thanks to God for Titus and Timothy and Saint Paul and for all the pastors in our lives through whom each of us has heard the saving Word of Christ. Amen.
[John 2:1-11] On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
The Best Wine Comes Last
Talk about brides and grooms – white dresses, tuxedos, and flowers – wedding ceremonies – and especially, finally, the wedding feast at the reception – generally brings thoughts of joy. The day of marriage, the uniting of a man and woman, is joyous. Although, the many preparations to make that day possible might be painful.
Another sign of joy in the Bible – the joy of God’s people – is flowing and abundant wine. The wedding feast at Cana in Galilee – which Jesus’ mother attended and to which He and His disciples were also invited – was certainly a joyous occasion, but the wine ran out.
The mother of our Lord, having some idea about what her Son can supply, tells Him: “They have no wine.”
Jesus, who had not yet healed any sick, raised the dead, or performed any signs manifesting (revealing) Himself to be the Son of God – and whose hour had not yet come – says, “Woman, what does that have to do with Me?” (Jesus referred to Mary as the Woman in Genesis 3:15 whose Offspring would be the Savior.)
It was not yet the hour for Jesus to provide the wine He came to provide, but He does concede and provides wine for that wedding in Cana – by means of a miracle, pointing to what He would be accomplishing when His hour does come.
His mother tells the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” There were six stone water jars present, with a capacity of twenty to thirty gallons a piece. Jesus tells them to fill the jars with water, which they do to the brim. “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast,” He says. So they take it.
The master of the feast, upon tasting the water that has now become wine – not knowing that it has come from the Lord – says to the groom, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Usually, the good wine comes first. But, in this case, the good wine has come last.
It is fitting that the first of Christ’s signs – revealing His glory – would be done at a wedding. In Scripture, God and His people are depicted as Groom & Bride: “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name… for the Lord has called you like a wife… like a wife of youth.” [Isaiah 54:5]
Weddings are joyous and create a life-long bond. The dividing of a marriage is therefore painful and destructive – whether it’s caused by infidelity, abandonment, or abuse – hardheartedness – or by a misguided decision to divorce.
To fix such a division is difficult and takes sacrifice. To fail in marriage is sin. But there is forgiveness in Jesus. Being wronged in marriage hurts. But there is healing in Jesus.
In Scripture, God Himself is found to be Groom in a nearly divorced marriage - due to His people’s unfaithfulness: “You trusted in your beauty and were unfaithful… and lavished your unfaithfulness on any passerby” [Ezekiel 16:15]. “‘You have played the harlot with many lovers, and would you return to Me,’ declares the Lord.” [Jeremiah 3:1]
Yet He did promise to bring her back: “You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her” [Isaiah 62:4]. At His hour, Jesus made the sacrifice to reunite us to Himself.
Jesus’ hour is the cross. Upon the cross, Jesus made the atoning sacrifice to forgive your sins – to forgive your unfaithfulness to the One who is yours.
Under the Law of God, marital infidelity was a capital crime – it warranted the death penalty. Upon the cross, Jesus, God-in-the-flesh, suffered that death penalty in His unfaithful Bride’s place – the penalty we owed.
Jesus’ death in our place created a pardon and a washing that makes us His again. What was accomplished fully in His hour on the cross has been applied to us, in our time, in Holy Baptism: “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” [Ephesians 5:25-27]
Jesus made you presentable to Him once and for all – “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” [Isaiah 1:18]
What does this mean? It means for us that we now live in the best of times. We often look with nostalgia to the past for better times. But the reality is that whatever might be happening in the world in our day, we, each of us, still live in the very best of times.
You and I do not live in the times of Moses or the Prophets who hoped for this salvation to come. We live in the time when it already has come. We do not live in the time of a rocky relationship with our God. We live in the time when that union has already been repaired by the Savior Jesus. The best of times have come last.
We do not live in the time when we were not His people. We live in the time when we are His people – Jew or Gentile – by faith in Christ, which has spread across the globe. The better wine has come last – the greater joy. We live in the later, better time.
And the best of the best time is yet to come, and many of our loved ones in the faith have gone ahead to it – the wedding reception. The Wedding Feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom. The forever-Wedding Banquet of heaven. The family reunion in Christ Jesus to which we will soon come. That best of the best wine is coming last and forever. Amen.
[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.
