Brothers and sisters, peace be with you as we continue through the season of Epiphany. I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to grant you greater and deeper insight into Jesus’ identity and His saving work, so that you may grow in faith and appreciation of Him.
A shrimp boil and sale are scheduled for Saturday January 25, from 11 am to 2 pm or we sell out. In the past we have also added cookies and other baked goods. Let Lance Hartman know if you would like to help. Price is $15 per plate. We also sell by the pound. Let your friends and neighbors know.
On Sunday January 12 we , like many congregations, will celebrate the baptism of Jesus. We will be using the liturgy of Divine Service Setting One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. There will be a brief review of the Small Catechism’s instruction on baptism (LSB p.325). We will once again be substituting hymn #935, a versification of the Magnificat, for the Kyrie and the Gloria Excelsis.
Hymns chosen for the day are #398 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed; #401 From God the Father, Virgin Born; #616 Baptismal Waters Cover Me; and #598 Once in Blest Baptismal Waters.
Scripture readings assigned to the day are Psalm 29:1-11; Isaiah 43:1-7; Romans 6:1-11; and Luke 3:15-22.
Psalm 29 is a psalm of David. The psalm has imagery we might compare to a severe thunderstorm. David makes several allusions to God’s mighty voice echoing over the waters. His Word can come in judgment with destructive power. But in His grace, God uses His power for your good. God attaches His words of forgiveness to the waters of baptism which deliver to us the new life that only He can give. So, we join David in worshipping God, ascribing to Him the glory and strength due to Him.
In Isaiah 43, the prophet speaks of trouble and judgment in terms of destruction by flood waters and consuming fires. God uses Isaiah to speak to the people of Israel. They are about to be attacked by the Assyrian army, and years later by the Babylonian army. They are both instruments of God’s judgment. But God encourages the people of Israel (and us) that His judgment will not harm us or others who carry His name, for He who created us, will also redeem us. In baptism, God marks you as his own and puts His name upon you, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. You are His precious possession. He has bought you with the blood of Jesus. So, He will stand in your stead and take your punishment upon Himself because you are dear to Him. One day God will gather you to be near Him. So, you should not fear the future. God keeps His promises.
In the sixth chapter of his letter to the Romans, St. Paul urges people to refrain from sinning. Such action is impossible for a person without God. Even with God, new obedience is difficult. We are discouraged when we fail. So, Paul begins the chapter writing about the power of baptism. In baptism you and I are given a new identity and a new status before God. We are connected to Jesus. it is like we have already died and been buried with Him and raised from the dead to have new life with Him. Jesus died to sin, paying the cost to release us from its control. So, we should also consider ourselves dead to sin.
In the gospel reading for the day, St. Luke summarizes events surrounding Jesus’ baptism. In a way we get to eavesdrop as God’s voice from heaven identifies Jesus as His beloved Son. Jesus our humble and sinless Savior undergoes an anointing intended for sinners. As a current television commercial puts it, God gets us. He knows that without Jesus we would be lost in sins judgment. But Jesus in His grace connects Himself to you, and by the power of the Holy Spirit transforms you into a child of God, with all the heavenly benefits that includes.
COLLECT: 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; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about Sunday’s lessons. God bless you. Pastor Boster
