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Sermon for 01-10-2021

First Sunday After Epiphany

(Mark 1:4-11)

“To Fulfill All Righteousness”

Most of us when we prepare ourselves to worship and also to recall

the essential message of God to us remember the story of Jesus and how

forgiveness and salvation come through his name. It is the message of

the cross that we proclaim – of the cross

and the resurrection; yet for many of us proclaiming the message is

difficult.
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We know what the message is --- but we find it difficult to express it

to others --- to get others to really feel and sense the importance of it,

sometimes, even to get others to listen to us because as Paul reminds us

in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “many believe it to be foolish”.

It is about this last thing, about getting others to listen to us, that I

want to speak of today. And I want to do so by

looking at one of the great riddles of Jesus’ life --- the riddle of his

baptism. Theologians, scholars, and people, like you and I are puzzled

as to why Jesus was baptized. Jesus himself tells us

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that he was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness”, but that term is never

explained by him, and there is nothing else in the passage to help us

understand why Jesus, who was sinless, received, at John’s hands, a

baptism for the repentance of sins.

What theologians and bible scholars are all agreed on however is the

fact that the baptism of Jesus, by John at the river Jordan, marked the

beginning of his ministry. Jesus’ baptism was his debut as it were --- his

coming out ceremony --- and at the end of it, he received the approval of

God, who speaks from heaven, and says: “this is my beloved Son, with

whom I am well pleased.”

There is no question that the baptism of Jesus was a significant event,

a turning point in his life and through him --- a turning point in our own

lives.
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So what does the baptism of Jesus show us? How does

understanding it lead and help us into being able to communicate and

share the gospel to others better, and to be able to get others to listen to

us?

The answer is contained in the reason that Jesus gave for his baptism

when John says to him --- in Matthews version in chapter 3: verse 14;

“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

and Jesus responds, “let it be so, for it is proper for us in this way to

fulfill all righteousness.”

Righteousness is an interesting word.

It is found 232 times in the bible --- and in close to half of these

occurrences it refers to the righteousness of God --- to His love and His

justice, to His saving acts and purposes.

In other words, contrary to the popular understanding, the word

“righteousness” does not primarily refer to someone who is living a

good life, rather it refers to a state in which the way of redemption is

actively offered or illustrated by someone.

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To be righteous is not just to be good --- it is to be in the right kind of

relationship with God and with others --- to be in a relationship which

brings salvation, which brings wholeness, which brings the good news

of God’s hope, peace, joy, and love, to others. Righteousness is

something active --- not simply a description of one’s moral state.

Proverbs 11:4 says, “Righteousness delivers from death.”

And again in Proverbs 15:9 we read, “God loves the one who pursues

righteousness” and in Proverbs 21:3 we see these words, “To do

righteousness and justice, is more acceptable to God than sacrifice.”

So when Jesus says to John. “let it be so, for it is proper for us in this

way to fulfill all righteousness” what he is saying is, “do it, it is a good

thing to do --- because in this way we will go further towards saving

others, we will deliver them from death, we will make God’s loving
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purpose more evident, more accessible to others.”

And indeed the baptism of Jesus does help bring the healing word of

God to others; and it shows us, as well, how the saving message of Jesus

is best delivered. It is an outward sign of an inward grace.

There are three points I would like make to today. (Yep --- I do

occasionally give an old fashioned three-point sermon)

First --- the baptism of Jesus shows us that Jesus truly did not count

equality with God a thing to be grasped --- to be held on to. His

baptism, there in the muddy old Jordan --- shows that he identifies with
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us and with our sins --- and not only with God and God’s perfection.

Jesus did not need to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins --- all

agree about this --- but he chose this path --- he chose to be seen with us

--- as one of us --- because in this way so Jesus says --- righteousness is

fulfilled.

Pause for a moment and think about this with me.

If Each one of us here has pronounced the forgiveness and

acceptance of God, we need not have anything more to do with thinking

about ourselves as sinners.

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In fact, according to the bible, we can think of

ourselves as chosen by God, as being selected by him for glory. Yet,

think some more with me --- in our communication with others --- with

those who have not yet really listened to the word of God’s love ---

would this be helpful?

Who gets the better hearing? The perfect person, the one who has

never made a mistake? Or, the one who can stand and say – I know

where you have been, let me help you. I know how difficult it is.

In his baptism Jesus identifies with us. He shows us the way of

righteousness, the way of saving others, is a way of empathy and

understanding --- or putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Unlike

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us who a more like the cartoon… eager to listen to

those around us and less likely to take action with them. I said with

them not for them and not leaving them alone.

Jesus does not “lord” his superior knowledge or virtue over others.

Instead he sits with them in their homes, he eats their food, he answers

their questions, he laughs with them in their joy, and he cries with them

in their grief. And with them, he descends to the Jordan and is washed

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do you want to proclaim the message and be heard in it as was Jesus?

Then you need to identify with the people you are speaking to. You

need to remember how you have “been there” before, and if you have

not actually been there --- well, you still need to try to put yourself in the

other person's shoes, and try to really understand what is going on in

their hearts as well as in their heads.

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True communication can’t be done in an atmosphere of judgement, it

requires understanding, acceptance, and the willingness to link hearts

and minds together.

Second --- Jesus shows us in his baptism that it is important to go

beyond ourselves when seeking to do the work of God --- he shows us

that we should turn to God and seek God’s help when we are trying to

point the way to God to others.

Jesus seeks John out at the Jordan River --- it is no accident that he is

there. Only when we are committed to knowing Christ, can we make

Christ known.

Jesus deliberately goes to a place where God’s power and love were

being proclaimed and he asks for that power and that love to be poured

out upon him in a special act --- an act performed by a special man --- a
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man who was filled with God’s spirit. It is then, and only then, after this

has been done, that Jesus goes on to help others. We often forget this in

our attempt to communicate to others the love of God.

We want to tell the story of Jesus, yet;

 we do not pause to ask ourselves what Jesus would have said or

done in this circumstance, and

 we do not call upon God’s power to assist us in touching their

hearts.

Further, when we speak with others we all too often do not offer them

anything special; --- we do not show them anything different than what

they already have. We do not offer anything that they have not already

been offered. Too often we offer common sense, pop psychology, and

the wisdom we receive from self-help books --- instead of the way of

God that is found in the Word of GOD and in our traditions. My friends,

the gospel we seek to communicate, the saving message we want to

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share, the righteousness we are called to fulfill with Jesus, is not

something that is based on a “self help” model. Salvation is something

that ultimately comes from beyond us. Righteousness is something that

is given to us by God, given as a gift through the very Jesus whose

baptism we are looking at today. When Jesus

wanted to make a beginning, he turned to a spiritual resource. When he

wanted to fulfill all righteousness, he turned to a spiritual man speaking

spiritual words. When he wanted to communicate a spiritual message he

was first baptized in a spiritual river --- the river Jordan.

Jesus turned to these things, and he also pointed them out to others ---

which leads me to the last point.

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Third --- Jesus in his baptism reminds us that we need to set the

example. We are His Disciples.

Jesus was, above all things, authentic in his communications.

When he spoke of being able to help us carry our burdens --- he had

already experienced the same trials and tribulations as we do, When he

spoke of how trusting in God could help one overcome anxiety, --- he

had already trusted in God for his daily bread, his physical safety, and

his spiritual power. People listened to Jesus not just because he

understood and identified with them, and not just because he pointed out

the way to God, but also because he lived his own message.
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He didn’t Just tell others to turn to God --- he himself sought out God

and His blessings: at the Jordan and in lonely places away from others

--- and regularly in places of worship --- the synagogues on the Sabbath

each week and at the temple at Passover Time.

He didn’t just tell others to pray for people, he himself prayed for

them. As he did for the disciples before going out to the Garden of

Gethesame. He didn’t just tell others to forgive each other, he himself

forgave them even from the cross when he was in the midst of his agony.

He didn’t just tell others how important it was to heal others, he himself

did healings. He spat on the clay and anointed beggars eyes. He

reached out and touched the lepers. He laid his hands on the sick and

anointed them with his prayers. Jesus did everything he asked others to

do. And he was respected for this, and he was heard by many because of

it.
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--- not everyone will listen to us.

No matter how good we are, how righteous

we are, there will be someone who will take offense at us --- as they did

at Jesus. But, the message of Jesus to us is that we ought to be trying as

he did. And when we do --- when we humble

ourselves --- like Jesus --- and identify with others, when we tell others

about the source of saving power and go to it and accept it for ourselves
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then God will be well pleased with us. And his Spirit will indeed be

seen to rest upon us as it did upon Jesus. Thanks be to God --- for his

living word --- Jesus Christ our Savior and for his Spirit --- which gives

us power day by day. This is the Word of the Lord for this day. May it

take root in your heart and may it grow.

AMEN.