EPIPHANY 1 – The Baptism of Jesus – January 12, 2020 – Romans 6:1-11
“UNITED IN BAPTISM”
Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from Romans 6. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Although there are many variations to the saying, wise people have noted that “There are only three things in life that are certain – taxes, death, and trouble.”
- Our text says nothing of taxes, but it does address the issues of death and trouble! Of course, God addresses the issue of taxes elsewhere, including later on in this same epistle.
- Much of God’s Word speaks to us of the tragedies common to human life, including grievous troubles and afflictions, and death. The source of these terribly negative things is human sin. Death itself is a consequence of human sin, the just retribution for hurting and harming others.
- Instead of wiping out all of humanity – as He almost did in the great flood – God determined to renew us. He wants each of us, every human being, to have life. This is new life, eternal life, life that moves through and beyond death to resurrection – just like Jesus’ resurrection.
- This new life changes the nature of our troubles as well. They now must end up working for our good, our blessedness. The result of this is that we can now live to God.
- But there is only one way for this to happen, and that is if we are “united with Christ.” And according to our text, this “uniting with Him” is granted to us in and through Holy Baptism. This is one of the reasons, perhaps the principle reason, for Jesus’ baptism. Certainly it was to bless us!
- So we listen carefully to what our text from God’s Word asserts and assures to us, that:
I. We Are United In Christ’s Death – In Our Baptism
A. In Our Baptism We Died With Him
Text: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? . . . we have been united with Him in a death like His.”
B. We Were Even Buried With Him In Our Baptism
Text: “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death.”
Statement: This should be the end to one of our great issues – death. Knowing that we have already “died” in the most important sense, and have already been in a tomb, should set our hearts at ease. After all, we were with Jesus then, and He will be with us when we go temporarily to our own grave.
Application: All of this is absolutely certain because in our baptism we were united with Him. We are now one with Christ, and what is true of Him is true of us. He died, but now He lives. We died with Him and were raised with Him. He is alive, and so are we! This is the clear assertion of our text, this Word of God:
II. We Are Also United In Christ’s Life – In Our Baptism
A. So We Now Have Newness Of Life
Text: “We were buried 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.”
1. We are now dead to sin – sin is nothing
Text: “We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing.”
2. We are freed from sin, and are now alive to God
Text: “Our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For the one who has died has been set free from sin. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
B. And We Are Headed Toward Physical Resurrection – And No More Death
Text: “If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.”
Statement: Again, it is through baptism that we have been united with Christ – united in His death, united in His new life of freedom, and united with Him in resurrection. It is all inevitable and inexorable. God has spoken. God has united. What He joins together no one, no thing, can put asunder!
Application: So also our troubles are diminished. They are temporary. They end up bringing blessings to us and to others. We have been granted a new and beautiful life of freedom and goodness – dead to sin and alive to God!
Conclusion: So for Christians, these are the inevitables, the things that are certain! Blessedness in this life, a peaceful death in Christ, and resurrection to eternal life. This, all because we are in Christ Jesus, “UNITED IN BAPTISM.”
In spite of our continued falling into sins of weakness, God wants us to be relieved of the fears of “death and troubles.” He wants us to have joy and peace in Christ, to have new life and strength in Christ. These are gifts of God that come to us with the gift of His Son – bestowed upon us certainly in His gift of Holy Baptism.
Thanks and praise be to God, Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.