St. Luke 3:21-22: "21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'"
The Feast of Epiphany anciently possesed three historical events in the life of Jesus. They were: 1) The visit of the Maji; 2) The Baptism of Jesus; 3)The miracle of water into wine at the wedding in Cana. All three of these were a part of the Epiphany feast. Today these three historical events in the life of Jesus are divided up for us. The visit of the Magi, takes its place on the Feast itself. The Baptism of Jesus is celebrated on Epiphany's octave, January 13. And the wedding in Cana is the Second Sunday after Epiphany. The Church in her grand wisdom, over time also included for the First Sunday after Epiphany the narrative of the Boy Jesus in the Temple. And so in Christmas and Epiphany we get the details of our dear Lord's early life, and the beginning of His ministry to us.
Today's reading tells us, briefly, of the baptism of our dear Lord Jesus. Two things can be pointed out about this pericope.
One, the appearance of the One True God, The Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Father appears as a voice from heaven, declaring to all who will hear, that our dear Lord Jesus is His beloved Son. And that He is a Son in whom He is well-pleased. The Son whom the Father refers too, is obviously our Lord Jesus, whose baptism purifies the waters of the Jordan River, and thereby purifies all water for baptism. The Holy Ghost appears in bodily form like a dove. Therefore, all three persons of the One, Holy and True Trinity are present for the Baptism of our Lord.
The Second thing that can be pointed out is the application to us. The Baptism of our Lord is a picture of our own baptism. Our dear Lord Jesus in sanctifying the waters of the Jordan, and thereby sanctifying all water for baptism, removed sin and death and the power of the devil from the waters of baptism. So that when you are baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost by the minister of God, your sins, both the original ones you inherited from Adam, and all those which you added thereto, by your own disobedience and willfulness, are drowned and washed away in the waters of your baptism. Therefore, as the Blessed St. Paul says to the Church at Rome, you arise as a new man, without sin. And the Almighty Father, who is now your Father in heaven, proclaims from heaven, that you are His beloved Son, in whom He is well-pleased.
On account of Christ's work, you are given the place of Christ, as a free gift. That means your sins are taken away. And because your sins are taken away you also are given eternal life and salvation. For whereever there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Therefore, whenever we remember our baptism, we drown the Old Adam within us once again, and every time we remember our baptism and drown our Old Adam anew, we again arise as a new man before God pure and holy. This is the process which we call "repentance." It involves confessing our sins, either to God or Minister, and receiving absolution, that is the declaration of the forgiveness of your sins.
Therefore today, confess your sins, and rejoice in your baptism, and live as a new man who has been redeemed by God. If you have not been baptized, seek out a minister of God to see what is required for you and your family to be baptized.
May God's peace be with you!
Deacon Dulas
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