Holy Baptism - Third Wednesday in Advent (Midweek 3) - December 20, 2023 - Text: Matthew 28:17-20

This year during the season of Advent through to New Year’s Eve our theme is “The Means of God’s Giving.” Today we rejoice in God’s gift of Holy Baptism and how through the simple earthly element of water and the power of God’s Word, namely God’s name, God does such great things, giving us faith, forgiveness and eternal life.
 

Before His ascension Jesus gathered His disciples on the mountain. Interestingly enough, Matthew tells us, “And when they saw him [Jesus] they worshiped him, but some doubted” (Matt. 28:17). I guess we are in good company when we at times have doubts in our own lives. Anyway, as Jesus gathers His disciples He tells them that all authority has been given to Him by God. As Matthew relates the account, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Indeed, as true God Jesus does have all authority. Before His being born in human flesh He was in heaven enjoying all the authority and glory that was His and that He gave up in order to take on human flesh and blood. So, now Jesus once again has all authority and is once again able to exercise His divine power in all things.
 

Notice that Jesus does not keep His authority to Himself, but, and it seems more implied here in the text, but we know that Jesus is giving His authority to His apostles and I would say, yes, He even gives us His authority today. I say that because Jesus’ authority is in His divine Word. God’s Word is a Word with authority and power to give and do what it says. As for the Apostles, they were also given the power to perform signs and wonders as evidence, proof if you will of the Word they proclaimed. And we understand that as they passed away so did such power and authority to perform such signs and wonders. Today we do not need signs and wonders because we have the authority of God’s Word.
 

And then Jesus gives directions. He says, “19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). Please understand, Jesus’ instructions are not a command, not an imperative, but are passive as in “As you are going, as you are living in your vocation, nothing out of the ordinary.” In other words, Jesus is simply expressing what naturally occurs in our lives. As we are living our daily lives in our vocations and as we have the opportunity we are to share the good news of Jesus with others.
 

Now, Jesus words, “make disciples” is an imperative, yet here too we understand that we cannot make anyone have faith, that is not our work, but the work of the Holy Spirit, yet what is imperative is our natural desire to share the good news with others. How can we not help but share the greatest news of all with others. And to whom are we to share this good news, not to some “target audience,” but to “all nations.” And notice, at what point in ones life one is a citizen of a nation? At their birth, in other words as an infant child. And how do we make one a disciple? Jesus says, “by baptizing,” yet, here again this is God’s work, not ours. So, we see Jesus’ Words that baptism is for all people from the moment of birth until the grave and baptism is the instrument through which He gives faith.
 

But, Jesus is not done with His instructions. He tells us that one is a disciple, that is one is given faith through the water and God’s name put on them at baptism, but then there is the living a life and growing in one’s faith by teaching. So, we understand, we are given faith through baptism and we grow in our faith through our continuing to read, study and learn God’s Word.
 

In our Catecheses we learn what is Holy Baptism. Holy Baptism is water and Word, namely God’s name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We learn that Baptism is a means of grace, that is it is one of the ways in which God comes to us to give us the good gifts and blessings He has to give.
 

So, how can Baptism give the gifts God has to give? What gives Baptism its power? The power of Baptism is God’s Word, His name, which is efficacious, it effects, gives and does what it says. As we started out, God’s Word is the power in all of God’s means of grace. God’s Word speaks clearly. God’s Word is enough, we do not have to add anything especially not our human reason nor understanding, nor misunderstanding. God’s Word is efficacious, it effects, does what it says. God’s Word has power because it is God’s Word. Remember back at creation? It was God’s Word that brought all things into existence.
 

Thus, we rejoice that Holy Baptism gives faith because it comes from God, it is a gift from God and because it points us to Jesus. Baptism is not about us, what we are doing or think we are doing, it is about God and His promises. It is about the gifts that God gives, faith, forgiveness, life and salvation. And just as a person cannot get faith, claim faith, make a decision for Jesus, so one cannot baptize themself. Indeed, just as a dead person cannot bring themself back to life so we who are spiritually blind, dead and enemies of God cannot save ourselves no matter what we might think or try to do.
 

Finally, getting back to our text from Matthew, Jesus gives another promise. He says, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20b). What great comfort to know that God is with us, always. When the time comes and it may come soon, when we are being persecuted for our faith, when we are being put before Kings and Princes, or simply when we are asked to give an answer for the hope that we have we can know for certain that Jesus is with us giving us the authority, the words, and the courage to speak.
 

Our flimsy excuse of, “Well I would not know what to say,” is overshadowed by Jesus promise to be with us and His promise to give us the words to speak and the courage to speak. From where does He get those words He gives us to speak, from our making regular and diligent use of His means of grace, reading our Bible, having personal and family devotions, being in Divine Service and Bible Class. As we hear and learn so the Holy Spirit draws from our well of learning and gives us the words and the courage to speak.
 

What does this mean? In the Old Testament the children of Israel were marked as children of the covenant through the sacrament of Holy Circumcision. Even Jesus Himself was circumcised on the eighth day as a child of Israel. In the New Testament, here as Jesus is ready to ascend back into heaven He gives us a new sacrament and mark as His children that is He gives us Holy Baptism which now supercedes circumcision.
 

In Holy Baptism God, using the hands of the pastor puts water on us and using the mouth of the pastor speaks His name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In so doing, in speaking and with simple earthly water God promises and gives faith and marks one as a redeemed child of God. The baptism of an infant demonstrates well the gift, joy and power of Holy Baptism. The child is doing nothing, not even bringing itself. The parents, out of love and care for their child and its eternal well being bring the child. God speaks through the pastor putting His name on us, forgiving us our sins, marking us as His children and writing our names in the book of heaven.
 

Holy Baptism saves because it is God’s doing and we know how we get it right when we point to Jesus, just Jesus. We are justified, given faith, made God’s children and our response of faith is then the desire to continue in the faith or as Jesus expresses to continue to be taught the faith. There are many of us who have come to understand that the more we grow in our faith the more we realize how much more we need to learn instilling in us a stronger desire to continue to be in the Word and be given more and more of God’s gifts.
 

Today we are reminded once again of the importance of the means of Grace, those means through which God comes to us to give us the good gifts and blessings He has to give. We are again reminded of the power of those means, that it is the Word of God which gives power to Holy Absolution, the Holy Supper and specifically today, Holy Baptism. And we are reminded of what a great God we have, what a loving God we have, what gift giving God we have. So that all we can do is rejoice and say, to God be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.