First Lutheran Church • Baptism of Our Lord • Sunday, January 11, 2025

The congregation is invited to view the new year through the lens of repentance: not merely as broken resolutions but as a deliberate turning toward God’s way. Repentance is presented as concrete and specific—habits and actions that must change to align with God’s values. Drawing on John the Baptist’s ministry, the narrative emphasizes that repentance involved practical instructions for daily life—sharing resources, honest work, and ethical conduct—so that the changes are measurable and communal rather than private or merely sentimental.

Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan is reframed as the inauguration of his public ministry and a pattern for discipleship. By entering the same water as those he came to save, Jesus models humility and solidarity: he participates in the human need to repent and recommit. The heavens opening, the Spirit descending, and the Father’s voice together reveal the Trinitarian affirmation of Jesus’ identity and underline that God’s power is not coercive but relational. Baptism, therefore, becomes both identification with Christ and adoption into God’s family—water and Spirit joining to form a covenant people.

The sermon situates this theological vision against a backdrop of contemporary fear, tribalism, and violence. Rather than retreating into anxiety, followers are called to embody the alternative kingdom—one characterized by peace, moral clarity, and service. Following Jesus means specific practices: loving enemies, turning the other cheek, serving neighbors, and protecting the vulnerable. These are not optional extras but the means by which the kingdom advances and by which fear is confronted.

Finally, the address issues a pastoral summons: to get in line behind Jesus this year, to let his way reorient personal and communal life, and to trust his leadership through uncertain times. The assurance is not a promise of easy circumstances but of a sure guide—one who knows the way, gathers the wheat, sorts the chaff, and leads toward God’s promised kingdom. The challenge is practical: repent, be baptized into new life with the Spirit, and practice the concrete ethic of Christ in a fearful world.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Repentance is intentional life-turning Repentance is a decisive reorientation of habits and loyalties rather than mere regret. It involves recognizing patterns that conflict with God’s values and choosing new practices that reflect those values day by day. This turn is both inward—honest confession—and outward—visible acts that re-form character and community. [18:02]
• 2. True repentance yields specific actions Authentic turning toward God shows itself in particular changes: sharing resources, truthful work, and ethical use of power. John’s commands demonstrate that repentance is practical, measurable, and communal; it reforms relationships and institutions, not only private conscience. Such specificity prevents repentance from becoming vague sentiment or moral self-improvement. [21:04]
• 3. The king’s humility transforms power Jesus’ choice to enter the baptismal line models a kingship defined by solidarity and service rather than domination. His baptism enacts a politics of vulnerability: God’s rule comes by identification with human need, not by coercion. This redefines authority for discipleship—power is exercised to heal, gather, and protect. [26:42]
• 4. Follow Jesus to resist fear In a climate of tribal fear and quick judgment, discipleship offers a countercultural path grounded in peace and moral clarity. Committing to Jesus trains the heart to love enemies, serve neighbors, and protect the vulnerable—concrete practices that undermine anxiety and build communal trust. Following him is the practical route to social healing and courageous peacemaking. [31:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [08:13] - Prayer and Confession
• [09:34] - Gospel Reading: Matthew 3
• [16:47] - Baptism of Jesus Described
• [18:02] - New Year as Repentance
• [21:04] - John’s Call to Specific Change
• [24:34] - Why Jesus Asked for Baptism
• [26:42] - Trinitarian Affirmation at Jordan
• [28:26] - Fear, Tribalism, and the World
• [31:05] - Follow Jesus: Practical Discipleship
• [33:10] - Closing Hymn and Amen

Bible reading

Matthew 3:1–17 (ESV)
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Observation questions

1. According to the text, what was the core message John the Baptist preached in the wilderness, and what physical act did people perform to mark their commitment to that message? [20:37]
2. What specific, practical instructions did John give to different groups—like those with extra coats, tax collectors, and soldiers—to show what a changed life looks like? [21:04]
3. When Jesus approached John for baptism, what was John’s initial reaction, and what reason did Jesus give for why the baptism must happen? [24:01]
4. After Jesus came up out of the water, what three specific things occurred that revealed his identity and the presence of the Trinity? [16:47]

Interpretation questions

1. Repentance is often defined as "turning around" or changing directions. How do the specific examples John gives—like sharing food or being honest with money—help us understand that repentance is more than just a private feeling or a "word game"? [21:33]
2. Jesus entered the Jordan River, a place with a deep history of God leading people from the wilderness into the Promised Land. By choosing to be baptized there alongside everyone else, what is Jesus communicating about his relationship with us and our need for change? [25:51]
3. Jesus is described as a King who "stands in line" and waits his turn. How does this act of humility redefine our understanding of power and authority compared to how the world typically exercises it? [26:25]
4. In a world filled with "tribalism" and quick judgments, how does the affirmation of Jesus as the "Beloved Son" provide a model for how we should view our own identity and our relationship with God? [27:32]

Application questions

1. The new year is a natural time for reflection and "resolutions." Instead of just a health or budget goal, what is one specific habit or behavior in your life that feels "incongruent" with God’s values and needs a deliberate "turnaround" this year? [19:37]
2. John the Baptist insisted that repentance yields "specific changes in specific lives." If John were speaking to you in your current job or daily role, what practical instruction might he give you to ensure your work aligns with God's righteousness? [21:04]
3. We live in a climate of fear, distrust, and tribalism that can make us quick to blame and slow to listen. When you look at the news or your community, where do you feel that "pit in your stomach," and how has that fear affected the way you treat people who disagree with you? [28:26]
4. Following Jesus involves a "concrete ethic"—loving enemies, turning the other cheek, and protecting the vulnerable. Which of these practices do you find most challenging to live out in today’s social environment, and why? [32:06]
5. Jesus is the "Prince of Peace" who has the moral clarity we lack. In what area of your life are you currently feeling "helpless," and how can you practically "get in line behind Jesus" to trust his leadership in that situation? [31:05]
6. Baptism marks our adoption into God’s family. How does hearing the Father say, "This is my child, with whom I am well pleased," change the way you face the uncertainties and "scary things" that the new year might bring? [27:32]