Year A – Epiphany 1 – Identity Revealed – Jesus Is the Christ, the Anointed One – Matthew 3

Welcome to the preacher podcast. We are starting a new series for the season of ePiphany today. The series is called Identity Revealed and you can find more information and lots of coordinated resources on the foundation page on Wells CongregationalServices.net. So go there for lots of good stuff to accompany this preaching series. I'm John Mitchell from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and for this series we have a triumvirate something new but if they could do it in ancient Rome we can do it on the preacher podcast. So we have with us for this series Pastor Michael Cobra from Solafide Lutheran Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Pastor Ben Crott's from our Savior in Birmingham, Alabama and Pastor Dan Hydrick from Good News in Lehigh, Utah. Thank you all for participating in the preacher podcast. Look forward to the next several weeks we've got together. Well let's begin as we usually do with just reviewing the theme of the Sunday and a little bit about this worship series as we get going with it. You have the resources there on the foundation but just to remind preachers Dan could you give us a little synopsis of the series and the Sunday? Yeah as you said at the beginning it's touching on the epiphany and meaning of epiphany with identity revealed and that flow was through the different Sundays through transfiguration with what is revealed in Jesus identity and this week in particular with his baptism will focus on Jesus is the Christ the anointed one. Yeah thank you and that we'll see that theme playing out in different ways in upcoming episodes. Mike could you remind preachers of the readings for the day we're going to be focusing on the gospel of the day, Matthew 3 but you remind preachers of the other readings and maybe show just briefly how they're linked together. Sure yeah keeping in mind that theme this this anointed one and what he's come to do we begin there with Isaiah chapter 42 remember that's the first of the the four servant songs in Isaiah and it almost you read through and it's almost like a running commentary on the gospel for this Sunday you know but beginning with the end with the father's delight in his servant in his son the one upon whom he pours out his spirit the one who comes to bring justice and righteousness to the nations you know even though he's he is so gentle that he won't break the brewed brewed read or or snuff out the smuggling wick. His anointing sets him apart for this this powerful work that he's got to do is he opens the eyes of the blind freeze the captives and and that releases those in darkness and then the second reading from from Acts chapter 10 this is coming after Peter's vision of the the non kosher lunch on on the roof in japa and God telling him you don't call anything impure that I have made clean and you know Peter gets that call to to the Gentile Cornelius' house and in the the light switch goes on he understands exactly what God was was was showing him that his favor doesn't simply rest in the Jews but but that it is not all on those from every nation who who fear him you know and Peter proclaims you know Jesus Christ is Lord of all and he even points back to to Jesus baptism that that anointing with the Holy Spirit and power as the beginning of that work and then you know after that reading comes comes the conclusion of Peter's message and and that's what we hear the Holy Spirit was poured out on that whole household you know that that anointing and then one of my favorite prayers of the day for the for the Sunday of our Savior's baptism just that wonderful reminder of the connection between his baptism and ours you know you proclaimed him your beloved son anointed him with the Holy Spirit so keep us who are baptized into Christ faithful and are calling his your children and make us ears with him of everlasting life right that connection between Jesus baptism and ours comes up in the prayer and so I thought preachers yeah we'll talk about that maybe we want to refer to at some point this Sunday well let's get into our texts then recommended in the foundation resources is to use Matthew 3 13 through 17 the gospel of the day as the sermon text Ben could you just get us thinking about this text noting some things that you found helpful to preachers potentially yeah you bet so John the Baptist had been we hear right before this John the Baptist had been doing the John the Baptist thing preaching and proclaiming that the the Messiah was coming that the greater one was about to arrive and right before these verses we hear how how great that Messiah was going to be right John humbly says he's not even able to tie the the sandals of the one who is coming the Messiah is going to come with not only a baptism of the Holy Spirit but a fire and so you have this this grand picture and then Matthew starts out the account of Jesus baptism with a simple adverb right Pate then and almost has that idea of okay the time has arrived right here comes here comes the one that God has promised here comes the one who is coming to do the work of of the Savior and just with that whole idea of the theme involved right of identity revealed the the world's about to see who this this Savior is who Jesus really is so it comes from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John this I suppose if you're looking at him from a normal perspective that you'd see Jesus around here's the a 30-year-old son of a carpenter doing what a whole bunch of people were doing in that day right John the Baptist is pretty popular at this point people are flocking to him Jesus I kind of imagine could have just fit in right with the crowd people going out to be baptized by John but kind of sets the stage for not only what's about to happen at the Jordan River but for the next three years as again the world's going to see who this this guy is and who you know his identity being revealed as that Messiah the the promised one and verse 14 we see John the Baptist now kind of interacting a little bit with Jesus in my head there's always a few questions here like how much did did John the Baptist know obviously he knew a little bit because we're told that he tried to deter him that that required Deacoluean it's imperfect right so the ongoing has there's this vigorous discussion between Jesus and and John the Baptist and I think you can probably understand the reason why right John had just finished proclaiming one who is greater than I is coming I'm not fit to tie a sandals he's coming with this baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire Jesus comes and wants to be baptized but John's baptism right is is one for sinners that brings the forgiveness of sins and here's the the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world John's going to say and you don't need this Jesus right I need it from you and I think John has a fair point and probably has at least something to say about no we can't we can't do it this way verse 15 then you kind of get Jesus response right Jesus says let it be so now I think it's interesting just that the Greek were there a feces a command right John or Jesus sort of commands John now here's the thing let it be so now and I think with that again that ever now saying Jesus kind of agrees with with John's point right all that John had been saying and proclaiming about the coming the coming Savior you know the one who is greater than I is true but right now what is necessary is this and so gives validation to to John's proclamation and at the same time says while that's all true this is what we need to do right now and that's kind of where where Jesus takes John the Baptist John the Baptist next right it's it's proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness so I think just as you look at those words probably good for us just to consider what Jesus is saying to John I don't know if you want to do that now just kind of in the floor do you want to kind of finish up and then come back to it yeah maybe we can come back to it and okay delve into that we're fully yep so you have John the Baptist Jesus saying yeah this is what we're going to do right to fulfill all righteousness and next first John does what Jesus says right Jesus is baptized as he does comes up out of the water we see the Holy Spirit coming down and now Jesus truly is the Christ right the anointed one as God the Holy Spirit comes down and anoints Jesus and remains on Jesus and so now going forward right he rightly could be called the Christ which means the anointed one and then for 17 right we have God the Father speaking from the heavens this is my son whom I love with him I'm well pleased probably the clearest picture of that theophania that that trinity we have right where you have God the Father speaking Jesus physically there in the flesh and in the spirit descending on Jesus in like a dove and so again with that idea of identity and being revealed in mind right here Jesus clearly being identified at his baptism not only as the Son of God but as the promise savior both by the Father's words and the Holy Spirit anointing him yeah thank you Ben for walking us through the text and highlighting things that that preachers might have seen or maybe haven't had the chance to work through yet let's just add further comments on the text as a whole and yeah feel free to comment on anything you found no worthy Mike or Dan some things you wanted to highlight Mike sure you keep in mind this is the only of the of the gospels that that record this conversation between Jesus and John and so maybe you know if you've been preaching on this year after year for for five years or 10 years or whatever it might be this is the the Sunday and the rotation to to spend a little bit of time on that and to recognize John's legitimate confusion or hesitation there and that that word that Ben drew on there the Dia Coliolian I just you get that you get that feeling of a kind of a respectful urgency to try to deter it's not the confrontational rebuke of Peter later in Matthew's gospel it's it's it's it's a it's almost a there's far more gentle like I get I get that impression because he understands exactly who he's speaking to or at least that he's the fulfillment of what he's been preaching about and and I thought Ben just had it nailed it there the I that that I need to be baptized by you I need I need what I've been preaching about to these people I need that from you and what a wonderful patient loving Lord we have that he doesn't grow frustrated with his people that he he yes you're right John but but this is what's needed now this is proper and what's needed now and that that's going to be something to spend a little bit of time exploring that when we when we get to it Dan any comments further on the text or we could delve into also that let it be so now a section oh Dan I was just you know just thinking in a general sense of this just text contextually in in Matthew and just the progression of things that have been taking place as you know Matthew records it and just starting off again with one of his favorite words then you know tata just taking us into something here that that just truly is kind of a wonder in a couple senses of it as we use it in English as you progress from you know the wonder who is is John the Baptist and what's just been taking place recorded here beforehand and how he's talking about the one who's going to come after him and there's a wondering about that that that maybe as is revealed in John's gospel that he he doesn't fully know who that is going to be until that that wonder is revealed and then you know wondering about the whole matter of why Jesus would be baptized by him he understands that that isn't the way that it should it should go from his perspective and then just what happens at the end of it you know of course with the the theophany and father son and holy spirit all there in God's voice speaking you know we'll get into that I imagine more fully at the end of things but just that that progression of of wonders that take place there is as truly we have just an incredible event taking place here in the in the gospel Matthew beginning Jesus very public ministry right right yeah thanks for that that context reminder well then you mentioned it before maybe worth unpacking to fulfill all righteousness what do we make of that or what is Jesus saying as he responds to John and John's gentle objections your thoughts on that yeah so I think we can say it certainly wasn't a legal requirement right that Jesus wasn't fulfilling any law in being baptized you know that that we would need to to fulfill because John's gospel like the baptism Jesus institutes a little bit later is is all gospel right here John is baptizing you know baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and so I don't think we can say that you know it's proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness is that that idea just that here Jesus is fulfilling some legal requirement that we wouldn't be able to or that we need that perfection of Jesus but I think you know just looking at that here Jesus is doing something that is wreck that he recognizes as part of God's plan of salvation right and I think you pick up on that a little bit just with the plural prone on there it's proper for us to do this right that both John and Jesus had a a role in the baptism right it was John's role to baptize and Jesus role to receive that baptism right and so as John is fulfilling his role Jesus is receiving that baptism right they are they are fulfilling God's plan of salvation I think one of them one of the books I read talked about how just that idea of fulfilling all righteousness kind of carries that idea of carrying out that plan of salvation and so it almost reminded me of like in the Old Testament when God remembered his people right here God is about to act and in the same way here's that same thing sort of thing happening with Jesus baptism God is about to act God's righteousness is going to be fulfilled as as John baptizes Jesus and now in Jesus all people are going to receive or through Jesus all people are going to receive that that righteousness right yeah thanks for helping unpack that I'm sure that preachers are studying that further comments on that anyone or Mike a thought on that yeah yeah just like that play rosa in verse 15 that the fulfilled you Matthew's one of Matthew's favorite phrases is using that in the passive so that the scriptures would be fulfilled the eras passive so that the scriptures would be fulfilled this happened again and again and again for his Jewish readers this is this is the active fulfilling of righteousness and and that he be the you know the one who everybody's coming to be baptized confessing their sins to be baptized for forgiveness and so the one who is whose mission who is anointed to come and do this for these people he steps into these waters of baptism and and is baptized in in our place and for us and and the I don't know the great the great comfort that flows out of that yep Ben which I think is just a neat thing right so you kind of tie those things all together here then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John Jesus comes to the place where people have been confessing their sins to John in order to be baptized for so for those sins to be forgiven and so Jesus comes to the place where people are confessing the things that Jesus came to save them from so that he can stand in their place and receive that baptism as as their substitute and so just kind of this really neat this neat picture of yeah Jesus coming standing in the place of sinners and and bearing their sin yeah I think that's a key thought in this whole this whole section well let's let's get into kind of yeah making the connection now between the text and our listeners and we often do that starting with kind of a law in gospel in the text as we help people recognize what Jesus came to save us from or be a battle against that the sin that is still present in our lives through our sinful natures but also highlighting aspects of the gospel in this text too so thoughts for preachers on gonna law and gospel in this text Dan you know just using some of those older terms like melody and and working through the the law here or the the sin that we that we see and just kind of connecting it with since that's such a key phrase still fulfill all righteousness and the unique character of that in in Matthew's gospel I think Mike was the one who pointed out that that's where this conversation takes place but that to fulfill our righteousness and just that that desiring righteousness that we we find in all people outside of you know even an understanding of of who God is and what it is to be be right with God that we want to be right with the world that we want to be you know right in history that we want to be on the right side of it um and that there's there's kind of this you know that that we all want to do that or or at least we we just want to be good we want to be considered good we want to do the good things for others and that that desire for it and and yet we find ourselves so far from it and that that's why we're so driven by it in different ways and are trying to find the answers for it and here we have one who is is that righteousness who just is going to continue to step into our place again and again as fully as as possible um to take all things right right then yeah I went probably like a very close parallel to some of the thoughts Dan had as well just thinking through it um and maybe just picking up on the father's words to the son of being well pleased um just how it can be a real easy thing to strive for people's approval right um whether you're thinking like pure pressure or something else of how I I want to to do the right things I want people to see me doing the right things because then people will be pleased with me if I do them and yet um how often don't we look at our lives and go or and if I don't do it then I'm considered a failure right and I can see myself as a failure um and and how true that is spiritually as well right I want God's approval I want to be right with God um I want to you know have a quiet conscience a good relationship with him and yet how do I feel right afflicted uh torn my conscience tells me I failed I I feel like a failure I see the things I do I know I'm a I'm a failure and so that leads to me to conclude not only do I I not have God's approval my conscience tells me that right I have a conscience that never then shuts up um it tells me that I've I failed I'm a spiritual failure right and uh yeah further Dan well and isn't that the that's so much the picture that's smoldering wick and bruised reads in the in the servant picture in Isaiah 42 uh just connecting it with that that other reading there of just because of our our sin and our our knowledge of it just that the one who would come who was greater that he would he would come with this good news of peace through Jesus as it's in the axe reading and I think that ties in with identity right um being able to look and go this is how I see myself this is how I almost identify myself in my head um and you know I think as we get into the gospel a little bit we're going to be able to see okay um that's not accurate right I have a better identity in what my Savior's done for me but it's easy for me to see myself as just this because of what I've done and how I failed yeah yeah Mike some further thoughts I absolutely agree with my brothers and feel convicted as we speak um uh but I also was looking for for for for another angle to come from and and drawing on the on the theme for the series that that identity revealed is the fact that we would not have known him um we would not have known him now with all of our careful searching that with all of the the arrogant learning we would not have known him if if the Father had not torn heaven open and proclaimed this is my son this is this is the this is the obedience son you know the one that stands um now in the place of the disobedient sons uh uh we would not have known him this this this is uh a truth that has to be revealed to us yeah yeah well having heard some thoughts kind of uh yeah that that remind us uh of where we stand without Christ um King King of some of the concepts in the text here corresponding gospel thoughts then they were kind of hinting at him already but um to make those more explicit what do you proclaim as gospel here Dan well I'd you know Mike hinted at it already when we were going through the other readings um you know as you start considering what what Jesus is doing as Christ the the anointed one that has the spirit is poured out on him to now very clearly do great things as it had been pictured in the in the Old Testament that here he's coming to fulfill all righteousness and that God would speak that about him um so different than what's spoken about us as as humankind already back in Genesis 6 um that now here is one that that he is well pleased with and that this incredible thing that this righteousness that that he is fulfilling and as fulfilled is is ours through this same gift that he gives us that that that's that's how he looks at us now as as his delight is well pleased with us yeah yeah yeah uh further thoughts kind of on the gospel uh that we see here uh Mike yeah that he is he's doing it right he's getting it right and he gets it right from the beginning he gets it right all the way through and he we will hear this you know the the book end to this by the time we get to the end of our time together here with them on a transfiguration um he's he pleases his father and and if he's the one that that I depend on um and he's pleasing to his father then then he's everything that I need what a what a the a power for beginning to this ministry and a stamp of approval on it um especially as as he's going to be sent off um very quickly to to to face the devil for me yeah the one we need who who gets it right uh for us uh Ben yeah and just in my head I was thinking through okay if my my law tends to be how I I don't always see clearly my own identity um how clearly Jesus identity is on display um here um that Jesus knows who he is why he came what he came to do right and then that's that's further amplified by uh the father speaking the son or the spirit descending on him and so that now I can look and go Jesus knows exactly um who he is um and then puts even better is that he identifies himself with someone who has a hard time identifying himself or seeing only the sin in me right he comes and identifies himself with me uh so that now he can give me his identity right that he gives you know through my through baptism now I become God's child um through my baptism I am a brother to to to Christ to the anointed one um and by being a brother to him and a child of God I get everything that's his including his his righteousness his forgiveness um uh that yeah now that not only do I know that the father looks at Jesus and says oh here I am well pleased with him but because I'm connected to Jesus um I know that because my Jesus stands with me I know my father looks at me and says I'm well pleased which helps me see who I am then yeah it reminds me that uh Luther um speaks of the great exchange um you know a number of places but I think it's his comments on Jesus baptism they're one of those places and I guess I I wouldn't have thought of that I would think of you know Jesus dying on the cross as taking our place and but I think Luther talks about kind of what we would come to know as the great exchange um in connection with Jesus baptism and I think it's what you just said Ben that that is the connecting point that Jesus the righteous one comes right down here with sinners standing where all the sinners are um so that he can give them his righteousness it's it's a signal right that he he's going to give righteousness to sinners and bear their sin and uh kind of it is baptism he really starts down that road to the cross in earnest in his public ministry um so yeah a beautiful gospel picture there um yeah uh so kind of getting into um ideas for preachers uh yeah how to we talk can can it law in gospel thoughts um other things that we can bring home to listeners maybe this is more of a uh this believe type of message this week rather than you know this do uh but um uh any suggestions whether it's application ideas or illustration ideas um kind of in that big category and bringing things home to people uh law gospel thoughts or takeaways um let me just open it up what other thoughts do you have suggestions for preachers or what might you do with this text just to help bring things home to listeners ideas Dan you know it's it's what we've been circling around and focusing in on just that with that identity revealed as Jesus is revealed clearly here now as as the Christ for for all to see and that that through our baptisms God reveals to us an entirely different identity than than how we could ever possibly see ourselves um that we ruled in Christ righteousness now we see ourselves as this is how God sees us um and what a good thing that is for us to be able to focus in on in a in a world that clearly is struggling with all kinds of questions about identity in in all kinds of ways as as that finds itself in in our world and in different stages of life as everybody goes through different identity things just trying to figure out our role or place um how we all all fit in that we can always go back to what God has declared about us through his son the Christ the anointed one um how that that really forms everything for us yeah so Christ's identity revealed here shapes our identity or makes us who we are in God's sight so that idea of identity tying things together uh other approaches other ideas um we've mentioned couple already but further uh Mike yeah I think you you can't help but but make that that link to our baptisms and the the that as he stands in the waters of his baptism he purifies and empowers the the promise that's attached to the waters of my baptism and and that uh with that that the father is able to say the same thing about me as he says about Jesus that by faith in him you know this is my this is my daughter this is my son um I'm well pleased with with him I'm well pleased with her um and the that proclamation of the gospel um is just powerful I you know every every couple Sundays we we're using that confession and absolution um uh from from David in in Psalm 32 blessed blessed is the one whose transgressions the Lord does not count against him well how can that be well here I stand in the waters of my baptism uh linked to the the Savior who was who was baptized for me died for me rose again and uh and in him um this poor miserable sinner is is washed clean and and and declared to be pleasing to his heavenly father uh what a great thing to be able to to lead people back to yeah that baptismal connection right um not been yeah just where I are finally our identities wrapped up with Jesus right the more clearly I see Jesus the better I'm able to understand who I am because of what my Savior is and for me to see truly who I am I need to see clearly who Jesus is um and by seeing who Jesus is not then I get to see who I am because I am a brother to Jesus a son of of the father yeah absolutely um bringing things together uh we've had heard some you know a great suggestion so far any uh even in the works type of theme ideas that you're you're playing with here or too soon or um maybe a central image or word or a couple key words you're working with that might find their way into a theme or sort of the the unifying thought in your sermon suggestions for preachers and in that regard even if it's not a fully formed outline yet Ben I just like natural or the progression at least that's been going through my head is being able to see how Jesus identity or who Jesus is is clearly revealed and seen just in his baptism and being able to kind of touch on those things that we talked about but then how seeing Jesus clearly then helps me see clearly who I am um so you know like how I can look at my identity is is found in Jesus or my identity is secure in Jesus that the place I see um the place I go to to find out who I am is is in my savior yeah yeah uh further thoughts bringing things together Dan yeah and just the precursor to that that was kind of messing around with the idea of just like hidden in the flesh as you know Jesus is identified as as the christian kind of the christmas time accounts that we've just worked through um from the announcement of the angels to presentation with and with simpian um the magi come to worship the christ and then then it goes quiet you know that that all goes quiet um as he's his identity is is hidden in the flesh and how our own identity is is hidden in in our sinful flesh um what what we look like so often doesn't really match up with what God has now declared us to be um and that we have an identity that is is revealed through all this that yeah kind it just kind of like a pre thing into what Ben was talking about was kind of some things I was thinking trying to think through and put together yeah hidden identity uh revealed that both for Jesus and for us to um let me open it up any any further suggestions theme wise or any illustrations that uh that you have in mind or um just any general further thoughts that might be helpful to preachers there are we good I think we've we've said a lot of good stuff we got a lot of food for thought that preachers can take combined with their own text studies and uh and work on this so let's call it a day and convene next time as we keep going through this season of epiphany in the series identity revealed but this is a great uh text uh to launch that theme um the identity of Jesus so clearly revealed at his baptism and as we've been discussing uh his identity by faith is our identity too uh beloved children baptized into him and righteousness uh is ours through our savior god bless you preachers as you proclaim the identity of our savior and the identity of those Those who are in Him.