Baptism Binds Us to Jesus

Romans 6:1-11

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Baptism Binds Us to Jesus

Have I ever told you what my favourite winter sport is? Biathlon. I’ve never participated in the biathlon. I don’t even know how to cross-country ski. But whenever the biathlon comes on TV I cannot tear my eyes away. It’s fascinating!

For those of you who don’t know, biathlon is a sport in which you cross-country ski for a while, and then you take a break and shoot some targets with a bb gun you’ve had strapped to your back the whole time. Biathlon is the weirdest, quirkiest sport, and I’m here for it. I could watch it all day long.

I think what fascinates me the most is how biathletes have to somehow calm themselves down enough to be able to shoot a gun with any kind of accuracy. Imagine that you just skied over hill and under dale for 3km while racing other people and without skipping a beat you have to slow your breathing and calm your heartrate and try to hit a disc about the size of a coffee cup lid from 100m away.

To be fair, you do get eight bullets to hit 5 targets. If you miss once, that’s fine. Twice, you’re OK. Three times, now you have to be perfect the rest of the way. If you miss more than that, you have to ski an extra lap in the circle of shame, and your chances of catching up to anybody else and winning the race absolutely plummet.

Clearly I can talk about biathlon for a while, but that’s not why I’m standing up here today. Today is all about baptism, and while there don’t seem to be many similarities between baptism and biathlon, there is one similarity that is absolutely necessary for you to understand if you have any hope of getting anything out of baptism. It comes down to a single word that the Apostle Paul used 7 times in 11 verses: sin.

ἁμαρτίᾳ is the Greek word for “sin.” The picture behind that word is of a target, like a biathlete would aim at. “Sin” is anything other than hitting the dead centre of the bullseye. That is the standard that God sets for your life. He doesn’t just want you to hit the target. He demands that you hit the bullseye.

Unfortunately, oftentimes, I’m afraid that we have a very different understanding of what sin is. We all know that it would be terribly wrong for a biathlete to take his rifle, turn around and fire on the crowd; that’d be awful, inexcusable, punishable to the highest degree. Even if they accidentally clipped their opponent while loading their gun, they’d be disqualified from the race, not because they’re hate-filled monsters, but because they’re recklessly endangering other people’s lives.

We understand that actions have consequences. I don’t have to convince you that murder is wrong, or that endangering other people’s lives because you’re driving recklessly on the Henday deserves to be punished.

The harder truth in Christianity is that that’s not all that sin is. The harder truth is that anything less than perfection is sin. You can hit the target – you can be an eyelash away from the bullseye – but because you didn’t do exactly what you were supposed to do, exactly how you were supposed to do it, with exactly the right attitude in your heart about it, you’re sinful.

Now, my guess is that most of us here would think that we’re pretty good people. We’re in church on a Sunday morning, after all. I heard recently that only 13% of Canadians go to church regularly. You’re in the top 13%... if you’re here regularly. Even if you were here every week – even if you were part of every Bible study, every outreach event, every community service activity – it doesn’t matter. You’re sinful, even while you’re here.

Here's something that none of us wants to hear: a Christian sins in all of his good works. We sin while we pray, we sin while we’re at church, we sin while we listen to God’s Word. Do you ever pray as earnestly and selflessly as Jesus taught you to? Do you ever listen to God’s Word as attentively as you should? If you are anything less than absolutely perfect all the time, then you’re sinning.

And the terrifying reality about sin is that the wages of sin is death. The soul who sins is the one who will die. In God’s court of law, there are no do-overs, no mulligans, not even three extra chances to get it right or a circle of shame to ski around to try to make things right. Sin, of any quantity and of every variety, is punishable by death, both on earth and in eternity.

You don’t have to be a hate-filled monster to be a sinner. Everyone in this room is a sinner, including the 10 month old baby, the guy in the front wearing white, and you. Everyone here deserves to suffer the consequences of their sin. Everyone here has earned death for their sin.

But for everyone in this room – and for everyone everywhere who hears God’s Word of promise – there is grace. You can literally hear the sound of that grace right now; it’s bubbling over in the baptismal font you all walked past to be here today.

Baptism is this amazing gift that God gives us to save our lives and to change our lives. The Apostle Paul laid it out for us in Romans 6:

All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.[1]

Now, Paul packs a lot into a few words. If your eyes glazed over a bit as I read that to you, I wouldn’t blame you. Allow me to unpack it for you.

The first thing to notice is how intimately baptism binds you to Jesus. You were baptized into Christ Jesus and into his death. You were buried with him into death, so that you could be raised with him to new life. Baptism binds you to Jesus so that you become the beneficiary of everything he did for you.

I said before that the wages of sin is death, and that every one of us is guilty of sin, and therefore every one of us deserves to die. Well, we have died – in baptism, because baptism is the thing that connects you to the death of Jesus. When he died on the cross, he sacrificed his perfect, sinless life for yours. He paid your debt. In baptism, God assures you that Jesus’ death paid for your sins.

And after Jesus died, he was buried. For three days he stayed in that tomb, but when Easter morning dawned, he rose from the dead a completely different person. He wasn’t meek anymore; he was mighty, because he was done bearing the burden of your sin. He buried that sin in the grave and left it there.

Baptism is the thing that connects you to Jesus’ burial. It was a happy accident in our church architecture that the basin for our baptismal font looks vaguely like a coffin. It wasn’t intentional, but it fits this imagery very well. In baptism, we were buried with Christ and our sins were buried too. That’s why we have this tradition of stones with our baptismal date engraved on them forever “buried” in the waters of baptism. You can rest in peace, knowing that God does not count your sins against you anymore, because in baptism, you were buried with Jesus.

And after Jesus was buried, he rose to new life. That’s your daily reality too. The remembrance of your baptism gives you the ability to wake up every day and say, “I have died to sin; how can I live in it any longer?” “I know that my old self was crucified with Christ; I’ve been set free from sin.” “I consider myself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Baptism gives you a whole new lease on life. It’s not a second chance. It’s not a do-over or a clean slate, as if from now on you have to try to be perfect. Boy, if that were the case, we’d be conducting baptisms all day, every day. No, baptism gives you a new lease on life, a new perspective and a new purpose.

Your goal isn’t to be perfect. That’s what Jesus did for you. Your goal isn’t to be good enough to get into heaven. That’s God guarantee to you by grace. Your goal is to be alive to God, to live for him, to let your life be changed by what God did for you in your baptism, to let your life be changed by being connected to Christ.

That’s the new life that Paul talks about in Romans 6. It’ll look different for each of us. We each have our own pet sins that we will struggle to set aside. We each have spiritual gifts and God-given opportunities that are unique to each of us. So, the new life that is ours in baptism isn’t always going to look the same, but there are some things about that new life that are universal – coming together regularly for worship, studying God’s Word together to grow our faith, working together to spread that life-saving, life-changing Gospel with others, celebrating gifts of God’s grace like baptism together.

Baptism binds us together with Jesus and makes us beneficiaries of his life, death and resurrection; in baptism, we receive the benefits of forgiveness for our sins, a new lease on life here in this world, and eternal life with him forever in heaven.

If you have a stone with your name on it in our baptismal font, wonderful! I rejoice to know that we get to share this precious promise together every week as we gather together as a church family. If you were baptized somewhere else and don’t even know when, wonderful! You are still a child of God, bound to Christ and a beneficiary of his grace. If you haven’t been baptized yet, I know a guy. He’d be willing to baptize you today if you wanted, or to talk about it, at least, for some day in the future.  

Whoever you are, whatever your story, baptism is for you. Baptism saves lives and changes lives. It binds you to Christ, buries your sin in his grave, and frees you to live for God. May God strengthen you to live in your baptismal grace all the days of your life. Peace be with you. Amen.

[1] Romans 6:3,4

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Unraveling the Mystery of the Magi

Matthew 2:1-12

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 

Unraveling the Mystery of the Magi

If I were James Cameron, I know exactly how I direct the opening scene of a Magi movie based on Matthew 2. The camera fades from black to an empty room. It’s ancient, dusty, dingy. On every wall there are floor to ceiling shelves packed full of scrolls and books and rolled up pieces of leather with writing on every inch. As the camera pans through the room, it circles around a table in the middle with more papers piled high, but one scrap carefully laid out on top. It's covered with characters you’ve never seen before from a language long since forgotten, and then superimposed on the screen in Papyrus font are words setting the scene:

A forgotten prophecy

Strange lights in the sky

3 men willing to risk it all to unravel the mystery

It’s probably a good thing I’m not a movie director. I think I’ll stick to my pastor gig. But I will stand by my contention that this story would make a compelling movie. There’s mystery and drama, a sociopathic tyrant and exotic people from far-flung locations traveling halfway around their known world to find the one thing that will change their lives forever. There is a certain mystique about the Magi.

Matthew doesn’t waste any time introducing them to us. Here is all of the background, biographical detail that Matthew brings to the table:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.[1]

That’s it! That’s everything. Matthew doesn’t even tell you what a Magi is. Allow me.

You might know the Magi by another name. We often call them the Wise Men. That’s what they were. They were wise guys. They were the intellectual elite. They were scientists and astronomers. They were anthropologists and dieticians. They were historians and the king’s most trusted advisors. If you had a question about anything – physical, historical, biological, spiritual – you’d go to the Magi for answers.

Only, in Matthew’s story, it was the Magi who were asking the questions. Apparently there was a mystery that sat unsolved for 700 years on the shelves of the wisest men in the east. It told of a very special king whose life and reign would change the world and whose birth would be accompanied by some strange signs in the sky.

This is where it gets interesting. The Magi were easterners; they weren’t Israelites. Why would they care about the king of the Jews? What was this star that so captured their attention? They were accomplished astronomers. They had seen it all, and charted it all for centuries, but this was something new. Something no one had ever seen before. And how was it that these foreigners had a prophecy about an Israelite king when not even the Israelites knew about that prophecy? It’s not anywhere on the pages of Scripture.

And yet, these mysterious Magi believed in that prophecy so completely that they were willing to leave their homes behind, embark on a months’ long journey, cross a desert without even knowing where they were going. They had a fragment of knowledge – a piece of a promise – but it was enough for them to drop everything, pack up their costliest treasures and travel to Jerusalem looking for answers.

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”[2]

King Herod didn’t know how to answer that question, but the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law did: “In Bethlehem in Judea,”[3] they said, and then they quoted a prophecy that is plain as day from the pages of Micah.

It’s interesting, isn’t it? The chief priests and teachers of the law had so much information, but they did so little with it. The Magi had a fragment of a prophecy, and it inspired them to incredible acts of blind faith. The chief priests and teachers of the law had books and books of prophecy, but they couldn’t even muster up an ounce of curiosity, let alone faith.

Brothers and sisters, there’s a warning there for us. You have pages and pages of prophecy. You have the entire revealed will of God in black and white (and sometimes red). You have promises in Scripture of forgiveness and salvation and eternal life. We just celebrated the 2027th anniversary of Jesus’ birth. Are you still so moved by the message that you are privileged to hear week after week that you are willing to drop everything and pack up your treasures and worship him at all costs like the Magi did? Or has the novelty worn off for you? Has your enthusiasm cooled into a matter of mild habit?

Look at what the Magi did when they found Jesus:

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.[4]

Literally, in Greek, Matthew says, “They rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy.” Honestly, it’s comical how many adjectives and adverbs Matthew piles together to express the Magi’s excitement. Overjoyed barely scratches the surface of how happy they felt.

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.[5]

Again, literally, in Greek, Matthew says, “They fell down and worshiped him.” I don’t imagine this as some stodgy, solemn, ceremonial gesture. I imagine this as the kind of plop that leaves bruises on your knees.

Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.[6]

This was not a small thing. This was the biggest moment in their entire lives, and they were prepared to show it. These foreigners traveled for months and brought extravagant gifts to match their enthusiasm to meet the one who had been born king of the Jews, because in their hearts they knew that he was their King too.

And here’s the truth about the story of the Magi. In my Bible, this section of Scripture is called The Visit of the Magi, but the real headline is in the first four words:

After Jesus was born.[7]

That’s the story! That’s the headline! We’re two full weeks out from Christmas, but this is still the reason for the season – Jesus was born!

Jesus was the subject of that prophecy. Jesus was the object of centuries of prayer. And not just in Jerusalem, but in the far-flung corners of the world where pockets of believers still clung to pieces of promises that God had made about a Saviour, about a King. As fascinating as the Magi are, this story isn’t about them. It’s about the one who motivated them to migrate across a desert, to fall on their knees and present him with precious treasures.

I don’t imagine that the Magi had any idea how fitting those gifts would be, but by God’s design they were perfect. In their minds, I’m sure that they were just giving the best that they had to give, but as we look at these gifts knowing how this baby’s life would end, I couldn’t have handpicked anything better.

Gold – it’s precious and pricey, a gift fit for a king. That’s what Jesus was prophesied and born to be. Not a king to challenge someone like Herod for the throne of a tiny kingdom like Israel, but our true and heavenly king. The Lord of the universe, who sits at the right hand of his Father in a position of power and authority, ruling over all things for the good of those who love him.

Incense – it was vital to the Israelites’ life of worship. They would light incense in the Temple and its fragrant aroma would serve as symbol of our prayers rising like smoke to the throne of our God in heaven. Jesus is more than a king. He is God. He is worthy of our worship and praise. He hears and answers our prayers.

Myrrh – it was a fragrant perfume most often associated with death. Myrrh is a reminder of Jesus’ mortality. King and God though he is, he was born of a woman and destined to die, and all for you.

Jesus loved you so much that he made the Magi’s pilgrimage look measly by comparison. He went from heaven to earth for you. He went from life to death for you. Jesus loved you so much that he made the Magi’s gifts look paltry. He didn’t give you precious metals or fragrant perfumes. He poured out his holy, precious blood on a cross and offered up his innocent suffering and death as the sacrifice for your sins. For the times when your enthusiasm for him grows cold, he gave his life to forgive you, to give you the promise of life and peace with him forever in heaven.

That’s what this story is all about. It’s not about the mystique or the mystery of the Magi. It’s about the one they came to worship, the Christ who came to be your Saviour, God and King too, who gave his life to forgive your sin, who rules over all things for your good, who is more than worthy of your worship and praise.

The only mystery worth solving, then, is not what the star looked like or where the Wise Men came from or what their names were. The only mystery worth solving is how you are going to respond, how you can maintain the excitement and enthusiasm of Christmas every day of your life. The first words of Matthew 2 could be the first words of our diary every day: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem…[8]

Now, I’m not suggesting that you need to liquidate your assets and drop a couple bags of gold in the offering box every week. You don’t have to make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to show your love for your Lord. But there are many ways that you can fall on your knees and worship him. You have many alternatives to gold, frankincense and myrrh at your disposal to show your gratitude and express your marvel at the birth of your Saviour.

Maybe for you it’s telling the little children the stories of Jesus and his love. Maybe for you it’s picking up a phone and calling that member who hasn’t been in church in a month or more and just asking, “How’s it going?” We still need two qualified men to serve on our council to make sure that as a congregation we’re doing everything we can to share the Gospel.

Whatever it is, may God give you the same measure of marvel as the Magi. May God fill your heart with a faith that takes action, that takes what’s been given to you and gives back to him, that sees the child in the manger and rejoices with an exceedingly great joy every day that Jesus is your Saviour, God and King.

There are many mysteries about the Magi. There is no mystery about what motivated them. It was Jesus, always Jesus, only Jesus. May he motivate you, today and every day. Amen.

[1] Matthew 2:1

[2] Matthew 2:2

[3] Matthew 2:5

[4] Matthew 2:10

[5] Matthew 2:11

[6] Matthew 2:11

[7] Matthew 2:1

[8] Matthew 2:1

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