Sermon for January 13, 2008

       What is the greatest day of your life?  You might say, the day that I graduated from High School or College and did not have to deal with home work or teachers or tests.  Maybe it was the  day that you  got your first job and began making some money and  had some  freedom and independence.  Maybe it was the day that you were married or the day that God blessed you  with the gift of a child- to see a miracle of God before my eyes!  And the list could go on and on!
       When an elderly Christian man who had experienced a great deal of joy and many blessings in his life was asked what was the greatest day of his life, many people expected him to say, when he was CEO of a major company or when he was elected to various leadership positions in the community and received many awards and recognitions or the blessings of his family.  Instead he said with a humble sense of grace, “IT WAS THE DAY ON WHICH I WAS BAPTIZED!”  All of the blessings of my life have come from Jesus Christ and I am eternally grateful that I am his child and a member of God’s family of faith for eternal life in heaven.  Whenever I become depressed or frustrated in my life, I remember my Baptism and I receive a special peace in knowing that God is on my side!
       Many people do not understand or appreciate the special meaning of their Baptism in their life!  How many of you remember the date on which you were baptized?  My date was October 21, 1956, which I try to celebrate like my second birthday each year.  I encourage you to find out your Baptismal day and celebrate that day in a special way!
       On your Birthday, you were given the gift of Physical life here on earth!  On the day of your Baptism, you were given by God the gift of faith in Jesus as your Savior and the promise of eternal life in heaven!  You became a child of God and member of God’s family of faith!
       Some people think of Baptism only in practical terms as an event when a baby is in front of the church with the pastor and parents and sponsors and everyone nervous to see if the baby will squirm or begin to cry.  If everything doesn’t go smoothly, the parents become embarrassed, the pastor may become flustered, yet through it all God does the most important work of giving the gift of faith to this child and making him or her a member of God’s eternal family of faith!
       This morning we celebrate and remember the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptizer in the Jordan River.  It was truly a memorable day for John who did not feel worthy to baptize Jesus Christ.  But Jesus said it was necessary and important for Him to be baptized in order to “FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS!”
       Jesus did not need to be baptized because He was the Son of God, was perfect and was without sin.  Yet when Jesus was Baptized, Jesus IDENTIFIED WITH US AND gave power and meaning to our Baptism.  It was an example for us to  follow and enabled Jesus to be identified as the Son of God and the promised Savior of the World. 
       In fact, Jesus’ public ministry began at His Baptism as the voice of God the Father announced from heaven for all to hear, “THIS IS MY  SON WHOM I LOVE, WITH HIM  I AM WELL-PLEASED” and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and landing on Jesus as a visible sign of the Trinity- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy spirit all present at the Baptism.
       Jesus described His Baptism later in His ministry as the time when He was identified and committed to fulfill the purpose for which He came- TO SUFFER AND DIE TO PAY FOR THE SINS OF ALL PEOPLE- TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD!”       Jesus became our substitute to pay for our sins which keep us out of heaven!  Jesus gives to us His love and His power to live as a Child of God, forgiven and chosen and identified for eternal life in heaven!
       What does Baptism mean in our  life and why is it the “GREATEST DAY IN OUR LIFE?”  As Martin Luther tells us in the Small Catechism, “BAPTISM WORKS THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, DELIVERS US FROM DEATH AND THE DEVIL AND GIVES ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN TO ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR!”
       God doesn’t ask us to understand Baptism completely, to analyze it, to bring it down to our level of understanding and reason.  It is a miracle of faith and tells us to “DO IT”, to act in faith that God’s Word and promises are there for us to receive PERSONALLY!
       When we focus upon our Baptism daily,  we are reminded of our journey of faith to heaven.  We are reminded that we are sinful human beings.  We never OUTGROW THE NEED TO KNOW THAT WE ARE SINNERS AND THAT OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!  It enables us to know that God loves us and cares about us each and every day of our life!
       I read a story about a High School English teacher who was getting ready for another school year to start.  A young man walked into her classroom but she did not recognize him.  He identified himself as one of her former students and wanted to thank this teacher for all that she had done for him.  The teacher smiled at the young man and tried as hard as she could, but she could not remember his name because she had been teaching for many years and had taught many students
       The young man told his former teacher was a sense of pride in his voice, “I have a good job, a wonderful wife and two beautiful little girls. I came to tell you that I graduated from High School and College because of you.  I knew that you cared about me and knew that you loved me because whenever you would walk around the room while you were lecturing, you would stop at my desk and smile at me!”
       “I also remember that when you returned some of my English papers that weren’t very good, YOU ALWAYS WROTE SOMETHING ENCOURAGING ON THEM TO KEEP ON TRYING TO DO MY BEST!  I never received any encouragement at home because my Dad and Mom were always fighting and it wasn’t very fun living at home!”
       “The other teachers acted as if they didn’t like me, but you kept on treating me as someone special.  I wanted to thank you for making a difference in my life and for caring for me!”  This student gave his teacher one of the best gifts – TAKING THE TIME TO SAY “THANK YOU” to someone who had made a big impact in his life. It was indeed a “great day” for both of them.
       The teacher had a big tear in her eye because she did not even know about the problems that this student had at home during his high school years.  She had simply tried to care about her students and encourage them in their life.
       All around us are opportunities that God  gives to us to serve Him by reaching out to help people with God’s Word and with God’s Love- to help them experience special days in their life!  What an exciting time it is to know that God loves us and that we are a Child of God through Holy Baptism.
       When we remember the Greatest Day of our life- OUR BAPTISM- what better way to celebrate  than to continue  to grow in our Christian faith by reading God’s Word, by regularly attending worship services, by sharing our Christian faith and its meaning in our life with others!  For our Baptism into the Christian faith enables us to look forward to God’s Greatest Gift to us- ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN FOREVER WITH JESUS CHRIST AND ALL OTHER BELIEVERS!