Epiphany Lutheran Church
807.683.6621
  • Home
    • Location
    • Staff
  • Belief
    • We believe, teach, & confess
    • What is the "Epiphany"?
  • News
    • Calendar
  • Cool Stuff
    • Messages
    • Catechism Memory Songs
    • Stuff We Like
    • Hacienda Haberstock

In Order to Fully Justify---The Baptism of Our Lord

1/12/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Readings: Joshua 3:1-3, 7-8, 13-17; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 3:13-17

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.  

“Let it be so for now for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all justification.”  Our translation said righteousness, but justification is what it’s talking about. 

Justification is a fancy word related to “justice”.  It is a legal word.  It describes what a judge does when he declares a defendant not guilty, innocent, just.  He. Justifies. You.  We are a people on trial, accused by our own consciences.  Your conscience was given you by God.  It was programmed with His righteous standards.  But because of the sin-nature in you it does not judge things accurately.  It is influenced by your experience, your culture, your choices, by your repeated, habitual sins.  So it has been changed, its original settings altered.  It is inconstant and changes from day to day, influenced by the society you live in, the peer groups you hang out with, and especially those you love and value, your family, your church, your close friends.  And don’t underestimate how desperately your sinful nature wants to rewrite your conscience and make it sensitive to all the wrong things, rather than the right things! 

Picture
So you constantly justify yourself.   You justify your actions, your behaviour, your attitudes: to others, to God, and even to your own conscience.  And the real joke is that in an age where moral restraint has been thrown aside people are still desperately trying to justify themselves.  I’ve heard people ask of folks these days, “Have they no shame?”  I say to you, they have nothing but shame, for they don’t have a properly functioning conscience giving them the healthy guilt that calls them to repent and turn from their failings.  Our society has worked hand in hand with human-nature to rewrite consciences so that many in our world have no knowledge of true right and wrong and thus are left only with shame.  Truth is the cornerstone of the universe.  Just because you do not know truth does not keep you from smacking straight into it.  Smacking into truth in a world which rejects truth causes shame.  Thus, even though consciences no longer measure moral truth reliably people still know something is desperately wrong.  They are left with no guilt but unending shame that they can’t put their finger on.  

In a society which says nothing is true no one is ever wrong.  And if you should be so “arrogant” as to judge someone or something as wrong there is no end to the energy, words, and emotion which will be used against you to justify whomever or whatever you judged.  You and I do it too. For we have fallen prey to the collective conscience of our age.  And so whether in your own head, in a letter, an email, a blog, or out loud to anyone who will listen you try to justify yourself.  You waste untold energy laying out arguments for why are not wrong. 

Picture
This New Year I have seen a lot of advice saying: Forget about the past.  Stop living in the past.  Stop trying to live up to others expectations.  Don’t give a *bleep* about what others think of you.   As if any of that works!  Of course you care about what other people think, especially your family and friends!  You should.  The people you surround yourself with influence your thinking, your behaviour, and your conscience.  They can make one issue become all important and super-sensitive in your conscience or make you totally comfortable doing what would have been unthinkable around a different group.  You can’t just forget about others.  No, we have to deal with our consciences as they are, which means we have to be aware of how they work.  

Speaking of which, have you noticed how society’s conscience changes like the wind?  Something no one is thinking about one day is enemy number one the next?  The big evils of society don’t just change from generation to generation but sometimes from month to month.  Just consider the flip-flop our society’s conscience has had on issues such as racism, sexism, homosexuality in just the last couple decades.  Or more recently, how quickly has bullying become the thing everyone is talking about?  There are often important issues of love, compassion, and justice at the root of some of these changes, but given how quickly the collective conscience changes don’t use society as your benchmark for what is right or wrong. 

Picture
The problem for a wounded conscience is that you, the individual with the wounded conscience, don’t have the authority, and therefore the ability, to change or justify your wounded conscience.  So your wounded conscience accuses you.  It doesn’t matter whether it was wounded by your own wrong doing, by the accusation of someone else whether right or wrong.  When your conscience is wounded it can not be silenced except by a judge who has the authority to justify that judgement.  Oh, you have tried to justify yourself!  But no matter how much energy you expend, nor drugs you take, legal or otherwise, those self-justifications won’t silence a wounded conscience.  Only the true Judge can.  

Who is this Judge?  God the Father, maker of heaven and earth, has put His Son on the Judge’s seat.  That is good news for you.  For if God is for you, who can be against you?  (Romans 8:31-34)

God who has sent His Son to take your guilt lets His Son judge your case.  There are no legal manoeuvres that will get you off the hook when you come before Him.  He knows exactly what you are guilty of.  He suffered for it.  But keep this in mind: heaven’s law courts have Jesus Christ as the Judge.  But who is your defence attorney?  Jesus Christ.  The scales of justice are tilted in your favour.  The fix is in!  

And who is your prosecution?  Satan?  NO!  For there is no accusation that can stand against those who have been redeemed by Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1, 33-34).  Satan was cast down out of heaven when Jesus completed the suffering for all sin (Revelation 12:10-11; John 19:30).  Satan has no more access to the heavenly council chambers.  Those law courts have no prosecutor in them!  Just a public defender advocating for you, who happens to have the Judge in His pocket, for the  public defender IS the Judge.  God’s Son is the Judge.  He has the authority to judge what is and what is not, who is guilty and who is not.  

The reality is that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).   All are guilty before God.  But that does not matter in this law court because the public defender knows those who are His.  He vouches for them to the Judge.  The Judge justifies them. 

Picture
Oh, they are guilty as sin.  That means, you are guilty as sin.  For sin lives in you.  You do sin like you do breathing.  It is second nature to you for it is your nature.  Sin, sin, sin.  That is the truth of who you and I are.  Flesh begets flesh (John 3:6).  Which means, sinners birth into this world nothing but sinners.  You are without a hope by your birth.  Guilty as sin.  But thanks be to God you’ve been reborn of God in Holy Baptism!  For there in Holy Baptism the Judge declared you innocent, guilty though you are.  He who has all authority in heaven and earth declares you innocent.  That’s what “Justification” means.  You’ve been justified by Jesus the Judge.  He has declared you—a sinner in thought word and deed—innocent of all your blood guilt.  Clean and pure and free.  Righteous before Him and His Father.  That’s what justification by the grace of God through faith is. 

Picture
It means you no longer have to justify yourself.  You can stop those arguments in own head, heart and conscience.  You can stop trying to justify yourself before other people and the world.  Simply admit to yourself and even to those who accuse you that you are a sinner.  You have you failed them.  You have failed yourself.  You have failed God.  But don’t stop there.  Go on in faith to claim the gracious attitude of God given you in Holy Baptism.  For the Judge has declared you innocent!  This Judge has actual authority to renew and cleanse your broken, hurting, accusing conscience.  His word can silence your conscience’s accusations.  When others accuse you pricking your sensitive conscience remind your conscience that you are baptized into Christ Jesus.  He has paid your sin.  It is finished.  If that doesn’t work, that’s what private confession and absolution is for.  God’s declaration of your innocence always comes from outside you.  Hearing a minister who has the authority to justify you declare you forgiven is powerful.  Let me tell you.  But let’s be honest.  Who will go to their minister and entrust themselves to their minister in the big sins, if they haven’t made a practice of going to get forgiveness for the little sins?  For Holy Absolution is nothing but the regular renewal of your Baptism. 

Picture
Your baptism is important because that’s why Jesus got baptized: to complete all justification.  “All” means you too.  Your justification.  In order to complete the justification of all sinners on earth Jesus has to be baptized.  

John was right.  John was a sinner.  He needed to be baptized and cleansed by Jesus.  But Jesus said, “Let this happen this way just this one time.  Let me be baptized by you.  Why?  So that I can complete the work of justifying all mankind.  So that I can take this weird little water ritual where some water is poured over someone like they are gonna be washed and by attaching my name to it they will be declared totally innocent.  Their consciences are washed clean.  They are renewed.  They are scrubbed clean of all the stuff that causes your conscience to torture and accuse you.  

This is the glory of His baptism: that by it your baptism means something.  It was not something that just happened to you once.  It is now your reality.  Your calling.  Who you are.  You are baptized.  You are justified.  It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember it.  That’s why the Church has eyewitnesses and certificates that you hang on the wall, so that you remember what God did on that day and still is doing to this day for you.

You are just.  For He completed your justification.  By Baptism you are in Him, His beloved Son with whom He is well pleased.  In Holy Baptism you are His beloved Son with whom He is well pleased.  Remember that.  Claim that.  Live that.  

In +Jesus’ name, Amen.  


—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Listening

    If audio is available, you may listen to it by clicking the play button.  

    Downloading

    If audio is available, you may download it by "right clicking" on the "Download file" button and choosing "Save link as..."

    Archives

    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    1 Chronicles 21
    1 Corinthians 1
    1 COrinthians 10
    1 Corinthians 13
    1 Kings 3
    1 Kings 6
    1 Samuel 1
    1 Samuel 12
    1 Samuel 13
    1 Samuel 16
    1 Samuel 17
    1 Samuel 2
    1 Samuel 3
    1 Samuel 8
    2 Corinthians 10
    2 Corinthians 5
    2 Samuel 11
    2 Samuel 12
    Acts 2
    Acts 8
    Advent 1
    Advent 2
    Advent 3
    Advent 4
    All Saints Day
    Ash Wednesday
    Baptism Of Our Lord
    Baptism Of Our Lord
    Bathsheba
    Cantate
    Christmas 1
    Christmas 2
    Christmas Day
    Christmas Eve
    Confirmation
    David
    Easter
    Easter 2
    Easter 3
    Easter 4
    Easter 5
    Easter 6
    Easter 7
    Ephesians 2
    Ephesians 5
    Epiphany 2
    Epiphany 3
    Exaudi
    Exodus 1
    Exodus 11
    Exodus 12
    Exodus 14
    Exodus 16
    Exodus 17
    Exodus 2
    Exodus 20
    Exodus 3
    Exodus 32
    Exodus 33
    Exodus 4
    Exodus 5
    Exodus 6
    Exodus 7
    Ezekiel 2-3
    Funeral
    Genesis 1
    Genesis 11
    Genesis 12
    Genesis 14
    Genesis 15
    Genesis 17
    Genesis 18
    Genesis 2
    Genesis 21
    Genesis 22
    Genesis 25
    Genesis 27
    Genesis 3
    Genesis 32
    Genesis 37
    Genesis 39
    Genesis 4
    Genesis 41
    Genesis 6-7
    Good Fridy
    Hebrews 10
    Hebrews 11
    Hebrews 2
    Hebrews 4
    Hebrews 7
    Hebrews 9
    Holy Cross
    Holy Thursday
    Holy Trinity
    Installation
    Invocabit
    Isaiah 52
    Isaiah 55
    Isaiah 66
    James 1
    Job 1-2
    Job 19
    John 1
    John 10
    John 12
    John 13
    John 14
    John 15 16
    John 15-16
    John 16
    John 18-19
    John 2
    John 20
    John 3
    John 4
    John 6
    John 8
    Joshua 1
    Joshua 2
    Joshua 3
    Joshua 4
    Joshua 5
    Joshua 6
    Jubilate
    Jude
    Judges 13
    Judges 16
    Judges 2
    Judges 6
    Judges 7
    Judica
    Laetere
    Last
    Lent 1
    Lent 2
    Lent 3
    Lent 4
    Lent5
    Luke 10
    Luke 11
    Luke 12
    Luke 14
    Luke 15
    Luke 16
    Luke 17
    Luke 18
    Luke 19
    Luke 2
    Luke 21
    Luke 5
    Luke 6
    Luke 7
    Luke 8
    Mark 16
    Mark 7
    Mark 8
    Matthew 1
    Matthew 11
    Matthew 15
    Matthew 17
    Matthew 18
    Matthew 2
    Matthew 20
    Matthew 21
    Matthew 22
    Matthew 24
    Matthew 25
    Matthew 26
    Matthew 27
    Matthew 28
    Matthew 3
    Matthew 3
    Matthew 4
    Matthew 5
    Matthew 6
    Matthew 7
    Matthew 8
    Matthew 9
    Misericordias Domini
    New Year
    Numbers 13
    Numbers 14
    Numbers 17
    Numbers 21
    Numbers 22
    Numbers 24
    Oculi
    Old Testament
    Palm Sunday
    Pastor And Confessor
    Pentecost
    Psalm 2
    Psalm 25
    Psalm 43
    Psalm 91
    Purification Of Mary
    Quasimodo Geniti
    Quinquagesima
    Reformation
    Reminiscere
    Rogate
    Romans 10
    Ruth
    Septuagesima
    Sexagesima
    Solomon
    St. Bartholomew
    St. Matthew
    The Epiphany
    Titus
    Transfiguration
    Trinity 1
    Trinity 10
    Trinity 11
    Trinity 12
    Trinity 13
    Trinity 14
    Trinity 15
    Trinity 16
    Trinity 17
    Trinity 18
    Trinity 19
    Trinity 2
    Trinity 20
    Trinity 21
    Trinity 22
    Trinity 23
    Trinity 24
    Trinity 25
    Trinity 3
    Trinity 4
    Trinity 5
    Trinity 6
    Trinity 7
    Trinity 8
    Trinity 9

    RSS Feed