Is. 42:1-9; Ps. 29; Acts 10:34-43; Mt. 3:13-end ]
Grace to all of you who are one in Christ. Amen.
Our reading from the prophet Isaiah this morning is so full, so rich, such a true Gospel message. Indeed, Isaiah is sometimes referred to as the fifth Evangelist.
Our text today speaks of God in a variety of ways:
* the God of promises: verse 1 is a baptismal text, and that fits in with our festival today, the Baptism of the Lord. God will put his spirit on him, and her, and them, and us. Sacraments are gifts from God. God makes the sacraments, we receive them in faith. And we’re all called to be sacraments to others, to delight in them, to bring a good spirit of hope and love to them, to bring justice to all nations, to all his beloved in whom he is well pleased;
* the God of hope: in verses 2-4: of all the prophets, Isaiah is the one who teaches us the most about Jesus’ passion, his suffering, his death on the cross for the sins of us all, once for all. But -and this is very important!- the sorrow of Good Friday and the joy of Easter belong together, and teach us both perseverance as well as hope. All of us are encouraged to not falter and not be discouraged;
* the God of Creation: verse 5 is like a creed, like the Creed we will say together later on: “who created haven and earth.” God is as close to us as our next breath, God is as close to us as our next step (a real physical step as well as a mental step). And we all must allow others to breath and to take their own steps in this World;
* the God of commitment: in verse 6 we learn about the covenant which God has made with his people. In fact, the Bible tells us about multiple covenants God has made and probably will keep on making. A covenant is more than a contract or an agreement, it goes much deeper. A covenant as God makes them with his people is a living relationship, a relationship we’re called to have with all of Creation, because everything is interlinked. We’re reminded: “A light which you have prepared in the sight of all nations.” (Lk. 2) and “the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn. 5);
* the God of Jesus: if we compare verse 7 with what Jesus says to John the Baptist’s disciples when john sends them to him to inquire if Jesus is the messiah or if they are to wait for another: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” (Lk. 7, also Mt. 11).
Isaiah as the fifth Evangelist;
* the God of existing: verse 8: we live before God, we exist and God is the source of all existence, God is existence itself, the great I AM. Our names are inscribed in the Book of Life, we read about this in Revelation several times. We live to God’s glory and God’s glory is his, he is the “glory of his people Israel.” (Lk. 2)
* the God of the Word: of proclamation, of communication, the God who said and says (verse 9). When we read God’s Word, we must always bear in mind the Word that was from the beginning with God, Jesus. This is the creative Word that is “making everything new.” (Rev. 21). God announces and something new begins. Jesus is “the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebr. 13) He is the same and yet new. How wonderfully contradictory!
This is such a hopeful and optimistic text! Not something we would expect from an Old Testament prophet, who have a reputation of being grumpy old men, preaching doom and gloom and disaster, and who sulk when God acts in an unexpected way. But a clever German reformer once rightly pointed out that there is Law in the New Testament and Gospel in the Old.
This is Gospel! The gospel of hope, the gospel of love, the gospel of salvation!
We might not expect to find it in the Old Testament, but there it is, leaping of the page and taking us in its arms and taking hold of our hand and comforting us and assuring us that things will be alright, will be new.
This is the Gospel of our baptism!
In baptism we stand on the promise of God; we are his beloved in whom he is well pleased, and his Holy Spirit is upon us so we can go out into the World and serve.
In baptism we’re buried with Christ and risen with him to new and eternal life.
In baptism we’re daily recreated because we’re daily forgiven; it’s a daily regeneration by the Spirit.
In baptism God commits himself to us and we become part of his Covenant, his Church, we become a member of the Body of Christ and all the members are one.
In baptism we’re clothed with Christ to emanate his life in the World. St Theresa of Avila, a Catholic mystic, once wrote:
“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
In baptism God affirms time and time again our existence, our being; nothing can ever destroy our existence, even if there are times when the darkness is pushing us so deep, it feels as if we’re being buried alive. Arise, shine, and Christ will give you light!
In baptism we’re called to be co-workers with and ambassadors for God. In word and deed we are called to preach, teach and live out the Gospel message with kindness and patience.
In a way, we’re all called to be Isaiahs, Evangelists, in and for the World.
Faith, hope, and love be yours forever. Amen.