LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE.
Jesus speaks to us today, saying,
The word “baptism” occurs 23 times in Acts which has 28
chapters. And, according to one count, only 15 sermons.
But St. Peter does not tell
them to get baptized every time. He simply presents God’s Word and work and
tells them to repent. However, when Faith hears that Word, it can’t help but
feel like it needs a good washing.
Here is the proof from the Book itself:
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
So those who received his word were baptized,
and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about
the kingdom of God
Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized
he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was
amazed.
And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down
into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes,
and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said,
‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized
with the Holy Spirit.’
And after she was baptized, and her household as
well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord,
come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their
wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord,
together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul
believed and were baptized.
And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism
of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after
him, that is, Jesus.
On hearing this, they were baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus.
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized
and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
The point of doing this is to show you what is really
happening in Scripture, in the book of Acts, after Jesus ascended and the Holy
Spirit came to the Apostles. They weren’t just doing things and stuff and
whatever they wanted.
There was a plan. There was a purpose. There was a definite
goal and, more importantly, the means to
get there. The point of reading all that about baptism was to show that, even
in the very beginning, the Apostles were building the Divine Service.
The future may not be set in stone for events to take place
between us and our neighbors, but the future is definitely rock solid when it
comes to salvation and the Church of Jesus. When we seek the Church or wonder
where the Church should go next, there is never a question. The Church goes
into the future, unchanged.
So, the Holy Spirit is causing the Apostles to remember,
teach, and keep the Word of Jesus in this book of the Acts of the Apostles. What
is it that they are remembering, teaching, and keeping?
Is it “believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved”? Is
it “bless Israel
and I will bless you”? Is it “be the hearts and hands of Jesus”?
No. What they are remembering, and now us today, is what it
means to be a Christian. We are remembering, with the Apostles, what it means
to have our life “hid in Christ”. With the Holy Ghost, we hang on every word of
Jesus, but most especially we circle the wagons around the places where He
promises forgiveness and salvation.
For the Apostles were not just preaching baptism neither
were they simply doing what they could to build the Church. They were preaching
Christ Crucified for sinners and when that preaching of that unrestricted
Gospel sounds upon the ears, faith awakens and is immediately desirous of God’s
Holy Spirit.
Found only in Christ, the forgiven sinner seeks to become a
part of Jesus and so gain the eternal favor and blessing that only the Son of
God has. This of course, being only found in baptism.
Thus, forgiveness and salvation, according to the preaching
of the Apostles, is not just found in Jesus, but in the Crucified Jesus. And
there is a grave difference. If we just have an Easter and Ascension Jesus, we
can forget about that nasty suffering and crucifixion bit and move on to
“better” things.
But there is no forgiveness, no salvation with that sort of
Jesus. The world needs an Easter-Jesus with scars. Sinners need an Ascended
Jesus with tattoos on His wrists, feet, head, and side. The Law demands
suffering and death for transgressors and a suffering Jesus went to the cross.
Your dear heavenly Father has given you His Son to take your
place. He has given you His Spirit, Who keeps His created Church in unity. He
has given to His Church the Means of the Spirit whereby you receive life,
light, and forgiveness, as you are united into the Body of Jesus.
This is what the Holy Spirit is doing, even today. This is
what we are remembering and believing, thanks to Him, today, expressed in this poem:
[For] Today the Spirit
of God who brooded over the waters of a lightless creation
Swoops down with
tongues of fire to kindle faith in the re-creating work of Christ.
Today the Spirit of
God who made the tower-builders into foolish babblers
Unites believers in
the univocal language of the church-building grace of Christ.
Today the Spirit of
God who came mightily upon the deliverers of Israel
Falls upon the
apostles to proclaim the deliverance from sin we enjoy in Christ.
Today the Spirit of
God who endowed with wisdom the builders of the tabernacle
Imparts the saving
wisdom of the Word made flesh who tabernacled among us.
Today the Spirit who
gave the law to Israel
Gives hearts of flesh
for hearts of stone in the proclamation of the Good News.
Today the Spirit whom
unfaithful David prayed the Lord would not take from him
Pours himself into
sinners that they might sing of the faithful love of their Husband.
Today is Pentecost,
the fiftieth day after the Passover resurrection of our Lord
When we are made holy
by the holy-ing Spirit of the Christ who gives us the Father.
Today is Pentecost.
Let us rejoice and be
glad in it. – Chad
No comments:
Post a Comment