| January 9, 2000 | Baptized in Our Places | Mark 1:4-11

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Outline

  1. John the Baptist was doing His namesake
    1. What was this about?
    2. v4. Repentance - turning away from unbelief, and turning to God
    3. What does God do - forgive our sins!
    4. John's Message v7-8
  2. So, Jesus comes to John. v9
    1. Here comes the one who is greater
    2. He is the one who is without sin.


Hebrews 4:15: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin."

    1. Jesus is the spotless Lamb.


1 Peter 1:18 "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."

    1. So, what was He doing there?
      1. Without sin
      2. Yet undergoing a confession and repentance of sin.
      3. What sins did He confess?
      4. He could only confess your sins and my sins.


2 Corinthians 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

      1. He came to live under the Law. He came to live as if He were under the law and guilty of breaking the law.


Galatians 4:4 "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."

  1. Consider the humility of Jesus
    1. He didn't need to confess sins, but He comes to be baptized anyway.
    2. He lowered Himself for us.


2 Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

    1. We, on the other hand, don't like to confess our sins and say we have done something wrong.
  1. We Need to Confess
    1. Illustration: St. Louis heroin dealer in City Jail would not admit that he did anything wrong.
    2. Elmore Academy boys: I hope you can see what you have done wrong. If you have not already confessed it to another Christian, I invite you to do so.
    3. Each of us needs to confess our sins. We have general confession in our services, but individual confession and absolution are also very helpful.
    4. Some associate practice with other church bodies, and avoid it because of that association.
    5. However, our Lutheran Confessions indicate that we ought to continue the practice.


Augsburg Confession: "Of Confession they teach that Private Absolution ought to be retained in the churches, although in confession an enumeration of all sins is not necessary. For it is impossible according to the Psalm: Who can understand his errors? Ps. 19, 12."

    1. It is available from your pastor, should you wish to take advantage of it.
    2. Especially helpful for sins that continue to trouble you.
    3. Yet it is hard to confess.
    4. We don't confess all our sins and are not even aware of them.
    5. The difficulty we have in confessing shows how all the more incredible that Jesus did it when He didn't have any sins.
  1. Yet, the one who confessed and was baptized was not just an ordinary man.
    1. We see this by the events following His baptism. v10-11.
    2. Here we have true God. So, He could take on our sins, and die in our places.
    3. This means we could be freed from our sins.
    4. OT Lesson puts it this way: He would "open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."
    5. Thought the boys at Elmore Academy would probably like that picture. We have complete forgiveness.


What a joy that all our sins are forgiven, even those we fail to confess and those of which we are not aware. What a joy to be forgiven by the works of the one who was baptized, crucified, died and rose just to save us! What a joy to be saved by the Only Son of the Father, loved and well pleased by the Father. Rejoice in our redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.



Notes