Making Waves
By the Rev. Daniel Woodring
Into the Jordan River goes the Son of God. He, made flesh for us, steps into the stream “making waves” of eternal proportion. Into this “wave making” you have been brought by your baptism into Christ. By this “wave making,” your sins have been washed away, and you have been brought to the harbor of eternal salvation in the ark of the Holy Christian Church.This “wave making” has united you with Christ, and one another. You are not here as 900 individuals, or nearly one hundred congregational youth groups. You are all mutually joined together in Christ, one body, a new creation. And this is the reason why our Lord Jesus Christ steps into the Jordan River. It is not because He somehow needed to be washed from sin or delivered from death. Perish the thought! Nor did Christ our Lord step into the river in order to leave you an example. Christ is not in the example-setting business. Imitating Jesus’ example is never the route to our salvation. In fact, since we can never do what Jesus would do, following his example only separates us further from God, and results in His wrath and punishment. That is why we are not here to give you 7, 10 or 12 steps to better Christian living.That is why we are not here in order to hype you up with an emotional, mountain-top experience so that you will be inspired and motivated and goose-bumped into Christ-like living. Just as Christ is not in the example-setting business, neither is He in the self-improvement or mountain-top experience business. Rather, our Lord Jesus is in the “wave making” business. He is in the baptizing and saving-sinners business. But you know, sometimes it seems that baptism isn’t quite enough. It seems like we also need some process or experience to get us on the right track as Christians.There are a lot of books at your local
The Baptism of Christ. Verrocchio. 1435-1488.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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