Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ who washes away our sins in the cleansing water of baptism. Amen.

Lord, we thank you for those baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. We humbly ask that you would give them delight in their adoption as your children and embolden them to proclaim Christ Jesus as God’s wisdom and righteousness to the world.

There’s something to be said about the big influence of small things. I am reminded of something a seminary professor said once in class. Now, I usually fell asleep in his class, so it is pretty surprising that I remember anything from him. And yet, this one statement as stuck with me all these years. He told my class, "When you become a pastor, it isn’t your call or your Master’s Degree that gives you the right to preach or to announce forgiveness or teach God’s Word. It is that little piece of paper that you received at your baptism that gives you that awesome right."

When you make the long hike up to my office, you will see my bachelor’s and master’s degrees professionally framed and proudly displayed. They are testaments to eight years of hard work. Yet, it is my baptismal certificate that marked my baptism thirty-four years ago that has led me to the lofty position of preaching in this pulpit.

Sometimes we overlook the big influence of small things.

And so it is with Jesus’ baptism. It was a small thing for Jesus to do. It wasn’t necessary for him to be baptized since there was no sin in his life for which to repent. But he submitted to John’s baptism of repentance anyway. Why? To identify with our sins. Jesus chose to be baptized because he wanted to participate with the people in their desire to be close to God.

It was a small thing Jesus does but what a big influence. It forever marks baptism as the way we Christians publicly declare our repentance to God and declare our dependence upon God’s grace. Today we focus on baptism and we see its inestimable value. Jesus’ baptism shows he is the sinner’s Savior. Jesus’ baptism also shows how sinners are to be saved.

Short of his crucifixion and resurrection, there is no one event more important for us and our salvation than the baptism of Jesus. Holy Scripture declares that John the Baptist was puzzled when Jesus came to him for baptism. "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" he objected. John's washing was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4), and Jesus had no sins to confess. Nevertheless Jesus insisted: "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."

Jesus was born among us, lived among us and died in our midst as one of us. As a baby he needed a bottle and a diaper change. Growing up, he had to be educated. As a young apprentice carpenter, he got splinters and slammed his thumb with the hammer (although I’m sure he didn’t swear). Jesus was God with us, among us, human like us.

So in his baptism then, Jesus is among us. He doesn’t stand aloof and apart, he is right there with us. Jesus is God reaching down in love to save us.

As Jesus was crucified for us, so he was baptized for us, bearing sins that were not his own. They were ours. As he borrowed our death at the cross, so he borrowed our baptism at the Jordan. In that water he took up the cross as surely as when Pilate's shoulders laid a crossbeam on his shoulders some three years later. At the Jordan the sinless Son of God was already made to be sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). There in his baptism, the Lord of life stepped heroically into death. For since the wages of sin is death, the baptism of Jesus pointed relentlessly to his cross and death. But by that death we live.

At the baptism of Jesus the heavens opened to reveal the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, and the Father's voice pronounced His heavenly benediction: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." The baptism of Jesus is the source of the power and application of Holy Baptism. As God the Holy Trinity was present there, so he is present in every baptism done in his holy Name. Since earliest times, Christians have shared the conviction that the river Jordan flows through every baptismal font. This means that Jesus’ baptism placed his righteousness, innocence, blessedness, and holiness into the water of our baptism. The Bible says that our Baptism in the name of Father, Son, and Spirit is indeed a "washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).

As Epiphany Christians, we reveal God’s glory and revel in the value of our own baptism, as we understand that Jesus’ baptism shows he is the sinner’s Savior. Jesus’ baptism also shows how sinners are to be saved.

A little water and a few words. What can they do? By God's command, they do a lot. A number of years ago I was asked to come to the hospital by a member family. Their twin boys were born three months prematurely. They wanted me to perform an emergency baptism to ensure the salvation of their sons. When I arrived at the hospital, I put on a surgical gown, hat, mask, gloves, and I was given sterilized water. I went into the room where the boys were each in their own warming unit. I poured a little water on one boy’s head and said, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." And then I froze. I knew our baptismal liturgy in church was longer. I wondered if there was something else I needed to say. Nope. I was fine. Those few, but important words and God’s amazing grace in the water of baptism, did everything that was needed.

Baptism is no ordinary water, but water used at God's command and with His blessing. When God speaks, His Word always brings about great changes. He said, "Let there be light," and light has filled the universe ever since. He said to us, "I wash, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," and we were cleansed of all our sins.

Unfortunately, the change that takes place in our baptism is hidden from human sight. Every day, our eyes see the world that God made, but we can't see the new creation that we have become through baptism. Nonetheless, the change in our life is as real and substantial as the created world around us.

Let’s briefly go through some of the blessings and changes God bestowed on you in your baptism.

The Bible says that because we are born to sinful parents, we inherit their sinful nature. "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me," David confesses. (Psalm 51:5) The filth and grime of our sins covers us. And so it is a common tradition that a white baptismal garment is worn by a newly baptized infant. In Baptism, we put off sin and put on Christ (Rom. 6:6-8; Eph. 4:20-24). We wear Christ's holy work and righteousness (Gal. 3:27). The baptismal garment is white because it represents the purity of Christ's righteousness: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah. 1:18) "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:25-27)

The Bible goes on to say: "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Galatians 3:27) Baptism clothes us with Christ. We’re wrapped up in Jesus and all of his goodness in baptism. Armani, Gucci, Abercrombie and Fitch – none of those designer labels can compare with the garments we have in Jesus’ name. God "clothes" us with forgiveness and salvation. In other words, he says that these things are ours. They’re real, just like a change of clothes. All who believe that these garments are theirs have what’s needed to be part of God’s family.

The Lord offers a wonderful wardrobe for his people. It’s his Son’s life, death, and resurrection. These are ours to "wear" spiritually. God does have a dress code for his family. This is what identifies us as Christians.

Another tradition of baptism is for the pastor to say, "Receive the sign of the cross on the head and the heart to mark you as a redeemed child of Christ." God gives the God gives the mark of life in Holy Baptism--the mark that conquers death, sin, hell, and Satan. "It is finished," the cross always proclaims. Your eternity has been won. You are shielded from condemnation. Even in the midst of a violent and idolatrous land, you are safe in the cross of Jesus. No wonder the cross is the sign marked on us at Holy Baptism, for there are only two kinds of people: Those marked by the cross and those who aren't--those who will live forever and those who won't.

In ancient baptismal liturgies there was a renunciation of the devil. It was kind of like an exorcism. It is even found in Luther's baptism services with these words: "I adjure thee, thou unclean spirit, by the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit that thou come out of and depart from this servant of Jesus Christ."

Every once in a while, when my children are acting really naughty, I will place my hand on a daughter’s head and say, "Demon be gone." Sometimes they need a good exorcism.

It's not surprising that the words of exorcism were later dropped from baptismal liturgies of the Lutheran Church. As humanity "progressed" and came to the conclusion that belief in a real devil wasn't very sophisticated, words that commanded the devil to get out of the way and make room for the true God were probably somewhat embarrassing. But as we look around us, we witness a nation that wipes its feet on God’s sixth commandment of holy marriage, or treats the life of an unborn child with indifference, or wants to remove any reference to God or Christ in society. The devil is real and he is attacking us and our nation. Perhaps these words should find a place once again in our baptism liturgy as a reminder of just what it is that God is doing for us in this sacrament.

Another ancient tradition is for the baptized person to be christened, to receive a new name – a Christian name. When your child was born, what name did you give that precious bundle of joy? Your name – your last name. He or she belongs to you.

When we were born, because of our sinful nature we born children of Satan. We hated God and wanted nothing to do with him (Romans 8:7). All of that changed at our baptism. We were reborn and renewed in our baptism (Titus 3:5). We were adopted into God’s holy family (Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Cor. 12:1-13). Since we are baptized in his Triune name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are given the new name of Christ – Christian.

This new name brings new results in your life. "We were buried with Christ through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." (Romans 6:4,13) I once baptized two brothers about 8 and 10 years old. The week after they were baptized I asked if they had sinned that week. They said "not at all." Their parents just smiled.

Even though we have received this sacred bath, we still sin, but this baptism now gives us the power to live for Christ instead of living only for ourselves and Satan.

A few months ago, Shelley opened Lydia’s bedroom door to find water on the floor and water all over the heads of Miriam’s baby dolls and her baby sister. Shelley asked Miriam what was going on. Miriam replied that she was baptizing them. We have really holy baby dolls at our how now.

Too often we treat our baptism lightly. It happened so long ago. It was such a small thing. It wasn’t all that important. Being an Epiphany Christian means that we value our baptism. Jesus’ baptism is connected to our baptism. Through the sacrament of baptism, our sins are washed away; we are reborn and made alive in Christ; faith is created and strengthened in us; we are robed in Christ’s perfection; we are connected to Christ’s death and resurrection; and we are given the power to live a new life for Christ. In baptism, God accepts us as his children. In our baptism, we accept the acceptance of God. And there is no greater security in all the earth!

Over the years, I have baptized babies, children, adults, parents, and whole families. At almost every baptism, I start to choke up. I’m a big softie. But that’s because I realize what is happening in this baptism and how valuable it is. Baptism means belonging. It means that we belong to God and to each other. In a few moments we are going to reaffirm our baptisms. This means that we are going to remember our baptisms, and be thankful. Our baptism is valuable. Amen.

God our Savior saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Titus 3:5)