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Augsburg1530
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Joshua 3:1-3, 7-8, 13-17: Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it…The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”…And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”…So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus’ Baptism is not the first time the
Lord has stood in the Jordan River. When Israel crossed over that river and
entered the Promised Land, the Lord was there. Where the ark was, that was
where the Lord was. No doubts and uncertainty―they knew exactly where He
was. See the ark? There is the Lord.
Same with Jesus. See Jesus? See the Lord. Want to know where God
is? What He is doing? Look for Jesus. When Jesus stands in the Jordan River,
the Lord is doing exactly what He did in the Old Testament―bringing Israel into
the Promised Land. But this time it’s not just Israel but all people. And now it’s
not the Promised Land as defined by GPS coordinates, but the Promised Land
of forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
In fact, when the Lord was in the midst of the Jordan River the first time,
He was pointing ahead to this time, when He would stand there in human flesh
to be baptized for sinners and begin His work of carrying our sins to Calvary to
get rid of them by His suffering and death for us.
This is really how we need to read the Old Testament. We need to see
that the events and people and places where the Lord was active in the Old
Testament point us in some way to His Work in the flesh to save us from our
sins. See the Lord in the Old Testament? That points to Jesus. See Jesus?
There’s the Lord. See Baptism, Supper, the Word? There’s Jesus. And there’s
the Lord for you.
The Lord gets in the water. And by doing that He brings you along,
crossing over from death to life. The Promised Land, eternal life, is yours,
because the Lord stood in the Jordan for you. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
There stood the Son of God in love, His grace to us extending; The Holy Spirit
like a dove Upon the scene descending; The triune God assuring us, With
promises compelling, That in our Baptism He will thus Among us find a dwelling
To comfort and sustain us. (LSB 406:4)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus’ Baptism is not the first time the
Lord has stood in the Jordan River. When Israel crossed over that river and
entered the Promised Land, the Lord was there. Where the ark was, that was
where the Lord was. No doubts and uncertainty―they knew exactly where He
was. See the ark? There is the Lord.
Same with Jesus. See Jesus? See the Lord. Want to know where God
is? What He is doing? Look for Jesus. When Jesus stands in the Jordan River,
the Lord is doing exactly what He did in the Old Testament―bringing Israel into
the Promised Land. But this time it’s not just Israel but all people. And now it’s
not the Promised Land as defined by GPS coordinates, but the Promised Land
of forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
In fact, when the Lord was in the midst of the Jordan River the first time,
He was pointing ahead to this time, when He would stand there in human flesh
to be baptized for sinners and begin His work of carrying our sins to Calvary to
get rid of them by His suffering and death for us.
This is really how we need to read the Old Testament. We need to see
that the events and people and places where the Lord was active in the Old
Testament point us in some way to His Work in the flesh to save us from our
sins. See the Lord in the Old Testament? That points to Jesus. See Jesus?
There’s the Lord. See Baptism, Supper, the Word? There’s Jesus. And there’s
the Lord for you.
The Lord gets in the water. And by doing that He brings you along,
crossing over from death to life. The Promised Land, eternal life, is yours,
because the Lord stood in the Jordan for you. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
There stood the Son of God in love, His grace to us extending; The Holy Spirit
like a dove Upon the scene descending; The triune God assuring us, With
promises compelling, That in our Baptism He will thus Among us find a dwelling
To comfort and sustain us. (LSB 406:4)