The Baptism of Our Lord
Title: Christ Our Covenant (MP3 Audio)
Summary: Covenants are, by nature, bilateral. Each side puts something into the arrangement and each receives something in return. However, covenants between God and man always fail for we cannot uphold any covenant made with Him.It doesn’t matter if it’s an official agreement, such as those He initiated with Noah, Abraham, Jacob, or Israel at Sinai. Nor does it make any difference if people reach out to God, asking His favor in exchange for their allegiance. Sinful creatures cannot please a just and holy Creator.
Therefore, when the Lord established His Servant, He ordained Him to fulfill the human side of His covenants. Jesus stood in for Adam and Eve, for Noah, for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for the Children of Israel, and for all mankind. He kept the Law perfectly to the last jot and tittle.
Credit for this absolute obedience to His Father passes to us by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. God views those who believe not as promise-breaking, lying, fornicating, murderous wretches but as His holy children, washed in the Lamb’s sacrificial blood in our baptisms.
The “new things” are nothing less than the New Testament record of Jesus’ holy life, innocent suffering, shameful death, and glorious resurrection and the wondrous results they bore for us. We are baptized into Christ our Covenant and forgiveness, life, and salvation belong to us even as we belong to Him.
Text: Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
“I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
“Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 42:1-9
Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Christ Our Covenant. Preached to the saints of God at Trinity Lutheran Church, Kearney, Missouri.
NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.
Other Readings: Psalm 29; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 3:13-17
Tags: Epiphany 1 | 1st Sunday after the Epiphany | First Sunday after the Epiphany | The Baptism of Our Lord | Three Year Lectionary | 3 Year Lectionary | Series A | theology | Jesus | Jesus Christ | Christ | Gospel | Law and Gospel | Law | God | Servant Song | Servant | Messiah | Covenant | Baptism | Holy Baptism | Isaiah | 12 January 2014 | January 12, 2014 | Lutheranism | Lutheran | Church | Christian | Christianity | Christian Church | Isaiah 42 | sermon | preaching | homily | text | theme | topic | Christ Our Covenant | audio | mp3 | Pastor Snyder | Pastor Walter Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor | Happenings
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