Today's baptism of the Lord Sunday. In reflecting on Jesus' baptism we are reminded of our own. Jesus' baptism connects us to the story of Israel especially the exodus as Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea. That pivotal event marks out Israel as the chosen people of God. Israel's story parallels and is continuous with the story of the church.
The OT text in Isaiah 43:1-7 comes to Israel in a painful and chaotic period of Israel's history known as the Babylonian exile. The exile was a result of Israel's unfaithfulness. God sent the Babylonians to punish Israel. As a result they lost their home, their temple, many of their loved ones and the glory of the Lord.
However, today's text assures them there's one thing they haven't lost. The one thing that might spell the turning point in their life. That is their identity as God's chosen people. Many things can be taken away from Israel except one thing : that they are the beloved children of God
The same message is just as relevant to the church today as God's chosen people in the NT.
Isaiah uses four verbs that buttress this identity which I wish to unpack : created , formed, redeemed and named.
Created - we are beautiful -
God spoke you into existence. By his word God created you. He took a lump of clay and breathed into you and you became a living being. Everything that you have and are is pure gift.
Creation is not a necessary act. God is not obliged to create. In fact, when God creates he opens up the possibilities of pain. He knew beforehand that we would abuse our free will, that we would throw the world into a mess. Imagine you know beforehand that your kid will grow up to be a rascal. He will make terrible mistakes , reject your love and break your heart. Would u still give birth to him? God did. There can be only one reason why he created us. That he would sacrifice the bliss and joy and fullness he has been enjoying for all eternity within the trinitarian relationships as Father, Son and Spirit to bring forth human beings. It can only be love. He wants to share his unconditional love with us and give us the opportunity to love him freely.
The psalmist says 'what is man that you O Lord should be mindful of him? The son of man that you should care for him? .. You made him ruler over the work of your hands , a little lower than the angels.'
When we messed up his creation by rejecting him, he did not wipe us all out and start all over. Rather he called forth Israel to be an instrument by which he would reclaim the world. And through Israel he sent the Messiah into the world that the world might be put together again.
That's who we are as church.
'If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is gone the new has come!' 2 Cor 5:17
Formed - God made us for a purpose - God formed us as the potter forms the clay. It speaks of design and purpose and beauty. We are not products of a cosmic accident. God made us with the intention of shaping and fashioning us into his likeness - to reflect his glory. We are all individually God's great work of art - as the psalmist says 'I am fearfully and wonderfully made'. Or as a modern man would say 'I am somebody because God makes no junk' . Don't let anybody tell you 'you are a good for nothing' or 'you are a nobody' !
I believe in the original creation before sin crept in, there were no such things as birth defects. No congenital heart disease, no Down syndrome etc.
Due to the fall we have also lost some of the likeness of God in us. Now the Spirit has been given in us to restore that likeness to shape and fashion us in his image. That we might regain the divine likeness - his love, compassion, grace , kindness, holiness and everything to do with God's character.
Redeemed - 'we are precious'. It suggests something had gone wrong along the way. Only what's alienated needs to be redeemed. We needed redemption because we were alienated from God by sin. We messed up by rejecting his love. Redemption is a term borrowed from the marketplace especially the slave market. When we sinned, we became slaves to sin. We became captive to the way of the world and took on its corruption , it's false values and agenda. But God in Christ has paid the ransom by his blood that we might be free.
Alex Haley's Roots
A TV series based on a historical novel based in 18th century America when the slave trade was at its peak. An African tribesman Kunta Kinte was captured as a teenager and sold to America to work as a slave. One of the first things they did was to force him to renounce his name and his roots and was given a slave Toby.
In one striking scene he was stripped to his waist and tied to a pole. A white guy stood behind and shouted 'Say your name is Toby!' And came the answer 'Kunta Kinte'. And he was whipped again and again till he finally yielded and muttered under his dying breath 'Toby'. From then on he took on the identity of a slave and soon forgot who he was, till one day he heard an African music in the background and all the memories of home came back to him. And he remembered who he was, which led to his several attempts to escape.
It's a tragic story.
But God did the reverse by giving us a new name when he redeemed us from sin and adopted us as his beloved children.
Named - ' we are loved ' -
Whatever God creates he names. God said let there be light and there was light and he calls the light day and the darkness he calls night. And he said it is good!
When you name a person u declare who he is and who he shall be. I wonder if u have ever thought about the meaning of your own name? How our life tends to take the shape of your own name. Our name not only shapes our identity but our destiny as well.
God calls each one of us by name. The act of naming is the act of declaring a relationship. . 'Out of Egypt have I called my son' says the Lord
By giving Israel a new name God is saying ' You are mine'
Ok I'm going to risk some personal embarrassment by telling u my little childhood story.
You may find it difficult to believe this but I was a kid before and I had a little pillow I slept with. It was shaped like a duck and had the image of a duck printed on it. And I gave it a name 'duck duck'. From the day I gave it a name it's no longer just an ordinary pillow. It's become my duck duck, my friend my confidante my dear. I hugged it to sleep, talked to it , cried on it. Over time it began to smell like me. It turned from yellow to brown and had to be thrown away. That day I cried and I cried and I cried because my 'duck duck' was gone. It wasn't just an ordinary pillow to me. It's my duck duck. As I reflect on this if a kid could feel so much for a pillow after giving it a name I wonder how God must have felt when Satan took us away from him.
Israel's old name was Jacob meaning a deceiver, a cheat , a liar. He'd been getting what he wanted by lying all his life taking away his brother's blessing and birthright. God met this con man and gave him a new name 'Ip man' ! ( 'Israel' means 'fighter' or 'struggler') 😆 .. He took this fraudster and called him a fighter. Before, he was a swindler now he's a wrestler. Before, he was a con man now he's 'Ip man'!
When you give a person a name you declare who he is and who he shall be. In this way his identity shapes his destiny.
Israel's passing through the Red Sea was the climactic moment when God adopted Israel as his son. From then on they shared a special relationship.
God says 'you are mine' 'you are my beloved' 'you belong to me' v 1
It's an important declaration.
You are going to need this. You need to remember this and cling on to it. There might be times in your life when this declaration might well be the only light that will guide you when all the lights in the world have gone out. Remember who you are.
God says 'you are mine'
Created out of nothing formed for my glory redeemed with the blood of Christ and named as a child of God.
God knows we are going to need it and that's why he said it not once but twice 'Fear not' in verse 1 and again in verse 5. I like the older translation : "Be not afraid. Be not afraid !"
God did not promise us a rose garden. God did not say 'believe in me and all your problems will go away.'
Humanly speaking, Israel has much to fear. Israel was a small nation compared to the rich and powerful nations like Egypt Babylon Assyria and Persia. These were the superpower of the day - the ones that had the political power, the wealth, the size and the technology. It's human tendency that 'when we can't beat them we join them'. Israel began to copy what these pagan nations do , adopt their values, their agendas, their methods of domination and even worshipped their gods!
Fear can lead us to idolatry, to forget who we are.
Water and fire are two powerful forces of nature much feared by the ancient people. It's no wonder that the Canaanite storm god, Baal was much worshipped. ( the Greeks have Thors and the Hindus have Indra). Instead of worshipping the Lord who alone presides over the storm and all of creation, they worshipped these gods of nature.
'When you pass through the waters I will be with u.
When u pass through the rivers it will not sweep over you'
'When u walk through the fires you will not be burned.'
Notice it did not say
'if' but 'when'
Reminds us that we are a pilgrim people - a people on the move.
We have not arrived. There will be dangers and hardships ahead.
Water and fire are two of the most powerful forces of nature but they were not new to Israel
Waters remind us of Israel's crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River. Both times they thought they were stuck and had nowhere to go with enemies behind them. And giants and wild beasts on the other side of the rivers.
Rivers are times of transition. Liminal grounds you pass through as you make your way from one phase of life to another. It can be a time of uncertainty. Think of a time when you began life in a new school. Started a new job. Or when you just got married. Or you or a loved one is struck by a new illness and you have to learn to cope with it.
God says 'do not be afraid for I'm with you.' You'll never walk alone. God can turn the waters into dry land and make a safe passage for you. God will see you through. He will make a way where there seems to be no way.
Fires in Israel's time may refer to the destruction of war or trials and tribulations like Daniel and his friends being thrown into the fiery furnace.
Israel was invaded by the Babylonians because of their sins and disobedience whereas Daniel and his friends were thrown into the fiery furnace because they were faithful and refused to compromise their faith.
Let's be clear here. When bad things happen to you don't be too quick to conclude that God is punishing you! As Asians with a deep-seated belief in karma, when bad things happen we tend to reflexively say 'it's retribution! God must be punishing me!'
Well, sometimes we may indeed be suffering the bad consequences of our misdeeds but not always.
Let's not forget that suffering is also part of being a disciple of Christ in a fallen world.
You may be experiencing fiery trials precisely because of your faith. You may face recriminations at work for standing up for what your believe. You may be giving up lucrative business or career opportunities because these opportunities require you to cheat or lie or compromise your integrity!
So as Peter says in 1 Peter 4:12f
' Do not be surprised at the fiery trials come upon you as if it's something strange. Rather rejoice in that you are participating in the sufferings of Christ and that you will be overjoyed when his glory is revealed!'
The important thing is to persevere in doing his will and not give up. God has not abandoned you. He has not stopped loving you. He will see u through. You may suffer and get hurt along the way but you will not ultimately be harmed.
Verse 4 is perhaps the keystone of the whole passage.
... because I love u.
God will give any price in exchange for your life!
Here Egypt and some of her allies were exchanged for the life of Israel. Probably this is in the context of war where God diverted the invading forces away from Israel. We are not completely sure of the historical circumstances here but the point is clear : God will redeem Israel however costly the price.
In the NT we experience the fullness of this grace. Grace it is said is 'God's redemption at Christ's expense. '
'For God did not spare his son but gave him up for us all ... How much more will he give us all things. ' Rom 8:32
Our lives are built on the sacrifice of another. Dun waste it!
The movie 'Saving Private Ryan' was a story about a group of men who laid down their lives to save a nobody. Captain Miller's last word to private Ryan was 'Earn this'.
Live our lives worthy of your calling!
The story that defines our identity.
We are not purposeless planktons adrift in a boundless sea. Nor are we solo individuals with nothing to live for but our pesky little selves. We are part of a larger story - a grand narrative as scholars put it.
We are connected to the whole story that spans from creation , redemption and the final restoration.
As we read this text, let's be mindful of this identity-shaping story that we are all a part of.
Where are we in the story ?
We live between the redemption and the final restoration.
Through the cross Christ has paid the ransom. God has secured our freedom from sin. Now through the preaching of the gospel God is gathering all his children and bringing us home.
'I will gather your children from the east and the west
I call to the north and south let my people go, do not hold back my children. I will gather my children from the ends of the earth.'
Interestingly this is echoed in Matthew 8:11
This homecoming includes the Gentiles. It's always been God's intention to save everybody as far as the Lord shall call. Acts 2:38
What shall we say ? How shall we respond to this good news ?
1. Be not afraid
- put your hope in the Lord
I don't know what the future holds for you. I don't even know what 2016 holds for you or what you might be going through right now. Some of you may be experiencing great fiery trials or passing through the mighty waters. The Lord says to you : 'Be not afraid! Be not afraid!'
'I will be with you , I will see you through because you are mine'
There's only one you need to fear - the Lord your God - who alone presides over the storm and all creation!
'Trust the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding and he will make straight your path' Proverbs 3:5-6
2. Remember who you are
- claim it with our hearts and don't just know it in our head ; open your heart to the holy spirit
'You are mine
You are loved
You are my sons and daughters'
Do not underestimate the magnitude of God's declaration
Who am I?
'What's man that you are mindful of him? ' psalm 8
Who am I that the God of all the earth should take notice of me?
'Not because of who I but because of what you have done. Not because of what I've done but because of who you are' ( 'who am I' by Casting Crowns)
K Barth once asked to summarize his life work of theological study and writings in a single sentence said 'Jesus loves me this I know for the bible tells me so' - a statement so simple children sing it in the nursery rhyme yet so profound it takes a lifetime of reflections to unpack!
We may know this in our head but do we claim it with our heart?
3. "Follow me and I will bring you home" says the Lord
Four groups of people
A. Those struggling with sin
This applies to all of us in a way cos we all fall short of his glory in some ways
God's call to u is 'come home!'
Calling all sinners come home
Maybe you have drifted so far through sheer neglect
And have allowed the things of this world to draw you away from the warm of his love and the enduring hope of his promises.
Come home and take the small steps of drawing near to him through prayer and soaking yourself in the word of God and reclaim your first love
Maybe you have messed up big time
.. again and again
Listen, God has claimed you as his own.
He has done everything necessary to redeem you and it won't be easy for you to 'get off the hook' of his unrelenting love
No matter how far you have fallen, how badly you have messed up, you can never fall beyond the reach of his grace and mercy
'Come though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be white as snow'
says tghe holy one of Israel
B. Those walking through the fires
- hang in there, my friends! Recognize that God is there with you and so are all his friends - friends that remain faithful even when faced with severe trials and persecutions.
- let the fire transform you
- 'we are nails. the more you hammer us the deeper you drive us deeper into Christ' said the Korean Christians under persecution
- or as Paul says in Romans 5 : 3-4 'we rejoice in our suffering because suffering produces perseverance , perseverance character and character hope. And hope does not disappoint because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit he has given us. '
C. Those who are having it good
- If life has been good I rejoice with u and let's be grateful to the Lord for his providence. But do not let the good things of life lull you into spiritual complacency. Don't let them cause you to grow roots into this world. For the form of this world is passing away. Don't waste your life on what's transient and passing away. Live your life for what really matters. For things that endure to eternal life. Bear lasting fruits like faith hope and love.
D. Those who are faithful
- keep on keeping on !
Those beacons of light in the dark world
Who refuse to conform to the values and agendas of the world. Who face recriminations because you refuse to compromise your faith. Those who give up some lucrative career or business opportunities because you refuse to lie or compromise your faith and their integrity. Those who make sacrifices for the love of God by identifying with the lowly and the poor.
All
Today we remember who we are.
Who God has declared us to be in our baptism. What God said to Jesus he says to us when he put his Holy Spirit in us adopting us as his children
'You are my beloved sons and daughters, with you I am well pleased' Amen
