The Baptism of our Lord
January 8, 10:45 a.m.
As We Gather
The theme for the Epiphany season
is the showing forth of Jesus as God's Son, the Messiah, our Savior. He was first known publicly at His baptism.
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 in
His holy Name. Since earliest times, Christians have shared the conviction that
all which Jesus placed into the water of His Baptism is bestowed by His Word in
the water of our own Baptism. Our Baptism in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit is a “washing of regeneration and renewal in the
Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5) in which we receive Christ’s righteousness, innocence,
and blessedness.
We
are bold to confess that such water united with the Word of God is nothing less
than a “gracious water of life and renewing in the Holy Spirit.” It is no mere
initiation. Holy Baptism confers an entire lifetime of Christian vocation-that “the
old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die
with all sins and evil desires and, again, a new man daily emerge and arise to
live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” (Luther’s Small Catechism).
Hymn ~“From
Wilderness to Jordan Came”
(tune Puer nobis Page 344)
1. From
wilderness to Jordan
The
final Prophet to proclaim
That
Judgment soon was to begin
To
punish people for their sin.
2. Although
of Abraham's descent,
Since
all have sinned, all must repent,
And,
like the Gentiles, undergo
A
Baptism, and its import show.
3. But
when Christ came, no judgment dire
Did He
pronounce with venging fire;
Himself
the Baptism underwent,
The
sinless One subservient.
4. On
Him the Spirit as a dove
Descended,
and the Father's love
Voiced
His approval that the Son
Mankind's
salvation had begun.
stand
5. All
glory, Lord, to You we pay
For
Your Epiphany today;
And to
the Father tribute bring,
As by the Spirit here we sing.
Confession and Absolution
Stand
The sign of the cross may be made by all in
remembrance of their Baptism.
Invocation
All
(sing): Within the Jordan
The heav’nly Lamb in
meekness stood
That he, of whom no sin was
known,
Might cleanse his people
from their own.
For this His glad epiphany
All glory unto
Jesus be,
Whom with the
Father we adore,
And Holy Ghost
forevermore.
Sts.3, 5,
“When Christ's Appearing Was Made Known” LW #81
Confession of
Sins
Service of the Word
Introit
Behold my
servant, whom | I uphold,*
my chosen, in whom my | soul delights.
I will tell of | the decree:*
The Lord
said to me, "You are my Son; today I have be- | gotten you.
Ask of me, and
I will make the nations your | heritage,*
and the ends of the earth your pos- |
session.
You shall break them with a | rod
of iron*
and dash them in pieces like a potter_ s |
vessel."
Now therefore,
O | kings, be wise;*
be warned, O rulers | of the earth.
Serve the | Lord with fear,*
and rejoice with | trembling,
for his wrath
is quickly | kindled.*
Blessèd are all who take ref- | uge in
him.
Glory
be to the Father and | to the Son*
and
to the Holy | Spirit;
as
it was in the be- | ginning,*
is
now, and will be forever. | Amen.
Behold my
servant, whom | I uphold,*
my chosen, in whom my | soul delights.
Ps. 2:7–11, 12c;
antiphon: Is. 42:1a
Collect
of the Day
P ... Father
in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your
beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in
His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of
everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Reading
from the Book of Concord
The
Large Catechism
Part
IV: Baptism 77-79; 84-86
Our Baptism abides forever. Even though someone should fall from Baptism
and sin, still we always have access to it.
So we may subdue the old man again. But we do not need to be sprinkled
with water again [Ezekiel 36:25-26; Hebrews 10:22 ]. Even if we were put under the water a hundred
times, it would still be only one Baptism, even though the work and sign
continue and remain. Repentance,
therefore, is nothing other than a return and approach to Baptism…
For this reason let everyone value his
Baptism as a daily dress [Galatians 3:27 ]
in which he is to walk constantly. Then
he may ever be found in the faith and its fruit, so that he may suppress the
old man and grow up in the new. For if
we would be Christians, we must do the work by which we are Christians. But if anyone falls away from the Christian
Life, let him again come into it. For
just as Christ, the Mercy Seat [Romans 3:25], does not draw back from us or
forbid us to come to Him again, even though we sin, so all His treasure and
gifts also remain. Therefore, if we have received forgiveness of sin once in
Baptism, it will remain every day, as long as we live. Baptism will remain as long as we carry the
old man about our neck..
Readings
from Holy Scripture
Old
Testament Reading Genesis
1:1–5
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over
the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the
waters.
3And God said, “Let there be
light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good.
And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light
Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was
morning, the first day.
Gradual
Praise the Lord, all | nations!*
Extol him, all | peoples!
For great is his steadfast |
love toward us,*
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for- | ever.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
bring an offering, and come in- | to his
courts!
Ps. 117:1–2a; 96:8
Epistle
Reading Romans
6:1–11
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that
grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still
live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried
therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness
of life.
5For if we have been united
with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a
resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with
him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would
no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set
free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we
will also live with him. 9We know that Christ being raised from the
dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For
the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives
to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive
to God in Christ Jesus.
Verse
P Alleluia.
You are my beloved Son;
C with you I am well pleased. Alleluia
Mark 1:11b
Holy
Gospel Mark
1:4–11
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And
all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now
John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and
ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me
comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to
stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days Jesus came from
Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And
when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and
the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from
heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Hymn
~ “All Who Believe and Are Baptized”.................... Page
601
Offertory
~ “O God of God, O Light of Light” ................. Page 810
Distribution Hymns
“What Is This Bread”........................................................................ Page
629
“O Lord, We Praise Thee”............................................................. Page
617
Hymn ~ “To Jordan
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