Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2025)
Illustration
Isaiah 43:1-7
Last fall, I saw the movie Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot. It is a powerful movie that is based on a true story. It is set in the small town of Possum Trot, in deep East Texas in 1996. It is the story of Donna Martin and her husband Baptist Bishop W.C. Martin. They become convicted to bring in and care for foster children. They also motivated their small congregation to take in and adopt 77 of the most abused and neglected foster kids in Texas. Their story was featured on Good Morning America and many other television shows.
One of the most memorable parts for me was Donna’s interaction with Terri. Terri is a deeply wounded child who pretends to be a cat part of the time. She and Donna have several confrontations. Near the end of the movie, Donna finds Terri after she’s run away. They return home and Terri and Donna meet at the swing in the front yard. It a powerful moment, she calls Terri “my little girl.”
In this passage, God is speaking to his people. He is telling them of the difficulties they face, but they should not fear. “I have called you by name, you are mine.” That message was important then and it is important now. No matter what happens, God has called his people by name. What an encouraging promise to hear God say, “You are mine.”
Bill T.
* * *
Isaiah 43:1-7
Now the ancients connected the power of the waters with the chaos that always threatened to overwhelm the seemingly solid universe. And you can understand why. Nowadays, however, people don’t respect waters enough. You hear about folks who ignore warnings about driving through water, believing they can navigate their way through a flood street, who lose their lives in the attempt. Others ignore storm warnings, and evacuation recommendations. Surely, we should be coming to respect the waters if for no other reason than the increasing number of destructive storms.
By contrast, our faith begins with the Spirit of God moving over the face of the chaos of the deeps and controlling the waters, setting boundaries with creation, and deliberately opening and closing the floodgates before and after theflood. Other ancient religions had flood narratives too, but their gods couldn’t control the waters. Our God reigns!
God’s power over the waters is twice alluded to in Isaiah 43:2, with references to a couple of the oldest scripture stories from Exodus and Joshua. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you…” alludes, I think, to two important events that shaped God’s people. The first celebrates the parting of the Red Sea and the deliverance of the people from Pharaoh and the chariots! It’s kind of like the eleventh plague. God had already performed wonders to free the people, but just when they were panicking and thinking they were abandoned, God performed this additional miracle on their behalf.
This verse also celebrates the parallel event of salvation through the waters in the triumphant crossing over the dry riverbed of the Jordan. Yeah, a river is not as dangerous as a sea, but failure to respect a rushing river’s power could have led to sudden and unnecessary deaths. God’s people crossed safely into their new homeland as the result of this additional demonstration of God’s power.
The final promise of that verse contrasts another raging force that can quickly get out of our control — fire — with an indirect reference to an incident from the Daniel saga, the story of the three young men in the fiery furnace: “…when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you... (Isaiah 43:2).” It’s a nice counterpoint to the waters.
Frank R.
* * *
Acts 8:14-17
There is a lot of talk these days about the need for inclusivity. A 2024 Washington Post poll found that 61% of Americans think it is a good thing for companies to commit to it. And yet we hear all the anti-immigrant political rhetoric, and 34% of the public in the poll just noted find diversity and inclusion policies a bad thing. These attitudes no doubt reflect in the church. But attitudes aside, we have a two-millennia policy for enhancing inclusivity. The concept is embedded in baptism!
In baptism, we join God's family. As my Norwegian uncle used to say, "You choose your friends. But you can't choose your family." You may not have chosen your fellow Christians, coming from a different political, social, or ethnic persuasion. But you're stuck with each other now. You're family.
A document of the Roman Catholic Church's Second Vatican Council nicely describes how baptism links us to each other. It states:
Through baptism we are formed in the likeness of Christ: "For in one spirit we are all baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13)"... Giving the body unity through himself, both by his own power and by the interior union of the members, this same Spirit produces and stimulates love among the faithful. From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him. (Documents of Vatican II, p.35)
The discrimination and injustice felt by any Christian is your and my victimization by injustice. The poverty suffered by one of us is our problem too. Receiving the Holy Spirit as we do in baptism, Martin Luther essentially regarded baptism as making us all chicks of the same mother. He put it this way:
As a hen broods her eggs, keeping them warm in order to hatch her chicks, and, as it were, to bring them to life through her, so scripture says the Holy Spirit brooded, as it were, on the waters to bring to life those substances which were to be quickened and adorned. For it is the office of the Holy Spirit to make alive. (Luther's Works, Vol.1, p.9)
Mark E.
* * *
Acts 8:14-17
Have you ever had a Holy Spirit moment? A moment when your heart jumped, your spirit sang, and you knew the presence of God. This is the gift that Peter and John are bringing to the people of Samaria — people shunned by the Jewish leaders, but with whom Jesus taught and shared the knowledge of the kingdom of God. Peter and John continue to welcome, continue the blessing and offer the baptism of the Holy Spirit to the Samaritan people.
Who has offered you the blessing of the Holy Spirit? Often on this Sunday, as we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, we also renew our own baptismal vows and are blessed with holy water and the calling on of the Holy Spirit. Renewing our baptismal promises is an important remembrance of the Holy Spirit’s actions in our lives. Oh, we need to remember and to celebrater the presence of the Holy Spirit. May it be so.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
I am a baseball fan, and especially fan of the Kansas City Royals. Bobby Witt Sr. is proud of his son, Bobby Witt Jr., who is an all-star shortstop for the Kansas City Royals. Bobby Sr. played in the MLB as a pitcher for sixteen seasons. Bobby Sr. said that watching his son in the All-Star Home Run Derby finals was "one of the coolest things I've ever seen". He also said, "You did a tremendous job" after his son rejoined the Royals for the second half of the season helping them to a playoff berth for the first time in a decade.
A father being proud of his son is not a new idea. At the beginning of his ministry, God the Father acknowledges his Son, Jesus. At his baptism, “a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased’” (vs. 22). As Jesus ministry begins, it does so with the approval and pride of God. The voice from heaven, like the other signs, establishes that Jesus of Nazareth is the one predicted by prophecy (Isaiah 9:6–7) and proclaimed by men like John (Malachi 3:1; 4:5–6). Jesus is the one who is to come.
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, has been baptizing people in the River Jordan, absolving them of sins and reminding them to repent and live in righteousness. He has also reminded them that one is coming — Jesus — who will baptize them with the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t need to be baptized to be included in the family of God or to experience the presence of God. Rather, Jesus comes to the river as a witness of hie covenant with our creator and with us. Jesus walks into the river to be baptized by John, his cousin, and the heavens are torn open. The voice of God joins the blessing of the dove, in recognizing Jesus as the beloved of God in whom God is well pleased.
When I was at the River Jordan I thought of this passage of scripture and the promise in God’s words, the promise in the actions of Jesus. I brought home some Jordan River water and used it in baptisms as a pastor for years to come — adding a few drops of that water — reminding us of all of the covenant and connection we have with the risen Christ. God fulfilled God’s covenant with us to be always with us — and to be incarnate in the world. Remember and renew your promises.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
This is the third go-around lectionary season with Luke’s account of the Baptist’s arrival on the scene.
Three thoughts.
First, there’s John’s title as “the Baptist.” John’s immersion (the word translated as baptizer is one associated with washing clothes and with bathing — you get dunked) was part and parcel of the ritual baths that were taken by God’s people in certain situations. We try to get clean before special events. Now I don’t care how you perform the rite of baptism, but the idea of immersion is important when it comes to preparing for the coming of the Messiah. We immerse ourselves in things we are interested in. Let us immerse ourselves in preparing the way of the Lord through cheering each other up, charitable works, giving gifts, receiving, accepting, singing, and sharing hope. We’re attempting to change our outlook.
Wheat and chaff. You’ve probably preached at some point about pitch-forking the grain into the air, so that the wheat falls and the chaff is separated. In my denomination, the old Brethren used to talk about the importance of having some weight to you, not in the literal sense — although people didn’t look on weight gain or loss in those days the same way we do now — but in the sense of one’s actions, good deeds, care for “the least of these,” added some heft to our lives, keeping us grounded on the good earth, instead of being flighty and drifting here and there.
And more important, unlike real wheat and chaff, we can change. In the parable told by John the wheat is wheat and the chaff is chaff, but we can ourselves substantially — literally, in changing the substance of who we are by the manner of our living and our confession of faith.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Martin Luther calls baptism a "bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit." (The Book of Concord [2000 ed], p.359) Baptism changes recipients, opens them up to whole new ways of being and acting. In a sermon, Luther put it this way:
The gospel should instill such amazement in us that we too would exult and proudly assert: I have been baptized in Christ; there is no doubt, that through the Lord Jesus, I became a lord and can overcome death and sin, and heaven and all creation must serve my best interests. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, p.156)
Ancient theologian Cyprian of Carthage offers a powerful testimony to how baptism opened the way to a new manner of living for him and what it can do for us. He wrote:
But after that, by the help of the water of new birth, the stain of former years had been washed away, and a light from above, serene, and pure, had been infused into my reconciled heart, — after that, by the agency of the Spirit breathed from heaven, a second birth had restored me to a new man... (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol.5, p.276)
Neurobiology has shown that the kind of openness to new possibilities and activities that Baptism offers can lead to more happiness and impede aging. For in such activities the brain releases neurochemicals which feel good and serve to retard aging (Sherwin Nuland, The Art of Aging).
Mark E.
Last fall, I saw the movie Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot. It is a powerful movie that is based on a true story. It is set in the small town of Possum Trot, in deep East Texas in 1996. It is the story of Donna Martin and her husband Baptist Bishop W.C. Martin. They become convicted to bring in and care for foster children. They also motivated their small congregation to take in and adopt 77 of the most abused and neglected foster kids in Texas. Their story was featured on Good Morning America and many other television shows.
One of the most memorable parts for me was Donna’s interaction with Terri. Terri is a deeply wounded child who pretends to be a cat part of the time. She and Donna have several confrontations. Near the end of the movie, Donna finds Terri after she’s run away. They return home and Terri and Donna meet at the swing in the front yard. It a powerful moment, she calls Terri “my little girl.”
In this passage, God is speaking to his people. He is telling them of the difficulties they face, but they should not fear. “I have called you by name, you are mine.” That message was important then and it is important now. No matter what happens, God has called his people by name. What an encouraging promise to hear God say, “You are mine.”
Bill T.
* * *
Isaiah 43:1-7
Now the ancients connected the power of the waters with the chaos that always threatened to overwhelm the seemingly solid universe. And you can understand why. Nowadays, however, people don’t respect waters enough. You hear about folks who ignore warnings about driving through water, believing they can navigate their way through a flood street, who lose their lives in the attempt. Others ignore storm warnings, and evacuation recommendations. Surely, we should be coming to respect the waters if for no other reason than the increasing number of destructive storms.
By contrast, our faith begins with the Spirit of God moving over the face of the chaos of the deeps and controlling the waters, setting boundaries with creation, and deliberately opening and closing the floodgates before and after theflood. Other ancient religions had flood narratives too, but their gods couldn’t control the waters. Our God reigns!
God’s power over the waters is twice alluded to in Isaiah 43:2, with references to a couple of the oldest scripture stories from Exodus and Joshua. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you…” alludes, I think, to two important events that shaped God’s people. The first celebrates the parting of the Red Sea and the deliverance of the people from Pharaoh and the chariots! It’s kind of like the eleventh plague. God had already performed wonders to free the people, but just when they were panicking and thinking they were abandoned, God performed this additional miracle on their behalf.
This verse also celebrates the parallel event of salvation through the waters in the triumphant crossing over the dry riverbed of the Jordan. Yeah, a river is not as dangerous as a sea, but failure to respect a rushing river’s power could have led to sudden and unnecessary deaths. God’s people crossed safely into their new homeland as the result of this additional demonstration of God’s power.
The final promise of that verse contrasts another raging force that can quickly get out of our control — fire — with an indirect reference to an incident from the Daniel saga, the story of the three young men in the fiery furnace: “…when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you... (Isaiah 43:2).” It’s a nice counterpoint to the waters.
Frank R.
* * *
Acts 8:14-17
There is a lot of talk these days about the need for inclusivity. A 2024 Washington Post poll found that 61% of Americans think it is a good thing for companies to commit to it. And yet we hear all the anti-immigrant political rhetoric, and 34% of the public in the poll just noted find diversity and inclusion policies a bad thing. These attitudes no doubt reflect in the church. But attitudes aside, we have a two-millennia policy for enhancing inclusivity. The concept is embedded in baptism!
In baptism, we join God's family. As my Norwegian uncle used to say, "You choose your friends. But you can't choose your family." You may not have chosen your fellow Christians, coming from a different political, social, or ethnic persuasion. But you're stuck with each other now. You're family.
A document of the Roman Catholic Church's Second Vatican Council nicely describes how baptism links us to each other. It states:
Through baptism we are formed in the likeness of Christ: "For in one spirit we are all baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13)"... Giving the body unity through himself, both by his own power and by the interior union of the members, this same Spirit produces and stimulates love among the faithful. From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him. (Documents of Vatican II, p.35)
The discrimination and injustice felt by any Christian is your and my victimization by injustice. The poverty suffered by one of us is our problem too. Receiving the Holy Spirit as we do in baptism, Martin Luther essentially regarded baptism as making us all chicks of the same mother. He put it this way:
As a hen broods her eggs, keeping them warm in order to hatch her chicks, and, as it were, to bring them to life through her, so scripture says the Holy Spirit brooded, as it were, on the waters to bring to life those substances which were to be quickened and adorned. For it is the office of the Holy Spirit to make alive. (Luther's Works, Vol.1, p.9)
Mark E.
* * *
Acts 8:14-17
Have you ever had a Holy Spirit moment? A moment when your heart jumped, your spirit sang, and you knew the presence of God. This is the gift that Peter and John are bringing to the people of Samaria — people shunned by the Jewish leaders, but with whom Jesus taught and shared the knowledge of the kingdom of God. Peter and John continue to welcome, continue the blessing and offer the baptism of the Holy Spirit to the Samaritan people.
Who has offered you the blessing of the Holy Spirit? Often on this Sunday, as we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, we also renew our own baptismal vows and are blessed with holy water and the calling on of the Holy Spirit. Renewing our baptismal promises is an important remembrance of the Holy Spirit’s actions in our lives. Oh, we need to remember and to celebrater the presence of the Holy Spirit. May it be so.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
I am a baseball fan, and especially fan of the Kansas City Royals. Bobby Witt Sr. is proud of his son, Bobby Witt Jr., who is an all-star shortstop for the Kansas City Royals. Bobby Sr. played in the MLB as a pitcher for sixteen seasons. Bobby Sr. said that watching his son in the All-Star Home Run Derby finals was "one of the coolest things I've ever seen". He also said, "You did a tremendous job" after his son rejoined the Royals for the second half of the season helping them to a playoff berth for the first time in a decade.
A father being proud of his son is not a new idea. At the beginning of his ministry, God the Father acknowledges his Son, Jesus. At his baptism, “a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased’” (vs. 22). As Jesus ministry begins, it does so with the approval and pride of God. The voice from heaven, like the other signs, establishes that Jesus of Nazareth is the one predicted by prophecy (Isaiah 9:6–7) and proclaimed by men like John (Malachi 3:1; 4:5–6). Jesus is the one who is to come.
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, has been baptizing people in the River Jordan, absolving them of sins and reminding them to repent and live in righteousness. He has also reminded them that one is coming — Jesus — who will baptize them with the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t need to be baptized to be included in the family of God or to experience the presence of God. Rather, Jesus comes to the river as a witness of hie covenant with our creator and with us. Jesus walks into the river to be baptized by John, his cousin, and the heavens are torn open. The voice of God joins the blessing of the dove, in recognizing Jesus as the beloved of God in whom God is well pleased.
When I was at the River Jordan I thought of this passage of scripture and the promise in God’s words, the promise in the actions of Jesus. I brought home some Jordan River water and used it in baptisms as a pastor for years to come — adding a few drops of that water — reminding us of all of the covenant and connection we have with the risen Christ. God fulfilled God’s covenant with us to be always with us — and to be incarnate in the world. Remember and renew your promises.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
This is the third go-around lectionary season with Luke’s account of the Baptist’s arrival on the scene.
Three thoughts.
First, there’s John’s title as “the Baptist.” John’s immersion (the word translated as baptizer is one associated with washing clothes and with bathing — you get dunked) was part and parcel of the ritual baths that were taken by God’s people in certain situations. We try to get clean before special events. Now I don’t care how you perform the rite of baptism, but the idea of immersion is important when it comes to preparing for the coming of the Messiah. We immerse ourselves in things we are interested in. Let us immerse ourselves in preparing the way of the Lord through cheering each other up, charitable works, giving gifts, receiving, accepting, singing, and sharing hope. We’re attempting to change our outlook.
Wheat and chaff. You’ve probably preached at some point about pitch-forking the grain into the air, so that the wheat falls and the chaff is separated. In my denomination, the old Brethren used to talk about the importance of having some weight to you, not in the literal sense — although people didn’t look on weight gain or loss in those days the same way we do now — but in the sense of one’s actions, good deeds, care for “the least of these,” added some heft to our lives, keeping us grounded on the good earth, instead of being flighty and drifting here and there.
And more important, unlike real wheat and chaff, we can change. In the parable told by John the wheat is wheat and the chaff is chaff, but we can ourselves substantially — literally, in changing the substance of who we are by the manner of our living and our confession of faith.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Martin Luther calls baptism a "bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit." (The Book of Concord [2000 ed], p.359) Baptism changes recipients, opens them up to whole new ways of being and acting. In a sermon, Luther put it this way:
The gospel should instill such amazement in us that we too would exult and proudly assert: I have been baptized in Christ; there is no doubt, that through the Lord Jesus, I became a lord and can overcome death and sin, and heaven and all creation must serve my best interests. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, p.156)
Ancient theologian Cyprian of Carthage offers a powerful testimony to how baptism opened the way to a new manner of living for him and what it can do for us. He wrote:
But after that, by the help of the water of new birth, the stain of former years had been washed away, and a light from above, serene, and pure, had been infused into my reconciled heart, — after that, by the agency of the Spirit breathed from heaven, a second birth had restored me to a new man... (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol.5, p.276)
Neurobiology has shown that the kind of openness to new possibilities and activities that Baptism offers can lead to more happiness and impede aging. For in such activities the brain releases neurochemicals which feel good and serve to retard aging (Sherwin Nuland, The Art of Aging).
Mark E.
