Sermon Audio

What does the Holy Trinity have to do with Holy Baptism? In an answer: EVERYTHING!

Holy Baptism is the work of the Holy Trinity. There, at the font, as water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word was applied to the person, the Father was at work to claim the person as His son, as the Holy Spirit was given to him, who in turn gives the merits of the only-begotten Son’s work of redemption on the cross and from the grave—forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation—and He, the only-begotten Son, reveals the Father to this newly adopted son through Himself, the Word of God. In short, Holy Baptism is the work of God—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—to make a Christian out of a heathen and grant him entrance into the Kingdom of God.

Now, there are many out there who would teach you that Baptism is nothing more than an outward act. We can grant that to them, to a point; a fact you can read for yourself in the Large Catechism, as there is an outward act that is a part of Holy Baptism. This is what Jesus, God the Son, instituted when He told us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things that He has commanded us. (cf. Matthew 28:19-20) This wasn’t merely a suggestion—Jesus didn’t say that baptizing was a nice thing to do, but not terribly important—but a command given in order for the Church to do according to His institution. There is something to do, there is an outward act.

But the Sacramentarian types deny the efficacy of the Sacraments. To them, according to their reading and false understanding of the Word of God, the Sacraments are merely things we do in order to show our devotion to God. We get baptized to demonstrate that we have dedicated our lives to God in Christ—to show that we keep His Word. Likewise, we take communion, which really isn’t Jesus’ body and blood, to remember the great Sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, which, for most, only gives us the ability to make the decision to follow Jesus and be His disciple—as if we could choose to be God’s son.

To the Lord’s Supper we can reply: Jesus used the word ‘is,’ as recorded by the Greek writers; a word He did not have to use. And since Jesus said this ‘is’ my body and this ‘is’ my blood, there should be no confusion as to whether or not the bread only represents Jesus’ body and the wine represent His blood. The bread is His body and the wine is His blood, which we eat and drink in the Lord’s Supper as surely and concretely as if we were eating mere bread and drinking mere wine. And since we consume the body and blood of Jesus the Christ, we take Him into our body, firmly believing by God-given faith, that Jesus is present there as He was on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Jesus said,

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. (John 6:53-57)

Holy Communion isn’t merely an outward act done in remembrance of Jesus and His sacrifice; but in it, Jesus gives us Himself that we may live; sadly, those who receive the Lord’s Supper unworthily, not discerning Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament, eat and drink judgment upon themselves. (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:26-29)

More to the point for today, however, we also say that Holy Baptism is efficacious. St. Peter Himself said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39) There is a promise given to those who receive Holy Baptism; here, Peter says that a promised gift is the Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Spirit do? He gives those who have Him the benefits of Christ sacrifice—forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation—as He brings Jesus to us and us to Jesus who in Himself, the Word of God, reveals to us the Father. What does the Holy Trinity have to do with Holy Baptism? EVERYTHING!

This is clear and evident in the words Jesus Himself spoke: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) Baptism and belief—God-given faith wrought by Him in the hearing of the Word and Holy Baptism—save; there’s no getting around it. Note, also, that salvation here is passive. Salvation is hoisted upon you because you have been marked as one redeemed by Jesus Christ the crucified in the waters of Holy Baptism, whom the Father sent to die in your place, and this you believe by the work of the Holy Spirit, whom you received in Holy Baptism. What does the Holy Trinity have to do with Holy Baptism? EVERYTHING!

It cannot be denied on the basis of Holy Writ, wherein the inspired St. Peter wrote, “There is also an antitype [to the ark, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water] which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.” (1 Peter 3:20-22) To put Peter’s words succinctly, baptism now saves us—look to it’s type, it’s foreshadow, the ark in which Noah and seven others were saved through water! If you’ve ever wondered why the place where you are now sitting is called the nave, which is taken from the Latin word for ship, this is it! You are in the nave as part of the Church, which antitype is the ark, because you have been saved by way of water and the Word—Holy Baptism—baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Trinity have to do with Holy Baptism? EVERYTHING!

That’s the point, isn’t it? What does the Holy Trinity have to do with Holy Baptism? EVERYTHING! It’s all His doing, and none of yours, despite the outward act. He instituted it; He makes it efficacious; He brings you to it; He performs it upon you—it is His doing, and it is your benefit. The Father sent the Son, incarnate of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, given the name Jesus, which means YHWH saves; and He, Jesus, being YHWH, saves by His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave; this He gives you by way of God the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sends you from the Father to give you what Jesus won for you on the cross and from the grave.

Enter Nicodemus....

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

He asks Jesus about being “born again.” Oh, what a phrase, though one not really used here in John’s Gospel. What is rendered in the New King James in John 3 as “born again,” is better translated as “born from above,” as the Bibles in your seats do.

The phrase “born again” does occur in the Scriptures, though it is not always translated that way. St. Paul wrote to St. Titus,

He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. (Titus 3:5-8)

Those of you familiar with the NIV may know it better as, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth.” You may know this passage as that which accompanies the question on Baptism in the Small Catechism, “How can water do such great things?”

Certainly not just water, but the Word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without God’s Word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the Word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit....

Being born again is being born from above by way of water and the Word, given by the Holy Spirit, through which God the Father saved us by way of God the Son, Jesus Christ. What does the Holy Trinity have to do with Holy Baptism? EVERYTHING!

Poor Nicodemus doesn’t understand. He wonders, “Can a man enter into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Would there be any other way for a man to choose to be born a second time? Therefore, Jesus answers,

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.” The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Alas, being born is not something one chooses. Being born of the Spirit, born from above, is something that is of the Spirit’s doing, as He works with the Word of God, given of the Father. It is as we confess from the Augsburg Confession, “Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith; when and where it pleases God (John 3:8), in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake.”

The Holy Trinity has EVERYTHING to do with Holy Baptism, and Holy Baptism has EVERYTHING to do with the Holy Trinity. It is into the name of God, the Triune name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that you are baptized. His name was placed on you as you were brought to the font or even merely to some water, and there the Word of God proclaimed in your hearing and you received the washing of rebirth. His name is still on you, dear Baptized, you are His, you were bought with a price. You were born again from above—the Old Man in you drowned (cf. Ephesians 4:22), given a New Man (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:24), and made a member of the Bride of Christ, placed into Holy Mother Church. Writing on today’s text, the part we just heard again, Rev. Burnell Eckardt, Jr. wrote,

Jesus’ answer is a stern rebuke: Not only is this so, Nicodemus, but if one is not born by water and the Spirit, that is, by Holy Baptism in the name of God, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Yes, Nicodemus! A man must be born when he is old: for the Old Adam must be renewed or he will perish. Yes, Nicodemus! A man must enter the second time into this mother’s womb and be born: Baptism is second birth, the font is the second womb, and the church is the second mother.

Dear hearers, you have come forth a new man from the womb of the font and your names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life as His name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is written on you. By this means of grace, Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit was given to you to work faith in you when and where He pleases every time you hear the good news that you are justified by grace through faith for Christ’s sake.

[A]s Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

The Holy Trinity has EVERYTHING to do with Holy Baptism, and you have received Holy Baptism, dear hearers, brought forth from the womb of the font into Holy Mother Church, therefore the Holy Trinity has EVERYTHING to do with you. What does such baptizing with water indicate? “It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” You have that new man of faith, God-given, who receives God’s grace and merits that Jesus Christ won for you on the tree of the cross. This, the Holy Spirit gives you, even as you are a dear son of your Father in heaven. The Holy Trinity has EVERYTHING to do with Holy Baptism; therefore, the Holy Trinity has EVERYTHING to do with you, dear Baptized, and so you are forgiven for all of your sins.