Author: Rev. Aaron Fenker

Vicar Aaron Fenker

Ever since the fall of Adam, humanity has had a problem: sin, death, the devil, and even our own flesh have had it in for us. There was no way for us to get out of this problem on our own. Adam hid and blamed God for his problem, Cain killed Abel, David committed adultery and murder, God’s chosen people Israel worshiped false gods. We all need a Savior, and throughout Advent we prepared for His coming. At Christmas we celebrated that our Savior, Jesus, was born not just a cute, cuddly baby, but as God in human flesh to die for our sins. In Epiphany He appears as the Light of the world. So we needed God our Savior to come, to take on human flesh in Jesus, He was confessed God and Savior by the Gentiles, and now our Savior needs to baptized?

That doesn’t make any sense at all. John the Baptizer doesn’t quite get it either. John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” God doesn’t need to be baptized. We all know what our catechism tells us about what Baptism gives: “It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation.” Jesus doesn’t need any of those things. He’s already sinless, He’s Lord over death and Satan, and He needs no salvation. Yet Christ assures John, and us: “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” For righteousness’ sake Jesus submits to this baptism of John.

What sort of righteousness is Jesus trying to fulfill? Yours! Jesus is in the fulfillment business. We needed a Virgin to conceive and bear a Son. Fulfilled. We needed a man who is God-in-human-flesh, Immanuel. Fulfilled. Everything that happens in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus. He takes everything that was written and fulfills it. Here, on the banks of the Jordan River, Jesus yet again fulfills all righteousness by being baptized by John. He puts a seal of “fulfilled” on a big chunk of the Old Testament by being baptized. But wait, there’s more!

The Lord Jesus never does anything without giving some gift to His people. And so in this baptism of His, he secures your righteousness too! Jesus basically says, “This heav’nly washing now shall be A cleansing from transgression.” (LSB 406:1) Christ has taken the old and made it new. Jesus’ baptism works the opposite way ours does. We need to be baptized for our salvation. Jesus’ needs to be baptized not for His own salvation, but for yours. The Spirit and the Father appear at Jesus’ baptism so that you know they appear at yours. With this picture you know without a shadow of a doubt that name spoken over you brings what it says: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The waters of baptism make you clean because Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River consecrated and cleansed all waters.”

When Jesus is baptized we see an image of our own baptism. When you were washed at the font, you were cleansed of every sin you had committed, would commit, will commit, and could commit. No sin can escape this washing and those sins were washed off of you and washed over Jesus. The Spirit was given to you in baptism, and God now calls you His child. Jesus died wearing your sin and now through baptism you wear His everlasting and eternal righteousness. You are now pure as He is pure. You are now God’s own child, and you can gladly say it, “I am baptized into Christ!”

Aaron Fenker is serving as vicar at Immanuel Lutheran Church of Osman in Fisher, IL. Vicar Fenker is also the voice behind the audio version of the Higher Things Reflections.

Rev. Aaron Fenker

I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)

When it comes to the Solas, Sola Scriptura is an important one. After all, it’s in Scripture that God tells us that we are saved by grace alone and by faith alone. At the Diet of Worms Luther said, “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason – I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.” As Lutherans we look to Scripture not just because that’s what Luther did. We don’t look to it because it tells us that our Lutheran beliefs are there and were right—as opposed to everyone else who is wrong. We look to Scripture because of Jesus.

This is exactly what Saint Paul tells us. The Scriptures tell us about Jesus. They tell us that He died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again from the dead. This is why God caused Holy Scripture to be written. He was telling us what Jesus came to do to save us. And this isn’t just what’s written in the New Testament either. It’s even in the Old Testament!

The Old Testament is full of Jesus. Jesus says that the Scriptures of the Old Testament are “they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). They testify of His coming, His birth—the promise to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15). They testify of His death for the sins of the world (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22). They testify of His resurrection on the third day—remember Jonah?

All of Scripture points to Jesus. This is what Paul delivers to the Corinthians. Paul’s preaching points to Jesus because that’s what the Scriptures do. Paul delivers Jesus’ Supper and Jesus’ Baptism because Jesus wants those things delivered to sinners, and we know that from the Scriptures.

The Scriptures tell you that Jesus died for you, that He rose from the dead for you. They tell you that you’ve been Baptized into His death. When you hear the voice of your pastor forgiving your sins, the Scriptures tell you that you’re really hearing the voice of Jesus forgiving your sins and opening the gates of heaven for you. The Scriptures tell you that Jesus gives you His body and blood to eat and drink in His Supper for the forgiveness of your sins. All these things Jesus does for you “according to the Scriptures,” that is, as the Scriptures say He does. Scripture tells you all this, and so we rejoice to receive Scripture alone.

On Reformation we can certainly rejoice in the Scriptures. They we’re inspired by God, after all. We can rejoice that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21), but it’s more than just that the Scriptures are inspired, holy, inerrant, or whatever else. We rejoice in them because they tell you about Jesus and His saving you. “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow” (1 Pet. 1:11).

Jesus died for you. He’s risen for you. You are in Him and He in you by your Baptism and His Supper. You’ve heard His Final Judgment, “I forgive you all your sins.” We know all this by Scripture alone. And we trust it because “Christ rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Sola Scriptura? In the end it’s really all about Jesus.

Blessed Lord, You have caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, by patience and comfort of Your Holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which You have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Rev. Aaron Fenker is pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bossier City, LA. Pr. Fenker is also the voice and audio editor of the Higher Things Reflections.

Rev. Aaron Fenker

If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. (Romans 6:5 NKJV)

You’re baptized. So, you’re ready to die! Not so sure? Well, you’ve already died! You died with Christ in the waters of Holy Baptism. And you not only died there, but you have been raised there. So, you’re baptized. That means, you’re ready to rise from the dead!

There’s no reason fear death. Christ Jesus has already redeemed you from death “with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death” (SC II). When death swallowed Him, it bit off more than it could chew! He burst forth alive on the third day. Death has been undone and defeated in God’s death for you. Death is just a shadow and toothless, old, weak lion. It can’t really devour you. Jesus’ resurrection proves it.

That’s what you’ve been baptized into: God’s crucifixion and death–God’s resurrection. Those are now your crucifixion and death–your resurrection. They can’t be taken from you. There’s nothing that the world, the devil, or even your own conscience can say to take that from you. There’s nothing–absolutely nothing–you can do to make Christ’s Baptism promise null and void. You’d have to unresurrect Him, uncrucify Him! He’s already died and raised from the dead. He’s baptized you into that. You’ve already died and been raised in Him.

You’re baptized. So, you’re ready to die. There’s no reason to be afraid of dying. Your body will die, but “God the Father, who created this body, God the Son, who by His blood redeemed this body, and God the Holy Spirit, who by Holy Baptism sanctified this body to be His temple,” will keep your remains until the resurrection of all flesh on the last day. We can have boldness and confidence–even in the face of death–because of our Baptism.

Polycarp was the bishop of a city named Smyrna, which is in modern day Turkey. When he was 86 years old, Polycarp was led to an arena and was given a choice: to renounce his faith or face martyrdom. One of the last things He said was this: “For 86 years I’ve served Him, and He’s done nothing wrong to me. How, then, can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” He was baptized. He was ready to die. He was baptized. He was ready to rise from the dead.

So also you. You can have boldness and confidence in the face of death and the grave. You’re ready to die. “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” has already died for you. Not only that, He is risen from the dead. You will rise from the dead, too. In fact, you already have. You died and rose at the font. Now death is just a nap. Once it’s done, and the Last Day is here, Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, will raise your body from the grave. You will see Him then with your own eyes–face to face–and you will live with Him in righteousness and purity forever.

Are you ready to die? Are you ready to rise? Of course you are! You’re baptized!

Rev. Aaron Fenker serves as pastor of Bethlehem and Immanuel Lutheran Churches in Bremen, Kansas.