“The Unification Church”
Text: Romans 6:1-11 & Luke 3:15-22
1-9-2022
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. Looking at the sermon title for today, a few of you might recognize that “The Unification Church" is the name of the organization established by Sun Myung Moon. But if my guess is right, you haven’t got a clue who he really was or what his “church” is all about. That’s a probably a good thing because, quite frankly, Mr. Moon was a screwball and a false prophet. He honestly believed that he was the second coming of Christ. He believed that he was supposed to finish the work that Jesus, the first Messiah, didn’t accomplish. And yes, he believed he was divine. Umm… in case you didn’t know, he died in 2012 and unlike Jesus Christ, he didn’t rise from the dead. That’s because he was a fraud. And sadly, in his “ministry” he misled thousands of souls with his false teachings.
Now, you may be wondering why I used the name of a cult religion for my sermon title. Well, I did so because creating a church through the process of “unification” is a good description of what the REAL Messiah, Jesus, actually did accomplish by coming to be our Savior. And through His Word and Sacraments in the Christian Church it's what He continues to do yet today.
Understanding that can help us grasp the true reason why Jesus insisted on being Baptized in our Gospel reading. Sadly, Christ’s action confuses many people. The thinking goes like this: If Jesus was the sinless Son of God then that means He had no sins to wash away. So, why did He submit Himself to John’s Baptism? Some Christians answer that by pointing to St. Matthew’s account of the Baptism where Jesus tells John “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, they believe Jesus only did it to fulfill a Jewish legal requirement, kind of like when He was circumcised or went to the Passover Feast each year. The problem with that theory is that Baptism was NOT required of people who were already Jews, as Jesus was. Yes, there were various ritual washings the Israelites would perform, but not like this one, which was done for the forgiveness of sins.
Okay, then, why did Jesus go to be Baptized? Well, that Matthew passage gives us the answer. He wanted to “fulfill all righteousness.” However, Christ was not seeking to fulfill His righteousness. His purpose was to fulfill ours! In His Baptism He exchanged our sinful unrighteousness for His holy, innocent righteousness. And the way that happened is by uniting Himself to us in those Holy waters. That unification is much deeper than a casual or friendly association with us. What I mean is this: Sometimes people say Jesus went to be Baptized so that He could stand in solidarity and be “identified” with us sinners. That’s not totally wrong but it requires some further explanation.
You see, you can stand with a group or be identified with them, and yet that doesn’t make you one of them. For instance, there were plenty of white folks who joined in on the protests marches of the Black Lives Matter movement. But no matter how much they might sympathize and identify with the cause, they’ll never actually become black. Or perhaps an even better example is all this transgender silliness. A male who “self identifies” as a woman is still a male. He can dress like a woman and even change body parts to be like a girl, but his DNA will forever say that he’s just a very confused man. You see, just saying or thinking you’re a part of this or that group doesn’t actually make it so.
However, when Jesus was Baptized, He didn’t just stand in solidarity with us sinners. And He didn’t just self-identify as a sinner. No. When He took on human flesh, He actually became one of us. Yes, He was the sinless Son of God but that’s precisely why He submitted to John’s Baptism. When Jesus was Baptized, He actually united Himself with us sinners. The way that unification takes place for each of us is when we are connected with Him in the waters of Holy Baptism. That’s what happened with Eden this morning. Those holy waters cause a mystical union where we become one with Christ and Christ becomes one with us. In that unification, Jesus took all our sins upon Himself. By doing so, He became the greatest sinner of all. But the amazing other half is that when we’re united with Christ in our Baptisms, we take on His holiness and become the righteous sons and daughters of God.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard people say that we Lutherans make too big of a deal out of Baptism. Years ago, the wife of one of my members (who happened to be a Baptist) complained that I preach too much about Baptism. Guilty as charged! But how can I be silent about the amazing grace that God pours out on us in Baptism? People accuse us Lutherans of saying Baptism will actually save you. Again, guilty as charged! That’s what God’s Word tells us. How can we deny it? If anyone has a complaint about this, don’t argue with me. Take it up with St. Paul and ultimately with God because this was all His idea.
Our Epistle lesson is a prime example of “the big deal” that Paul makes of Baptism. In those verses he doesn’t describe it as an outward sign that you’ve “accepted Jesus into your life.” It’s much more than just standing in solidarity with Christ. It’s much more than a casual association with Him. Paul says that in Baptism you were united with Jesus in His death. That is to say, when you were Baptized, your sinful nature was nailed to the Cross with Him. Not in a metaphorical way, but in reality. The good news is that you were also then united with Jesus in His resurrection. In Baptism, you were given a new nature and a new life as a child of God. That “new you” has been raised to life with Jesus. Not merely an earthly life, but an eternal one with Him in heaven.
That’s the awesomeness of our unification with Christ in Baptism. But I would caution and remind you of what I just said. It’s not a casual association. That’s Paul’s point in the opening verses of our text. If your old sinful nature has been united with Christ and put to death, then how in the world can a Baptized Child of God continue to sin blatantly and act as if it’s not a problem? That’s the sticking point, isn’t it? If we treat our Baptism as just a casual association with Jesus, then all we’re doing is self-identifying as Christians. That’s way different than being one. In that kind of a superficial relationship with Christ, a person may agree with some of His teachings. But when their moral values conflict with His holy standards, well, you know who’s going to win out. It’s no wonder, then, that in a casual association with Christ, sin is treated as inconsequential rather than as the damning infection it really is.
On the other hand, if we are truly united with Jesus in Baptism then we become one with Him in what we think, say and do. And that unification will make sin just as abhorrent to us as it is to Him. Ah, I know what you’re thinking. “But Pastor, what about when I give into temptation in my weak moments and I end up sinning? Does that mean that I’m not united with Christ anymore and therefore not a Christian?” Tell me something: Do you recognize those thoughts or deeds as a sin and acknowledge the faith-killing danger of letting it continue? Do you sincerely want to be free from that sin? If you said yes to those questions, then I have good news for you. Your answers are proof that your union with Christ is alive and well and active. All you need do is repent of your sins and you will be forgiven. He will restore your faith and lead you to live as a Child of God in that newness of life which comes from your unification with Christ.
So, you see, the Christian Church truly is “The Unification Church.” And that union is strengthened through God’s Word and Sacrament. That’s why we stress the need to regularly receive both of them here in worship. Just as with Baptism, in His holy Word and in the Lord’s Supper Christ unites Himself with you. In them we receive His forgiveness of our sins and are reminded who we really are. We’re not just casual followers of Jesus who merely identify with Him. No, we are actually united with Him. We have become one with Him. But listen closely. Your new life in Jesus is not past tense pertaining only to the day of your Baptism. So, rather than saying “I was Baptized”, let’s learn to say “I am Baptized into Christ.” That’s because your union with Him is a present reality. It’s not a one-time event. You continue to receive His grace daily and live in that wondrous unification with Him, which brings you unbelievable, spiritual blessings. That, my friends, is what Jesus brought to those waters at His Baptism! And because He did, through our Baptisms we are in an unbreakable union with Him. Knowing and believing that, Paul says, “you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” This is how repentant believers are to view themselves now. And with that perspective we can praise God for our newness of life in Him and our eternal salvation. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!