BAPTISM
OF JESUS
January
9-11, 2016
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Psalm 2
PREQUEL TO BAPTISM: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
1. Without The LORD’s Anointed: Objects of Wrath.
2. With the
LORD’s Anointed: Blessed!
Psalm 2 (NIV
1984) “Why do the nations conspire and
the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth take their
stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed
One. 3"Let us break their chains," they say,
"and throw off their fetters." 4The One enthroned
in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5Then he rebukes
them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6"I
have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." 7I will
proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I
have become your Father. 8Ask of me, and I will make the
nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9You
will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like
pottery." 10Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned,
you rulers of the earth. 11Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice
with trembling. 12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be
destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all
who take refuge in him.”
OK
so how many of you saw the new Star Wars movie? Me too! I have to admit that I
had to ask, “So when did this one take place?” That’s because the first Star
Wars movie that came out was actually Episode 4. Then they did 5 and 6 as
sequels. Then went back to 1, 2 and 3 as prequels. The parts that happened before.
Psalm 2 is kind of like that with regard to the Baptism of Jesus. It’s a
prequel. Something that took place before Jesus was baptized. Only when God
sets it up we normally call it prophecy and it’s got some comforting truths and
warning or two for the people of God. Let’s see what they are.
“Why
do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2The
kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the
LORD and against his Anointed One. 3"Let us break their
chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." Who do you
think you are? That’s a question of we might ask when someone is acting out of
line. Who do you think are? God basically says that in these first three verses
of Psalm 2. Did you notice whom he was talking about? Those who most would
think are the famous and powerful, the rulers of nations and peoples, kings and
emperors. “Who do you think you are?” God says, “plotting against me and my
Son, the Anointed One, Jesus Christ.” Maybe you think of some who did that in
the Bible like the Pharisees and chief priests plotting to kill Jesus or Pilate
and Herod who thought they were in charge of Jesus. Or the Roman emperors who
carried out persecutions against Christians. It can really be applied though to
any godless ruler who opposes the will of the one true God. Islamic State, who
do you think you are, trying to set up one nation under the fake god Allah?
North Korea who do you think you are threatening and fearmongering? US
government who do you think you are telling people it’s OK to murder babies
that are inside their mothers’ wombs, that it is OK to sin sexually as long as
it makes you feel good. Those are examples of what it means to try to break God’s
chains and throw off his fetters. It’s as though those rulers are saying, “You’re
not in control, God. You’re not the boss of me.” And now our heads go up and we
take warning because the Spirit reminds us how we like to be kings and queens
of our own lives. How hard it is, fellow children of God, to fully surrender
your will to Him. Easy to say God’s will be done, hard to mean it. Especially
when the life or health of a loved one is at stake or we want something really
bad. Who do we think we are?
Opposing God is not a good thing. It
does not end well. “The One enthroned in
heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5Then he rebukes them
in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6"I
have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." Here we see God’s just
and punishing side. It’s the part of Him He doesn’t want to have to use. God’s
overriding characteristic is love. He is filled with compassion and mercy. He
wants to forgive and comfort. But when there is defiance and opposition God’s
other side comes into play. Justice. He is God after all. He laughs and scoffs.
Who do you think you are? The one I chose is Jesus Christ the King of kings and
Lord of lords. Oppose him and you will pay.
Then comes the prequel to Baptism. “I will
proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I
have become your Father. 8Ask of me, and I will make the
nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9You
will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Jesus is talking before He was born of
Mary. He points to the time when God the Father publicly pointed to Him
as His dearly loved Son, Jesus Baptism.
Then comes the warning. “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11Serve
the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss the
Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare
up in a moment.” There are only two
ways. Either you will bow before Jesus in adoration or you will kneel before
Him in terror. That’s worth repeating. Either you will bow before Jesus in
adoration or you will kneel before Him in terror. God is not kidding and He
does not mess around. He is God. He gave His only Son Jesus to be punished for
sins He did not commit. So we bow before Him in adoration. We serve the Lord
yes out of love but also with fear and trembling. Respect. Kiss God’s Son. That’s
a picture of treating with adoration. Or…, or you will kneel before Him in
terror.
Now what can we learn from this? Who do
you think you are? Without the LORD’s Anointed, objects of wrath. May we never
be found there. However this is a comforting truth if you want to use it. The
nations will continue to rage and plot. Right now it’s Islamic State and North
Korea. Before that there was Hussein and Iraq. Before that the Soviet Union,
Cuba, China and we can keep going. You can watch the news channels and listen
to the commentators and get all bent out of shape about who is doing what and
afraid about who is doing what. Or we can realize that the LORD and His
Anointed have it well under control. He laughs and scoffs at the schemers and plotters
who think they rule His world. If they keep it up and do not repent, the next
time you see them on the God News Channel they will be kneeling in terror. They
will not get away with it. Without the LORD’s Anointed you become an object of
God’s wrath.
But with the LORD’s Anointed you are
blessed. Most of Psalm 2 is a warning for those who think they can oppose God.
But listen again to how it ends. “Blessed
are all who take refuge in him.” As we celebrate the time Jesus was
baptized we can’t help but think about our own. At Jesus’ Baptism God made it
clear to all present that Jesus is the Anointed One, His Son in whom He is well
pleased. He needed to do that because Jesus looked like everyone else. Our
Baptism serves us a in a similar way. God made it clear that you belong to Him
and I belong to Him. That’s important for us to know because well we look like
everyone else. We sin. We struggle. We have doubts. Maybe you are at a point in
your life that you wonder why God puts up with you as you struggle with sin,
worry, fear, doubt that you just can’t shake. Go back to your Baptism. God
called you His there and He meant it. Find your refuge in the LORD’s Anointed,
not yourself. He is the perfect one. He is the one who removes sin. We are
blessed because of Him! Who do you think you are? Well because of Jesus I am
God’s dearly loved child. So are you.
I’m not sure when the next Star Wars
movie will come out or how the whole thing with its prequels and sequels will
end. Haven’t read the book. But I have read this book. It ends with Jesus the
LORD’s Anointed ruling all things and us right along with Him. Can’t wait to
see that one. Amen.
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