Genesis 1:1–5

¹In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

³And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

⁴And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

⁵And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And all was without form and void. There was utter darkness over the face of the deep, a primordial soup, waters in the darkness. And the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.

Then God said: "Let there be light" (Gen 1:3). And all of a sudden, there it was. There was light—brightness, shining, warmth, life. There it was, all of a sudden, by the command of God's Word. Before God spoke, there was no light. It was cold, dark, blackest night. But God's Word changed everything. Before God's Word, it was only dark; now a heavenly light spilled into the created waters. And there was evening and there was morning and the first day.

God continued creating in the same way. He called something into being and it came—land, water, sky, trees, birds, fish, animals. God spoke, and there it was. But then we all know what happened in this creation. "Did God actually say . . . ?" (Gen 3:1). With a few words, the devil tried to undo everything God did. He tried to destroy Adam and Eve and all the birds and trees and fish and land. But the devil is not God. God is able to call things that did not exist and bring them into creation. The devil cannot. As hard as the devil tries, he can't just dissolve us away into nothingness. But the devil was able to mess up all of creation a bit. He was able to twist this perfect creation into something that looked a little more like him—a world wrenched with disobedience, people filled with thoughts of only themselves, men and women whose lives will ultimately end in death.

In Luther's explanation of the First Article of the Apostles' Creed, he says, "I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses" (Luther's Small Catechism, p. 15). This is true. Our loving Father has done all these wonderful things for us. But as fallen creatures in this world, we could almost add a little something about what the devil does. We could add: "I believe that the devil has tried to destroy me and all creatures; that he has given me my cancer and my heart attack; he has given my eyes a lust for pornography, my ears a love to hear gossip, and all my members he has plagued with wicked actions. My reason has been plagued by madness, and my senses slowly fail as this body of mine sinks closer and closer to death." Luther never wrote that creed. But as people who have been made by God, we must also admit that we have been twisted by the devil into things God never intended.

What has happened to God's creation is so sad. How sad that his beautiful creation, his perfect people have been twisted into what we are. This perfect world has become corrupt. This creation the God saw was "Good" has become imperfect. Our hearts have become darkened. The image of God's love in which we were created has been spoiled. We see this in our twisted lives. Marriage, a holy and blessed estate created by God has become broken. Broken relationship between husbands and wives, between parents and children litter this land from sea to sea. This is the work of Satan to destroy the holy estate that God has created. Addictions and abuse of every kind are what Satan has created to tarnish the perfect freedom God created for us. Economic problems, loss of job, bankruptcy are all the results of sin that infests our hearts. Hurts, pain, sorrow and grief fill our lives and our world, not to mention sickness, disease, decaying organs, heart attacks, and strokes. We ache inside with uncertainty, fear, loss of family, and broken homes. Drinking problems, depression, DUI's, arrests, teen pregnancy; all are the results of our depraved sinful nature and corrupted creation and ultimately these are the creation of Satan trying to tarnish what God has made perfect.

But we are not the only ones who suffer and hurt. God aches over this world and what has happened to it and to us. He really does. God cries over what has happened in creation. God weeps every time we sin. The angels shudder every time we forget God. And so God came down to us. The heavens were violently ripped open, torn apart, for God to come down into our world. The word St. Mark used in our gospel reading this morning when it says that John says the heavens "opening" literally means "violently torn asunder." God tore open the heavens and came down. The violent ripping apart foretells the violent nature of Christ's death as He became one of us and came and lived in this broken, sick, painful world and to suffer with us at our side.

For this reason Jesus came to be baptized in the Jordan. Jesus came in the waters. Blessed by the Spirit and sent forth by the Father, Jesus was a new creation for us in this world. Remember how God first created everything? God created the heavens and the earth, the Spirit hovered over the waters, and the Word called everything into being. And today, this day, the Baptism of Our Lord, we reflect back on the creation when the Spirit hovered over the waters. The Baptism of our Lord tells us that our God has not just left this world in decay. Our God has not abandoned us to the clutches of the devil. Our God has not left you to die in death. Jesus is remaking everything. He is making a new creation from the water and the Spirit. He is making us anew. By His word and command He is making us his new creation, in the water with the Spirit. Jesus is restoring and making new that first creation which was spoiled by Satan. In baptism Jesus creates us new and a new man is resurrected in us.

Someone once attended a craft show where an elderly gentleman sat on a chair surrounded by dead branches. All around him were piles of dead, dried up, spindly branches, and right in front of him was a small bowl of water. And what this man did was amazing. He took these branches, soaked them in the water, pulled them out, and began to bend them, to reshape them, to twist and mold them into different shapes—into new creations. Out of these lifeless branches his hands formed baskets and chairs and even purses. As this artist shaped these objects, he spoke: "May this chair support people for good conversations, for times of reminiscing, for talking and sharing. May this basket carry God's flowers of creation for pleasure. May it carry baked goods to tired neighbors to feed bodies and nourish souls." This man took dead branches and gave them new life. He reshaped things that looked like their use was long over and gave them new lives one could only imagine.

And today, the Baptism of Our Lord, we see how Jesus has reshaped you and me. Jesus wasn't baptized for himself. Jesus didn't need to be remade. Jesus didn't need to be soaked in water to be a new creation. But Jesus knew we did. Jesus didn't die on the cross for sins he did. Jesus didn't need to suffer punishment for the wicked things he had done. But Jesus knew we did. So He submitted himself to death on the cross and poured out his blood of atonement for us. And as Jesus hung on the cross a deep darkness covered the earth for three hours. That darkness was the creation coming apart at the death of God; its creator. It was the same darkness that covered the face of the deep in the beginning; at the creation. When Jesus died, the light turned away because of the brokenness of creation. But at early dawn on Easter morning, as the sun came up, at first light, a new light shone. The light of a new creation. For Jesus' resurrection makes all things new. Those who dwelt in the darkness saw a great light. In our baptism, we who have dwelt in darkness come into that light which shines on us. Jesus didn't rise from the dead for his own sake. Jesus rose from the dead so that you and I could also rise from the dead, right now and for all eternity.

So today, we celebrate not just Jesus' Baptism, but we also celebrate that we have been united to Jesus through Baptism. Today we celebrate that through water, Jesus has gathered us dead branches around him. He has placed all of us in the water of Baptism, pulled us out, and said, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Your bodies are now remade. Your bodies won't just be filled with cancer; they will be filled with my body, which promises you an Easter resurrection. Your souls do not have to lust anymore; now you can long for a life lived in me. Your ears are now new; they will be used to hear my Word and to crave hearing the Good News of salvation. And your senses, even though they will slow and fail as death approaches, will tingle on the day of resurrection as all of my children are raised from the dust of death into eternal life."

Through Water and the Word God Created All Things, and Now through Water and the Word You Have Been Remade.

God hasn't abandoned you. He hasn't forgotten the pains you have. He has called you to be new people in him. And you are. You are new. You are forgiven. You are now alive, even though you were dead. In Christ, you will live even though you will die. The devil has tried so hard to destroy God's creation, but he has failed. He has failed because God has not abandoned you. God has not left you. And God never will. He comes to us to make all things new; to make us new on the day of resurrection, Sunday morning as we gather around his Word and Sacraments. He comes to restore us and bring a new man into being. In the presence of the risen Lord we are made new and we too shall be raised incorruptible on the Last Day.

Amen.