The Baptism of Our Lord, January 12, 2025

The Baptism of Our Lord, January 12, 2025

“Christ Jesus… became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Cor, 1:30). These words declare the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ. He is all the sinner needs to possess godly wisdom… all the sinner needs to be righteous… all the sinner needs to be sanctified… and all the sinner needs for redemption. With Christ Jesus, there is no need for the sinner to look anyplace else… to search for anyone else… or to journey from here to there—no pilgrimage necessary. Sinners, though, detest this one-stop shopping, thinking it’s too much like a convenience store. Hard-hearted sinners prefer to shop at Neiman Marcus—high-class goods for high-class people. Sinners always overestimate their worth and covet more and still more… more wisdom… more righteousness… more sanctification… and more redemption. Only when confronted with their debtors’ prison from overspending at the fancy store and issuing spiritual checks their false faith couldn’t cash… only then do sinners, busted and broke, turn to the convenience of Jesus and Jesus only. Only the busted and broken-hearted receive the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

Prayers from a sinner who always covets more than the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ…

Heavenly Father, you have provided your Son Jesus Christ as the way. Hold us on this way that is him alone so that we do not stray among those things we covet. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

Heavenly Father, you have provided your Son Jesus Christ as the truth. Keep your holy angels… your preachers… speaking this truth for our ears to hear so that those same ears would not be filled with the deceiver’s lies. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

Heavenly Father, you have provided your Son Jesus Christ as the life. So give us the life of Christ that our days of coveting more are ended and we rest in him. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

Heavenly Father, you have provided your Son Jesus Christ to be our godly wisdom. Grant that we exercise this wisdom and end our covetous searching for worldly wisdom that does not satisfy. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

Heavenly Father, you have provided your Son Jesus Christ to be our righteous. Keep us attentive to your Word so that we stop coveting a righteousness of our own and receive Christ as our righteousness. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

Heavenly Father, you have provided your Son Jesus Christ to be our sanctification. Grant us such trust in this sanctification that we do not confuse it with better behavior. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

Heavenly Father, you have provided your Son Jesus Christ to be our redemption. Grant to the students, staff, and faculty of the Institute of Lutheran Theology such trust in this redemption that they can carry on their tasks and duties without anxiety over their salvation. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen