You Are Mine! Isaiah 43:1-10

Too often, the Old Testament is treated like a second-class part of the Bible. It’s generally an after-thought for most Christians, who concentrate on studying the New Testament. And, even there, we mostly concentrate on the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. As a result, we have a very narrow view of the Bible. Taken to the extreme, this view can actually be reduced to this level of simplicity: Old Testament is bad news with a God who is always mad; New Testament is good news, revealing God’s love for us in Christ. This view is not only simplistic, it’s wrong. Yes, the New Testament is Good News, and very specifically, it is the Good News – which is what Gospel means, by the way – the Good News of Jesus Christ. But, the Old Testament is also rich in Good News, and it is sometimes even richer and more powerful than what is the four books we call the Gospels.

Take this morning’s Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 43 as our example. Isaiah is prophesying to God’s people, Israel. Some of Isaiah’s preaching is bad news preaching. Like the proverbial hammer between the eyes, Isaiah’s preaching gets right to the core of Israel’s problem: their sins against God, against their fellow Israelites, and even against other nations have caused God’s wrath to burn hot. His punishment was for the people to be hauled off into captivitity, their nation was destroyed, and the beautiful Temple laid to ruins. And it left the people wondering if they had sinned so terribly that they had lost the favor of God. Were they no longer God’s people? Had they finally out-sinned God’s grace? Was God’s judgement not only temporal, but also eternal ruin?

In music, there is an instrument called, very simply, The Triangle. It is a piece of steel, about as thick as a #2 pencil, that is bent into an open triangle – the ends do not quite meet at one corner – and suspended on a piece of string. Another piece of steel is used to strike the triangle. The result is a crystal-clear ring that is both sharp enough to cut through all of the other musical instruments but also beautiful enough that it grabs the attention of everyone in the audience.

“But now.” Those two words of Isaiah must have been like a single, clear ping from a triangle, over and against both Isaiah’s preaching and what they have been seeing with their own eyes. What they had seen, what they had experienced, what they had finally come to understand and repent over about their sins, the “But now,” of Isaiah cuts into all of that.  

But now, says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. (Is. 43:1)

Listen to the verbs in this compound sentence. [Read it again.] The verbs tell the story. Created, formed: simple, past-tense. Have redeemed, have called: past-tense with a continuing, on-going action. Are: present tense. But now, as Israel stood in a far-off, heathen land, God was still their God and they were still His people. He had created and formed them; He doesn’t break His promises. In fact, His promises are so powerful that when God speaks, even before the action is done, even before the promise is fulfilled, the promise – the Word of God – is already effective and efficacious. But now, with Israel in Babylon, they already are already redeemed. But now, even though they are still in captivity, even though they would have to wait seven hundred more years before Jesus’ Nativity and crucifixion, because God had promised it, they are already bought with the payment price of His blood. But now, even though they are in exile, in a heathen land, they have been called God’s people and remain God’s people.

When God gives His promise, it is never just a past-tense moment. God’s promises, given in the past, are always past, present, and future tense -- active and powerful.

And, because this is true, the promises of God, given to His people of old, still hold true for His people of every age – including today. So His promises, given to Ancient Israel some 2700 years ago, still ring true for you. But now, says the Lord, He who created you, O Zion, He who formed you, O Zion: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.” The difference is that Israel was waiting for their redeemer. In the fulness of time, the Redeemer did come. The One, whose birth we only recently celebrated; the One, to whom the Magi brought gifts; the One, who stood in the Jordan to be baptized by John; this One is Israel’s Redeemer. This One, Jesus, is the world’s Redeemer. This One, is your redeemer.

Today, we remember Jesus’ baptism. It’s a remarkable event for several reasons. First, Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. Second, it delivers from death and the devil. Third, Baptism is both now and for eternity. If these are true, then why is Jesus baptized?  Jesus, the sinless Son of God, had no need to be baptized for forgiveness. Jesus, who is God in flesh, is already even God over Satan. Third, Jesus already is eternal.  So, why does Jesus need to be baptized? Matthew gives the reason: to fulfill all righteousness. Luther describes Jesus baptism as a great exchange: in baptism, His holiness is washed into the water and onto us; in baptism, all of the sins of the world are flooded onto Him. In Baptism, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. To pay the debt of the world’s sin, Jesus would face both satan and death.

The redemption price for the sins of the world was terrible. A moment ago, I said that the promises of God, once spoken, always remain effective. There was only one moment in time where this was not true: in Jesus crucifixion.  It was as if Isaiah’s promise was completely reversed for Jesus. It was as if God were saying, “Be terrified, for I cannot redeem you. I have damned you by name. You are no longer mine.” There, at the cross, Jesus was cast into exile, abandoned by His Father. There, alone, surrounded by sinners, Jesus died the sinner’s death.

And you, dear saints of Zion, you have been baptized into that death. Christ’s perfect payment price, His life and His death, are yours. In Holy Baptism, Christ delivers His perfect death to you. It’s a trade – remember? Your sins become His sins; your deserved death becomes His. But He doesn’t stop there. Remember? He traded His life for your death; He traded His holiness for your sins. His holiness and His life are given to you. His perfect resurrection is your resurrection. Had He only died, that would have been enough, but Jesus never does just enough. He does perfectly. His resurrection on Easter is also delivered to you in your Baptism. His death, for you; His life, to you. His holiness, upon you.

Remember, I said the verbs have a past-tense with a future, on-going action? This is called, in English grammar, a perfect verb. That is what Baptism is. It is a past-tense event. You can look back and be reminded of the day you were brought to the font. It was a moment in time. But that moment in time has a continued, on-going action. Forgiveness is never just a past-tense event --- I was forgiven on February 1, 1974, but now…well, now what? Baptism is past and on-going event. Baptize is, quite literally, a perfect verb. In baptism, God sees you as perfect. So, instead of saying, “I was baptized,” let’s say, “I have been baptized.” It’s a constant, ongoing event. The forgiveness delivered to you at the font on that day and time continues to deliver the goods to you each and every day. Every day, you are a Baptized child of God, living In His grace and in His goodness and holiness. In Baptism, every day, you die to sin and are raised to newness of life. Yes, in Christ, you are already resurrected.

Yes, that Old Adam is a good swimmer. He keeps bobbing his head to the surface; she keeps on treading water. Drown it again. That’s what repentance is. It’s confessing that that Old Adam and Old Eve deserves hell. Being scared to die without Jesus, that’s the sorrow for what that Old Adam and Old Eve does. And faith stands against these things, knowing that the Baptismal promise of God, delivered at the cross, given once in water and word, remains powerful and effective even after you die and you are a forgiven child of God.

And, that Baptismal promise holds you close to God even when you go through the dark, difficult days of this life – that’s the imagery of passing through the rivers and the waters, through fire and flame. Even in the midst of what seems to be overwhelming darkness, God promises His presence with you. He abandoned His Son at the cross, so that He cannot abandon you.

I think that memorizing Bible verses is an important practice. Isaiah 43:1 and 2 are two of my favorites. Perhaps I am biased – let me tell you why. Isaiah 43:1 was my Dad’s confirmation verse back in 1957. Someone made my Dad a small banner with the words of the verse on it. But, they included Dad’s name in the verse, so it took the powerful truth of the verse and made it even more personal. It read this way: “Feat not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, Walter, and you are mine.”

Do this: I’m going to read the first three verses again, and I’m going to pause as I read. When I pause, I want you to say your name and tap your chest. If you’re a typical Lutheran, this is embarrassing. Don’t be embarrassed – we’re all doing it together. If you simply can’t say it out loud, then mumble it or at least say it in your head or squeeze your hands. I’m doing this so you hear these perfect promises of God, perfectly delivered for you.

Fear not, _______, for I have redeemed you, _______; I have called you by name, _______; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you_______; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you, _______; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned _______ and the flames shall not consume you, _______.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

In the name of Jesus.
Amen.