III. How Can Water Do Such Things?
It is not the water indeed, that does such great things, but the Word of God, connected with the water, and our faith which relies on that Word of God. For without the Word of God, it is simply water and no baptism. But when connected with the Word of God, it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says to Titus, in the third chapter: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior; so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement.”
Martin Luther Small Catechism
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
To recap what we have covered so far: We heard how Jesus says disciples are made – baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching God’s Word. Last week, we considered how Baptism works the forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives salvation to all who believe. With all the things that Scripture says Baptism does, we rightly wonder, “How can water do all this?”
This is the same question that Naaman had (2 Kgs. 5:1-14). Remember Naaman, the commander of the enemy Syrian army? He had leprosy, but he went to Elisha God’s prophet in Israel. Elisha told Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River and he would be clean. Naaman wasn’t too happy with that prescription. He figured the rivers of Syria were better than all the waters in Israel. So, he wasn’t going to do it until one of Naaman’s servants basically said, “Why not give it a try? If the prophet has said this, it’s at least worth a shot.” Naaman went and washed, and he was cleansed. God had indeed spoken through His prophet, Elisha, and the waters of the Jordan became a life-giving and life-restoring stream. It wasn’t that the waters were special or healing, but because of God’s promise. When he exited the Jordan, Naaman’s skin was like the skin of a child. Smooth as a baby’s bottom.
So, speaking of babies and water. Let’s consider the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in our Gospel lesson (Jn. 3:1-17). Nicodemus comes to Jesus under the cover of darkness and has an incredibly interesting discussion with Christ about salvation.
There is too much going on in this text to cover everything. We’d be here until morning. We’re simply going to stick to one thing, and that is the fact that Nicodemus keeps thinking one way while Jesus is talking another. I’m going to translate these verses differently than the ESV does to try to bring out some of the nuances of the conversation because it helps us see what Jesus is teaching and how Nicodemus misunderstands. The first thing Jesus tells Nicodemus is, “Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is fathered/begotten from above he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Greek has two words for how kids come about. Here Jesus uses the Greek word γεννάω. Now, γεννάω is typically the word that refers to the father’s contribution to how a child comes into the world. For example, when Gen. 5 goes through the genealogies of the first people, the Septuagint, which is Greek translation of the Old Testament, will use the word γεννάω. It talks about how Adam γεννάω’d Seth. And Seth γεννάω’d Enosh. And Enosh γεννάω’d Kenan, and so on. Γεννάω means ‘fathered’ or ‘begat.’
The other Greek word for how children come into existence focuses on the mother’s action in bringing a child into the world. That word is γίνομαι or ‘birthed.’ When I was in seminary, Sarah and I lived in the brand new housing units on campus. Shortly before our one year anniversary, the kind woman who donated the funds for those units to be built came to tour them. We had our house cleaned up and gave her a tour. As she was about to leave, we again expressed our gratitude for her generosity. Right before walked out the door, she asked Sarah, “And when will you begin birthing?” If I had had quicker wits back then, I would have responded, “About nine months after I begin begetting/fathering.”
In these verses, Jesus repeatedly talks about begetting/fathering, but Nicodemus continually stays in birthing mode. Jesus says that we sinners must be γεννάω’d begotten/fathered from above, but Nicodemus can’t imagine being γίνομαι’d birthed a second time. “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Even though Nicodemus is using the same word Jesus uses, γεννάω, he is still thinking about being birthed γίνομαι’d by a mother.
So, Jesus further explains. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is fathered of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is fathered of the flesh is flesh, and that which is fathered of the Spirit is spirit.” What Jesus is saying here is that there is another way to be fathered – a water and Spirit kind of being fathered.
We need this mode of being fathered because we have all been fathered/begotten by sinful fathers. Ephesians 2 says that we are dead in our trespasses and sin (Eph. 2:1) and because of that we are children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). 1 Corinthians 15(:22) says that because we are descended from Adam we will all die, but in Christ we shall be made alive. Adam is the father and begetter of all sinners. But God desires to give us a new begetting from Christ who bore our sins on the cross. He took your sins from you because He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Through Baptism, Christ begets and fathers you so that you are children of righteousness.
In other words, when God connects His Word to the waters of your Baptism, you are begotten anew from above – from God.
Which brings us back to our Epistle text (Tit. 3:1-8). “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us.” So, please notice. God is the one who saves. We aren’t saved because of works or prayers done by us in righteousness. God saves us by His own mercy. How does God do this saving? “By the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by [God’s] grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit. 3:4-7).
Dear saints, what God’s Word is saying here is that we are begotten/fathered by God through the washing of regeneration in our Baptism.
Christian, through your Baptism, you have been made an heir of God. You have been begotten from above and are poised to inherit everything that is God’s. John 1:12-13, which you hear every Christmas Eve service, puts it this way, “[T]o all who did receive [Christ], who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born (but the Greek word there is γεννάω ‘begotten/fathered’), not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of [the will] of God.”
By the power of God’s Word connected to the waters of your Baptism, you have a new begetting. With this begetting, God has given you all of Christ’s holiness and righteousness. You have been begotten by God and made and heir with Christ. Live as a child of God as our text from Titus stated. God has delivered you from your old, sinful, foolish, disobedient ways. He has rescued you from your various passions and pleasures.
So, you Baptized child of God, live out your calling as God’s beloved child as you devote yourself to good works. Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Pastorsamwise 