Isaiah 4:1-6
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach." In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. (ESV)
Water and Spirit
The Nativity of St. John the Baptizer
24 June 2010
Christian baptism is baptism of water and the Spirit (John 3:5-6). Sometimes American Christians want to distinguish Spirit baptism and water baptism, as though God's ordination of water baptism is a Spirit-less gift to the church. People will even despise God's command to baptize with water with the sneer, "You've only had a water baptism!? Why that's not good enough. You have to have something more." But there is nothing more, for water baptism is Spirit baptism. There can be nothing more than what God gives. What God gives He tells us in His Word. To this Word we are completely captive. There is nothing more. Cyril concludes his third catechetical homily emphasizing the Spirit and water connection and the high gift that baptism gives to the sinner.
Cyril of Jerusalem
"'Be of good courage, O Jerusalem; the Lord will take away all your iniquities' (Zeph 3:14). 'The Lord will wash away the filth of His sons and of His daughters by the Spirit of judgment, and by the Spirit of burning' (Is 4:4). 'He will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be cleansed from all your sin' (Ez 36:25). Angels shall dance around you, and say, Who is this that comes up in white array, leaning upon her beloved? For the soul that was formerly a slave has now adopted her Master Himself as her kinsman. He accepting the sincere purpose will answer: 'Behold, you are fair, my love; behold, you are fair: your teeth are like flocks of sheep new shorn, (because of the confession of a good conscience) which have all of them twins' (Song 4:1-2); because of the twofold grace, I mean that which is perfected of water and of the Spirit, or that which is announced by the Old and by the New Testament. And God grant that all of you when you have finished the course of the fast, may remember what I say, and bringing forth fruit in good works, may stand blameless beside the spiritual Bridegroom, and obtain the remission of your sins from God; to whom with the Son and Holy Spirit be the glory forever. Amen."
Prayer
Almighty God, through John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, You once proclaimed salvation. Now grant that we may know this salvation and serve You in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
For Pastor Matthew Harrison and LCMS World Relief as they continue to relieve the needs of the hurting and downtrodden the world over
In thanksgiving to God for pleasant and temperate weather
For the Nicaragua mission team of Memorial Lutheran Church, that the Lord would prosper their labor and keep them safe in their work
Art: PISANO, Andrea The Baptism of the Multitude 1330