ELW 304 - Christ, When for Us You Were Baptized // ʟᴏʙᴛ ɢᴏᴛᴛ, ɪʜʀ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛᴇɴ 

ZACHARY'S NOTES: 

Stanza 1 // The dove appears as “peaceful” and “urgent” as a flame. These are both images of the Spirit in Scripture, but in this context, the Spirit is “peaceful” because of the promise spoken - “you are my beloved Son” - yet “urgent” because of the work of ministry to save and redeem the world.

Stanza 2 // Christ comes to do “God’s holy will” - that is, to fulfill what we, as sinners, cannot. He is sent to “proclaim the reign/kingdom of heaven” - to give mercy wherever sinners are found.

Stanza 3 // From baptism, a seemingly picturesque moment, Jesus moves “straightway and steadfast unto death.” This is what it means to be a servant - to die in this world, and be clothed in the righteousness given/fulfilled by our Lord. The hymnal 1982 originally reads “...obeyed [his] call” - meaning the call of God, the Father. Christ is “well-pleased” with the Son as the one who is obedient or “steadfast” to death.

Stanza 4 // The fourth stanza is a prayer. Finding “perfect freedom in God’s service” can sound like the Law, but to be a servant in the kingdom of Christ is to be named as a sinner, and forgiven as one of God’s own children - as stanza two says - to hear the “reign of heaven proclaimed.” The cross is signed on us with the promise God gives - “you are my beloved child.” The “perfect freedom” we find in the cross is God’s righteousness given to sinners.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

• LBW 79 - To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord - ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛ, ᴜɴꜱᴇʀ ʜᴇʀʀ
• LBW 192 - Baptized into Your Name Most Holy - ᴏ ᴅᴀꜱꜱ ɪᴄʜ ᴛᴀᴜꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴢᴜɴɢᴇɴ ʜÄᴛᴛᴇ
• ELW 305 - When Jesus Came to Jordan - ᴋɪɴɢ’ꜱ ʟʏɴɴ
• LSB 404 - Jesus, Once with Sinners Numbered - ᴍɪꜱꜱɪꜱꜱɪᴘᴘɪ
• LSB 405 - To Jordan’s River Came Our Lord - ᴡɪɴᴄʜᴇꜱᴛᴇʀ ɴᴇᴡ
• ELW 442 - All Who Believe and Are Baptized - ᴇꜱ ɪꜱᴛ ᴅᴀꜱ ʜᴇɪʟ
• ELW 447 - O Blessed Spring - ʙᴇʀɢʟᴜɴᴅ
• ELW 448 - This Is the Spirit’s Entry Now - ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇꜱᴛ
• ELW 449 - We Know That Christ Is Raised - ᴇɴɢᴇʟʙᴇʀɢ
• ELW 450 - I Bind unto Myself Today - ꜱᴛ. ᴘᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴋ’ꜱ ʙʀᴇᴀꜱᴛᴘʟᴀᴛᴇ
• ELW 454 - Remember and Rejoice - ꜱᴛ. ᴛʜᴏᴍᴀꜱ
• ELW 456 - Baptized in Water - ʙᴜɴᴇꜱꜱᴀɴ
• ELW 458 - Praise and Thanksgiving Be to God - ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛᴇ ꜱᴀɴᴄᴛᴏʀᴜᴍ
• LSB 594 - God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It - ʙᴀᴄʜᴏꜰᴇɴ
• LSB 600 - Mark How the Lamb of God’s Self-Offering - ʀᴇɴᴅᴇᴢ À ᴅɪᴇᴜ