Everybody knows what a “scapegoat” is, right? That's the person that, when everything goes wrong, everybody else blames. We love scapegoats. We love, when things get messed up, to lay the blame onto someone else. Even if it's our fault, we'll try to find a scapegoat, someone to take the fall, which is why scapegoats are also called fall guys. Let's face it: when it's the possibility of me being in trouble or someone else, aren't we quick to pass the blame? Whether it's someone who did something to us long ago or just this morning, our attitudes, our faults, our mistakes, our sins can always be laid on someone else as the responsible party. Just look around in our society: talk show after talk show has that one purpose: finding people who are messed up in one way or another and then deciding who gets the blame. Look into your own life: When something goes wrong—with your marriage, your kids, your job, your life—whose fault is it? There is not one of us here who can't blame something wrong on someone else. Yep. We call those poor souls that get our problems plopped onto them scapegoats. But you know what? Our repentance isn't that we need to stop blaming others for our sins. It's that we need to learn to blame the right person. We need to quit making up scapegoats and use the real and true Scapegoat.
Did you know there really was a scapegoat? In fact, this is where we get the idea of scapegoats. In the Old Testament, once a year on the Day of Atonement, part of the High Priest's work was to take a young goat, and lay his hands on that goat's head and confess onto that goat, and lay on it, all the sins of the people of Israel. Then that goat was let go into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people. (You can read all about it in the book of Leviticus). Brothers and sisters in Christ, when Jesus gets down into sin-dirty water of the Jordan River to be baptized, THAT is what it's all about. He's going there to be our scapegoat. The One upon whom we lay all of our sins, who takes the blame for them, who bears the responsibility for them. Jesus, who has no sins of His own, gets into the Jordan to have our sins laid upon Him. Then He is “cast loose” into the wilderness. Literally, because that's where He goes next in the Gospel, into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. But ultimately, His having our sins laid on Him takes Him to Calvary where, as the Lamb of God, He takes away the sin of the world. On the cross, by His blood, He wipes out the sins that were against us. On the cross, He feels the wrath of God laid upon Him for our sins which were laid upon Him. Behold Jesus at the Jordan River! Here is your scapegoat. The one to take the blame for your sins. The one who bears responsibility. The one who takes your sins. That's what Jesus is doing in the River today, being baptized, not to get rid of sins, but to take our sins on!
Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, dear baptized children of God. Pay close attention to what happens at Jesus' Baptism because that's what your Baptism is all about. Jesus the Sinless One gets baptized along with sinners. This, He tells John is what righteousness is. Righteousness is Jesus taking your place. When you are baptized, the righteousness of God is given to you. What does that mean? It means that Jesus has taken YOUR place and that means He has taken YOUR sins. And given you His holiness in their place. When Jesus is baptized, the Spirit comes down as a dove, to mark Him as the Christ. When you are baptized, YOU are given the Holy Spirit. He comes upon you to seal and mark you as one who is redeemed by Jesus. He seals you for the inheritance that awaits you on the Last Day. He marks you as one who belongs to God in Christ, by grace. Finally, when the heavens opened, the Father spoke: “This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!” Why is He pleased? Because His Son goes the way of saving sinners, the way of the scapegoat, the way of the cross. Now, when you are baptized, the heavens are opened and the Father declares about you: “You are my beloved Son! You are my beloved child! I am well pleased with you!” And how could He not be? You have no more sins; they've all been laid upon Jesus. They're not your sins anymore but His. You are now God's Son, just as Jesus is God the Father's Son. Rejoice in your baptism! Boast, as St. Paul says, in the Lord, by making much of your baptism and confessing what it means and what it gives you!
Now, since all of that is true: your sins are laid upon Jesus, you are sealed with the Spirit, and you are God's child, then you can be certain the Devil, the world and your sinful flesh are all going to say the opposite. That you CAN'T get rid of your sins; that the Spirit DOESN'T live with you and that God is certainly NOT your heavenly Father. These three enemies will work overtime to convince you by whatever means possible that you cannot possibly be a child of God. That the Lord doesn't call you “beloved” but “cursed” and that the Lord has it in for you. Now, listen. I know there are a lot of things out there that can go wrong. Wrong with your marriage and your family. Wrong with your body and your health. Wrong with your job and your bank account. Wrong with your kids or your relatives or whomever. Lots of things that can cause you pain and suffering and sadness. And there will be a great temptation to hear the Devil's whisper that those things are proof that you are nothing to God. I'm telling you this so that when it happens, you will remember your Baptism. Make the sign of the holy cross and remember your Baptism. Remember everything it says about you: righteous in Jesus, sealed by the Spirit, beloved by the Father. When the Devil comes to tell you that you've got sins, then tell him they've been laid on the scapegoat, Jesus, and they're taken care of!
Brothers and sisters baptized into Christ, our life now is one of repentance. And repentance means laying your sins on the scapegoat, Jesus. The scapegoat can't take away your sins if you want to hang on to them! This why the life of the baptized is one of repentance. Repentance doesn't say, “I'll just do what I want even if it's a sin because I'm forgiven.” Repentance does not say, “I'm baptized, so I don't need to worry if I have any sins; I can't really do anything wrong anyway.” Repentance does not say, “Now that I'm baptized, I can still treat others like dirt because I'm already saved.” None of those things! The life of repentance which flows from Baptism says daily, “I am a sinner. I have not loved God. Here are the ways I have not loved Him. I have not loved my neighbor. Here are the ways I've done that. What my sins deserve is everlasting death. Instead, I lay them on the Lamb of God. Let Jesus have them.” The life of the baptized isn't one in which we're suddenly privileged to ignore sins. No, living as a baptized Son of God means daily laying those sins upon Jesus and recognizing that they can only be taken away by Him. In fact, that is the whole life of repentance and faith, over and over, confessing our sins and living as those who are in fact forgiven. Living daily in the promises of our baptism that we are God's children. Seeking often the comforting reminder of Holy Absolution that our sins are forgiven. Feasting regularly on the body and blood of Jesus by which our sins are taken away. Behold, Christians, Jesus' Baptism and your Baptism teach that you do now have someone to lay your sins on. Not your neighbor! And don't keep them yourself! Unload them on Jesus. He has taken the blame for them and wipes them out by His blood. And if you ever doubt that? Then back to your Baptism to hear God's promises again!
We love to make scapegoats, someone else to take the blame for our sins. But there IS a scapegoat. It's not your neighbor. It's your Savior, Jesus. Upon Him all your sins have been laid. He's wiped them out. He's carried them away. Only Jesus does that, and the Spirit lands on Him to show that He's the one for the job. And because He does that, He is God the Father's beloved Son. Now you, brothers and sisters baptized into Christ Jesus. Your baptism says that Jesus has taken YOUR place and carried away YOUR sins. The Spirit has marked and sealed you for eternal life. Your heavenly Father smiles down upon you. All your sins have been laid upon Jesus and all of His riches are laid upon you in Holy Baptism. Hear your Father in heaven say about you, “Behold! My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!” Amen.