e-vo for week of January 6

Dearest e-votees-

This Sunday is the first Sunday after the Epiphany (which was Wednesday, January 6). It is the Sunday when we commemorate the baptism of Jesus.

May we rejoice that we too are baptized and connected to Jesus’ life, ministry, death and glorious resurrection.

Peace,
Karl

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As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, NRSV

The people were looking for a savior—a Messiah. They knew that they could not save themselves. They looked about and were attracted to the intensely passionate one who dressed in unusual clothes, consumed an unusual diet and cried out powerfully in the desert. They found one who spoke strong words with great enthusiasm (literally “in-God-ness”). The people found what seemed the right one to deliver them from their own failings and the Roman occupation into a new era.

John replied that he was not the one. There was another one coming who was even more powerful. One who would bear even more enthusiasm in its literal sense. Then comes Jesus. One who would dress rather usually. He would eat and drink usual foods to the point that some called him a glutton and a drunkard. In many ways he was much less dramatic than John. Yet John recognized him even in the womb.

And God recognized Jesus too. In words that would be heard again in the Transfiguration (the other bookend of the Sundays of Epiphany) God bestows honor and commendation to Jesus in the hearing of others. This is a powerful revelation of who Jesus is and will be. Epiphany is about Jesus being revealed.

Jesus gets baptized. He enters into the community just as we did. He joins us as we are joined to him. May we carry that good news with joy and tell others about this Son that God loves and is well pleased.


God continue to reveal Yourself to us in Jesus. Amen.