Isaiah 42:1-9, Matthew 3:13-17

Phil Jackson was our guest speaker this Sunday, retelling the story of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. Would you have gone out to hear John in the wilderness? Many people went out to hear this guy preach and teach. Jesus was among those who went to where John was preaching. It takes a little convincing for John to agree to baptize him.

In that process, Jesus comes out of the wilderness, saying yes to God's work and John's ministry. After his baptism by John, the Father says "Yes," to Jesus, and anoints him and blesses him for his public ministry.

By joining us in community with himself through baptism and the gift of the Spirit, Jesus incorporates us into his servanthood, which is the establishment of justice and righteousness.

Matthew 2:1-12

On this Epiphany Sunday Susan began with a portrayal of the wise men's perspective crafted by Frederick Buechner. Why did the magi follow the star to where Jesus was? "To be wise is to be eternally curious."

Is to live without Christ the real death, and to die with him the only life? Jesus invites us to pick up our cross; not an appealing image... When we take up the cross we empty our hands and bid goodbye to our old lives, both good and bad.

Paul is an example of giving up his old life with much esteem, to follow Christ. When we die unto Christ, we surrender our identities. Pay attention to the names you call yourself and see what they say about your identity. What is there that you need to surrender to fully embrace your new identity?

John 1: 1-18

Susan Scott reminded us of a powerful image from this week's scripture in John where Jesus became flesh and "tabernacled with us." Jumping back in time to Exodus, God instructs the chosen people in great detail on how to build a portable tabernacle, a sanctuary, for God to dwell in, but only a very select few people could enter. Later the tabernacle is built in stone in Jerusalem with the holy of holies that contains the Ark of the Covenant and God's presence, but is destroyed by the Babylonians and then rebuilt when the Israelites return from captivity. During Jesus' time Herod massively expanded the temple, but the building had no Ark, no cloud of glory, no miracles, and no prophesies like the first one - a silence of 4 centuries. The high priesthood was corrupt and under the influence of the Roman occupiers. Into this darkness, John tells us that the long awaited return of God's glory to the temple has been fulfilled by Jesus, to an extant even greater than that of the first temple. But God is doing something new, amazing, and unexpected this time. Instead of being reserved for an elite few, God's glory now walks without elaborate trappings among all the people, prophesying and doing great miracles. As the short, dim days of winter continue, take some time to reflect on the bright glory of Jesus in our lives - God tabernacling with us, not apart from us.