Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N2SUq7PPI8
Program Transcript
Epiphany: Jesus, Light of the World
Think of the stars on a dark, cloudless night—small, distant lights scattered across the vast sky, yet enough to bring comfort and direction. Jesus is the brightest of these stars, a light that cannot be hidden, shining not just for a few but for all. Epiphany reminds us that Jesus’ light is meant to be seen by everyone and that we are called to share that light, to be a light that reaches into every corner of the world.
As we celebrate Epiphany, we are reminded of Jesus’ invitation to “come and see” his light—the light that guides us, brings hope, and reveals God’s love to all people. Epiphany is a season that celebrates the truth that Jesus didn’t come for just a few but for everyone. Jesus came as the light of the world to bring all people into the warmth and hope of his love. And because Jesus is the light of the world, he calls us to share that light with everyone we meet.
In Matthew, Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.” When we follow him, we become like lamps that shine for everyone to see. Just as a city’s lights can be seen from far away, our lives are meant to be bright reflections of Jesus’ love and grace. We don’t keep his light to ourselves; we let it shine brightly, guiding all people to his peace and truth.
Epiphany isn’t only about seeing Jesus’ light—it’s about sharing it. Paul calls us “ambassadors for Christ,” messengers who share Jesus’ love and reflect his presence to others. As the Holy Spirit fills us, the light of Jesus transforms us from within, helping us grow to look more like him. We become mirrors, reflecting his love and hope to everyone in need.
Epiphany is a season of discovering Jesus anew, as the Savior for all people. As we read his story, as we draw near to his presence, our hearts become filled with light. And when we are filled with his light, we have to share it! The more we tell Jesus’ story, the more we experience his love and find our own lives transformed by his light.
This message is not about us—it’s about Jesus, who came to be the light for all people. We are simply messengers, carrying his light into the world. When God said, “Let there be light,” he wanted that light to spread through us, reaching everyone and shining his love into the places and lives we touch.
As we celebrate Epiphany, let us remember that we are part of God’s promise to bring light to all people. The one who calls us to “come and see” also sends us to “go and tell.” Let us be like a city on a hill, shining brightly so that everyone can see God’s love through us. Just as God called Israel by name. In Isaiah, Jesus now calls each of us by name, to go forward as his light in the world.
“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up,’ and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’”
Isaiah 43:1-7
Let us go forth as the light, for we are called by name and created to reflect his glory for all people.
Program Transcript
Epiphany: Jesus, Light of the World
Think of the stars on a dark, cloudless night—small, distant lights scattered across the vast sky, yet enough to bring comfort and direction. Jesus is the brightest of these stars, a light that cannot be hidden, shining not just for a few but for all. Epiphany reminds us that Jesus’ light is meant to be seen by everyone and that we are called to share that light, to be a light that reaches into every corner of the world.
As we celebrate Epiphany, we are reminded of Jesus’ invitation to “come and see” his light—the light that guides us, brings hope, and reveals God’s love to all people. Epiphany is a season that celebrates the truth that Jesus didn’t come for just a few but for everyone. Jesus came as the light of the world to bring all people into the warmth and hope of his love. And because Jesus is the light of the world, he calls us to share that light with everyone we meet.
In Matthew, Jesus tells his followers, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.” When we follow him, we become like lamps that shine for everyone to see. Just as a city’s lights can be seen from far away, our lives are meant to be bright reflections of Jesus’ love and grace. We don’t keep his light to ourselves; we let it shine brightly, guiding all people to his peace and truth.
Epiphany isn’t only about seeing Jesus’ light—it’s about sharing it. Paul calls us “ambassadors for Christ,” messengers who share Jesus’ love and reflect his presence to others. As the Holy Spirit fills us, the light of Jesus transforms us from within, helping us grow to look more like him. We become mirrors, reflecting his love and hope to everyone in need.
Epiphany is a season of discovering Jesus anew, as the Savior for all people. As we read his story, as we draw near to his presence, our hearts become filled with light. And when we are filled with his light, we have to share it! The more we tell Jesus’ story, the more we experience his love and find our own lives transformed by his light.
This message is not about us—it’s about Jesus, who came to be the light for all people. We are simply messengers, carrying his light into the world. When God said, “Let there be light,” he wanted that light to spread through us, reaching everyone and shining his love into the places and lives we touch.
As we celebrate Epiphany, let us remember that we are part of God’s promise to bring light to all people. The one who calls us to “come and see” also sends us to “go and tell.” Let us be like a city on a hill, shining brightly so that everyone can see God’s love through us. Just as God called Israel by name. In Isaiah, Jesus now calls each of us by name, to go forward as his light in the world.
“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up,’ and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’”
Isaiah 43:1-7
Let us go forth as the light, for we are called by name and created to reflect his glory for all people.
Psalm 29:1-11 · Isaiah 43:1-7 · Acts 8:14-17 · Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
This week’s theme is demonstrations of God’s power. In our call to worship Psalm, the psalmist declares the power of God’s voice. In Isaiah, the prophet looks to a time when God’s power would be present in the lives of His people in miraculous ways. In Acts, we see Peter and John lay hands on the believing Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit. And in Luke, John the Baptizer informs the people of the power of the Christ, who is coming soon.
A Baptism of Purification
Luke 3:15-17, 21-21 NIV
Have you ever purchased a product and wondered just how “pure” that product is? Hundreds of products on the market these days claim to be 100% pure, from bottled water to skin care. The makers of these products can rarely back up their claims. In the U.S., the Department of Agriculture’s Natural Organic Program has no problem with labels stating 100% organic even when they know that these products unavoidably contain some element of chemicals including pesticides.1 It makes you wonder if there is really anything that is “pure” in this world, doesn’t it?
On the Christian calendar today, we remember the baptism of Jesus. Through this story we are going to highlight the theme of God’s purifying work in our lives. Luke’s account of the baptism of Jesus provides us with a framework to understand the need for our purification, how this is accomplished, and what this means for us today.
[Read Luke 3:15-17, 21-22]
Luke begins this section sharing that people were flocking in droves to see who many likely assumed was the Messiah. The other Gospel accounts make it clear that these were Jews who were traveling from all over. The prophets of Israel foretold the coming of the Messiah for centuries. The Jews (as the descendants of the nation of Isreal later became known) had been waiting a long time for their Messiah. Many, no doubt, walked there on foot for several days to reach the Jordan where John is performing his ministry. News had gotten out about this bizarre looking preacher out in the wilderness telling people to repent of their sins and baptizing them.
You can imagine how the people might have been processing this scene. “Is this the return of the prophet Isaiah?” “He’s surely dressing and acting like him.” “Is this the Messiah we have waited so long for?” “Is He going to rid the land of our oppressors and restore Israel to its former glory?”
When you think about it, there had been a prophetic dry spell for more than 400 years. It was as if God had forgotten the nation, and it seemed He had forgotten all the promises He had made to them through the prophets. Could there be deliverance once again? The truth is that God had not forgotten them, even as they had rejected or forgotten him.
The people were moved by John’s preaching. They were repenting of their sins and were being baptized. But what were they anticipating would come next? Do you suppose they felt that they had performed their part and now it was time for God to perform His? Had they even considered that God might be less interested in changing their circumstances (such as oppression under the Roman Empire), and more interested in purifying and changing of their hearts?
We prefer our messiahs to have the appearance of strength. But if they cannot be physically imposing, at least they should be able to speak with power and authority. We are so eager to prop up a president, prime minister, or king as the solution to all our problems. Our messiahs are supposed to lower our taxes, fix our infrastructure, and be against all the same people that we’re against. But while we expect our messiahs to fix our circumstances, we would rather not have them meddling with the interior of our hearts. God forbid that there be a change in us.
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. 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 barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Luke 3:16,17 NIV
What John does here is take the focus off himself and place it on Jesus. Malachi 3:1 is the prophecy regarding John the Baptist. John grew up realizing he was to be the messenger sent to prepare the way of Jesus and His ministry. His father, Zechariah, prophesied it at John’s birth (Luke 1:67). Malachi 3 also speaks of the purification that will take place by the Lord when He shows up — a refining, purifying fire.
John the Baptist’s speech takes us back to images used in the book of Malachi. A baptism of fire is how John puts it. In this passage we see metaphorical references to a winnowing fork, wheat, chaff, a granary, and of course, unquenchable fire. Many passages in the Bible contain metaphors and symbols. Also, the Bible includes texts that can have literal, figurative, or hyperbolic meanings. Humility in our interpretations is encouraged.
In the context of this passage, we’ve already seen that the people are turning from sin and are being baptized. John then describes a ministry that will be performed through Christ — the ministry of baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. Both must be understood with God’s redemptive plans in mind. This fire, then, must serve a redemptive purpose in our lives. Wheat gets sifted by the winnowing fork and the chaff separates. It’s this useless stuff (chaff) that has to be burned up. When this occurs, it is we ourselves who feel as if we have been on fire.
In Luke 22:31, Jesus says to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.” (NIV). Although the enemy of our souls seeks our destruction, God is the one who holds the winnowing fork. His work in our lives separates out what is good, right, and worthy from what is useless or even destructive. He carefully discards and burns away all that has been holding us back. We all go through this purification.
Let’s not for one minute pretend that this sifting and burning away of the chaff in our lives will be pleasant, but when we go through this necessary purifying by the baptism of fire, we are assured that we don’t go through it by our own resources. We have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. And it is by the Spirit that we are being helped in and through all our weaknesses and trials toward this necessary purification.
Hebrews 12:29 says that our God is a consuming fire. And Isaiah 33:10-16 asked the question of who can dwell with the consuming fire? Not sinners, only the righteous. Thomas Merton concluded:
Our God also is a consuming fire. And if we, by love, become transformed into Him and burn as He burns, His fire will be our everlasting joy. But if we refuse His love and remain in the coldness of sin and opposition to Him and to other men, then will His fire (by our own choice, rather than His) become our everlasting enemy, and Love, instead of being our joy, will become our torment and our destruction.2
In other words, it is how we relate to God’s consuming fire that determines our joy or torment.
Let us now look at the closing section of this passage. Note how all three persons of the Trinity is involved here in the baptism of Jesus.
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21, 22 NIV
We have already discussed that the people were coming to repent of their sins, and we’re being washed through the act of baptism. But why would Jesus, who had no sin, go through baptism as well? Here’s another question, could any of us offer a perfect repentance for our sins? The rhetorical answer to this question is no. Just as Jesus was fully God, He was also fully man. Although without sin, He offers, as a human, humanity’s perfect repentance to the Father on our behalf.
We must also note the significance of where Jesus is being baptized. John is performing these baptisms in the Jordan River. This is the same river that the Israelites passed through to enter the promised land as mentioned in Joshua 3.
This promised land was a land flowing with milk and honey — a land of super abundance. This quest to find the promised land had been going on for more than 600 years. This was their mandate. But entering the physical promised was not the fulfillment of God’s ultimate promise.
Notice what the author of Hebrews writes about this promised land – this place of rest:
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Hebrews 4:8-9 NIV
Jesus has taken up our humanity through the waters of baptism and has purified us. He has become for us the rest that was promised long ago. He himself is the promised land. And we now live in His super abundance as a free people in God’s presence.
It’s significant that the Holy Spirit here takes the form of a dove. Again, think of what is happening through baptism. Jesus was baptized for our purification. In the Old Testament, the dove was a symbol for purity, peace, and restoration. So, in Genesis 8:8-12, Noah sends out a dove to see if the flood waters have receded. The dove returns with an olive branch, which is universally recognized in our world today as the symbol for peace. Also, it pointed to purification — no more sin in the land. And with that purification, Noah and his family will be able to live in a land that has been restored.
When the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, it is made clear that Jesus is our peace. Through Him we live as God’s forgiven and purified children. The Spirit we have received from the Father through the Son reminds us that we are restored new creations made after the image of our promised land, Christ Jesus.
The most beautiful part of this Gospel story are the words of the Father to Jesus, “You are my Son, whom I love. With you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22 NIV). What kind of world would we be living in now if every child could hear their earthly parent tell them that they are pleased with them?
Too many of us have never heard these words. And yet, through Christ, those words have become an echo from the Father, passing through the Son, and into our lives. In Him, we have the perfect repentance. In Him, we have gone through the waters of purification. And in Him we now dwell in the promised land into God’s love and delight. Let us walk as the beloved and purified children of God that we are.
- Industry Insights: Putting “Pure” Claims in Context | Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Litigation (foodlitigationnews.com)
- Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation (New York: New Directions, 1961), 124
Cullen Rodgers-Gates—Year C Epiphany 1
January 12, 2025 — First Sunday after Epiphany | Baptism of our Lord
Luke 3:15-17; 21-22
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Program Transcript
Cullen Rodgers-Gates—Year C Epiphany 1
Anthony: Let’s transition to the next pericope of the month. It’s Luke 3:15-17, 21-22. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Baptism of our Lord on January 12. Cullen, would you read it for us, please?
Cullen: Absolutely.
As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 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 strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 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, 22 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.”
Anthony: Once again, I was struck by John’s humility, as we’ve been discussing, and his accurate self-awareness that, you know what, I’m not the center of the story, but it’s Jesus who would come after him. And if we can imagine headlines in a newspaper, it’d be easy for him to be seduced by that. Is John the Baptist, the real Messiah? But he wasn’t.
So, what can pastors, ministry leaders, believers learn from John in this text?
Cullen: John had a clear understanding of his identity and his purpose. He recognized his role. He was faithful to fulfill that role as being distinct from the Messiah. And I think back to the passage just before, when we talked about living to the praise of God’s glory, and John was a model of that in his earthly life and in his vocation.
So, there’s two different baptisms here. One is the water baptism representing our death to self-rising to new life in Christ. And then John speaks here in the passage about the baptism that the Messiah will bring is a different kind of baptism one of the Holy Spirit and fire.
And of course, we understand what that’s pointing to in terms of Pentecost and the incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit at that point after Jesus ascended. But that baptism that Jesus is bringing follows from our water baptism, which reflects our death and then being raised again as part of God’s new creation.
And so, I would say our ministry, as pastors and leaders consider this passage, it’s about pointing people to Jesus, not to ourselves. And I would say to the extent that people look to pastors and leaders as spiritual guides, as exemplars. Our purpose really is to direct their gaze to the one who makes us holy.
Sometimes we see people of faith, pastors, and other leaders, spiritual leaders as being — we’ll say so and so is super spiritual, and we can so easily get caught up in other humans who we might put on a pedestal for one reason or another. But I think when we think about what actually makes us holy, it’s not our own works, right?
1 Peter 2:9 says, “but you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.” At the beginning of this letter, Peter says that we’ve been chosen and destined by God, the Father, sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to the Son. And so, this work of sanctification is something that has been done for us and in us.
And it’s a clear recognition that whatever holiness we have is ultimately actually a gift of grace from the One who has made us holy. And so, I think this is just helps to reinforce that our calling is to point people to Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5. I just love that chapter. It’s so rich in terms of a paradigm for what it means to live the Christian life. And it talks about how we are representatives and ambassadors of God, ambassadors of the kingdom. We are ambassadors for Christ since God is making His appeal through us. That’s 2 Corinthians 5:20. And so really the ultimate goal is that we are being formed into the image of Jesus Christ, right?
So, any imitation of leaders here on earth should really be with that end in mind, that it’s about being formed, being made into the image of Christ.
Anthony: And I can’t help but think of John 1, this same John, the baptizer, has his followers, and they’re listening to him and Jesus walks by and immediately, without hesitation, Scripture points us to John pointing away from himself and saying, “Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” And the followers get up to follow Jesus. And that’s the way it should be instead of trying to hold these people as my followers. They’re being formed in the image of Christ, not me and not you. And we would do well to follow John’s example, would we not, in pointing away from ourselves to Jesus?
And as we do that, we still looked at Jesus. We’re going to celebrate on this day, the baptism of our Lord. And I’m just curious from your perspective why was the perfect One baptized and why is it good news for us?
Cullen: Yeah, that’s a great question and just wanted to say to your point there a minute ago, Anthony, amen to the pointing people to the Lamb of God.
So yeah, Jesus’ baptism. It is a curious thing, right? And the much smarter people than me have written much more than I have about this. But there’s a couple things that as I reflect on this that I think are significant. Yeah. One is that Jesus’ baptism in a way reflects His complete identification with the human condition, with human beings, taking on human flesh with all of its limitations and making Himself subject to the lived experience of humanity, including temptation of various sorts.
I think the baptism of Jesus also represents His utter dependence on God the Father and on our behalf. And then what immediately follows in this passage after His baptism, God speaks over Him. “You are my Son, the beloved. With you, I am well pleased.” I think the posture and practice of submission to God prepares us to receive the unconditional love of God in a way that grounds us in our true identity as beloved children.
And for me, Jesus’ baptism exemplifies this, but it’s more than just a metaphorical paradigm for us to emulate: look, Jesus got baptized, and so now we should be baptized. I think it maybe more importantly shows us how completely — and this goes back to the point I made just a moment ago — just how completely Jesus entered into the human identity, expressing absolute, total solidarity with each of us human beings in His reliance on God’s love and mercy and the incarnation. This is what grounds the incarnation and the mystery that Jesus was fully God and fully man. And our redemption is complete because of this reality. The early church fathers emphasized how critical this is.
I think it was Gregory of Nazianzus who said, “What has not been assumed has not been healed.” It is what is united to God’s divinity that is saved. And so that is just such a powerful summation of why the Incarnation matters. And it matters because God has come to redeem and to heal the entirety of human life and experience.
And I just think what tremendously good news this is for us.
Anthony: Amen and amen. And thank you, Lord Jesus, that You did assume our fallen, sin sick humanity into Yourself to heal it, not only as the great physician, but You became the patient. You became one of us and took it upon Yourself. We praise You.
And I always loved hearing Gregory Nazianzus quoted because he was known even among his peers as the theologian, not just a theologian; he was a teacher of teachers in his day.
Program Transcript
Cullen Rodgers-Gates—Year C Epiphany 1
Anthony: Let’s transition to the next pericope of the month. It’s Luke 3:15-17, 21-22. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Baptism of our Lord on January 12. Cullen, would you read it for us, please?
Cullen: Absolutely.
As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 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 strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 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, 22 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.”
Anthony: Once again, I was struck by John’s humility, as we’ve been discussing, and his accurate self-awareness that, you know what, I’m not the center of the story, but it’s Jesus who would come after him. And if we can imagine headlines in a newspaper, it’d be easy for him to be seduced by that. Is John the Baptist, the real Messiah? But he wasn’t.
So, what can pastors, ministry leaders, believers learn from John in this text?
Cullen: John had a clear understanding of his identity and his purpose. He recognized his role. He was faithful to fulfill that role as being distinct from the Messiah. And I think back to the passage just before, when we talked about living to the praise of God’s glory, and John was a model of that in his earthly life and in his vocation.
So, there’s two different baptisms here. One is the water baptism representing our death to self-rising to new life in Christ. And then John speaks here in the passage about the baptism that the Messiah will bring is a different kind of baptism one of the Holy Spirit and fire.
And of course, we understand what that’s pointing to in terms of Pentecost and the incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit at that point after Jesus ascended. But that baptism that Jesus is bringing follows from our water baptism, which reflects our death and then being raised again as part of God’s new creation.
And so, I would say our ministry, as pastors and leaders consider this passage, it’s about pointing people to Jesus, not to ourselves. And I would say to the extent that people look to pastors and leaders as spiritual guides, as exemplars. Our purpose really is to direct their gaze to the one who makes us holy.
Sometimes we see people of faith, pastors, and other leaders, spiritual leaders as being — we’ll say so and so is super spiritual, and we can so easily get caught up in other humans who we might put on a pedestal for one reason or another. But I think when we think about what actually makes us holy, it’s not our own works, right?
1 Peter 2:9 says, “but you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people.” At the beginning of this letter, Peter says that we’ve been chosen and destined by God, the Father, sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to the Son. And so, this work of sanctification is something that has been done for us and in us.
And it’s a clear recognition that whatever holiness we have is ultimately actually a gift of grace from the One who has made us holy. And so, I think this is just helps to reinforce that our calling is to point people to Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5. I just love that chapter. It’s so rich in terms of a paradigm for what it means to live the Christian life. And it talks about how we are representatives and ambassadors of God, ambassadors of the kingdom. We are ambassadors for Christ since God is making His appeal through us. That’s 2 Corinthians 5:20. And so really the ultimate goal is that we are being formed into the image of Jesus Christ, right?
So, any imitation of leaders here on earth should really be with that end in mind, that it’s about being formed, being made into the image of Christ.
Anthony: And I can’t help but think of John 1, this same John, the baptizer, has his followers, and they’re listening to him and Jesus walks by and immediately, without hesitation, Scripture points us to John pointing away from himself and saying, “Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” And the followers get up to follow Jesus. And that’s the way it should be instead of trying to hold these people as my followers. They’re being formed in the image of Christ, not me and not you. And we would do well to follow John’s example, would we not, in pointing away from ourselves to Jesus?
And as we do that, we still looked at Jesus. We’re going to celebrate on this day, the baptism of our Lord. And I’m just curious from your perspective why was the perfect One baptized and why is it good news for us?
Cullen: Yeah, that’s a great question and just wanted to say to your point there a minute ago, Anthony, amen to the pointing people to the Lamb of God.
So yeah, Jesus’ baptism. It is a curious thing, right? And the much smarter people than me have written much more than I have about this. But there’s a couple things that as I reflect on this that I think are significant. Yeah. One is that Jesus’ baptism in a way reflects His complete identification with the human condition, with human beings, taking on human flesh with all of its limitations and making Himself subject to the lived experience of humanity, including temptation of various sorts.
I think the baptism of Jesus also represents His utter dependence on God the Father and on our behalf. And then what immediately follows in this passage after His baptism, God speaks over Him. “You are my Son, the beloved. With you, I am well pleased.” I think the posture and practice of submission to God prepares us to receive the unconditional love of God in a way that grounds us in our true identity as beloved children.
And for me, Jesus’ baptism exemplifies this, but it’s more than just a metaphorical paradigm for us to emulate: look, Jesus got baptized, and so now we should be baptized. I think it maybe more importantly shows us how completely — and this goes back to the point I made just a moment ago — just how completely Jesus entered into the human identity, expressing absolute, total solidarity with each of us human beings in His reliance on God’s love and mercy and the incarnation. This is what grounds the incarnation and the mystery that Jesus was fully God and fully man. And our redemption is complete because of this reality. The early church fathers emphasized how critical this is.
I think it was Gregory of Nazianzus who said, “What has not been assumed has not been healed.” It is what is united to God’s divinity that is saved. And so that is just such a powerful summation of why the Incarnation matters. And it matters because God has come to redeem and to heal the entirety of human life and experience.
And I just think what tremendously good news this is for us.
Anthony: Amen and amen. And thank you, Lord Jesus, that You did assume our fallen, sin sick humanity into Yourself to heal it, not only as the great physician, but You became the patient. You became one of us and took it upon Yourself. We praise You.
And I always loved hearing Gregory Nazianzus quoted because he was known even among his peers as the theologian, not just a theologian; he was a teacher of teachers in his day.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- Recall a time when you felt you were being sifted like wheat. What was the result?
- In what ways can we see Jesus as our promised land?
- How can we internalize what Jesus has done in us through His baptism?
- How might we be able to share this Gospel story with others? What would you emphasize?
