Quick Facts and Summary of Worship at Philadelphia

Sunday, January 8, 2012 - The Baptism of Jesus & The First Sunday after the Epiphany

 

The Baptism of Jesus

God speaks a word and the creation comes forth from the chaos and darkness. God promises to send a Messiah to save a fallen people and all creation. Furthermore, in the fullness of time, Jesus comes forth and brings to light God’s gifts of forgiveness, healing and redemption. And in Jesus’ baptism, we see the grandeur of God’s love and presence that generate repentance and lift us from our false gods, distorted priorities and divided loyalties. (Portions of the above summary paragraph for The Baptism of Jesus are used with permission from Sundays and Seasons, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2011)

First Lesson: Genesis 1:1-5 - The opening words of Genesis describe the wonder and mystery of Creation as God’s spirit and breath swept over the formless void and the watery abyss. Suddenly with a spoken word, God commands that there be light, and there was light. Within a few short verses, the Scriptures bear witness to the awesome, creative powers of God. The manifestation of light in the midst of darkness is also a major theme the Church affirms during the Season of Epiphany. And nowhere do we see God’s creative power to bring forth light that vanquishes the darkness of Sin, Evil and Death than in the birth, and, now made visible in the Baptism of Jesus Christ, who is God’s beloved Son and the Light of the World.

Second Lesson: Acts 19:1-7 - In this narrative, Paul reminds us that not all baptisms are the same. Even the baptism practiced and offered by John the Baptizer, while having many good and admirable qualities, is in no way equal in depth, magnitude and scope to the ultimate Baptism which is inseparably linked to the Name of Jesus. Baptism in the Name of Jesus is Trinitarian. It links us to God the Father (The first person of he Trinity), to Jesus, God’s beloved Son (The second person of the Trinity) and to the Holy Spirit (The third person of the Trinity). These linkages are affirmed in Mark 1:4-11, which also is the appointed Gospel text for the Baptism of Jesus. In lifting up Baptism in the Name of Jesus, St. Paul is reminding us that the Baptism we receive in the Name of Jesus is no mere human ritual. Baptism in the Name of Jesus is a God sized washing and claim upon us that draws us into a spiritual journey of repentance, healing, wholeness, discipleship, ministry and salvation that begins is this life, extends beyond death and continues in the presence of God for all eternity.

Gospel: Mark 1:4-11 - Mark’s Gospel wastes no time in getting right to the central point and the heart of the Good News. By starting with the Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John the Baptizer, Mark affirms that the coming of Jesus is no mere fluke of history, but is the fulfillment of God’s grand Promise to send the Messiah – a Promise which was proclaimed by the Prophets and is now fulfilled and made manifest in the Baptism of Jesus. Included in Mark’s account of Jesus’ Baptism, is the manifestation (epiphany) or making known of the unique identity of Jesus. He is God’s beloved Son, with whom God is well pleased! The Baptism of Jesus signals not only Jesus’ capacity to identify fully with every dimension of the human condition but He is also God’s beloved Son. Hence, the Baptism of Jesus becomes a major epiphany that makes visible not only who Jesus is but also His mission and purpose. Jesus is God’s beloved Son, the One who will redeem a fallen people and a fallen creation from the chaos and the abyss of nothingness that would be our ultimate destiny given our bondage to Sin, Evil and Death, were Jesus not the Messiah and the Light of the World.

 

To Learn More about the Season of Epiphany, Click here