Monday, January 2, 2017

The Baptism of Jesus (Epiphany 1A)


The Baptism of Jesus (A)
The First Sunday after The Epiphany

The Collect of the Day
Father in heaven, who at the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your Beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit:  Grant that all who are baptized in his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The First Reading:  Isaiah 42:1-9
In our first reading, Second Isaiah (the prophet of the end of the Exile of Judah in Babylon whose voice begins at 4):1) speaks the first of what are known as “The Servant Songs.”  “The Servant” is most likely meant to be Israel, although Christians have always heard resonances of Jesus in them.  Israel is about to be redeemed, released from exile.  Now it is time to return to life as the covenant people, establish justice, and be “a light to the nations,” which Isaiah proclaims is Israel’s chief calling.

42:1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:  6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.

Psalm 29
Psalm 29 is an obvious psalm for this Sunday when we read the story of Jesus’ baptism.  Here we have the heavens open and the voice of God on the waters, all images contained in the baptism story.  One thing that distinguishes this psalm is its use of the divine name “Yahweh” (translated, “the Lord”) 18 times.  In addition, the term “voice” is heard seven times.  It’s a reminder that the psalms are poetry!
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
      ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
      worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
   the God of glory thunders; *
      the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
      the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
      and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
   the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
      the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
      and strips the forests bare.
9 And in the temple of the Lord *
      all are crying, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
      the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
      the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

The Second Reading:  Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43
Our second reading is a portion of the long story of Peter and Cornelius, which includes Peter’s epiphany (revelation) that God has accepted the Gentiles as fellow believers, going against long-accepted Jewish tradition.  In his brief sermon, Peter mentions Jesus’ baptism and the revelatory announcement at it.

10:34 Peter began to speak to Cornelius and the other Gentiles:  “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The Holy Gospel:  Matthew 3:13-17
Our Gospel reading is Matthew’s version of the story of Jesus’ baptism.  Matthew’s version is the only version of the story in which the voice from heaven publicly proclaims that Jesus is the beloved Son of God.  Matthew is also careful to explain the place of John the Baptist, for those who may be troubled that Jesus submitted to his baptism.  But this is truly an epiphany event:  Jesus is revealed as the beloved Son of God.

3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”  Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”


The Scripture quotations (except for the psalm) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.  The Collect of the Day and the Psalm translation are from The Book of Common Prayer.  Commentaries are copyright © 2017, Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY  14843, www.epiphanyesources.com. All rights reserved.

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