January 12, 2025 – The First Sunday after Epiphany
Fr. Cal Calhoun
In the Name of God, the God who calls you by name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Feast of the Epiphany and the season of Epiphany, which we are now entering, have light as their primary symbol. The wise men follow the light of the star. The word epiphany means a new understanding, an ah-ha moment. Think about how those moments are pictured in cartoons. Usually, it is with a light bulb above one’s head. Sometimes accompanied by the word Eureka! The origin of the word Eureka I have no idea about whatsoever! But light, light is the symbol of a new understanding.
On the Feast of Epiphany, Christians have traditionally celebrated the making known of Jesus Christ to the world. These magi, or wise men, are not Jews. Their journey to pay homage to Jesus represents a new understanding, an epiphany, about Jesus. This child is not just the Messiah, the anointed one, spoken of by Isaiah and other prophets, for which the Jewish faithful await, but he is indeed a savior for the whole world. These magi, then, represent the whole world, the other, who have come to see Jesus as God. They represent you and me.
Several events have been thought of as special instances of the making known of Jesus. These include: Jesus’ birth; the coming of the Magi; his Baptism; his first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana. These celebrations come in a quick sequence in the church calendar. Jesus’ birth on December 25th, the coming of the Magi on January 6th, and Jesus’ Baptism on the Sunday after the Epiphany (today!). Next Sunday we will hear about what the Gospel of John calls Jesus’ first miracle, the turning of water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana.
On the following Sundays up to the beginning of Lent, we may hear about Jesus calling the disciples, and other events in the early part of Jesus’ ministry. On the Last Sunday after Epiphany (the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent), we commemorate the Transfiguration, the climax of this first phase of Jesus’ public ministry and another event in which light takes centerstage and reveals yet again who Jesus is.
So today, as always on the first Sunday after the Epiphany, we have Jesus’ baptism. We have four gospels in our Scripture. Two of them begin with birth stories about Jesus, which are rather different from each other. Two of the four gospels start right here, with the baptism of Jesus. For the writers of the Gospels of Mark and John, the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, begins with his baptism. And it is through Jesus’ baptism that the Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness. When Jesus emerges from that time of prayer and temptation, he begins his public ministry.
We use baptism as the rite, the sacrament, of initiation into the body of Christ. So for us, it is the beginning of our ministry as followers of Jesus. In just a bit, we will be reminded of our baptismal vows: to continue in the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to respect the dignity of every human being.
We are meant to take these vows seriously. And that should be scary, because keeping these vows, keeping these vows is not an easy business. In fact, our response to these vows, “I will, with God’s help,” signals to us, that we can’t keep these vows all on our own. We need God’s help.
And yet, just as God calls Jesus his own at Jesus’ baptism, so too at your baptism, God calls you God’s own. YOU, YOU are my daughter, you are my son. You are my child, my beloved; with you I am well pleased.
So often we want to connect this adoption as children as a New Testament thing, that we are children of God, because of Jesus’ sonship. But listen to this from our reading from Isaiah this morning: “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.”
And so in this sacrament of baptism, we make real, tangible, what we already know to be true. That you are a daughter of God. That you are a son of God. That you are a beloved child of God.
To remind you of those vows, and to remind you to whom you belong, the font is front and center today. When you come up for communion, I invite you to dip your fingers in this holy water, maybe cross yourself, to remind you who you are, and to whom you belong. That is the same reason there is water in those cups at the entrances to this space of worship, as you enter, you are invited to touch that water, and be reminded who you are, and to whom you belong.
In this new year, I invite you to own your baptism as that event or sacrament that ushered you into the Body of Christ. With that membership in the Body of Christ you have taken on some formidable vows, daunting vows. Take them seriously. And know that God has called you by name. That you are a beloved child of God. Be that child of God, in here, out there. Wherever you find yourself, you are a beloved child of God. And you can be a light of that love. Amen.
Year C – 1 Sunday After Epiphany – January 12, 2025 – The Rev. Cal Calhoun
