Worship Helps for Epiphany 1
Art: Baptism of Christ
Artist: Giovanni Bellini
Date: 1500-1502
The readings during the Epiphany season carry forward the
emphasis in the readings for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the theme of
Jesus revealing himself to us as God and Savior. At the same time the readings
present us with a real conundrum. The conundrum is that he hides the
manifestations of his deity, so that his glory remains a secret and a mystery,
even while he is revealing it. All the riddles are present in the readings for
the Feast of the Epiphany. The theme present in all of the Epiphany readings
is: He shows his hidden glory to those he calls. You may notice that in
many of the Epiphany season readings appropriation is much easier than
application. There is a good reason for that: In Christmas and Epiphany our
attention is on getting to know Jesus, who he is and how he works; thus there
is not so much emphasis on our response beyond the response of faith, which
itself is always seen as his work and not ours.
Worship Theme: During the Epiphany season we want to get
to know Jesus. This Sunday we get to know him by baptism, both his and ours.
But the glory is evident only to a chosen few; notice, too, that the greater
the glory, the more hidden its manifestation—the glory of our life with Christ
is by faith, not by sight.
Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-6
1. Which person of the Trinity is speaking through the
prophet Isaiah in these verses?
2. True or false: Jesus felt frustration in his job as
Savior.
3. What task has been given to Jesus?
Epistle: Acts 16:25-34
25About midnight Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly
there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were
shaken. Instantly all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27When
the jailer woke up and saw that the prison doors were opened, he drew his sword
and was about to kill himself, because he thought that the prisoners had
escaped. 28But Paul shouted with a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself,
because we are all here!”
29The jailer called for lights,
rushed in, and fell down trembling in front of Paul and Silas. 30Then
he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31They said, “Believe in the Lord
Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32They spoke
the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his home. 33At the
same hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. Without delay, he
and all his family were baptized. 34Then he brought Paul and Silas
into his house and set food before them. He rejoiced, because he and his whole
household had come to believe in God.
4. How does the Holy Spirit work the faith that Paul
encouraged the jailer to have in verse 31?
5. Who was baptized that evening?
Gospel: Mark 1:4-11
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness
and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5The whole Judean countryside and all the
people of Jerusalem were going out to him. They were baptized by him in the
Jordan River as they confessed their sins. 6John was clothed in
camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and
wild honey. 7He preached, “One more powerful than I is coming after
me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals! 8I
baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of
Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Just as Jesus came
up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit
descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven: “You
are my Son, whom I love. I am well pleased with you.”
6. What was the
purpose of the baptism given by John?
7. If Jesus was sinless, why was he baptized?
8. Which three special people were present at the baptism
of Jesus?
Answers:
1. The Son.
2. True. The Savior voices his frustration in verse 4.
Sometimes he felt like he had “labored to no purpose” and that he had “spent
(his) strength in vain and for nothing.” Yet Jesus persevered in his role as our
perfect substitute.
3. Not only to “bring Jacob back to (God) and gather
Israel” (i.e., Jewish Christians) but also to be “a light for the Gentiles”
(non-Jews) that they might be brought to faith (Jn 10:16).
4. God works faith through the hearing of the gospel
promises (Ro 10:17). In this particular instance, those promises were
proclaimed in word and in the sacrament of Holy Baptism.
5. The jailer’s whole household was baptized. We may
assume that his household included both adults and children.
6. The
purpose was the same as the baptism we have today: it’s “a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mk 1:4).
7. Though Jesus did not have any personal sin, in his role
as Savior he was carrying the sins of the world. He had come to be our perfect
substitute. He very much desired the
promises of God that baptism gives sinners.
8. The Holy Trinity (God the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit) were present at Jesus’ baptism.
In the same way, the Holy Trinity was present at our baptisms, as we are
baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt
28:19).
Putting your faith
into action
What
a difference faith makes in our lives. Paul and Silas faced the adversity of
jail with prayers and hymns. In contrast, when an earthquake opened the doors
of the prison, the unbelieving jailer was about to kill himself. With faith we
can face adversity because we know that we are at peace with God. In baptism we
are made children of God and heirs of salvation. The gospel of forgiveness in
Jesus Christ was brought to the jailer in Word and baptism. What a difference
faith made in his life. We support the missions of WELS with our offerings so
that many people can experience the hope and joy of the jailer of Philippi.
84] For
this reason let every one esteem his Baptism as a daily dress in which he is to
walk constantly, that he may ever be found in the faith and its fruits, that he
suppress the old man and grow up in the new. 85]For if we
would be Christians, we must practise the work whereby we are Christians. 86] But
if any one fall away from it, let him again come into it. For just as Christ,
the Mercy-seat, does not recede from us or forbid us to come to Him again, even
though we sin, so all His treasure and gifts also remain. If, therefore, we
have once in Baptism obtained forgiveness of sin, it will remain every day, as
long as we live, that is, as long as we carry the old man about our neck. – Holy
Baptism, The Large Catechism
737 God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It
1 God’s own child, I gladly say it:
I
am baptized into Christ!
He,
because I could not pay it,
Gave
my full redemption price.
Do
I need earth’s treasures many?
I
have one worth more than any
That
brought me salvation free,
Lasting
to eternity!
2 Sin, disturb my soul no longer:
I
am baptized into Christ!
I
have comfort even stronger:
Jesus’
cleansing sacrifice.
Should
a guilty conscience seize me
Since
my baptism did release me
In
a dear forgiving flood,
Sprinkling
me with Jesus’ blood?
3 Satan, hear this proclamation:
I
am baptized into Christ!
Drop
your ugly accusation;
I
am not so soon enticed.
Now
that to the font I’ve traveled,
All
your might has come unraveled,
And,
against your tyranny,
God,
my Lord, unites with me!
4 Death, you cannot end my gladness:
I
am baptized into Christ!
When
I die, I leave all sadness
To
inherit paradise!
Though
I lie in dust and ashes
Faith’s
assurance brightly flashes:
Baptism
has the strength divine
To
make life immortal mine.
5 There is nothing worth comparing
To
this lifelong comfort sure!
Open-eyed
my grave is staring:
Even
there I’ll sleep secure.
Though
my flesh awaits its raising,
Still
my soul continues praising:
I
am baptized into Christ;
I’m
a child of paradise!
Text:
Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756; tr. Robert E. Voelker, b. 1957 © 1991
Robert
E. Voelker. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Comments
Post a Comment