I've had an Epiphany!

Artwork: The Wedding Feast at Cana Artist: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld Worship Theme: In today’s Gospel Jesus performs his first miracle: He turns over 120 gallons of water into wine. Jesus doesn’t touch the water. It’s no trick. It’s a real miracle. He does it because the Father now wants him to go “public” and reveal his glory. As a result, his disciples trust in him as the Son of God. Old Testament: Exodus 7:14–24    14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding. He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. When he goes out by the water, stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. Take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake. 16 “You are to tell him: ‘The Lord , the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, “Let my people go so that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But look, until now you have not listened. 17 So this is what the Lord says: “In this way, you will know that I am the Lord .”...

Luke 1:68–75 68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited us and prepared redemption for his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 just as he said long ago through the mouth of his holy prophets. 71 He raised up salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72 in order to show mercy to our fathers by remembering his holy covenant, 73 the oath which he swore to Abraham our father, 74 to grant deliverance to us from the hand of our enemies, so that we are able to serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. Charlie had been in a serious car accident. While he was fortunate to escape life-threatening injury, when his vehicle crashed and the airbag deployed, he almost bit off his tongue. A surgeon was called to stitch the severed portion. But the doctor gave no guarantee. He said, “It may heal and you will speak again, or it may not.” Several months w...

Artwork: Baptism of Christ Artist: Giovanni Bellini  Worship Theme: “Why did Jesus need to be baptized? I thought baptism was for sinners?” It seems strange that our Savior, who was perfectly sinless, would need to be baptized, and yet he was. Why? Because Jesus had come to be our perfect Savior, and he is revealed as such in his baptism. God laid on him the sin of the world (Jn 1:29 ). Even from birth he endured the effects of our sin. Though Jesus wasn’t a sinner himself, he was carrying our sin, pain and sorrow (Is 53:4), making him seem an unlikely Savior. But by taking our sin and suffering on himself, Jesus actually became our unlikely, yet perfect Savior (Heb 2:10 ; 5:7-9). Old Testament: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I see a king for myself among his sons.” 2 Samuel said, “How can I go?...

God Fulfills His Covenant Pledge God’s actions at the first Christmas when Jesus was born began to uncover a grand covenant of world-wide blessings. God had made this covenant with Abraham and David centuries earlier. Now some 2000 years after Jesus’ birth we continue to reap the benefits. Through Christ we enjoy a “dear-Father-and-son” relationship with Almighty God. Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:8-16   8 You are also to say the following to my servant David. This is what the Lord of Armies says. I took you from the pasture, from following sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you went. I have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make your reputation great, like that of the great ones on the earth. 10 I will set up a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them there. They will dwell there, and they will not be disturbed again. Violent men will not afflict them again as they did at the beginning 11 and ev...

Luke 2:41–52 41 Every year his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the Festival. 43 When the days had ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it. 44 Since they thought he was in their group, they went a day’s journey. Then they began to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? See, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be taking care of...

Luke 2:8-14 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Just imagine all those angels, spread out across the sky, praising God. That’s some kind of celebration! Clearly something wonderful is happening, something out of the ordinary, something that has never happened before in the history of the universe. The angels...