Epiphany
The Manifestation of Truth
By Linda Rex
March 2, 2026, Transfiguration Sunday—On this Sunday, we reach the end of the season of Epiphany, and enter into the season of preparation for Easter. As we consider the epiphany of the season of Epiphany, so to speak, we reflect upon that dramatic revelation of Jesus Christ which occurred at his transfiguration.
Our New Testament passage, 2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2, is the apostle Paul’s message to the believers in Corinth, which includes a strong encouragement to stay focused on Jesus Christ. Paul’s purpose was to help the believers remain faithful in their life in Christ, and not get swept away into spiritual blindness. Apart from the revelation of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, these believers would be unable to properly read and understand the Old Testament scriptures. He did not want them to go back into slavery to the law, but to live in the freedom that was theirs in Jesus Christ, because the law was written on their hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Drawing upon the teachings of Moses, the apostle Paul noted that Moses himself, when he met with God, would come away with a glow on his face that frightened Aaron and the people of ancient Israel. So, for their sake, he would cover his face with a veil, preventing them from seeing this glow and how it would eventually dissipate. Moses did not create this glow, neither could he get rid of it. His reflection of the divine glory came about simply because he spent time with God, listening to him, and growing in his relationship with him. But it was something that came and went—it did not stay. And it was not something he was in control over, either. He simply participated, and covered his face for the sake of those around him (Exodus 34:29–35).
In contrast, we see the Son of God, Jesus Christ, on the mountain with Peter, James, and John, being transfigured—as though this was his natural state of being, only it was hidden. How astonishing it must have been for these three disciples to see their companion and teacher suddenly glowing with divine glory, and speaking to Elijah and Moses, who had been dead for centuries. What all did this mean? How were they to respond to this? Peter suggested building tents for them to stay in—but that obviously was not the answer. Jesus’ heavenly Father certain had a preference for what they were to do: they were to listen to Jesus, for he was the beloved Son of the Father, the Chosen One (Luke 9:28–36).
Just consider the manifestation of the truth which took place in Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that he was “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). As God in human flesh, we find the truth of who we are as God’s creatures in Jesus Christ. Humans were created to reflect the image of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And Jesus is the only true reflection of God’s nature and way of being. He was filled with and led by the Holy Spirit from conception, and he always lived in right relationship with his heavenly Father in the Spirit. If we want to know what it looks like to be truly human—we look at Jesus Christ.
What Jesus Christ did by living, dying, and rising again, is only significant because of who he is—God in human flesh. The transfiguration was a profound revelation of the truth of who Jesus is and was. What was hidden within his human frame suddenly shone out in radiant brightness. The limits of human time were suspended as he communicated with those who went before. And he heard the voice of his heavenly Father addressing him with great affection and affirmation. What Peter, James, and John witnessed in the transfiguration had to have wholly overthrown all of their previous concepts of who Jesus was. Sure, he was the Messiah, but somehow he was so much more than all that had previously been assumed!
When Jesus died and rose again, he ascended to heaven, to his Father’s right hand, and sent the Holy Spirit. Now we are so blessed to have the presence of God in and with us by the Holy Spirit. In many ways, we have the hidden glory that Jesus had, because we have received the Holy Spirit. The apostle John says that when we see Jesus when he returns in glory, that we will be “like him” (1 John 3:2). There is a hidden glory that is ours in Christ, given to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit that will be revealed one day in its fullness. As we respond to the Spirit’s lead and live in obedience to our heavenly Father, we begin to look more and more like Jesus even in this life. The truth of who we are in Christ, who God created us to be, is being manifest more and more as we participate more fully in our life in Christ, as we respond to the work of the Holy Spirit, and follow Christ wherever he leads.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, may you be fully manifest in each of us by your Spirit, for our Father’s glory, now and forever. Thank you for the freedom that is ours in Christ—freedom from evil, sin, and death, and freedom to love, serve, and obey you. May we live as true reflections of your glory and goodness, through Jesus our Lord and by your heavenly Spirit. Amen.
“Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2 NASB
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Our Risen Life
By Linda Rex
February 16, 2025, 6th Sunday in Epiphany—As we move into the 6th Sunday in the season of Epiphany, our Gospel passage describes Jesus’ ministry among the common people of his day. Many of them gathered around him to hear him preach. They also came to be healed of their diseases, for they heard of his miraculous power to heal and to cast out demons (Luke 6:17–26).
For many, these miracles drew them to Jesus in hopes of a coming messianic age of freedom from Roman oppression. But Jesus had some powerful words to say about the kingdom of God which began with his presence and power at work in the world. He proclaimed blessings on the poor, hungry, and sorrowful, as well as on those who were hated, ostracized, and insulted for his name’s sake. Jesus reminded those who focused on being well-fed, happy, and well-thought-of in this world, that all of these things would one day disappear. There were more precious kingdom values they needed to embrace other than being well thought of, well fed, and happy.
Luke wrote this gospel to people who were facing such difficulties for the sake of believing in Christ, and he wanted them to stand strong in spite of such spiritual opposition. In the same way, the apostle Paul wanted the believers in Corinth to have a correct understanding regarding the resurrection of the dead, for this impacted their ability to stand firm in the face of cultural influence, spiritual opposition, and persecution. Paul’s culture believed in the immortality of the soul, and the Greek notion of rejecting/restraining/indulging the human body while elevating the human spirit, a dualism God never intended. In contrast, Scripture teaches that we are embodied spirits, beloved by God, the Creator, who proclaimed from the beginning that what he created was very good (Gen. 1:31).
It was important for the church in Corinth to be reminded of the simplicity of the gospel as revealed in Jesus Christ. In the argument Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 15:12–20, our New Testament passage for this Sunday in Epiphany, he emphasizes that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, therefore we are forgiven of our sins. The Christian faith includes much more than just Jesus dying on the cross, which often is the focus of much Christian teaching. Jesus’ death on the cross is culminated by his resurrection from the dead. But even more than that, which Paul does not mention here, but mentions elsewhere, the Son of God took on our human body to live here on earth as Jesus Christ (Col. 1). It is God in human flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, who lived our life, died our death, and rose again, who saves us from our sins.
This is why the call to faith in Christ is so important. We embrace the reality that our life as human beings was and is taken up in Jesus’ own life in a body here on earth, and that we died with him and we rose with him. That is a central tenet to the Christian faith. We trust in his perfect work in our place on our behalf. It is his life in us by his Spirit which is transformative and healing.
The apostle Paul says that Jesus is “the first fruits of those who are asleep.” The wave sheaf offering that ancient Israel offered during the spring festival, on the Sunday we celebrate now as Resurrection Sunday or Easter, was the offering of the first of the crop harvested. It was representative of the rest of the harvest to follow (Lev. 23:9–14). In the same way, Jesus’ self-offering is representative of all of us who will, because of his resurrection, participate in the resurrection of the dead.
Ancient Israel was told not to partake of the blessings of the new crop or harvest until this offering had been made. The point was not to restrict their enjoyment of their blessings, but to remind them of the central tenet of our faith—our provision, our deliverance, and our new life is in God alone, not in our own human efforts.
We can work hard to bring about a harvest by planting, cultivating, and watering. We do need to participate in the process. But apart from the grace of God which ensures the success of the reproductive and photosynthesis processes, there is no harvest at all. In the same way, our salvation is in Christ alone. Our faith is valueless apart from the perfect work of his self-offering in our place, on our behalf. We do not trust in our own efforts to save ourselves, but in his completed work of saving us—in his death and his resurrection from the grave. It is his life at work in us and through us by his Spirit, which ensures our risen life. By the Spirit, we can begin to experience our new life in Christ even now. And one day, when Jesus returns in glory, we will receive glorified bodies perfectly fitted for the new earth on which we will dwell for eternity. We look forward to that day.
Father, Jesus, Spirit, thank you for giving us new life. We know that one day, each of us will die—our life in this world will come to an end. Thank you, Jesus, that bearing our human body, you have died and risen, bringing each of us with you even now into your own life with our Father in the Spirit. Grant us the grace to trust in your perfect work, that we may rise with you in glory. Amen.
“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ as been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:12–20 NASB
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Just Making Noise
By Linda Rex
February 2, 2025, 4th Sunday in Epiphany—During this season of Epiphany, we consider how Jesus Christ is revealed to us as being the Son of God in human flesh, and what that means for us as God’s children. Recently, we’ve looked at the way in which God has equipped his people with spiritual gifts, for the sake of the community of faith, so that we all may grow up in Christ, share the good news of Jesus, and serve others.
In our New Testament passage for this Sunday, 1 Corinthians 13:1–13, the apostle Paul uses a poetic summary of the love of God expressed to us in Christ, to enable the members in Corinth to see themselves in a new light. They believed that the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues was the supreme gift. They valued prophetic speaking and special knowledge, and miracles. But Paul says that apart from love or agapē (God and Christ’s self-giving love—Utley), a person speaking in tongues is just making a lot of noise. In the same way, a generous and sacrificial person, apart from agapē, has done nothing profitable. Paul says that person who is a great preacher and does a lot of miracles, apart from agapē, is nothing.
For those of us who are active in the Christian faith, and trying live lives that are full of service and sacrifice, these are powerful words. Just what are the motives which drive us? How do we express ourselves in our everyday lives? As I have gotten older, the Lord has shown me more and more how my motives for doing what I do are often mistaken. This is why it is all of grace. We need Christ in us, the hope of glory, for apart from his love at work in our hearts by his Holy Spirit, we are all just making a lot of noise.
The apostle Paul wanted the church at Corinth to realize that the Lord they said they worshipped was not at all like how they were living. He wanted them to grow up in Christ—to put on Christ in such a way that they were a true expression of humanity as God intended it to be. By looking into the mirror of their soul, Jesus Christ, they would see themselves as children who needed to grow up and put away the childish things which were keeping them from living in God’s love as they were created to live.
When reading this passage closely and with open hearts to the Spirit, we begin to realize that this is a description of Jesus, and of our Triune God. In his life here on earth, Jesus was patient, kind, and not jealous. He did not brag, but spoke truthfully about who he was and why he was here on earth, even though people did not believe him. He was never rude, though he was often straightforward and honest with the people he encountered. He did not take into account any wrong done to him, even those wrongs which placed him on the cross. We find Jesus, to the bitter end, loving all of us in spite of how we treated him, in such a way that he died a horrific death.
It is hard to look at ourselves sometimes, to see the truth about our motives and inclinations. We don’t like it when the Spirit gives us that gentle nudge which says, “That thing you are doing—it needs to stop,” or “To not do that when you could do it to help them—that’s sin.” When our hearts condemn us—and they do sometimes—God is greater and knows the truth. But he also knows what’s going on inside when we go through the motions of the Christian life without having our hearts in the right place. And he calls us to repent—to have a change of heart and mind which turns us around and gets us going in the right direction again.
It is God’s heart of love, given to us by his Spirit, which flowing into us and through us, enables us to love others as God does. It is Christ in us, living in and through us, who enables our everyday life to reflect the divine glory. We open ourselves up to the Spirit, welcoming the presence and power of God, flowing in and through us. And we respond to the Spirit’s lead in ways that express the love of God in Christ. As the apostle Paul shows us, these are ways grounded in the motive of agapē which reflect the very nature of God, and are an expression of spiritual maturity, a true reflection of our Lord Jesus Christ in this dark world. Apart from God’s grace, we are all just making a lot of noise. Thankfully, God is ever at work bringing us into the orchestrated wonder of his heavenly kingdom, and he will not quit until we are all singing his perfect song of agapē as his beloved children.
Father, Jesus, Spirit, thank you that your motive in all that you do is genuine love. Fill us anew with your presence and power, that we may love as you do. May all we say and do come from your heart of love and grace, through Jesus and by your Spirit. Amen.
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 NASB
“And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’ … And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way.” Luke 4:21–30 NASB
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For the Common Good
By Linda Rex
January 19, 2025, 2nd Sunday in Epiphany—In our culture today, we are told that our goal in life is to find what in life makes us happy and to go do that. We are to find the person to be with that enables us to be happy, and to leave behind that person who does not make us happy. We are encouraged to find what we enjoy doing and can do well, and to go out and do it, so that we can feel fulfilled and enjoy great success, financially, and in other ways.
In contrast, we find in God’s kingdom culture that our goals are centered in the mission and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We may have been given talents and abilities by God, and spiritual gifts by his Spirit, but our purpose for using them is not solely for our own benefit or aggrandizement.
When we look at Jesus, the King of the kingdom of God, we see an entirely different way of applying our gifts and abilities to the circumstances in our lives. In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, John 2:1–11, we see Jesus and his disciples attending a wedding in Cana along with his mother, Mary. During this week-long celebration, Mary realizes that the wine has run out—a serious issue for the newlyweds. It would create a social catastrophe for the couple in that small community that they would never live down. Mary is concerned about this on their behalf and so she goes to Jesus, and tells them of her concern.
Here we see the wonder of Jesus’ tender loving care for us as human beings. He tells Mary that it is not his time yet. He could do the miracle she wanted, but at what price? To begin to do miracles was to begin to walk the road to the cross. Was she ready for him to do that? Was he ready to do that?
Here we also find some guidance on using our abilities or gifts as given to us by God. At times it may be inconvenient for us. Or it may exact a price that is costly. Or it may require us doing the uncomfortable thing we aren’t quite yet prepared to do. But Jesus is not dissuaded by any of these things. He simply steps up to the task and does what is needed, in abundance. He over-provides, in such a way that the wedding festivities could continue in joyful celebration, with the best wine being the last wine served.
In our New Testament passage for this Sunday, 1 Corinthians 12:1–11, we see that the apostle Paul attempts to educate the members on the proper use of spiritual gifts. We are not given the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit so that we can curse others, but so that we can be a blessing to them. Our gifts and abilities are given for the common good.
The whole Trinity is involved in our spiritual giftedness, for by the Spirit we are given a variety of gifts. The Lord gives us a variety of ministries. And God, by these gifts and ministries works a variety of effects within Christ’s Body, the Church. The point Paul makes is these gifts and abilities are not given for our personal use and pleasure and pride, but “for the common good.” The different ways in which we are gifted and able to do particular things is for the sake of the whole. Our distinctions are not meant to divide or to make us superior or less than one another, but so that we are able to help one another and lift one another up. The personhood of the Holy Spirit is pointed out by the apostle Paul as he explains that the distribution of spiritual gifts is a decision the Spirit makes. It is by the Spirit’s will that we receive what is uniquely ours in giftedness and ability.
As we follow in Christ’s footsteps, we offer our spiritual gifts and our abilities to the Lord in service to him and others. We realize that to give ourselves in service in this way exacts a price, just as it cost Jesus everything. This is why we humbly offer ourselves in service—we realize that there are going to be challenges, difficulties, and that it may be very costly for us to serve God and others in this way. But this is why God gifted us—for the benefit of others, especially the Body of Christ, not solely for the benefit of ourselves.
I am reminded at this point about what happens when we offer our tiny, insignificant gifts to Jesus. The young boy gave his child’s mite of fish and loaves into the hands of Jesus, who offered them in thanksgiving to his heavenly Father. What Jesus received back by the Spirit was enough for thousands of people, and twelve basketfuls of leftovers. When we lay it all at the feet of Jesus, miracles happen. We don’t know what God may do with our self-offering, the humble use of our spiritual gifts and abilities for the mission and ministry of the Lord, but we can trust that it will further his kingdom work and bless his people. Thank the Lord!
Dear Spirit, thank you for the gifts and abilities you have given to each of us. Father, grant us the grace to surrender all of these to you, that they may be used to further your kingdom purposes and serve Christ’s Body, the Church. All we have is yours—may we faithfully serve you with all that we are, through Jesus our Lord by your Spirit. Amen.
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 NASB
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Calling Down Fire
By Linda Rex
January 12, 2025, 1st Sunday in Epiphany | Baptism of the Lord—On this Sunday, having moved from the Christmas season into the season of Epiphany, we celebrate the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. During Epiphany, we consider the revelation of who Jesus Christ is as the incarnate Son of God, present with us in our humanity, participating in our life here on earth. Jesus lived a truly human life as we do, with all its struggles and temptations. And he did not sin during the process, but remained in right relationship with his heavenly Father through it all.
As Jesus grew and matured into adulthood, he eventually came to the place where he was of the age and circumstance to obey his heavenly Father’s call to ministry. All the people were looking at John the Baptizer, and wondering if he was the Messiah. Instead, John pointed them to the young man, Jesus, who had been baptized by him in the Jordan River. The prophet told them that Jesus Christ was the one who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He said that Jesus would separate the wheat from the chaff, burning up the chaff with “unquenchable fire”. How did John know that Jesus was the Messiah? Because he personally witnessed the anointing of Jesus by the Spirit with the blessing of his heavenly Father (Luke 3:15–17, 21–22).
Those who heard John’s prophetic message that day may have had some pretty strong assumptions about what he meant by saying Jesus would burn up the chaff. For many of them, the chaff that needed burning up were their Roman oppressors, or the treasonous tax collectors, or the heretical Samaritans or Hellenists. It’s possible that they had in mind particular people, including King Herod, when they thought about the “bad” people that needed to be “burned up”.
Later in Jesus’ ministry, we read about a conversation Jesus had with two of his disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Some disciples had gone to a village in Samaria to make travel arrangements for Jesus, but they were rejected by the people there. When James and John saw this, they asked Jesus, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them (Luke 9:54–55). They wanted Jesus to take care of the “chaff” then and there, and eliminate them.
But interestingly, the footnote shows what was added to the text later, that Jesus told them they did not realize what spirit they were of, and that he did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them. This is in full agreement with the teachings and ministry of Jesus. It is clear as we look at his life, that his purpose was not to slay all the “bad” people, but to save each and every one of us.
Keeping this in mind, we look at the New Testament passage for this Sunday, Acts 8:14–17. Here in Acts, we see that Jesus kept his promise to the disciples after his ascension back into heaven. The gospel message moved out from Jerusalem into Judea. The previously excluded Samaritans had come to faith in Jesus, and were being baptized. When the church in Jerusalem heard this, they sent John and Peter to go confirm that this was a genuine work of the Spirit. This was a new movement by the Spirit which challenged their beliefs regarding who was included in Christ. The irony here is that John, one of the “sons of thunder” who wanted to call down fire upon the Samaritans, went to Samaria to ensure that the “chaff” was indeed being burned up—but in a new way—by the fire of the Holy Spirit. As they prayed for the people and laid hands on them, God confirmed that this was indeed his Spirit at work in the Samaritans hearts and lives, bringing about repentance, faith, and transformation.
Jesus’ truly human life, lived by the Spirit in right relationship with his heavenly Father, acted as a crucible, burning away the dross of our sin, self, and surrender to Satan. Jesus turned our humanity back towards the Father. In his ascension, and in his sending of the Holy Spirit, Jesus enabled each and every one of us to participate by faith in his truly human life.
We participate by faith in all Jesus has forged into our humanity. We walk in the Spirit and not in our flesh. We grow in our knowledge of the Word and we follow Jesus Christ where he leads us. And as we trust in Christ and obey him, we experience transformation and renewal. The apostle Paul reminds us that we are “in Christ”, that we “grow up” in him, and that we are to “put on” Christ. The fire of God’s Holy Spirit continues to burn away all the chaff, restoring Christ’s life within as we respond in faith to his perfect work. We rest in Jesus, and trust that in his good time, he will finish what he has begun in us. And this is very good news!
Holy Trinity, thank you for the work you have done to clean away the dross that mars our humanity, and to forge in Christ, what it means for us to be truly human, in right relationship with you and others. May your Spirit continue to burn away what does not belong, and may we respond to your Spirit’s lead by obeying your Word and serving you faithfully. Amen.
“Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:14–17 NASB
“But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; …” Isaiah 43: 1–3a (1–7) NASB
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The Wisdom of Christ’s Cross
By Linda Rex
March 3, 2024, 3rd Sunday in Preparation for Easter or Lent—Do you believe that people are able to change? I don’t mean just losing ten pounds or learning to drive a car. What I mean is, are people truly able to experience a significant life-changing transformation such as that of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dicken’s story, A Christmas Carol?
One of the things I have heard over the years is people saying to me, “That’s just the way he is. He’ll always be like that.” Once a person is put in a particular box, some people refuse to consider the possibility that perhaps, this person may at some point in their life experience an epiphany or a revelation that so transforms their outlook and way of being, that they begin to form new values, new behaviors, and new goals and ambitions. The person begins to change significantly, much to the surprise of those around them. Sometimes people don’t like this change and begin to oppose it, resisting even good changes because the person is leaving behind their personal “normal,” and this makes those around the person feel uncomfortable.
The thing is, that Jesus came to us for this very reason. He came to facilitate our transformation and renewal, as those who were meant to be image-bearers of Christ who live in right relationship with God and others. In the New Testament reading for this Sunday, 1 Corinthians 1:18–25, the apostle Paul explains that apart from God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ, no human being can ever come to know God and have a right relationship with him. Humans have for millennia attempted to seek God out, to understand and worship him, but they all failed to grasp the depths of God’s love and grace. Humans have often relied upon do-it-yourself methods of salvation, and have tended to worship the things of our own hands rather than loving the God who loves us so much, he did not want to be God without us, and so came to us to bring us home to himself.
The apostle Paul shows us that human philosophy and reason do not enable us to truly know God for who he really is. This is something God reveals himself in his own way, through Jesus in his life, death and resurrection. The wisdom and power of God is found in a crucified Christ, a Suffering Servant Messiah, a humble God in weak human flesh, through whom Jesus died and rose again, rather than in a powerful human sovereign over a temporary human kingdom. The wisdom and power of God is found in our crucified Christ—in death there is new life, because of Jesus! What we view as foolish, God views as wise. What we view as weak, God views as dynamic and powerful.
As the New Testament reading for this Sunday, John 2:13–22, shows, God’s great wisdom was that he would take on human flesh and in the process of doing so, drive out (as he drove out the animals and cleansed the temple) all of that which gets in the way of our face-to-face relationship with his Father in the Spirit. As human beings, we often clutter up our inner selves, as well as our outer lives, with a transactional mentality, a user and abuser method of relationship, and tend toward a self-absorbed and self-centered way of being. It is significant that in John’s gospel, Jesus forms a type of “scourge” as he empties out the temple, for before his crucifixion, he would experience an even more painful and dramatic scourging of his own flesh by the Roman soldiers. But his pre-crucifixion scourging, his death and resurrection were all apart of the process necessary to our salvation.
It is instructive that just as the Corinthians were focused on either receiving signs and miracles, or on the other hand, human wisdom and success, the ancient Jewish leaders in the temple wanted a sign from Jesus as proof that he had the authority to decide who could be in the temple and who couldn’t. Jesus didn’t give these leaders the satisfaction of a straight answer, but pointed them to his upcoming death and resurrection. He indicated that the place of worship, the center of our human encounters with God, would no longer be a building or a particular worship system, but would be centered in Jesus Christ.
Christ is now our place of worship, and he has forged within our human flesh through his life, death, and resurrection, the capacity for face-to-face union and communion with his Father in the Spirit. He has created, in our human flesh, a naos, or sanctuary, where we may through him, worship God in Spirit and in truth. As we trust in and participate in this spiritual reality, we experience renewal and transformation. As long as we are in this human flesh, we will still struggle and fall short of our true identity in Christ, but God’s love for us and his grace toward us is not altered by our failures and shortcomings. Rather, he reaches out compassionately, and continues to draw us to himself through Jesus and in his Spirit. And that is the good, good news!
Heavenly Father, thank you for drawing us to yourself, and for doing all that is needed through your Son and in the Spirit so we might live now and forever in right relationship with you and one another. Thank you, Jesus, for so powerfully driving out evil, sin, and death through your humility and sacrificial self-offering. Lord, grant us the grace to allow you to do whatever is necessary by your Spirit to cleanse us, fill us with your presence and your love, so we may be poured out in loving service and giving to others, just as you were for us. In your name, amen.
“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 NASB
“The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘zeal for Your house will consume me.’ The Jews then said to Him, ‘What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.” John 2:13–22 NASB
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Shining With Divine Light
By Linda Rex
February 11, 2024, Transfiguration | 6th Sunday in Epiphany—As we reach the end of the season of Epiphany, it is time to consider one of the events experienced by the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples. The transfiguration of Jesus was such a profoundly dramatic event for Peter, James, and John, but then Jesus told them not to say a word about it to anyone until after his death and resurrection. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for them to have had such a revelation and then to have to keep it all to themselves for an extended period of time.
In the gospel passage for this Sunday, Mark 9:2–9, we catch a glimpse of the glory hidden within Jesus’ human flesh. While on the mountain with his three disciples, Jesus begins to shine with divine light, talks with two dead people (Moses and Elijah), and is crowned with a word of blessing from his heavenly Father (“this is my beloved Son—listen to him”). The disciples’ response to this experience was, on the one hand, terror, and on the other, an effort to respond to all this by Peter, who wanted to build shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. It might have made sense to him at the moment, but when looking at it from our viewpoint, it seems he was simply blathering.
During that special occurrence on the mountain, what is revealed to us—giving us an epiphany about Jesus—is who he is. Jesus is revealed to be the Son of God, the predicted Prophet who would supersede Moses and Elijah. God tells us we are to listen to him. We see Jesus revealed as God in human flesh—the divine light radiating out from and through his human flesh. And we catch a glimpse of what it means for us as human beings that one day, as we participate in Jesus’ death and resurrection, we too will be glorified human beings, shining with divine light.
The apostle Paul, in the New Testament passage for this Sunday, 2 Corinthians 4:3–6, attempts to help the believers in Corinth to see that Paul was not preaching himself, other than as a servant or messenger to them on Jesus’ behalf. No, Paul’s unceasing message was the central plank of the early church’s testimony that Jesus Christ was Lord. I would like to draw from Robert Utley’s commentary, Paul’s Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians (via Logos Software), to enable us to see a little more clearly the significance of Paul’s statement that “Jesus Christ is Lord”, a phrase which was used by the early church as their “public confession of faith and baptismal formula.”
- Jesus: The Hebrew word for salvation, hosea, attached to Israel’s covenant name for God “YHWH”, means “YHWH saves” or “YHWH brings salvation.”
- Christ: The Greek equivalent for the Hebrew “messiah” or “anointed one.” As the fulfillment of the Old Testament roles of prophet, priest, and king, Jesus is “the anointed one,” the “one called and equipped by God for a specific task.”
- Lord: The Greek word kurios, which can mean “mister,” “sir,” “master,” “owner,” “husband,” or “the full God-man,” and was used to express the full deity of Jesus Christ, as God in human flesh.
When someone asks, “What’s the big deal about Jesus?”, we can draw upon this simple statement to explain the reality of who Jesus is and why his coming was so important. What we see shining forth in Jesus’ face is the face of our Father, for when we look at Jesus, we see the Father (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15). And when we look at Jesus, we see ourselves, in that Jesus is the true image-bearer of God in human flesh—what we were created to be as those made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). And Jesus is Lord over all, the One to whom every knee will ultimately bow, in heaven and on earth, for he is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise (Phil. 2:5-11). And he has, through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, included us in his life and love, in face-to-face fellowship with his Father in the Spirit. And that is a really big deal!
Lord Jesus Christ, how beautiful and wonderful you are! Glorious and majestic, the perfect image of the Father, the One in whom and by whom all is made, held and sustained by your word of power. As we look into your face, we see the face of our Father, and are drawn into the midst of your love and life by your heavenly Spirit. Awaken us to this reality! Remove from us the blindness that prevents us from seeing you for who you really are, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:3–6 NASB
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Compelled by the Gospel
By Linda Rex
February 4, 2024, 5th Sunday in Epiphany—I’ve always been fascinated by the story of the apostle Paul. I’ve often wondered how often he heard Jesus preach and whether he was one of the people who tried to trap Jesus with questions and sought to have him killed before his crucifixion. The profound change which occurred in Paul’s life when he encountered the risen Lord years later is remarkable and seems almost impossible. And still, it is beautiful to witness such a tremendous change in a person’s life when it does happen.
Paul’s experience of the living, resurrected Jesus was so life-altering that he began to preach the gospel he formerly had rejected. And he joined himself gladly to the group he formerly had persecuted and put in prison. He felt no shame in declaring that Jesus Christ was Lord of all, and that it was necessary to repent and be baptized in his name.
In fact, in the passage for this Sunday, 1 Corinthians 9:16–23, we find the apostle Paul declaring that he felt compelled to preach this gospel. The Mirror Bible has Paul saying, “this Gospel has my arm twisted and locked behind my back!” He could not be silent about what had so dramatically changed the direction of his life. And he got great satisfaction in preaching this good news at no cost to the people he served. Rather, he made himself a servant to them, adjusting himself to the needs and preferences of those around him, within the limits of his Christ-life, so that he could win new converts to Christ.
I find this passage to be challenging at times, for I wonder how well I myself have responded to the calling God has given me to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul calls this good news we have been given a stewardship—a responsibility for the sake of the one to whom this good news belongs. In other words, do I recall daily that my focus needs to be serving Jesus Christ and sharing his good news with others? This isn’t just because I happen to have a master’s degree in pastoral studies, but because I have been given God’s grace and am made a participant in Christ by grace through faith. Every one of us has been given this gift—but do we share it with others?
Every one of us who has come to faith in Christ has been given the blessing and gift of the good news of Jesus. So, in that sense, we each have a stewardship of the gospel. We are made stewards of the good news of Jesus Christ, and Paul encourages us by his example to do whatever is necessary so that we can share this good news with others in such a way that they are able to understand it, experience it, and believe it. This is done through both word and deed, and as Paul demonstrates, involves meeting people where they are to bring them along with us into the embrace of the Father through Jesus in the Spirit.
I’m learning that it is easy to get wrapped up in my personal preferences when it comes to living out the gospel as I understand it. It is easy to get so locked into a particular belief system that I don’t make room for someone who is struggling, or who has been wounded, or who simply needs to experience the love of God in Christ through my words and actions.
Historically, I was taught as a child to not be involved with people who weren’t a part of my fellowship. In fact, I was taught to see them with suspicion and to hold them at arm’s length. I find that today I have to pray fervently for God to tear down these walls and do the necessary work to bring me into relationship with people so that I can share the good news with them and show them God’s love. Thankfully, God is always faithful to enable us to reach out with his love and grace when we seek his empowerment and guidance. He goes ahead of us and provides divine appointments in which to do this. I truly appreciated Dan Roger’s recent sermon on this topic—I encourage you to watch it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YOWpITjaRo).
Our challenge in this new year as those who follow Christ is to participate with Jesus in what he is doing today to share the good news with every person in the world. What is Jesus up to and how can we join in? Perhaps this is something we can begin to make a part of our everyday prayer life, as we listen to the Lord and seek to follow the lead of his Spirit. I would be interested in hearing from you about ways in which the Lord enabled you personally to participate in his ongoing ministry of sharing the good news with others.
Heavenly Father, thank you for including us in your life and love, through your Son Jesus Christ and in the Spirit. Lord Jesus, who would you like me to share this good news with today? How would you have me love and serve this person, these people, you have brought me into relationship with? Grant me the grace to love courageously, serve humbly, and speak boldly the words of life, in your name, empowered by your Spirit. Amen.
“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” 1 Corinthians 9:16–23 NASB
“I live to preach; it consumes my total being. Your money is not going to make any difference since this Gospel has my arm twisted and locked behind my back! In fact, my life would be reduced to utter misery if it were not possible for me to preach the good news! If this was a mere career choice, then surely you could hire or fire me! But I am not for sale; I am employed by the economy of persuasion! So what’s in it for me, you may ask? The pleasure of declaring the Gospel of Christ at no expense is priceless! No, I am not cheating anyone or myself by foregoing the rights I might have as a preacher. So in a sense I am free from everyone’s expectation or management; yet I have voluntarily enslaved myself to all people. This beats any other motivation to influence people. I am like a Jew to the Jew to win them; I am disguised as a legalist to win those stuck under the law! To the Gentiles who have no regard for Jewish sentiment, I became like one without any obligation to Jewish laws to win them! Don’t get me wrong; I am not sinning to identify with the sinners! I am in the law of Christ! I am so persuaded about every person’s inclusion in Christ that I desire to be everything I need to be in order to win everyone’s understanding of their union with Christ. I do not present myself as super strong to the weak, but rather expose myself to their weakness in order to win them. I do not distance myself from anyone. My mission is to be exactly what is required of me in every possible situation to bring salvation to every kind of person, whoever they are! The gospel explains my lifestyle; it is so much more than a pulpit ministry to me. My life is inseparably joined to you in the fellowship of the good news!” 1 Corinthians 9:16–23 Mirror Bible
“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’ He said to them, ‘Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.’ And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.” Mark 1:35–39 NASB
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Come, and You Will See
by Linda Rex
January 15, 2023, 2nd Sunday in Epiphany—This morning as I write this blog for Epiphany, I find myself still in the season of Christmas. One of the songs running through my head is a hymn called O Come, All Ye Faithful. Part of the hymn goes like this:
“Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning
(John Francis Wade; trans. Frederick Oakeley)
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
Oh come, let us adore him
Oh come, let us adore him
Oh come, let us adore him
Christ, the Lord!”
As you can see, the emphasis of this hymn is on the incarnation, on the coming of the Word of God, the Son of the Father, as God in human flesh.
What struck me this morning as the song rolled through my head is that this hymn calls us once again to come to the side of the manger, to gaze anew upon the wonder of the Christ child–God’s gift to humankind—and calls us to worship. Once again, we kneel in adoration as we look upon this precious and wondrous gift to all of us.
Our Old Testament reading for today is full of prophetic pointers to the coming of this child: “The Lord called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me”; “…the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to him…”; “…I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:1b, 5a, 6b NASB). When we take the time to prayerfully and reverently observe this holy child, to contemplate what God has done in coming to us in this way, we are moved to worship in gratitude for God’s faithfulness and goodness.
Who is this marvelous child which sparks such celebration and wonder? Who is Jesus? Epiphany, then, is an expression of this wonderful sense of “Eureka” we get when we discover the amazing treasure of God in human flesh. God comes to us in a real and personal way, to join us in our mess, to raise us up into a new existence with him in the Spirit and one day in glory. What a good and compassionate and gracious God we have!
The apostle Paul calls us to a deep appreciation of God’s gift to us in the New Testament reading for this Sunday. He reminds us of “the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor.1:4b-8 NASB). Jesus, in his incarnation, came to live a truly human life, to forge within our human flesh our capacity to live in right relationship with God (and others). When Jesus is fully revealed in glory, we will be found blameless, because of what he has done. We lack nothing—because of him.
In our gospel reading, John 1:29–42, John the Baptizer saw Jesus approaching and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The first word is “Behold.” To behold something is to gaze upon it with intense attention. Here, in the Greek, it is used to point to what is being said next—that this man is the Lamb of God, the one who takes away the sin of the world. We need to pay attention to this reality about who Jesus is. Jesus is this one—the one who takes away the sin of the world. Not just the sin of a few special people. Not just the sin of the people who get their acts together. But the sin of the world.
This is a eureka moment—a moment when we pay attention to a revelation about who Jesus is—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is the one unique Son of God, the One who left the benefits of divinity for a time to join us in our humanity, in order to do what only he could do—free us from sin, from all that stands in the way of being rightly related to God.
There were a couple of John the Baptizer’s disciples who were profoundly affected by the prophet’s words regarding Jesus. They heard that this man, Jesus, was the one who baptizes in the Spirit. And they heard John say that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. So they did what each of us needs to do—they followed Jesus. As they did, Jesus asked them what they were seeking. They asked where Jesus was staying, perhaps in hopes of having a deeper conversation with him. So Jesus said to them, “Come and you will see.”
If we never take the time to come and see, to stop long enough to listen and learn more about who Jesus is and why he came, we will continue upon our life’s path, never any wiser regarding what really matters. But if we slow down and come to Jesus and sit at his feet awhile, gazing upon him and pondering all he has done, is doing, and will do, we will begin to see the truth about who he is and why he came. As we take time in his presence to converse with him, to dialogue with Christ through prayer, study of his Word, meditation, and the other spiritual disciplines, the Spirit will enable us to see more clearly who Jesus is. And the Spirit will even enable us to begin to see more clearly who we are, and how much we need Christ to transform, heal, and renew us. We will begin to see we are beloved of the Father, and are included in Jesus’ own relationship with his Father in the Spirit. And we will have even more reason to celebrate and worship the Lord.
Thank you, Father, for sending your Son to us, to bring everyone of us salvation. May we turn away again from all the things in this life which distract us and draw us away from focused attention on our Lord Jesus. Throughout this new year, may your Spirit enable us to have many eureka moments when we see anew and embrace again the wonder of your most perfect and precious gift—Jesus our Lord. Amen.
“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, “After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.” I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.’ John testified saying, ‘I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.’ Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, ‘What do you seek?’ They said to Him, ‘Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).” John 1:29–42 NASB
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Beloved of the Father
by Linda Rex
January 8, 2023, EPIPHANY | Baptism of the Lord—In the season of Advent, we have prepared our hearts and minds for the entering of God into our cosmos in the incarnation. As God in human flesh, Jesus Christ came into our world to live a truly human life, and during the twelve-day season of Christmas (between Christmas and Epiphany), we celebrate this amazing gift. Pondering the richness of God’s indescribable love gives depth to our holiday celebrations, enabling us to bear up under the inevitable realities of loss, grief, brokenness, and struggle.
We are reminded that it was not enough that God had compassion on us as frail and faulty human beings. It was not enough that God saw and forgave our shortcomings and incessant unfaithfulness to him. No, the Son of God chose to enter our own place of existence, into our material cosmos, and to take upon himself a truly human existence, personally forging within our human flesh the capacity and desire to live in right relationship with his own Father in the Spirit.
Our American individualism often prevents our ability to think in terms of place-sharing. So often, we seek to do things ourselves, on our own, for our own satisfaction or to accomplish our personal goals and plans. We may not even consider that a better and more fulfilling life would be ours if we opened ourselves up to the concept of place-sharing—of putting ourselves in another person’s place, to understand and participate with them in what they are going through. Place-sharing is part of living a truly human life as image-bearers of the divine. And this is what Jesus did in the incarnation and invites us into as participants in his life with the Father in the Spirit.
After Christmas begins the season of Epiphany, when we begin to consider more about who this person Jesus Christ really is. What does it mean that God has come in Jesus Christ to live a truly human life? Why would this man of Middle Eastern descent, born of a virgin, raised by a carpenter, whom John believed was the sinless Messiah, come to the Jordan River and insist on being baptized?
From his birth on, Jesus’ human experience involved place-sharing. Part of Jesus’ truly human experience involved walking up to John that day at the Jordan River and being baptized by him for the remission of sins. Jesus’ heavenly Father commissioned John to call people to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and in obedience to the word of the Father through John, Jesus came to be baptized—not for his own sake, but for the sake of every human being. Jesus immersed all of us in his own obedience to the Father and in his own baptism, including all of humanity in his sacrificial self-offering, in his death and resurrection.
Can you imagine the glow within the Father’s heart when he saw his beloved Son willingly identifying with us and offering himself in our place on our behalf? It is no wonder the Spirit descended so lovingly and the Father’s word of affirmation came in that moment, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” How delighted the Father was in his Son! He knew the extent of the sacrifice Jesus was making, having left the privileges of divinity behind to identify with us and participate with us in our messy, broken world, even when his Son knew the cost would be his own crucifixion at our hands.
John was blessed with the ability to see the divine gifting of Jesus for ministry which occurred in that moment. He had been told by God that the one upon whom the Spirit alighted as a dove would be the Messiah. And here, in this sacred moment, John bore witness to the anointing of Jesus by the Father in the Spirit for his mission and ministry in that very way. It was John’s blessed privilege to participate in what God was doing by bearing witness to the person Jesus Christ was as the Anointed One.
As Jesus began his messianic ministry, John heard stories of his miracles and teachings. As John bore up under the assault of the Roman government, he had to come to terms with Jesus’ focus on the Father’s mission and ministry. Was Jesus truly the Messiah? Was he truly the deliverer that his nation had longed for all these centuries?
The truth is, Jesus’ place-sharing went far beyond simply being baptized on behalf of all. In the everyday moments of his ministry and mission, Jesus joined people where they were, scandalizing the religious elite by hobnobbing with prostitutes and tax collectors. His friends and colleagues weren’t the upstanding, prestigious leaders of the community, but humble fishermen and down-to-earth people of all walks of life. Jesus touched the leprous and the dead, offering healing and restoration. Jesus embraced the sick and comforted the grieving, offering grace to the shamed and rejected, calling them up into a new life in right relationship with God and others. In every aspect of his life, Jesus embraced and shared life with others, without respect to their personhood or their position in the community.
Those who walked this life with Jesus bore witness to his place-sharing, and following his death and resurrection, began themselves to live and care for others as he did. In the book of Acts are stories of how those who were witnesses of Jesus’ place-sharing lived themselves in ways which involved joining people where they were to bring them into renewal and transformation. We see Philip on the road, joining with a gentleman who was not understanding what he was reading from Isaiah—and the resulting conversation ended in this man’s baptism.
Where might Jesus be inviting us to join with him in touching the life of another? Where might he be wanting us to enter in and become a part of someone else’s journey? How might we be able to share in what another person is going through, thereby offering God’s grace, compassion, and love in the midst of their suffering, sorrow, or need?
We all have been immersed in Jesus’ baptism and are given to share in his receiving of the Spirit for mission and ministry. Our tangible identification with Jesus Christ in his baptism, thereby in his death and resurrection, is by being baptized ourselves into the Father, Son, and Spirit, and becoming part of the body of Christ, the Church. We also tangibly identify with Jesus Christ and participate in Jesus’ baptism, thereby in his death and resurrection, as we ourselves participate in taking communion on a regular basis, eating bread and drinking wine (or grape juice) with other believers as a member of the body of Christ, the Church.
For many of us, joining a local expression of the Church isn’t easy, but we need to be a part of the body of Christ which is filled with the Spirit and actively participating with Jesus in caring for and loving others, if we want to grow in spiritual maturity and participate with others in place-sharing. Asking for God’s direction and guidance is a good place to start. And following the lead of the Spirit and the instruction of the Word of God, the Bible, is also helpful. In God’s good time, he will lead us to where he wants to nurture and care for us spiritually, as well as work through us to nurture and care for others.
Dear Abba, our heavenly Father, thank you for delighting in us as you delighted in your own Son, Jesus. Grant us the grace by your Spirit to fully participate with you as you bring healing, renewal, and reconciliation to this world, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
“Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)—you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:34–43 NASB
“Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he permitted Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’ ” Matthew 3:13–17 NASB
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