Dear All
Today we welcome James back again this morning to accompany us as we continue to celebrate the season of Epiphany.
This Week
Tuesday – 10am Prayer Group in the Garden Room
Wednesday – 7pm NWRC AGM All Saints
Thursday 10am Said Eucharist followed by coffee in Friendship House
Readings for next Sunday – 3rd Sunday of Epiphany – Isaiah 9:1-4 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23
Epiphany 2 Readings John 1:29-42 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Isaiah 49:1-7
New year is often a time when we start fresh initiatives, undertake new projects or worse still adopt impossible resolutions…..at least that is what we are led to believe by the press and social media. However, for most of us its business as usual, the same old ….the daily round and the common task. But in this morning’s gospel Jesus is beginning his public ministry and we start in St John’s gospel.
Of all the bible, John’s gospel is the place where language is most powerfully used – each word John uses is carefully chosen, laden with significance and meaning. In the Gospel reading John the Baptist described Jesus twice as “the Lamb of God.”
“Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” he says. One sentence that tells us so much about Christ.
The first image that it conjures up for us is probably gentleness – the friendliness of wool, the cuddliness of the little lamb. Jesus, so strong in purpose in character, is also gentle, so loving and loveable that he endears himself to all. Lambs also suggest new life, a new beginning, a fresh start.
And so, the message of Christ is new life, new beginnings. But these words “the lamb of God” also tell us more. They tell us that there is more to this person than meets the eye. Jesus was more than just a nice person. Jesus was the lamb of God! The words speak of the passion!
In the Old Testament a lamb was routinely offered in sacrifice to atone for people’s sin. When Christ died on the cross, he sacrificed his life for us by rising again to new life. Routine sacrifice of animals was then no longer necessary as Christ had now made that sacrifice once and for all. And so, John at the beginning of his gospel is indicating at the sacrificial nature of Christ’s life.
Today we hear of the calling of Peter. It’s interesting to note the sequence of events which lead to such significant calling. First, John the Baptist notices Jesus. Second, he shares his experience with his own disciples. Then, John invites his disciples to follow their new teacher. Andrew and the other disciple notice Jesus, they share time with him, and then Andrew shares his experience with his brother, Simon. Finally, Andrew invites his brother to follow Christ, and Simon is changed. He becomes Simon Peter.
Notice, Share, Invite – three simple actions which resulted in the calling of Peter – one of the most significant apostles. Peter who was to be the rock on which the church would be built. Peter who would certainly know about sacrifice as did all the apostles as they left their families and livelihoods to follow Jesus.
But we too know about sacrifices in our daily lives as we strive to serve our friends each other and the church. Maintaining our relationships always involve sacrifice of some description. Sometimes these sacrifices may be large but mostly they are small incidental acts of kindness, giving, forgiving and compromise. But over a period, they transform our own and other people’s lives.
Jesus’ baptism referred to by John this morning marks the beginning of his ministry. And so, it is also appropriate to think of baptism at the start of a new year. For baptism speaks of being reborn in the Holy Spirit, of being cleansed, refreshed and strengthened.
At Easter we think about the resurrection, and this too is associated with new beginnings. Jesus rising from the dead to a greater life with God. In the light of this we are encouraged to think about mini earthly resurrections in our own lives and situations. How things can change and evolve in the knowledge that there are greater things to come.
And so, at new year, in the same principal as baptism, we can imagine our own situations and those of the world being cleansed and upheld by Holy Spirit as we embrace our own callings. May we do so with fresh eyes ready to notice, share and invite.
In the Old Testament the prophets are often portrayed as being a sole voice proclaiming the word of God, their ministries lonely and despairing as indeed we heard in the reading from the prophet Isaiah this morning. This was contrasted by the epistle to the Corinthians who were a community of Christians working together to spread the Good News of Christ.
As Christians we are called to be witnesses together and to learn from each other as well as from God. The first thing we see Jesus doing as he emerges from the waters of Baptism is to call a group of people. They have no idea how much they will go through together, how much they will need each other or how their names will be revered down the centuries.
In the power of the Holy Spirit and as beloved children of God we too are called individually but also in community, just as those early apostles were to share God’s love in the world.
Amen