Epiphany Week 1

Psalm: Psalm 29 

Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1-9 

Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17 

Epistle: Acts 10:34-43

There are a couple of themes that emerge this week in our scripture readings. The first one is the voice of God. In the Psalms the voice has control over all nature and is “powerful” and “majestic.” It is a voice that can literally shake the wilderness. In Isaiah 42 we have the contrast between the voice of the Servant who “will not cry out or raise His voice” and the Lord God who speaks and declares new things before they come to pass. We move into the New Testament and the voice of the Father speaks from heaven and declares that Jesus is his “Beloved Son.” Finally, in Acts we read about Peter preaching the Holy Spirit filled word in Cornelius’ house. Through the Holy Spirit, the proclamation of Peter is the culmination of all that has gone before. God is now revealed and active in the proclaimed word.

We see the many elements of God’s Word in these passages. The Word is over the waters, active at creation and able to control the chaotic waters. The Word is powerful and active on the earth and doing new things. Finally the Word is proclaimed now through the witness and words of those who follow Jesus. What a great privilege and responsibility we have to proclaim the work of God today. Like Peter in Acts, we are the voice of God to people who might not hear it otherwise.

Another theme present, which we have been discussing the past few weeks, is that God’s plan for salvation includes all people nations. This idea take a hold of the church, and personally for Peter here in chapter 10, and in the latter half of Acts becomes a reality even more in the missionary journeys of Paul.

I think perhaps we should discuss the passage from Acts in a little more detail. This part of Acts is a sermon from Peter to the Gentile house of Cornelius. The results of the sermon is first that the listeners accept the words and believe in Jesus. Second, the Holy Spirit comes on them just like on the day of Pentecost. This of course amazed many of the Jews because they still thought that in order to have divine favor one must be circumcised and follow other Jewish customs. But getting back to the actual words that Peter says, he essentially lays out the Gospel for the hearers. They have heard of Jesus before, but in many ways he confirms the rumors for them. He places Jesus in history, and assurance them that he was real person. He confirms that Jesus healed the sick and the oppressed, but that he was also killed on the cross. Finally, he says the Jesus actually did indeed rise from the dead, and visited many people who were pre-chosen to be witnesses of the Resurrection. Jesus even ate and drank with them after he was raised from the dead: a sign that he was real and more than just a ghost or spirit. It is interesting that we also have some early creedal statements that Jesus will be the Judge of the living and the dead and that everyone who believed in him will receive forgiveness of their sins.

It has been challenging for me the last few weeks in reading and then writing to make some applications for our daily lives. Perhaps the issue each week is not finding application, but finding just one to focus on. Each week with four different passages it can seem like the possibilities are endless. But I think this week the message is that we are to be the voice of God, just like we are to be his hands and feet. God has decided it seems, to use us to accomplish his goals. We, individually and as the Church, are to be Christ in the world. The Word is only proclaimed because the body of Christ proclaims it. No one else is going to bring the Good News of Jesus to the world if not those who follow Jesus. Certainly there are other points we can talk about in these verses, but a big point to me is that we are to proclaim the Good News to those around us.

Let this challenge us this week, that in word and deed we proclaim and bring Jesus wherever we go.

Grace and Peace.