1st Sunday after the Epiphany – Byron Tindall
On this, the first Sunday after the Epiphany, the church in the west remembers the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by His cousin, John the Baptist.
From the Merriam Webster website, we get the following definition of epiphany:
“Full Definition of epiphany
1:capitalized: January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ
2: an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being
3a(1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something
(2): an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking
(3): an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
b: a revealing scene or moment”
We’ll spend a little time this morning on the first definition provided by Merriam Webster, but first we need to explore the Baptism some.
All three of the synoptic gospels have the account of Jesus being baptized in the Jordan, albeit they are somewhat different. The writer of John completely ignored this part of Jesus’s life. Mark 1:4-11 and Matthew 3:1-17 record the other versions of the baptism. A full version of the baptism is found in verses 1 through 22 in Luke’s third chapter.
John was expecting the Messiah, the one who would save the Jews. I, personally, don’t think John’s expectations were fully met by Jesus.
Several problems rear their ugly heads for me in the entire concept of Jesus needing to be baptized. In Matthew’s account, John tells Jesus that he, Jesus, should be baptizing him, John.
Remember, too, that John was baptizing, according to Matthew, Mark and Luke, the citizens of “Jerusalem and all Judea” for repentance and for the forgiveness of their sins.
Now, the church has claimed for a very long time that Jesus was without sin. He never sinned in any way, shape or form. Why, then did he need the baptism of John? If Jesus was fully divine, as the church holds, he didn’t need to have the Holy Spirit descend upon Him as he was already “a part” of the Trinity.
My method of reconciling or answering these questions is a little bit complicated, but please bear with me.
The church holds that Jesus was simultaneously both fully human and fully divine. I don’t feel that the human Jesus had a complete and full access to the Divine Christ at all times. Glimpses into his divinity, probably. Total access, probably not.
I think that by this time Jesus had at least an inkling of who he was and what he had to do.
Jesus came into the world to bring God the Father to the people. Emmanuel – God is with us. He came to share our human nature. He came to share our human feelings – the frustrations, the hunger, the thirst for righteousness, the pain and every other emotion felt by human beings. He came into the world to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us back to God the Father.
In my opinion, Jesus felt he needed to be with the citizens of Jerusalem and all Judea in every aspect of their lives. Thus he presented himself to John to show solidarity with the rest of the population who had fallen away from the proper practice of their religion and were suffering under the rule of Rome.
As far as the dove coming down and the voice from heaven go, these are just another example of an epiphany, an expression of “an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being.” This epiphany event was for those lucky enough to be present when John baptized Jesus.
While the Eastern Church recognizes the Baptism of Jesus on January 6, and the Western Church uses January 6 to commemorate the visit of the Magi to the newborn Christ Child, both are classified as epiphanies for me. They both qualify as such using the Merriam Webster definition. God revealing Godself to His creation.
Of course the Baptism and the visit of the Magi are not the only epiphany events in the life of Jesus. Other events were presented to smaller groups, even as few as a single person.
Epiphanies are not limited to the New Testament. There are many events in the Hebrew Bible where Yahweh reveals Himself to one or more of His chosen people.
Are epiphanies over and done with, a thing of the past? I hardly think so.
God shows Godself in many ways in this day and age.
Using the second definition from Merriam Webster, “an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being,” God manifests or shows “Himself” to me in a variety of ways. Sometimes, I see God in and through music. I find God in the beauty of nature. I feel God at times during a worship service. I see God at work through other people who are doing His work. I find God in reading the Bible. I’m able to feel His presence when at prayer. I am able to find God in any of His creatures and in every nook and cranny of His creation. After all, God, the creator of all, is in everything.
The epiphanies today may not be as “spectacular” as at the Baptism of Jesus by John. Epiphanies can be extremely subtle. We just have to be on the lookout for the revelations so as not to miss them.