Epiphany 2a January 20 2007

Slide 1: After John comes...

All four Gospels tell the story of John the Baptizer. John was the one sent to make way for Jesus. He had everything he needed for ministry living out in the wilderness. He had purpose, a voice, and enough knowledge of what God was doing to tell the world: get ready the Messiah's about to come.

‘ After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ^31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel. John 1:30-31 NRSV

Slide 2: Wilderness

John had none of the trappings of institutional religion; but he was ready for ministry. There was no Cathedral or church building out along side the Jordan River. He had no fancy title or degrees. There's no mention of a choir or band that accompanied him at the Jordan when he preached and baptized. He had none of that official stuff. Instead all he had was official suspicion. The king eventually had him arrested. Its obvious he wasn't endorsed or approved for ministry by King Herod or another earthly power. But John had divine purpose and drive; he had mission for God and that's exactly what it took to get him engaged in ministry out there in the wilderness.

Many other people were drawn in by John's message. Crowds came to hear him preach and to be baptized with water. It was surely one of the most moving times in the life of any one who came out to the Jordan for baptism. The crowds would come to let go, to repent. It was probably the most spiritually awake that many of them had ever felt; but most would eventually go back home again. A few stayed close. John's message drew them them in I'm certain they weren't attracted to his wardrobe, the camel skins were probably itchy and my guess is they smelled bad after a couple days. I can't imagine the the diet of locusts and wild honey would have been a real good selling point either.

Despite the challenges of living in the wilderness and calling for people to repent some followed John the Baptist as disciples. I imagine them coming from religious homes. They believed in God and wanted to follow him the very best they could. They were attracted to John and to his message. Leave behind every burden. Let go of all your sins and shames and come out of the villages, towns, and cities out to the wilderness and wade down in the water. Leave all the old stuff behind. Repent so that you'll be ready to meet God. Even Jesus came to meet John at the Jordan and the be baptized.

Slide 3: Agnus Dei

When Jesus was baptized John said he witnessed heaven open up above him. He saw the dove descend; he heard the voice call out, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NIV) When John saw Jesus he called out, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John's disciples heard his proclamation. They knew John was unique among all men and now John was speaking about somebody else saying that this one man alone was the Lamb of God. They had followed John and sacrificed to live outside of society with him. And now John was pointing to Jesus and telling his disciples not once but twice that Jesus is the Lamb of God.

Slide 4

Two of John's disciples followed behind Jesus. They asked Jesus where he was staying and got an invitation,

³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

Jesus connected with Andrew 1 to 1 that day. And Andrew went and connected with his brother Simon. Our ministry is to help others meet and follow Christ as disciples 1 to 1 just as Andrew did, and just as Jesus had done for him.

Slide 5

John knew Jesus' reason for coming. He came to be God on earth and he came to be the lamb offered in sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus has all power as God and this same one is the lamb offered to take away the sin of the world. John the Baptist knew Jesus had this two fold mission. He knew it. For 2000 years Christians have been blessed to have this God who meets us both as lamb with feet tied ready for slaughter and as the victor who over comes death.

We imagine God based on our experiences and on what others have told us abut God. I've always different pictures of God in Jesus in my head. Reading about the lamb of God two images popped up. The first is of the lamb, innocent and bound ready for slaughter. This painting helps us imagine Jesus as the vulnerable one waiting to die. As you looked at the lamb remember that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who watches over his sheep. We come to know this God and trust that he stands beside us ready to defend us and guide us through this world into the next.

Slide 6: The Whole Story

Sometimes its hard to admit that we've got limited imaginations when it comes to God. Sometimes we think of Jesus who is bold and provides for our every need. Then we meet Jesus on the cross, a suffering servant the lamb sacrificed to take away our sins. To often we think of Jesus as either either as the suffering servant or as God all powerful. But the real Jesus is both. Te God of power but that Jesus is both always the lamb offered up for the sins of the world and the God with power to save. The great Swedish theologian Gustaf Aulén called Jesus Christus Victor. He spoke of Jesus first work as liberating us from all our struggles with sin, death, and the Devil. Jesus victory over death is the turning point when we see all the power of the universe that he controls. But in that same moment we recognize that he is the lamb with the bound feet offered up in our place.

Slide 7: In Christ you have been made rich in every way

The real Jesus strengthens us in all things including weakness. Paul spoke to the church in Corinth telling them that they had been enriched by Jesus, in every way. He told them

in Christ you have been made rich in every way, in all your speaking and in all your knowledge. ^6 Just as our witness about Christ has been guaranteed to you, ^7 so you have every gift from God while you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again. ^8 Jesus will keep you strong until the end

The Holy Bible : New Century Version , Containing the Old and New Testaments., 1 Co 1:5. Dallas, TX: Word Bibles, 1991.

Slide 8: The whole story

Our promise as Christians is that we have God's every gift in Jesus Christ. We have the gift of the one who takes on evil in all its forms. We have the gift of Jesus who defeated death and who calls to us to follow him in this world and into the next because he is the victor. We also have the God who meets us face to face in the deepest and darkest places. He knows them. He's been there. John called out “Behold the Lamb of God.” He is Jesus the vanquished now victorious.

Epiphany Sunday Jan 6 2008 Matthew 2:1-12

How many of you love Christmas?

How about new years? Maybe we should do a countdown, my girls really love to do this. 10, 9, 8..... happy new year For many people New Years is it. Watch a little football and Christmas is over. But in other cultures the story and the celebration of Christmas are considered incomplete without the full festivities to remember the day when the Magi arrived from the East to meet Jesus. Matthew's story is read in celebrations around the world. It's read widely on Epiphany.

• In Latin America it is la Día de los Tres Reyes Magos.

• In Eastern Europe it is a day for gift giving.

• In North America churches and recent immigrants hold on to Epiphany as a day for celebration. Wal-mart and K-Mart and other national chains market to Hispanics and others who celebrate the arrival of the Magi.

The story has taken on a life of its own in each culture. But in our culture it doesn't seem to get very much attention beyond the church; that's all right because it gives us a real chance to get through the commercial baggage and celebrate the birth of the King.

Lets look at this story and see how it has taken on a life of its own beyond scripture. Look on at Matthew 2:1. How many Magi μάγοι came from the East following a star to visit the new born king of the Jews. Matthew doesn't say three he just says that astronomers came from the east. As a kid maybe you heard that they were named Caspar, Balthazar, and Melchior. Matthew doesn't say anything about names but imaginations run fast with a story that's this good to tell.

The plot twists; their first stop in Judah wasn't to see Jesus. They met first with king Herod the man who had the title, king of the Jews. They came bearing gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh, χρυσὸν καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν, to offer the new king of the Jews. Only after meeting Herod and agreeing to return and tell him about the one they found did they head on to meet the future king. Matthew says they fell down and worshiped him, πεσόντες προσεκύνησαν αὐτῳ̂.

Herod wanted the visitors from the East to come back and tell him when and more importantly where they met this would be king of the Jews. He said he wanted to go and worship. No he didn't Herod didn't want to bow down to Jesus or anyone. Herod wanted to eliminate this infant threat to his power. The Romans had granted him, Herod, the title King of the Jews and no one would take it from him. Herod was ready to cut off this threat to his reigh at the root. A angel came in a dream to the Magi telling them to stay away from Herod. They headed back in a different direction staying away from Herod. Joseph learned in a dream that he and his family were to leave Bethlehem to protect Jesus from Herod's wrath.

Artists have imagined the different scenes in the Christmas story for years. Matthew doesn't say the race, nationality, creed or even the number of those who came to meet Jesus and family. He says that they were Magi from the east who followed a star and he tells us what they brought. The possibilities for what we do with the rest of this story are wide open. Each of us can easily interpret this story and provide our answer to the question: Who would come to bow down and worship this child?

Elephant and an African

Horse and a European

Camel and an Asian

The whole world was represented by these kings who came to worship. But who else will come and worship this child born to be king.

This question is part of what drives me to be a pastor today. Many of you know that we have a real challenge is the church today; that's sharing Jesus story with an increasingly complex post-Christendom culture. In Christendom everyone was assumed to be part of the church. Everyone was assumed to know the basic story about who Jesus was and what it means to follow him. Years ago it was assumed that everyone had church family and that everyone, especially in a place like Minnesota that is so dominated by Lutherans and Catholics, had a church and a connection to Jesus.

We are engaged in a marketplace of ideas like never before

Our 7^th grader class, every year that I have been here as a pastor, have included many who come sent by parents for confirmation not even knowing the Lord's Prayer. Sometimes as many as 2 in 3 start out having attended church less than monthly.

Our 8^th graders, just this past week, invited 2 of their classmates who came to our Wednesday night worship service curious if they could come and be part of our church. If you've ever wondered how to be engaged in the post-Christendom world just look at our 7^th and 8^th graders because they are living in it every single day. Jesus came to be light and we are sent to carry that light just as they are doing into the world as it is.

Herod feared this infant. Those who love power more than other people always fear Jesus. In the story we find ourselves and others from different cultures worshiping the same God revealed in Jesus. Danger and darkness are real. Herod was ready to unleash death; but Jesus came to bring light and life. And this is our moment as church to share the light and life that he has brought to each of us.