Revised Common Lectionary - Baptism of the Lord – Sunday, 12 January 2014 - First Sunday after the Epiphany

Revised Common Lectionary - Baptism of the Lord – Sunday, 12 January 2014 - First Sunday after the Epiphany

PRAYER: Thematic

God of grace and glory,

you call us with your voice of flame

to be your people, faithful and courageous.

As your beloved Son

embraced his mission in the waters of baptism,

inspire us with the fire of your Spirit

to join in his transforming work.

We ask this in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ,

who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Intercessory

Sisters and brothers,

our baptismal vows call us to compassion and mercy

on behalf of those in need.

We offer our prayers for the church and the world.

Prayers of the People, concluding with:

Lord God,

you revealed your Son in the waters of the Jordan

and anointed him with the power of the Holy Spirit

to proclaim good news to all people.

Sanctify us by the same Spirit,

that we may proclaim the healing power of the gospel

by acts of love in your name. Amen.

Scripture

Creator God, our soul's delight,

your voice thunders over the waters,

liberating the future from the past.

In the Spirit's power and the waters of rebirth,

Jesus was declared your blessed and beloved Son;

may we recall our baptism,

and be disciples of the Anointed One. Amen.

Lectionary Scriptures:

Isaiah The Servant, a Light to the Nations

42: Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

    he will bring forth justice to the nations.

2 He will not cry or lift up his voice,

    or make it heard in the street;

3 a bruised reed he will not break,

    and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

    he will faithfully bring forth justice.

4 He will not grow faint or be crushed

    until he has established justice in the earth;

    and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

5 Thus says God, the Lord,

    who created the heavens and stretched them out,

    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

    and spirit to those who walk in it:

6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

    I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,[a]

    a light to the nations,

7     to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

    from the prison those who sit in darkness.

8 I am the Lord, that is my name;

    my glory I give to no other,

    nor my praise to idols.

9 See, the former things have come to pass,

    and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth,

    I tell you of them.

Footnotes:

a. Isaiah 42:6 Meaning of Heb uncertain

Psalm 29: The Voice of God in a Great Storm

A Psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,[a]

    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;

    worship the Lord in holy splendor.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

    the God of glory thunders,

    the Lord, over mighty waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;

    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

    and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,[b]

    and strips the forest bare;

    and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

    the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

11 May the Lord give strength to his people!

    May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 29:1 Heb sons of gods

b. Psalm 29:9 Or causes the deer to calve

Acts 10: Gentiles Hear the Good News

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Matthew 3: The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,[a] with whom I am well pleased.”

Footnotes:

a. Matthew 3:17 Or my beloved Son

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John Wesley’s Notes-Commentary:

Isaiah 42:1-9

XLII The person and office of Christ appointed by the Father, ver. 1-9. A new song to God for his gospel, among the Gentiles, ver. 10-16. The idolatry of the Heathen, and obstinacy of the Jews, ver. 17-25.

Verse 1. Behold - The prophet having given one eminent instance of God's certain fore-knowledge, in the deliverance of the Jews by Cyrus, now adds another more eminent example of it, by foretelling the coming of the Messiah. This place therefore is expressly interpreted of Christ, Matt. xii, 18, &c. And to him, and to him only, all the particulars following, truly and evidently belong. Whom - Whom I will enable to do and suffer all those things which belong to his office. Elect - Chosen by me to this great work. Delighteth - Both for himself and for all his people, being fully satisfied with that sacrifice, which he shall offer up to me. Bring forth - Shall publish or shew, as this word is translated, Matt. xii, 18. Judgment - The law, and will, and counsel of God, concerning man's salvation. Gentiles - Not only to the Jews, but to the Heathen nations.

Verse 2. Cry - In a way of contention, or ostentation. Lift - His voice. Heard - As contentious and vain-glorious persons frequently do.

Verse 3. Break - Christ will not deal rigorously with those that come to him, but he will use all gentleness, cherishing the smallest beginnings of grace, comforting and healing wounded consciences. Quench - That wick of a candle which is almost extinct, he will not quench, but revive and kindle it again. Judgment - The law of God, or the doctrine of the gospel, which he will bring forth, unto, with, or according to truth, that is, truly and faithfully.

Verse 4. 'Till - 'Till he has established his law or doctrine, among the nations of the earth. Isles - The countries remote from Judea, shall gladly receive his doctrine.

Verse 5. He - This description of God's infinite power, is seasonably added, to give them assurance of the certain accomplishment of his promises.

Verse 6. Called thee - To declare my righteousness, or faithfulness. With-hold - Will give thee counsel and strength for the work. Give thee - To be the mediator in whom my covenant of grace is confirmed with mankind. The people - Of all people, not only of Jews but Gentiles. A light - To enlighten them with true and saving knowledge.

Verse 8. The Lord - Hebrew. Jehovah: who have all being in and of myself, and give being to all my creatures. The everlasting, and unchangeable, and omnipotent God, who therefore both can, and will fulfil all my promises.

Verse 9. I tell you - That when they come to pass, you may know that I am God, and that this is my work.

Psalm 29

PS 29 It is probable David wrote this psalm, during a storm of thunder, lightning, and rain; as that he wrote the eighth in a moon- shining night, and the nineteenth in a sun-shining morning. He calls on the great to give glory to God, ver. 1, 2. Observes his power in thunder and lightning, Ver. 3-9. His dominion over the world and care over the church, ver. 10, 11. A psalm of David.

Verse 1. Ye - Ye potentates and rulers of the earth. Glory - By an humble and thankful acknowledgment of it.

Verse 2. Give, &c. - The honour which he deserves: own him as the Almighty, and the only true God. Holiness - Or, in his holy and beautiful house.

Verse 3. The waters - Above in the clouds, which are called waters, Gen. i, 7 chap. xviii, 11. The Divine power displays itself in those high places, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates. Many - Upon the clouds, in which there are vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit or ride, chap. xviii, 10, 11; civ, 3.

Verse 5. Lebanon - A place famous for strong and lofty cedars.

Verse 6. Them - The cedars; which being broken by the thunder, the parts of them are suddenly and violently hurled hither and thither. Sirion - An high mountain beyond Jordan joining to Lebanon. Lebanon and Sirion are said to skip or leap, both here, and chap. cxiv, 4, by a poetical hyperbole.

Verse 7. The flames - The lightnings.

Verse 8. Kadesh - An eminent wilderness, vast and terrible, and well known to the Israelites, and wherein possibly they had seen, and observed some such effects of thunder.

erse 9. To calve - Through the terror it causes, which hastens the birth. He names the hinds, because they bring forth their young with difficulty, Job xxxix, 1, 2. Discovereth - Hebrew. maketh bare, of its trees, which it breaks or strips of their leaves. Glory - Having shewed the terrible effects of God's power in other places, he now shews the blessed privilege of God's people, that are praising God in his temple, when the rest of the world are trembling under the tokens of his displeasure.

Verse 10. The flood - The most violent waters, which sometimes fall from the clouds upon the earth. These are fitly mentioned, as being many times the companions of great thunders. And this may be alleged as another reason, why God's people praised him in his temple, because as he sends terrible tempests and thunders, so he also restrains and over-rules them. Sitteth - He doth sit, and will sit as king for ever, sending such tempests when it pleaseth him.

Acts 10:34-43

Verse 34. I perceive of a truth - More clearly than ever, from such a concurrence of circumstances. That God is not a respecter of persons - Is not partial in his love. The words mean, in a particular sense, that he does not confine his love to one nation; in a general, that he is loving to every man, and willeth all men should be saved.

Verse 35. But in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness - He that, first, reverences God, as great, wise, good, the cause, end, and governor of all things; and secondly, from this awful regard to him, not only avoids all known evil, but endeavours, according to the best light he has, to do all things well; is accepted of him - Through Christ, though he knows him not. The assertion is express, and admits of no exception. He is in the favour of God, whether enjoying his written word and ordinances or not. Nevertheless the addition of these is an unspeakable blessing to those who were before in some measure accepted. Otherwise God would never have sent an angel from heaven to direct Cornelius to St. Peter.

Verse 36. This is the word which God sent - When he sent his Son into the world, preaching - Proclaiming by him-peace between God and man, whether Jew or Gentile, by the God-man. He is Lord of both; yea, Lord of and over all.

Verse 37. Ye know the word which was published - You know the facts in general, the meaning of which I shall now more particularly explain and confirm to you. The baptism which John preached - To which he invited them by his preaching, in token of their repentance. This began in Galilee, which is near Cesarea.

Verse 38. How God anointed Jesus - Particularly at his baptism, thereby inaugurating him to his office: with the Holy Ghost and with power - It is worthy our remark, that frequently when the Holy Ghost is mentioned there is added a word particularly adapted to the present circumstance. So the deacons were to be full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, chap. vi, 3. Barnabas was full of the Holy Ghost and faith, chap. xi, 24. The disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost, chap. xiii, 52. And here, where his mighty works are mentioned, Christ himself is said to be anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power. For God was with him-He speaks sparingly here of the majesty of Christ, as considering the state of his hearers.

Verse 41. Not now to all the people - As before his death; to us who did eat and drink with him - That is, conversed familiarly and continually with him, in the time of his ministry.

Verse 42. It is he who is ordained by God the Judge of the living and the dead - Of all men, whether they are alive at his coming, or had died before it. This was declaring to them, in the strongest terms, how entirely their happiness depended on a timely and humble subjection to him who was to be their final Judge.

Verse 43. To him give all the prophets witness - Speaking to heathens he does not quote any in particular; that every one who believeth in him - Whether he be Jew or Gentile; receiveth remission of sins - Though he had not before either feared God, or worked righteousness.

Matthew 3:13-17

Verse 13. Mark i, 9; Luke iii, 21

Verse 15. It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness - It becometh every messenger of God to observe all his righteous ordinances. But the particular meaning of our Lord seems to be, that it becometh us to do (me to receive baptism, and you to administer it) in order to fulfil, that is, that I may fully perform every part of the righteous law of God, and the commission he hath given me.

Verse 16. And Jesus being baptized - Let our Lord's submitting to baptism teach us a holy exactness in the observance of those institutions which owe their obligation merely to a Divine command. Surely thus it becometh all his followers to fulfil all righteousness. Jesus had no sin to wash away. And yet he was baptized. And God owned his ordinance, so as to make it the season of pouring forth the Holy Spirit upon him. And where can we expect this sacred effusion, but in an humble attendance on Divine appointments? Lo, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God - St. Luke adds, in a bodily form - Probably in a glorious appearance of fire, perhaps in the shape of a dove, descending with a hovering motion, till it rested upon him. This was a visible token of those secret operations of the blessed Spirit, by which he was anointed in a peculiar manner; and abundantly fitted for his public work.

Verse 17. And lo, a voice - We have here a glorious manifestation of the ever - blessed Trinity: the Father speaking from heaven, the Son spoken to, the Holy Ghost descending upon him. In whom I delight - What an encomium is this! How poor to this are all other kinds of praise! To be the pleasure, the delight of God, this is praise indeed: this is true glory: this is the highest, the brightest light, that virtue can appear in.

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