Exodus 19:1-25 and Matthew 3:13-17
In the past week, we celebrated Epiphany, marking the visit of the Magi, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ child. The Magi encountered the holy family in a house where Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph, were presumably preparing for their journey to Egypt to escape the massacre of the innocents—a tragic event recorded only in Matthew’s Gospel.
This week, we transition from that serene moment of Jesus’ early childhood to the story of the Baptism of the Lord. Set in the context of the Jordan River valley, Jesus is no longer a child or even a teenager. He is now an adult, and something extraordinary is about to unfold. Jesus will be publicly proclaimed as the One, (Messiah or God’s Son) by John the Baptist in Matthew’s Gospel, and by God, by voice, in the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and Matthew, either to Jesus personally or to the gathered crowd. In each account, this moment marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Soon, he will call his disciples and begin the Galilean phase of his mission, which involves teaching, preaching, and healing.
In his book One Faithful Promise: The Wesleyan Covenant for Renewal, author Magrey deVega explores this theme in the chapter “Claim the Covenant.” He describes the act of claiming the covenant as a faithful and transformative step. This step involves rejecting the notion that “claim” implies self-reliance. Instead, it is about reliance on God’s grace. Claiming the covenant means acknowledging and accepting God’s grace as an active and powerful force in our lives, trusting that God is faithful and strong enough to carry us into the future. As John Wesley reminds us, “Don’t trust your own strength, but take hold of God’s strength… God established a covenant to catch you.”
As we move through this season of light, revealing the identity of the Messiah and the beginning of his ministry, may we reflect anew on the significance of baptism—both individually and collectively. Individually, baptism affirms our relationship with Jesus as his disciples. Corporately, it binds us within the community of faith. In both contexts, baptism serves as a declaration of our ministry to:
• Renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,
• Reject the evil powers of this world,
• Resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves, and
• Proclaim the Kindom of God as a reality on earth as it is in heaven.
May we embrace this sacred calling with renewed dedication and faith.
–Pastor Todd