A Reading from the Book of Isaiah (43:1-7)
Now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
> Epiphany means a manifestation or showing.
> During Epiphany the first reading is chosen to go with the Gospel reading.
> Chapters 40-55 are known as “II Isaiah.”
> Why would God want to bring these people back to Israel after what they had done?
> Deals with God, the creator of Israel.
> Then covers the history of what God did.
> God does this because these people are precious in his sight and he loves them.
Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.
9 And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
> The psalmist hears the voice of God in the clap of thunder.
> He also accepts the existence of other gods.
> The voice of God is very powerful.
> It is compared with different effects seen on earth.
> God is peacefully above this sky as the storm is raging.
> He shall bring peace to his people.
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (8:14-17)
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
> The first converts of the Samaritans are made.
> The original Christian practice was to baptize in the name of Jesus, not the Trinity.
> The receiving of the Holy Spirit came after the baptism (hands laid on them).
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (3:15-17, 21-22)
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
> In the first three verses, people speculate if John the Baptist is the Messiah.
> Jesus’ baptism has already taken place.
> When Jesus is praying, the Holy Spirit comes upon him.
> The heavens opened – taken from the book of Isaiah – showing this is the Messiah
> When the father names his son, it establishes legitimacy.
