Rev Chris Roth

Isaiah 9: 1-4; Psalm 27: 1, 5-13; 1 Corinthians 1: 10-18; Matthew 4: 12-23 The season of Epiphany is about manifestation. We see things about Jesus that were previously hidden. The Magi witness the Christ-child as the King of the Jews. When he humbly submits himself to Baptism in solidarity with broken humanity, Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, and we witness the presence of the Father and the Spirit. John the Baptist reveals that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. … The true identity of Jesus is being revealed. The prophet Isaiah says,  “the people dwelling in darkness / have seen a great light, / and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, / on them a light has dawned.”   Matthew applies the words of Isaiah to the arrival of Jesus. Jesus is the light that has dawned for a a people dwelling in the region and shadow of death. The Messiah has arrived, he is the true king, … and he is the Son of God, and he is the Lamb o...

Isaiah 49: 1-7; Psalm 40: 1-12; 1 Corinthians 1: 1-9; John 1: 29-42 The season after Epiphany is about Jesus being revealed. As we go through this season, we will see glimpses of who Jesus really is. Last week Pastor Fergus described the manifestation at the Baptism of Jesus. … Today we read about what John the Baptist experienced when Jesus was baptized. God reveals to him that there is something deeper about Jesus. He is told that as he is baptizing, he will see the Holy Spirit rest on someone. This would be a sign to him about who this person is. John says,  “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him”.  John points to Jesus saying,  “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" What might have come to mind for people when John used the phrase “Lamb of God”? As Anglicans, we are encouraged to pray Morning and Evening Prayer every day. … That rhythm is based on the daily Temple sacrifices. As a part of morning and e...

Isaiah 60: 1-6; Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3: 1-12; Matthew 2: 1-12 Epiphany is actually celebrated on January 6th, which is next Tuesday, but the Anglican Calendar has recommended us moving the celebration to today. Generally, that’s done so that we can talk about Epiphany on a Sunday when more of us are present, rather than expecting people to come for a service on Tuesday. … It’s a bit awkward because it cuts short our celebration of the 12 days of Christmas. We had a hint towards our Gospel reading last Sunday when we remembered the killing of the Holy Innocents, when we read about King Herod ordering the killing of the baby boys 2 years and under in and around Bethlehem, which cause the Holy Family to flee to Egypt. The arrival of the Magi was what alerted King Herod to the birth of a child that might be a rival for his throne. The Magi are mysterious. It seems likely that the Magi are Persian priest-sages. They would be involved in observation of the sky and the interpretat...