Baptism has come to mean lots of different things to different people. Maybe that is why it seems like baptism has no real impact on the world. If we really look at the Baptism of Jesus, however, we find an event that signifies a new age dawning. It is an age of peace instead of war, kindness instead of violence, order instead of chaos. We also learn that Baptism of Jesus is, in fact, our baptism too. Jesus gives it as a gift so that the world might be saved.

What do you do when you're troubled? Herod plots. Jesus raises the dead. The magi lay down their treasures and worship. Matthew's Epiphany story reveals two kingdoms: one that protects itself through fear, and one that gives itself away in love.

Matthew 2:1-12 | Isaiah 60:1-6 | Ephesians 3:1-12

The Holy Innocents of Bethlehem are the first martyrs. To destroy Jesus, Herod orders all the baby boys under two to be killed. What do we make of this evil? What hope can we gain from this story? Even as we pray "deliver us from evil" the evil persists.

There are a lot of words in the world. Many, maybe most, bear little meaning. At worst, they divide us and promote the worst in us. Jesus is proclaimed as the Word made flesh, and we might wonder if we can bear another word. This Word, however, brings life to a dying world, and light to the darkness of our existence.

It is easy to lose track of Jesus as we celebrate Christmas. Buried underneath layers of tradition, Christ's birth gets lost. We relegate the event to the distant past and remember it in ways that take faith to grasp who he is, where we find him, and why it matters to us. The truth of the story is that the savior and Lord, Jesus is found in obscure places among people who are considered nobodies. The truth is that he is born into this world for you.

Joseph was righteous. He was faithful. And he was completely stuck. Every option felt like loss. Every path forward felt impossible. He couldn't sleep. He just waited, faithful, afraid, and alone.

Matthew 1:18-25 | Isaiah 7:10-16

John the Baptist has announced the coming of the Messiah and called the people to repent and prepare. Sitting in jail, awaiting his fate, he sees none of the things he expected from the Messiah's coming. No conquering armies, no defeat of enemies, no judgment. He asks, "Are you the one, Jesus?" Maybe he got it all wrong. Jesus points to the signs of his reign – the blind see, the deaf hear, the poor receive good news. John was right about Jesus. He just had the wrong expectations.

Our theme for this season is either bold or foolish. In a world beset by violence, war, strife, and division, we declare that peace has dawned. Images of swords fashioned into plows and Paul's declaration that salvation is ever nearer call us to faith in Christ, not faith in a world gone mad. They call us to live anticipating what is promised instead of assuming life is just more of the same.