On the liturgical calendar, this is the Sunday we remember Jesus’ baptism. That always comes very close to Epiphany, since Jesus’ baptism is one of the three events that Epiphany celebrates. This Sunday we’ll put all that together with the words of the prophet Isaiah in the first nine verses of chapter 42 and see what we can make of it all.
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Jesus called himself “Son of Man.” Those who believed he was the Messiah often called him “Son of David.” When the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to tell her she will have a child, the angel says he will be called the “Son of God.” Indeed, a Roman centurion at the crucifixion used that title when Jesus died. Who is this baby whose coming we celebrate in the coming days?
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Continuing our look at the broad context of Jesus’ life and ministry, this sermon focuses on Jesus as a Jew, and the bigger picture of Judaism in Israel during Jesus’ lifetime. Who were the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Levites, and all the rest? What distinguished them from each other? Why was he called “Son of David?” and how did the politics of empires play into all that?
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This sermon takes a look at Jesus as a human being, living in the first century in the Roman colony of Palestine. Where do scholars agree and disagree about his life? What was Nazareth like at the time? Who were his friends? Family?
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One of the reasons our debates about the Bible get so heated is a difference of opinion over how much authority the Bible should have in daily life. People then end up on different sides of that question because of the related question of what role God played in the creation and preservation of the biblical texts. This sermon focuses on the intersection of those questions, the different ways Christians answer them, and how we can be more aware of our own assumptions about those things.
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After you’ve watched, be sure to subscribe to our channel!
Watch or Read
After you’ve watched, be sure to subscribe to our channel!