Messiah News

How often do you reflect back on a "mountain-top" experience in your life? What continuing role does it play other than a positive memory? The Season of Epiphany began and concludes with an extraordinary event, a clear revelation of who Jesus is and what he means to God and to God's Kingdom. At his baptism and now on the Mt. of Transfiguration a di...

"You are the salt of the earth ..." says Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel Lesson. Salt makes a bad main dish in my opinion! Rather, salt is a seasoning or flavor enhancer, right? Even more, let's recognize that salt's usually invisible in a good dinner and if you actually taste the salt itself somebody is likely to scrunch up their...

There is method to Matthew's madness in telling the story of Jesus! In Matthew 3 we read about the baptism of Jesus. Through his baptism Jesus is identified as the one who will be the Savior of the world. In Matthew 4 Jesus is tempted by Satan to abandon his call and sell out to dependence on his own power and privilege. "Denied!" Je...

One of the key passages we visit during the Epiphany Season each year is the calling of the first disciples. Jesus has left home and announced himself with a startling message: "The kingdom of heaven has come near!" And what does this mean for the average person? Repent! Get your act together! Now! So, Jesus is on a mission and he is putting togeth...

Our Gospel Lesson for this Sunday, January 15, 2023, is John 1:29-42.  This is John's version of the baptism of Jesus and it is quite different than the one I preached on last Sunday, Matthew 3:13-17. What is the same, though, is that the story focuses on proclamation of who Jesus is as opposed to Jesus' personal experience of being claimed by...