The themes of enlightenment and revelation are central to epiphany, those “ah-ha” moments when we suddenly see things differently. 

This week, our passages explore what comes after the moment of revelation.  Isaiah 9.1-4, is largely concerned with encouraging his people to keep hold of hope for a brighter future but this future is to be created by a choice: a choice not to ally themselves with one foreign power or another but to ally themselves only with God. 

In our gospel, Matthew 4.12-23, Jesus responds to the arrest of John by yet another foreign power by calling his first disciples.  He too asks them to make a choice: whether to continue to ally themselves with the empire of Rome (which would have licensed, regulated and taxed their catch of fish) or to ally themselves with God’s kingdom.  Such a choice comes at a cost.  It involves confronting the darkness in their land yet it is only by doing so that the light will dawn.

Who do we think we are? Epiphany is the season of revelation; the stories that reveal Christ’s true nature also reveal our own identity as his siblings in the family of God.

Today, as we mark the baptism of Christ, we remember that we are baptised in the same spirit. In our gospel, Matthew 3:13-17, although John does not want to baptise him, Jesus insists, leading us to follow him. For Christ, as for Isaiah, 42:1-7, baptism is a recreation.

We are remade in the waters of baptism for a reason: we too are to take our place alongside Christ working for the renewal of all people and all creation; bringing light to the nations, freedom to the oppressed and carrying the spirit of God into the world.

The feast of the epiphany tells the story, in Matthew 2:1-12, of the magi travelling from the east to pay homage to the Christ child.  The story reveals the true identity of that child: gold for ruling, frankincense for holiness and myrrh for dying.

The story of Christ is our story too: his identity reveals our true identity and tells us something about how we are to live, how we are to become truly human.  The gifts given to the infant Jesus are not gifts for him so much as they symbolise the way in which he will be a gift to God’s world.  We too are gifted and our gifts are only of any use if they are used for all of us. 

The prophet Isaiah, 60:1-9, hints as this in his vision of human peace and concord: the light that shines on us becomes the light that shines from us.  As we discern a new path, a new way home, for all God’s people.

Oh, faithful few, who come to church the Sunday after Christmas when so many are on holiday, staying with friends, visiting family.  And what reward do you get? The massacre of the innocents. 

It’s a bit of a downer after all the Christmas cheer. This is the part of the story we so often skip over: “the voice of Rachel wailing and weeping for her children” recounted in Matthew 2:13-23 and yet, this is why we need Christmas after all. 

Innocents are still being massacred. We need the child born in Bethlehem, the one who will, as Isaiah 63:7-9 promises, redeem us in his love and pity.  The child of Bethlehem who shows us that all God’s children are precious and call us to follow Joseph’s example in offering protection and refuge.

At 4pm on Christmas Eve, church is transformed for our family Nativity service, complete with readings, carols and a full cast of characters in costume, armed with candles!

Children, bring your family and join in the fun, just please try not to set each other on fire!

On our last Sunday in Advent the readings ponder over the sign God sends to assure us of God’s presence with us. King Ahaz asks the prophet Isaiah, 7:10-26, for a sign that God will be with his people as they face imminent military defeat.  Isaiah offers him this; a young woman is with child, she will bear a son who will be called Emmanuel, God is with us. This is not the sign that King Ahaz was expecting.  The divine presence he seeks is one of strength and power. The words of the prophesy are echoed in the story of Jesus’ birth in Matthew 1:18-25.  Once again, the birth of a child to a young woman is not easy to recognise as a sign of God’s presence with us. Joseph needs the angel Gabriel to explain it to him just as Ahaz needed the prophet Isaiah. With Christmas just a week away we too ponder what it means for God to come not in strength but in vulnerability, where is true divine power to be found and are we able to recognise and embrace it?

Our readings this morning look forward with hope and excitement to a time when God’s kingdom comes: a time of flourishing both for God’s people but also for the whole of creation: the blind will see, the lame will leap, the barren places will bear fruit. However, the route to this kingdom is not the one we might expect: The flourishing described by Isaiah 35:1-10 is to be found in the wilderness, a place of hardship and trial. In Matthew 11:2-11, Jesus castigates those who travel out into the wilderness expecting to find riches and power.

Today is the second Sunday in Advent, a day when we celebrate the prophets in every generation who call us to a better future. Prophets are not always popular because they almost always call us to change. John the Baptist, Matthew 3:1-12, is pretty terrifying: munching on locusts, wearing camel skins and warning us of “the wrath that is to come”. He calls us to repent (literally, turn around) and do things differently, to bear good fruit.