Readings
Isaiah 42: 1-9
In our reading from Isaiah we get a fair amount of the scripture that outlines Jesus’ mission beginning in verse one where the divine voice declares ‘I have put my spirit upon him,’ which of course we will read about shortly in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism.
This Isaiah passage could easily be read as Jesus’ mission plan and I am sure it would be acceptable to both the Synod and the Presbytery. However we must always keep in mind Dr. Andrews’ caution, mentioned regularly in The Old Testament in Aotearoa New Zealand, that Hebrew Scripture was written for its own particular time and place. Nevertheless that doesn’t stop the Gospel writers using texts like this to frame their story of the life and meaning of Jesus. Indeed, as other scripture indicates that was the tradition of the genre in which they wrote.
Matthew 3: 13-17
Chapter 3 of Matthew’s Gospel introduces John the Baptist using much of Mark’s original text. John is cast as a returning Elijah with his description alluding to 2nd Kings verse 8 where Elijah is described as ‘A hairy man, with a leather belt around his waist.’ According to scripture Elijah did not die but was carried up to heaven in a whirlwind, and, as the expectation of a messiah grew so did the idea that Elijah would return to announce the arrival of God’s Messiah. Therefore Mark, with the other Gospel writers copying, has the Elijah figure of John the Baptist arriving on stage, by the Jordon, where Elijah had left.
We begin our reading where Jesus arrives to be baptised. Warren Carter, in his commentary, notes that the heavens opening to reveal divine knowledge is a traditional motive in both Jewish and Roman literature and he draws attention to the importance of liberation through water in the exodus account.[1] Bill Loader makes the point that ‘In all the gospels the baptism has a mythical quality as portraying a point where the heavenly world and earthly reality meet’.[2] But unlike Mark, where only Jesus hears the divine voice, that heavenly proclamation is addressed to everyone in Matthew.
In framing the Gospel within traditional motives the gospel writers want us to understand is that everything that happens in Jesus’ ministry is part of their religious tradition where new things grow from past tradition.
Sermon
The last verse of Shirley Murray’s hymn links our two readings together and maps out our calling for this year.
Prophets are our travel agents,
gospel-makers lay this road:
to the place of peace and promise
faith will take us to our God.
So far the new lectionary year has led us through Advent and Christmas. It now begins again the mission journey of Jesus. In line with the concluding verse of Shirley Murray’s hymn the travel agent prophet who books the beginning of our faith journey this morning is Isaiah.
But, with the exception of a few diversions to view significant events it will be Matthew that lays the road this year for our retracing of the discipleship journey.