Epiphany, Baptism of our Lord, Year B
Scriptures:
Genesis 1:1-5 God creates light.
Psalm 29 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. (Ps. 29:3)
Acts 19:1-7 Baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Mark 1:4-11 Revelation of Christ as God’s servant.
Key verse:
“On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 19:5
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Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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I don’t know about you, but I felt that this Christmas season was so short. And now we are in the season of Epiphany. In this season, we are going to focus on how God’s redeeming work is revealed through the life of Jesus and why it matters to you and me. It is what Epiphany Season is about. And the story of our Lord’s Baptism that we hear today is the center of God’s revelation. 我不知道你們，但我覺得今年的聖誕節特別的短暫。現在我們已經進入了主顯現期的季節。在這主顯現期的季節裡，上帝向我們顯示，祂是如何透過耶穌的生命來實現祂救贖的計畫，以及為什麼透過耶穌基督的救贖，是對你和我非常重要的一件事情。這就是主顯現期季節的目的。從上帝向我們顯示的一切，主耶穌的洗禮是一個很重要的關鍵。
The evangelist Mark describes Jesus’ baptism in this way. He said that when Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens tore apart, and the Spirit descended like a dove on Jesus. Then a voice from heaven said to Jesus, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” This holy baptism event marked the inauguration of Jesus’ public ministry. 福音傳道者馬可是這樣描述主耶穌的洗禮。他說，當耶穌從水裡上來時，天就裂開了，聖靈像鴿子一樣降在耶穌身上。然後有聲音從天上對耶穌說： “祢是我的愛子；我喜悅祢。” 耶穌的聖洗禮就是一個就職典禮，是耶穌拓展事工的開始。
Why was the inauguration of Jesus’ public ministry necessary? It had to do with the broken relationship between God and God’s people. It also had to do with the image of God that was impaired by people like you and me. Jesus’ baptism was God’s way of declaring who Jesus was and that Jesus was the one who could make everything right. Has God ever regretted creating humans in the image of God in the first place? God has. Remember the flood God caused in Noah’s time? 為什麼必須要有耶穌的聖洗禮 為 就職典禮呢？這與兩件事息息相關。第一，神和我們人類之間的關係已經破裂。第二，由上帝形象所被創造的人類也已經被損壞。耶穌的洗禮是神向世人，宣告耶穌是誰、並且要世人知道，唯一能夠使一切修復如初的，只有耶穌。上帝是否曾經後悔過，照著自己的形象創造人類呢？有的。還記得上帝在挪亞時代引發的洪水嗎？
In order to retore the image of God in humans, God had to bring back humanity somehow. Obviously, Noah couldn’t do it. God was the only one who could do it. And God did. God did it by sending his only Son who had to be born as a human without losing his divinity. 為了修復上帝在人類身上的形象，上帝必須要以某種方式把最初被創造的人性挽回。顯然，諾亞做不到。唯一能做到這一點的，只有 神。這也就是為什麼 上帝派遣祂的獨生子來完成這個使命，祂必須降生為人而不失去祂的神性。
Which religion has a God who has 100 percent humanity and 100 percent divinity? And that God is willing to use his divine power to forgive our sins and save us from eternal condemnation. And this God doesn’t stop there, he wants to make sure that God’s image in humans can be restored fully. And the same God also is willing to live as a human to go through temptation and suffering that humanity can’t escape from. That God is our Lord Jesus Christ. 你可知，哪個宗教的上帝擁有 100% 的人性和 100% 的神性呢？這位 神願意使用祂神聖的力量來寬恕我們的罪，並將我們從永久的譴責中拯救出來。而這位神不止於此，他還要確保神的形像在人類身上能得到完全的恢復。這位 神也願意以降生為人的樣子，去經歷人類無法逃避的誘惑和痛苦。這位 神就是我們的主耶穌基督。
In order to make everything right, you and I are invited to take part in Jesus' baptism. Only by doing so can we enter the new life in Christ who has conquered it all. That means our sins are forgiven, and the image of God is restored. 為了完成這修復的使命，你和我都被邀請參與耶穌的洗禮。如此做，我們才能進入一個完全被基督戰勝的新生命。這意味著我們的罪被得赦免，神的形像在我們的身命理，也被修復了。
In our baptism, we confess our faith in Jesus and our identity as God’s children are affirmed. Every baptism of ours is an inauguration of a person’s public ministry just as the baptism of Jesus was the inauguration of His public ministry. We are the ambassadors for Christ. We join the mission Jesus started long ago. 在洗禮中，我們承認我們對耶穌的信仰，並確認我們具有上帝孩子的身份。我們每一個人的洗禮，都是一個就職典禮，是我們拓展事工的開始，就像耶穌的洗禮是祂的就職典禮，是祂拓展事工的開始。我們是基督的使者。我們加入了耶穌很久以前就已經開始的使命。
What St. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 describes well the meaning of our baptism. It says: 聖保羅在《哥林多後書》5:17-21 中所說的話確切地描述了我們洗禮的意義。他說：
So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God. For our sake God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin, so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God. 『若有人在基督裡，他就是一個新造的人：一切舊事都已過去，都變成新的了。看，新事物已經誕生了！這一切都是出於 神，祂藉著基督使我們與祂和好，並且將勸人與祂和好的職分賜給我們。也就是說，神在基督裡使世人與自己和好，不再將他們的過犯歸咎於他們，並將和解的信息託付給我們。因此，我們是基督的使者，因為神正在透過我們發出祂的呼籲；我們代表基督懇求你與上帝和好。神為了我們的緣故，使那不知罪的耶穌成為罪，好讓我們在基督裡面成為神的義。』
In baptism, when a lit candle is passed on to the newly baptized, we hear Matthew 5:16. It says, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Being baptized, Christians are called to let the light of Christ shine in places where there is no hope and love. 在洗禮中，當一根點燃的蠟燭傳遞給新受洗者時，我們會讀馬太福音 5:16：『你們的光也這樣照在人前，叫他們看見你們的好行為，便將榮耀歸給你們在天上的父。』接受聖洗禮後的基督徒們，身負的使命是，讓基督的光照亮那些沒有盼望和愛的地方。
Light doesn’t just reveal what God is doing through you and me. Light also moves us to participate in God’s mission. See this radiometer! The vanes inside the glass will start spinning when they receive the light. It doesn't just show what light can do but also shows us its movement. It is really beautiful just like every living being God creates. Jesus is our light that is in us and moves us. 光不只是顯示神透過你和我所做的事。光也能推動我們參與上帝的使命。看看這個光能輻射計！當玻璃內的葉片接收到光線時，它們就會開始旋轉。它向我們展示了光的作用，除了照亮還能推動物體。轉動的光能輻射計真的很美，就像上帝創造的每一個生命一樣。耶穌是我們的光，使我們生命閃爍，並推動我們。
Week after week, as we gather in worship and see the light that the acolyte carries into the sanctuary, we are reminded of the presence of Christ coming into our midst. And at the end of the worship, we see the light leading us out of the sanctuary into the world where God’s hope and love are needed desperately. Let us join God’s mission, shine before others, and be witnesses to the love and the hope of God, so that people may give glory to our heavenly Father. Amen. 在每一週聚集的敬拜中，燭童帶入聖所的光，提醒了我們基督來到我們當中。在敬拜結束前，我們看到耶穌的光，引導我們走出聖所，進入一個迫切需要神的希望和愛的世界裡。讓我們一起參與神的使命，讓主耶穌的光，照在人前，成為神的愛與盼望的見證，使人將榮耀歸給我們的天父。阿們。
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