Jesus is Revealed as Our Perfect Substitute
The First Sunday after the Epiphany—A
The Baptism of Our Lord

God’s Word for Today

“Why did Jesus need to be baptized? I thought baptism was for sinners?” That’s a common question among Christians. It doesn’t make sense that our Savior, who was perfectly sinless, would need to be baptized, and yet he was. Why? Because Jesus had come to be our perfect substitute, and he is revealed as such in his baptism. God laid on him the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). Even from birth he endured the effects of our sin. Jesus wasn’t a sinner himself, but he was carrying our sin, pain and sorrow (Is 53:4). He needed the assurance of God’s love and forgiveness, just as if he were a sinner himself. Jesus received those promises in baptism, just like we do.

First Lesson (Isaiah 42:1-7)

1.	Who is the “servant of the Lord” being spoken about in these verses?

2.	What kind of person would he be?

3.	What job would the Lord give to him?

Second Lesson (Acts 10:34-38)

4.	What realization did Peter finally have about God?

5.	What did Jesus receive in his baptism? (v. 38)

Gospel (Matthew 3:13-17)

6.	How did John react when Jesus came to be baptized?

7.	What answer did Jesus give?

8.	What three persons were present at Jesus’ baptism?

Answers:

1.	Jesus.

2.	Through the prophet we hear that this servant would be quiet (v. 2), gentle (v. 3), faithful and just (vv. 3-4).

3.	Isaiah says that Jesus would be a “light for the Gentiles” (v. 6) in words that are similar to Simeon’s (Lk 2:29-32).

4.	Peter now realized that God didn’t show favoritism toward his Old Testament people, the Jews. Jesus was the Savior of all people. God wants that truth shared with all nations.

5.	Peter says that he received a special measure of the Holy Spirit and power. In Jesus’ baptism, God the Father was preparing his Son for the tough road ahead. He assured him of his faithful love and guidance.

6.	He refused because he knew that Jesus was not a sinner himself.

7.	He insisted that John baptize him “to fulfill all righteousness” (v 15). Jesus is pointing out to John that, while he didn’t have any personal sin, he was carrying the sins of the world. He had come to be our perfect substitute. Jesus had to live as one of us—perfectly or righteously—so that we might receive his righteousness.

8.	The three persons of the Holy Trinity (God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) were present at Jesus’ baptism. In the same way, the Holy Trinity was present at our baptisms, as we are baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19).

Jesus is Revealed to His Chosen People
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany—A

God’s Word for Today

Who are God’s “chosen people”? When we think of God’s chosen, we usually think of the Old Testament Jews. God chose them from among all the nations of the earth to be his special people. But during the season of Epiphany we find out that God’s chosen people aren’t just from one race or ethnicity. God’s “chosen people” come from all nations, Jew and Gentile. During Epiphany we see that Jesus is revealed to his chosen people, all believers.

First Lesson (Isaiah 49:1-6)

1.	Which person of the Trinity is speaking through the prophet Isaiah in these verses?

2.	What job was given to this “servant” in verse 5?

3.	What additional job was mentioned in verse 6?

Second Lesson (1 Corinthians 1:1-9)

4.	Who wrote this letter to the Corinthians?

5.	To whom is this letter written? (v. 2)

6.	Why does the author thank God? (vv. 4-9)

Gospel (John 1:29-41)

7.	For whose sin did Jesus die according to the Baptizer?

8.	How did John know that Jesus was who he said he was?

9.	What was the first thing Andrew did after he realized that Jesus was the Messiah? (v. 41)

Answers:

1.	Jesus.

2.	To “bring Jacob back to (God) and gather Israel.” In other words, Jesus was sent specifically to win the Jews to faith (Mt 15:24).

3.	To be a light to the Gentiles. While Jesus was sent specifically to the Jews, he also realized that the Gentiles were meant to be brought to faith as well (Jn 10:16).

4.	Paul.

5.	Not only the Christians at Corinth (who were mostly Gentile), but to “all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (including us!).

6.	Because the Lord has blessed these Christians with “every spiritual gift.” Later in this letter Paul instructs these Corinthians in the proper use of their God-given gifts (chs. 12-14).

7.	Jesus died for the sins of the world.

8.	He had seen the Holy Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

9.	He went and told his brother Peter, a wonderful model of the joy Christians feel when their spiritual eyes are opened to the truth of God’s Word. That joy automatically leads to action: go and tell others!

Jesus is Revealed through Preaching
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany—A

God’s Word for Today

How do unbelievers come to find out about Jesus? Does the Holy Spirit just strike them with lightning one day and bring them to faith? No. Paul tells us that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Ro 10:17). We can’t expect others to come to faith in Jesus if we remain silent. We’re reminded that Jesus is revealed through preaching.

First Lesson (Isaiah 9:1-4)

1.	What kind of “darkness” where the people walking in?

2.	What “great light” did they suddenly see?

Second Lesson (1 Corinthians 1:10-17)

3.	What difficulty was Paul dealing with in the Corinthian congregation? (vv. 10-11)

4.	How does Paul address this problem? (v. 13)

5.	What specific job had Paul been sent to do?

Gospel (Matthew 4:12-23)

6.	What did Jesus do when he heard that the Baptizer had been arrested?

7.	What did Jesus do to help him in his job of preaching the good news of the kingdom?

Answers:

1.	These people were walking the spiritual darkness of sin and death. St. Paul says that we were “dead in our transgressions and sins” and “objects of God’s wrath” (Eph 2:1, 3).

2.	Jesus is the light of the world (Jn 8:12) that brings spiritual peace and joy.

3.	There were divisions and quarrels within the congregation.

4.	He asks the Corinthians to consider whether Christ is divided. Either you’re a Christian or you’re not. The members of Christ can’t be divided.

5.	Paul had been sent especially to preach the gospel. Apparently he often left the job of baptizing to others.

6.	He returned to Galilee to preach the gospel, fulfilling the words of Isaiah in the first lesson.

7.	He began to call his disciples. What faith they showed by dropping everything and following Jesus!

Jesus Promises Blessings for Obeying God
The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany—A

God’s Word for Today

Your pastor stands to preach, but today we see Jesus sitting down on a hillside to teach us. Listen to all he teaches.

First Lesson (Micah 6:1-8)

1.	In this courtroom scene, who are the witnesses? For what reasons does the Lord call them as witnesses?

2.	What is the Lord’s charge against his people?

3.	What three things does the Lord require of us, above all?

Second Lesson (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

4.	Why does God often choose the lowly and despised to be his children?

5.	What three things does Paul call Jesus? What does he mean?

Gospel (Matthew 5:1-12)

6.	What word does Jesus used to describe those who trust in his blood? What does he mean?

7.	Does Jesus really mean that if we obey God, good things will come our way? Don’t all God’s blessings come by grace alone?

8.	Where does Jesus even promise to reward us?

Answers:

1.	The witnesses are the mountains, the hills and the foundations of the earth. The Lord calls them because they have been around so long, have witnessed so much, and are so firm and reliable. 

2.	“Why do you think I have burdened you? I have been so gracious to you!”

3.	Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with your God.

4.	He chose the seemingly foolish to shame those who think themselves wise. He chose what seems weak to shame those who think themselves strong. He wanted no one to boast before him.

5.	Paul calls Jesus “our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” Without us doing anything he makes us right with God by his blood, holy in God’s sight. He paid to set us free from Satan and hell.

6.	Jesus calls us “blessed.” He doesn’t mean we are happy, necessarily. He means we have it good, even if we do not feel good.

7.	All God’s blessings definitely come to us by grace alone. But surely Jesus means what he says. God should not bless us for doing what we are told, but he says he will. For people who never obey him fully—what grace!

8.	Jesus even promises to reward us in heaven, greatly. Rejoice and be glad!

Jesus Shines like the Sun
The Last Sunday after the Epiphany—A
The Transfiguration of our Lord

God’s Word for Today

Whether today is a sunny day outside or not, it’s a glorious day here in God’s house. Before he goes to the cross, we see God’s dazzling glory in the face of Jesus, God’s only Son.

First Lesson (Exodus 24:12, 15-18)

1.	To the top of which mountain did the Lord summon Moses?

2.	What did God’s glory look like?

Second Lesson (2 Peter 1:16-21)

3.	To what event did Peter point, when he wanted to prove that on the last day Jesus really will come in power?

4.	To what does Peter compare God’s Word?

5.	How did God’s Word come to us?

Gospel (Matthew 17:1-9)

6.	What does it mean that Jesus was transfigured?

7.	What does God want us to do, when it comes to his Son?

8.	Since Jesus came to be our substitute, both by living for us and by dying for us, how does God look at us?

Answers:

1.	He summoned Moses to the top of Mount Sinai.

2.	It looked like a cloud; see God’s unfathomable mystery. It looked like fire; see God’s fury against sin. It looked like glory; see God’s beauty, his grace that he wants to associate with rebels like us.

3.	Peter pointed to Jesus’ glorious transfiguration. His point: Jesus as plenty of power and glory. He will surely come again in awesome power.

4.	Peter compares God’s Word to a light shining in a dark place. It guides us through the darkness of this sinful world by pointing us to Jesus.

5.	God’s Word came to us in written form in a miraculous way. Men spoke from God as the Holy Spirit carried them along. What they wrote down were the exact words God gave them.

6.	Jesus’ appearance changed dramatically. His clothes became as white as the light. His face shone like the sun. (Since Luke tells us that Peter, James and John were very sleepy, this may well have happened at night. Picture Jesus’ glory shining out in the darkness!)

7.	God wants us to listen to Jesus. (What are your plans to do so during this service? The rest of this week?)

8.	God looks at us the way he looks at Jesus. In Christ, we too are God’s dearly loved children, heirs of all he has. We are well-pleasing to God, in Christ. He thinks of us as if all we have ever done is to obey him.