We’re just over a week into the new year, 2021 is behind us, and despite our hopes that 2022 would bring the end of the pandemic, we’re caught once again in the fear and uncertainty of what lies ahead. How do we move forward when the future is so uncertain – when we don’t know whether we’ll get stuck in isolation tomorrow or even when we can sing at church?
Over the coming Sundays we will be celebrating the season of Epiphany, a season where we remember the ‘manifestation’ of Jesus, in other words, the ways Jesus was revealed to us. We will hear how the glory and power of God was made known in and through Jesus, in real ways to real people. In all these things, the uncertainties of the people of Israel – their fears and doubts of when God would save them – were all overcome when God’s beloved Son Jesus was revealed to all people.
With all of these uncertainties and fears ahead of us, we have a great reminder to look at what God has revealed to us – His beloved Son. As we hear about Jesus’ own baptism this week, you can remember the eternal, certain promises of your own baptism – that God has made you His child and has prepared a place for you in His eternal kingdom.