I suspect that some might have been surprised to hear about John the Baptist on Christmas Eve, and "Lo and behold" here he is again at Epiphany!

On Christmas Eve, we looked at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, remember? No Christmas story other than Mark saying "Jesus, the Son of God". Mark jumps right to John the Baptist and his role in proclaiming Jesus and God's mission. And so it is with the Gospel According to John, again, no manger, no angels, no shepherds! He tells us the cosmic importance of Jesus, and then jumps right into Jesus mission.

First, we need to remember that we are talking about two Johns this morning. The one the Gospel is named after, John the beloved disciple; Jesus favourite disciple and secondly the John who baptized Jesus.

It's the second one were going to talk about today. John who baptized Jesus. Notice I didn't say John the Baptist since in this Gospel no title is given to John. Which is fine with him since he doesn't want one. Are you the Messiah John is asked, "I am not". Are you Elijah come back from the dead ... "No." Are you the great prophet? "Nope". Who are you?

"I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

Notice that John doesn't answer them. He just keeps pointing to the coming of the Lord. John points continually towards Jesus and his mission: the Kingdom of God. John's life is directed towards Jesus Christ and in service of the Kingdom of God.

This John is an odd one, even in his time. And even more in ours. Here is John's 15 minutes of fame! His big chance to shine, and at every chance he turns down the volume of his life, and turns up the volume on Jesus Christ. Yet he goes even further and says,

"Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal."

Jesus is here among us, and he is going to replace me. I am not worthy even to be his slave; Jesus is everything, I am his servant. By the river, John washes away his own aspirations so that his life can be a reflection of Jesus Christ. Not so that he disappears, but that his life is caught up in something more. In giving up his life, he finds it. Such is the way of the Kingdom of God.

This is a difficult lesson for many, since often another approach to life is taught. Especially when there is a crisis in our life, as a person or as a church community. We tend to think, "OK, there is a problem" What do we need? What is missing? We need to find something to solve the problem. What do I need to do in order to make life better for myself.

Yet, today's lesson is a difficult one since it is calling us to do the opposite. Often it is not what we must gain, but what we must let go of. Often we in the Church seek some new spiritual method or program in order to find God. Whereas, in the Bible the problem is that we must let go one something or some idol that is blocking God's path to us.

Meister Eckhart, a German Christian writer, said it this way,

"There, where clinging to things ends, is where God begins to be. If a cask is to contain wine, you must first pour out the water. The cask must be bare and empty. Therefore, if you wish to receive divine joy and God, first pour out your clinging to things. Everything that is to receive must and ought to be empty."

Is this so strange an idea? Look! We hang that empty cross as a sign of way of God. There on that instrument of death! There amid the brokeness of human life, God is revealed most fully. There among the poor and the outcast. There amid the darkness; there you will find the light of God. There on the cross which reveals the truth about our lives, we discover God's open arms, willing to embrace a world which rejected Jesus, the Son of God. There is the light willing to embrace the darkness that attempted to overcome it, and thank God, could not.

Sometimes people misunderstand Christianity and find all this talk of death and blood, and sin to be morose. Why not talk about something more cheerful? Yet, often what they really mean is, "I'm too afraid to face the reality of death, suffering, and my own complicity in the world's pain that I'd rather 'whistle in the dark' than 'stare death in the face.'"

And yet, the Bible, and Christians who ebrace it's truth, are bold in their facing the world's suffering. That is why we have the "prayers of the people" soon after the Bible reading and the sermon. In response to hearing what God has done for us, we respond with courage, willing to name the truth of our world before God. We who have been called to be the church name for the world, that "there is much that needs to be done away with in our world." Poverty, illness, war, and ultimately death. We face this suffering, not in denial, or with a stoic's conviction to rise above suffering, or even to detach ourselves from suffering. No, we enter into the world's suffering as a people of hope, who with the knowledge of Jesus Christ understand that God is at work there healing, reconciling, and comforting. Christians are realists who understand, through Jesus Christ, that there is a deeper reality at work in our sin soaked world; God's mission, the Kingdom of God.

This is why at the baptism of new Christians, we do not shy away from talking about death. Indeed, one understanding of baptism is that it is a renunciation of death and one's own love, such that we become part of Jesus Christ and his life. A life who's mission was centered on the self or on something else, is now centred on Jesus Christ. The new person now actively shares in the mission of witnessing to, and assisting in God's mission.

Paul said,
"Do you know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ... For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."

This is what we proclaim each time that we baptize someone. We are proclaiming that life does not come about through serving the self or serving one's family or serving the state or serving some ideology. Life comes through sharing in the way of Jesus cross, in the way of emptying ourselves so that God can shine more brightly through us. Christ has reconciled us with God and called us to be agents for God's mission.

By the grace of God, we whom God has shown the way. We who have come to know that Jesus is the light of the world, our very salvation. Both personally and for the whole of creation. We have been called to become witnesses, in all our life, to the light that we have found through following the crucified Christ. This One who is born in a place of no importance; to a poor peasant woman, named Mary; this One who renounced wealth and false power; this One who who's life was centred on God's mission; reconciling the world and blessing it. This One whom the world rejected, is the very light of the world. Jesus Christ is our Epiphany! AMEN.

Call to Worship
Come and see the light which is Jesus Christ.
Come and understand he is the light of the world.
Come all who are cold and weary and broken.
Together let us gather together in the warmth and radiance of God's love.

Confession
We who have lived in darkness have seen a great light and we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! You are our light, our way and our life. You are everything, and yet you live for us. You give your very life for the world, even a world that rejected and rejects you.
You are a mystery to us, and there is much for us to learn of your ways. And yet, through your Son, Jesus Christ, you reveal your nature, which is love.
We confess that without the light of your truth, and the indwelling of your love, we walk in darkness. You know our human history and our personal histories. You know our failures to love, our misdirecte love, and even our embracing of hatred. How easy it is for us human beings to hate.
There is no darkness in you, O Living God, only light. Again we gather, to turn away from all darkness towards your forgiving and reconciling love. Seeking forgiveness and power for true human living. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN.

Assurance
I'll read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 for the assurance

Offering
Gracious Creator, You have given us this world to inhabit and enjoy. A green and blue treasure set against the glory of a universe full of stars. You have given us a special role as its caretakers, such that we might reflect your image.
Light of the world, you gave your life as a gift for the world. You who are everything, became nothing for our sake. You, whom therein is no darkness, entered into the darkness such that we might share in your light and life.
Breath of Life, pour out your blessing upon our offerings that they might work for your mission in the world. That we might be your mission in the world. Pour out your life-giving energies that we might be filled with such joy as your church that your life will overflow through us.
We praise you Triune God and bless you as you bless us. AMEN.