Preparing for Worship - January 22, 2023

The Light of the Lord and of His Son, Jesus Christ, continues to shine brightly in this Epiphany season. In the Psalm, Psalm 27:1-9 (10-14), David speaks of the Lord as “his Light and His Salvation.” Therefore, David says in several ways that he is not afraid, even though there are evildoers and enemies who want to assail (attack) him and bring “war” against him. David asks that he continue to be able to come into the Lord's house, “His tent,” (His tabernacle, still being used, since the temple would only be built later). There he would find “shelter in the day of trouble” and “seek the Lord’s face” and “be taught His ways.” Then he could continue to say with confidence, “I believe - that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord” and say to us also: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

The Old Testament lesson is Isaiah 9:1-4, where the prophet Isaiah predicts that people walking in darkness will see “a great light” that will shine upon them, and “multiply joy” for them and break “the yoke” of burden and oppression that is upon them. It will be like the days when Gideon and a few hundred men defeated the much greater forces of the Midianites and brought peace to God’s people. (See Judges 6-7 in the Old Testament. In fact, in the verses that follow in Isaiah 9:6-7, it will be a “child” who will be born and have the names of God, and would be the “Prince of Peace.”)

This Old Testament lesson is quoted in the Gospel lesson, “Matthew 4:12-25,” with reference to Jesus, who would go to Galilee, in the territory of the Old Testament tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, but an area in which Gentiles (non-Jews) also lived. Jesus would call all people to “repent,” for their greatest “burden” was the burden of their sins. He came to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) by His death on the cross, as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) and to open up the door of “the kingdom of heaven” for them. Jesus also called disciples, fishermen at the Sea of Galilee, to follow Him and help Him by being becoming “fishers of men,” instruments by whom He could bring more people into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus also preached and healed in that whole region, so that “His fame” spread also to the North, to Syria, and to the East, beyond the Jordan River, places where even more Gentiles also lived. It was exactly as God had predicted through Isaiah. Jesus was becoming “the Light of the world” (John 8:12), a “Light” that no darkness could ever overcome (John 1:4-5).

By the time of our Epistle lesson, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, the Gospel of Jesus had come to Corinth, in the nation of Greece, as we heard last week. Unfortunately, some of the people there were focusing too much on certain leaders and arguing about which one seemed more important to them. Paul had to call them back to faith in Jesus. It was the cross of Jesus alone by which they were saved, and it was His gift of baptism by which they were brought into faith, through water and the Word and the Holy Spirit. Paul and Apollos and Cephas (Peter) and others (including any preacher or teacher or person today) were only instruments through which God worked. It is the Word of the cross of Jesus our Savior that is the power of God by which we are saved. Thanks be to God alone! (See also Romans 1:16-17.)