EPIPHANY 2. 18 January 2026
The Rev’d Lucy Nguyen
Readings: Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42
The readings in this church season of Epiphany serve to remind us that a baby in a manger is not the fullness of our faith, it is a beginning.
Our first reading, Isaiah, shifts us from an exclusive to an inclusive understanding of restoration – we are part of the servant story. How do we know this from Isaiah?
Isaiah answers the question who is the Servant that undertook the work of God in order that “salvation may reach the end of the earth” with the response “Israel”. He reveals Israel the nation as a whole (vs7) and as the remnants (vs6) and as the one who stands over both nation and remnant, the individual (50.10). (1)
As Christians, we’ll want to add Jesus and think no more about it. Baby born, Jesus is here, now we can carry on carefree. Does it ever work like that with a baby?
We are reminded in our Second Reading, Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians that Jesus’ arrival does not mean we have no role in the story of responding, repairing, restoring the world. “We can’t get off the hook of the demanding servant vocation by supposing Jesus has done it all. The Isianic pattern still awaits fulfilment: If God’s justice and salvation are to reach to earth’s bounds, it will be through servants, equipped with the spirit of the Servant. (1)
Last Sunday I had the gift of being at my 3rd grandson’s baptism. The priest likened baptism to birth saying that last Sunday 11 January 2026 was B. T. H-N.’s 2nd birth. The first being his birth into the world 6 months ago, the 2nd, last week, being born, welcomed, received into his Christian faith.
And as we know life isn’t intended to stop at birth. The expectation, the hope is that the baby will grow into adulthood and ideally live a long and wonderful life. And from baptism, the expectation is not to roll over and do nothing but to grow in faith and to come to understand and engage in the God’s restoration in the world. Our baptism is the intentional start to growing as part the body of Christ – for Christ’s work in the world.
Indeed, our Gospel reading from John takes us from hearing him testifying to the sight of the Spirit descending upon Jesus to what happened next. Chapter 1, verse 35 “the next day John again was standing with the two disciples and when John points him out they decide to follow Jesus …
38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ 39He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ NRSV
The “come and see” call will be echoed by Philip to Nathaniel and later on by the Samaritan Women by the well to other Samaritans – “come and see”. (2)
This is not a static story. There is a call made by Jesus so early in ministry to ‘come and see’.
What might it mean to you this year to answer Jesus’s call made so early in his ministry to “come and see”?
A few years ago, I shared something Joan Chittister wrote in her book “Following the path, the search for a life of passion purpose and joy”. The book was published in her 76th year She writes “Discovering what we must do to be happy ourselves so that we can be a gift to the world around us is the central question of life.” (3)
I love that linking together of happiness and being a gift to the world. This I think is key to our baptism. Baptism is a gift of life, and it comes with invitation. As the baptised we are called to Jesus, to follow him in his baptism to address the challenges of the world – in ways that bring life to us and to the world.
NT Wright in his reflection on today’s readings shares this thought:
“The fluidity of Isaiah’s servant-concept (remember our First Reading) … has to do with God’s continuing determination to work through his created order, through his chosen people. Through Jesus, yes, as the true Israelite, the firstborn of all creation, but also now through those who belong to Jesus; … in John’s account of Jesus’ baptism and the first disciples, Andrew’s announcement (we’ve found the Messiah!’) is matched, balanced by Jesus’ comment (‘Simon, eh? I’m going to call you Mr Rock’).
Just as the family of B. see so much possibility and love for B., so God sees each of us, no matter our perceived abilities.
NT Wright reminds us
When, through the window of God’s revelation, you recognise the unique Servant, you will also glimpse your own reflection in the glass.” (1)
We are not to be disinterested or isolated in this journey of discipleship we are connected in hope faith joy and love. We have a part of God’s story of restoration – remembering the words attributed to Teresa of Avila
Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
No hands but yours,
No feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which to look out Christ’s compassion to the world;
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; yours are the hands with he is to bless people now. (4)
From baptism there is the recognition that the Christ we are called to follow is the Lamb of God, who calls us to take up our challenges and joys, with an openness to receiving the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” – the transforming, empowering encounter with God.
Who does Jesus call us, call you to be this year?
Let us together “come and see”.
Amen.