Epiphany II- the Baptism of our Lord- Mark 1:1-11

The Books of Common Prayer from 1549 through 1662 follow the usage of Sarum and do not have a Sunday Gospel on Christ's Baptism during the Epiphany season. The 1928 American BCP re-introduced the reading from Mark 1:1-11 to observe this important event. By coming to John to be baptized, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. Although sinless, our incarnate Lord expressed His solidarity with sinful human beings who all need cleansing. Jesus also received a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit on His human nature as He began His public ministry. And the heavenly voice acknowledged Him as the Son of God. This moment is a unique manifestation or epiphany of the divine glory in Christ. It also points ahead to His whole public ministry and work for human salvation. 

Because of Christ's uniqueness, there are certainly historical and theological differences between His Baptism by John and later Christian Baptism commanded by the risen lord in Matthew 28:19. Yet, in part, the Baptism of Jesus is also a model for us. He underwent Baptism to point to the human need for the washing of regeneration. He was pure, but we need to be cleansed. He was already in unity with the Spirit while we need to be born anew by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He was the Son of God by nature, but we need to be adopted as children of God. Baptism also points us to our ministries. Being baptized into Christ makes us members of Christ's Body and calls us to continue Christ's ministry in this world.

The Thirty-Nine Articles and Anglican Identity

 A significant question about Anglican Christianity, past and present, concerns its definition. What makes a church or a person Anglican? Is it merely English heritage or being Anglophile? Is it mainly having a traditional Book of Common Prayer or a modern derivative? Is it having bishops?  Is it being recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury? Is being Anglican a matter of sharing opinions held by some historic Anglican party such as Low, High, or Broad Church? More than one of these characteristics probably applies to anyone who identifies as Anglican. 

However, there remains one important characteristic of Anglican identity that I have not listed. That characteristic is the position of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion as a formulary or standard. Ironically, this theological statement that was intended to promote relative harmony in the sixteenth-century Church of England (1562,1571) has occasioned much debate and dissension over the years. In recent times,  Anglicans of varied persuasions have distanced themselves from the Articles. Even Anglicans who praise the Articles in theory often seem to ignore them.

Despite such recent trends, the historical fact is that most Anglicans for well over 400 years have affirmed some adherence to the Thirty-Nine Articles. Since at least 1662, they have been printed with the English Book of Common Prayer and Ordinal (and since 1801 with the American Book of Common Prayer). Furthermore, when non-Anglicans from diverse backgrounds write about Anglican beliefs, they always seem to mention the Articles along with the Prayer Book. So whether particular Anglican individuals or groups appreciate the Thirty-Nine Articles or not, as a historical reality, the Articles are associated with Anglican heritage and identity.

The Articles help one understand what Anglicanism intended to be. Along with the Prayer Book liturgies, the Articles express some basic Anglican principles and tendencies. They emphasize the authority of Scripture, affirm core teachings of the ancient catholic faith, and contain some Reformation insights on faith and life. Despite historical developments since their approval, they are still a valuable statement of principles. They contain basic Christian affirmations along with some distinctive English emphases. Through the Articles and the Prayer Book, one can see the basic characteristics of Anglican historical identity, an identity that has sought to be catholic, evangelical, and reformed.

Epiphany- 6 January- Isaiah 49:6

The feast and season of Epiphany begin with the first Evening Prayer near sundown on January 5 ("Twelfth Night"). The name Epiphany is derived from a Greek word meaning “appearance” or “manifestation.” Apart from Good Friday-Easter and Pentecost. Epiphany is the oldest yearly Christian observance. It is certainly older than Christmas Day, and it was the first day widely used to celebrate Christ’s Birth. In Eastern churches of the 3rd and 4th centuries, Epiphany seems to have been associated with all the events surrounding Christ’s beginnings. These events included Jesus’s Birth, the coming of the Wise Men, the presentation of the Infant in the Temple, the Finding of the youth Jesus in the Temple, and Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan. As the church calendar developed, these events were commemorated on separate occasions. In the Latin-speaking Church, January 6 became associated with the Gentile Wise Men (Matthew 2) and Christ’s mission to the nations.

The theme of Epiphany can be summarized by the divine prophecy in Isaiah 49:6b, " I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the light of God's truth and love shining into a sin darkened world. This light shines on the faithful of Israel and spreads to all nations. May His light illuminate our hearts, minds and souls and shine before those around us!