First reading: Isaiah 42:1-9
The Servant, a Light to the Nations
1Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry out or lift up his voice
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,[a]
a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them
Second reading: Matthew 3:13-17 NRSVUE
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,[a] with whom I am well pleased.”
Call to Worship
Leader: Come! Let us follow Jesus to the edge of the Jordan River to be baptized.
People: We come to be cleansed and made whole.
Leader: Come! Let us witness John’s confusion and Jesus’ insistence that John baptize God Incarnate.
People: We come to join Jesus in choosing life in the kingdom of God.
Leader: Come! Let us hear God declare the truth of Jesus’ identity and the truth of our identity as baptized people.
People: We come to remember and embody who we are as beloved children of God.
Leader: Come! Let us worship God who leads us into the baptismal waters and salvation life.
People: We come to worship God who empowers us through divine presence to live together as the family of God.
Opening Prayer
Everlasting God, during Jesus’ baptism, you revealed him as your own Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit. We pray that you will guide and keep all of us who have been reborn through water and the Spirit, faithful to our calling as your people.
We humbly acknowledge our own stubbornness, Lord. As we enter this season of your light shining upon the world and your blessings pouring out upon us, we find ourselves consumed with our own problems, needs, and desires. Help us to instead desire you, Lord. May our hearts yearn for your presence. Wash over us once again with the waters of baptism, cleansing us from self-pity and pride. Nourish and heal us so that we may joyfully serve you. Remove any jealousy, greed or negative thoughts that prevent us from truly living out our calling as your people. May we embrace the blessings of creation, Jesus’ birth and baptism, and the ministry of your holy saints.
We ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now hear these Words of Assurance
The love of God is always offered to us, freely, joyfully, for all eternity. Rejoice, dear friends, this is the good news of our Lord. Amen.
Sermon
We use as our text the readings from Isaiah 42 and Matthew chapter 3
I. The Lowly Manner of the King
Friends, observe the method of our God. When the Almighty introduces His Chosen One, He does not speak of a conqueror with a sword of steel, but of a Servant. Isaiah tells us he shall not “cry out” or “lift up his voice” in the streets. There is no pride here, no worldly pomp.
How does this match the scene at the Jordan? See the Lord of Glory standing in the muddy waters with sinners! John the Baptist rightly trembles, saying, “I need to be baptized by you.” But our Lord answers “To fulfill all righteousness.” True righteousness is not found in escaping the needs of humanity, but in stooping to meet them.
In the light of these scriptures, there are questions we must ask of ourselves.
Am I willing to “fulfill all righteousness” by attending to the small, humble day by day actions of my life as though to the Lord, even when they bring me no worldly honor? Or do we ask, “What’s in it for me?”
Do I, like John the Baptist, allow my own ego to decrease so that Christ may increase in my life? Can I step out of being the center of my own universe? I remember a bumper sticker that said, if God is your copilot — you are in the wrong seat.
II. The Gentleness of Divine Grace
Mark well the character of this Servant: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.” Is this not the very essence of the Prevenient Grace of God?
The Bruised Reed:
Have you ever felt like a reed by the water that’s been stepped on? Snapped, hanging by a thread, feeling useless?
The world would snap that reed the rest of the way and throw it aside. But Jesus says, “I will not break you.” Perhaps you have felt your soul is snapped by the weight of sin or the sorrows of this life.
The words of Amazing Grace come to mind. “‘Twas Grace that caused my heart to fear.” There is great fear when we realize how unworthy we are of God’s love and forgiveness. We can feel crushed under the weight of our failures when the Spirit shines a holy light upon us.
However, the hymn writer also penned these words of hope, “and grace my fears relieved” because he understood that Jesus came to save, to lift up, and to heal. He sought us before we even knew him.
Let’s now turn those inward thoughts outward and ask, “How do I treat the “bruised reeds” in my life—the weak, the struggling, or those who have offended me? Do I crush them with my opinions, my words, or my deeds?
Or do I lift them up with my words, works, and prayers?
The Dimly Burning Wick: Perhaps your faith is but a flicker, nearly extinguished by the cold winds of the world. Maybe your faith feels like a candle that’s been blown out, where there’s no flame left, only a little bit of smoke.
The world would pinch that wick and move on. But Jesus says, “I will not put out that spark.”
Ask yourself, can I be patient with my own “dimly burning wick,” trusting God’s work of Sanctification, or do I give way to that spiritual apathy which prevents understanding or faith. It can be described as a deep spiritual sleep or paralysis against divine callings. It can impact prayer and spiritual awareness. This requires spiritual awakening through prayer and study.
Hear the Good News! Our Christ does not come to crush you or blow out your fading hope. He comes to “faithfully bring forth justice.” He comes to bind up what is broken. He does not grow faint until His work in your heart is finished.
III. The Baptism of Spirit and Fire
As Jesus emerges from the water, the heavens are rent asunder. The Spirit descends—not as an eagle, a bird of prey, but “like a dove.”
Here we see the “New Things” Isaiah spoke of.
The Father’s voice declares, “This is my Son.” Friends, this is the Witness of the Spirit. Just as the Spirit rested upon Jesus, so it is offered to you.
It is not enough to have the “form of godliness” as described in 2 Timothy 3:5-7 “ holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power.” We must have the power thereof. It is this Spirit that opens the blind eyes and brings the prisoner out of the dungeon of habit and despair.
IV. The Call to Holy Living
Finally, consider that God has established a sacred, binding agreement with humanity in the firm of Jesus. Christ was given as a light to the nations. If we are his followers, we cannot remain in the shadows.
If the Father is “well pleased” with the Son for His humble obedience, shall He be pleased with us if we remain idle? We are called to be a Blessing.
- Seek the Light: Allow the Spirit to show you your own heart.
- Walk in Righteousness: Not by your own strength, but by the “Spirit put upon Him” which is now shared with us.
- Tend the Reeds: Find those who are bruised and offer the same gentleness Christ offered you.
Here is the Life Application of this lesson. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit hear these words.
The Lord declares “new things” this very hour. Do not wait for the wick to go out. Come to the flame of grace. Let the Spirit descend upon your life, that the Father might say of you also, “In this child, I am well pleased.”
Let us pray
Divine Creator, through the baptism of Your beloved Son in the Jordan River, You consecrated water for the symbolic cleansing of sin. We, Your humble servants, ask for Your gaze upon us. We are grateful that You have not extinguished our flickering faith or crushed our fragile spirits, but instead have supported us through Your unmerited grace.
We pray that as the heavens opened for Him, the radiance of Your truth will illuminate our dark hearts. May Your Holy Spirit descend upon us, not for our own glory, but for the restoration of all nations. Take us by the hand and steer us away from worldly temptations, molding us into a people of covenant – pure, passionately doing good deeds and following in the footsteps of Your Son until we are perfected in love.
Hear our plea, in honor of Him who is the Light of the World, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Benediction:
May you depart with peace; show affection and concern towards one another in the name of Christ; and may the same divine presence that filled Jesus, Isaiah, and John also fill your innermost being. May the strength of God, which sustained them, empower you for each day; and may the same love of God, which guided their every deed, be your guiding force and guiding light, both now and for eternity. Amen.
©2026 Thomas E Williams
Created January 11, 2026
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