1/31/10 – John Kwan – “Home Bound”
Sermon – Home Bound
Luke 4: 21-30. This week we find a rather surprising account of Jesus’ return to his hometown of Nazareth. According to Luke, Jesus has just completed his very first sermon in Galilee, and the people were amazed. It was a good beginning, but as quickly as the people praised him, they now turn on him – a common experience in Jesus’ life all the way to the cross.
Scripture – Luke 4: 21-30
1/24/10 – Jonathan Chute – “How Long Is the Sermon?”
Sermon – How Long Is the Sermon?
Luke 4: 14-21. In the weeks after Christmas we watch as Jesus begins to move out into the world, showing by word and deed the fullness of his identity. From his baptism, to his first miracle, we move on to the first sermon Jesus ever delivers. It takes place in front of his home congregation, in the synagogue in Nazareth, where he reads to the people from the prophet Isaiah. The sermon itself is very short – just one sentence long. But it draws on a long history of God’s involvement with the human family. And it stakes a claim on our present and future as well. In just a few short words we begin to see the scope of Jesus’ whole ministry.
Scripture – Luke 4: 14-21
1/17/10 – Jonathan Chute – “No Wine Before His Time”
Sermon – No Wine Before His Time
John 2: 1-11. Our gospel text tells the story of Jesus’ first miracle, when he turns water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. The wine for the wedding feast has run out, presenting the groom with a crisis. The mother of Jesus seems to think that he will know what to do. But Jesus has other priorities than simply solving a drink shortage. Something more is going on that afternoon. But not everyone can see it. Most of those involved in the events, from Jesus’ own mother to the wine steward, are preoccupied with logistics. But Jesus offers, to those who see it, a sign of God’s glory.
Scripture – John 2: 1-11
1/10/10 – Jonathan Chute – “At the End of the Line”
Sermon – At the End of the Line
Luke 3: 15-18, 21-22. In this week’s gospel Luke tells the story of Jesus’ baptism. But if you follow closely, you will see that the actual baptism does not appear in the text. First we hear John proclaim that there is one greater coming after him. Then Jesus appears, along with all the other people who HAVE BEEN baptized. The baptism itself is already over! But then his ministry begins. While he is praying, the Holy Spirit descends on him in the form of a dove. A voice speaks from heaven, pronouncing God’s blessing.
Scripture – Luke 3: 15-18, 21-22
1/03/10 – John Kwan – “What Child Is This?”
Sermon – What Child Is This?
John 1: 1-18. In today’s scripture, John gets his turn to tell the Christmas story. Unlike the gradual unfolding of Jesus’ identity in the other gospels, John’s gospel tells us up-front who Jesus is and what he means – “The Word became flesh and lived among us . . . full of grace and truth.”
Scripture – John 1: 1-18
