The season of Epiphany is marked by a series of revelations, illuminating who Jesus is. It begins with the appearance of mysterious magi from the East following a star to Bethlehem and ends with Jesus transfigured on a mountaintop before his most-trusted disciples. This Sunday – Baptism of Our Lord Sunday – reveals that Jesus is God’s Son, who will baptize us with fire and the Holy Spirit. The prospect of fire can seem frightening because of its destructive potential. Yet, water has the same potential, but in the hands of God, both are used for good in baptism. Just as the water both refreshes and washes us, so the fire can both ignite and refine us. As we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, we can give thanks for the gift of baptism in our lives too – for the water that washes us, the fire that refines us, and the Spirit that sends us to reveal Jesus to others.
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