Epiphany 4 Brand Spanking New

[HKHaugan]

Epiphany 4 Brand Spanking New

There’s nothing like watching kids opening presents on Christmas morning. Presents galore and wrapping paper strewn around as new toys bring new squeals of joy and excitement. For grown-ups other kinds of new things make an appeal, like the smell of upholstery in a new car, the bouquet of flowers a husband brings his wife and the indescribable reaction at the birth of a baby. That last one greeted the world 2000 years ago, of all places, in a stable.

A common theme throughout the Gospels is the idea of newness. It is brought out especially in the first four chapters of the Gospel of John. In Jesus something new happened, a change in perspective, in worldview, in how we see God, ourselves and others. Newness? Think about this new idea, God born into a human body, living and dying as a man then rising so that all of us can have eternal life.

In Jesus came a huge tectonic shift in the fault plates of human awareness, a replacement of the old with the new, a new spiritual revelation, from physical death to spiritual life, from fear to faith, from Law to heart, from institution to relationship, from 12 tribes to 12 disciples. The importance of this shift is that each person born has the opportunity to experience this newness. When you are in Christ each moment of living offers a fresh start. Everyday something new happens and in Christ always new opportunities to know His presence and Spirit in it. Look at how Paul sees it. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2Cor.5:17).”

Here are a few references in John ‘s Gospel you can look up:
1. a new word (1:1)
2. a new humanity (1:14)
3. a new truth (1:14)
4. a new atmosphere, grace (1:14)
5. a new witness (1:23)
6. a new baptism (1:33)
7. a new discipleship (1:35-50)
8. a new sign, first of seven
a. wine in place of water, (2:1-11)
b. healing of official’s son (2:43-54)
c. healing of invalid at Bethesda pool (5:1-15)
d. feeding of the 5000 (6:1-15)
e. walks on water (6:16-21)
f. healing of blind man (9:1-34)
g . raising of Lazarus (11:1-44)
9. a new temple (2:14-19)
10. a new birth and life (3:1-21)
11. a new well of water (4:7-15)
12. a new worship (4:16-26)
13. a new dimension, spiritual (4:24)
14. a new inclusion (4:39, 46-47)

Thus, these passages reveal newness in the way to think, to trust and have faith. What new things have happened to you in your life since Jesus began to make sense to you? What new things have happened in your life recently that are new, fresh and came because of your awareness of Jesus? Is there anything preventing you from sharing them? We’ll look at some of these passages in more detail as we go. Stay tuned……..