Daily Readings - Sat Jan 06 2018
1 John
5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.6This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.7For there are three that testify:8the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.9We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.10Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Mark
4And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.7And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.10As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful testimonies of faith and divine affirmation. The first reading from 1 John emphasizes that true victory over the world comes through belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. John highlights the threefold testimony of the Spirit, water, and blood, which all point to the reality of Christ’s divine mission. He reminds us that eternal life is found in the Son, and believing in Him gives us confidence in God’s promises. The Gospel from Mark vividly describes the baptism of Jesus, where the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father’s voice declares Jesus as His beloved Son. This moment is a profound revelation of the Trinity and the divine seal of approval on Jesus’ mission.
The context of these readings is deeply rooted in the early Christian understanding of faith and identity. For John, writing to a community facing doubts and challenges, the emphasis is on the certainty of God’s testimony about His Son. Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism serves as a foundational moment in His ministry, showing how God publicly affirms Jesus as the Messiah. Both readings intersect in their focus on testimony—whether from God or from the Spirit—and how this testimony shapes our understanding of who Jesus is and who we are as His followers.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on the foundation of our faith. Like the early believers, we are called to trust in God’s testimony about His Son, even when the world around us may seem uncertain. The baptism of Jesus reminds us that our own baptism is a sacramental testimony of God’s love and our adoption as His children. As we navigate life’s challenges, let us draw strength from the assurance that we have eternal life in Christ and that the Holy Spirit remains with us, guiding and empowering us to live as witnesses of God’s love. May we, like John the Baptist, humbly acknowledge our role in pointing others to the One who is greater, and may we embrace the truth that in Christ, we are beloved and pleasing to the Father.