Christ Our Hope Sermons

In Mark 1:7-11, we hear of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, the first of St. Mark’s recorded events of Jesus’ life and a central piece of the ongoing revelation of God’s glory through Christ. Not only does John recognize the culmination of his own ministry – preparing the way of the Lord – but more importantly, he bears witness to the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove on the baptized Lord. With this vision, the voice of God declares Jesus to be His “beloved Son.” Whatever else John’s mostly-unknown successor might be, the most important thing about Him was who God declared Him to be. These were the definitive statements of His identity – what God said about Him was more important than His successes, failures, or what anyone else said about Him. And this is true of us as well. This series, which will carry us through the season of Epiphany, walks through key events in the life of Christ culminating in His Transfiguration on the mountain with the disciples. Each of these events lends us an add