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Isaiah 42:1-9 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Servant, a Light to the Nations

42 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.² He will not cry out or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street;³ a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;    he will faithfully bring forth justice.⁴ He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

⁵ Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out,    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:⁶ I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people,     a light to the nations,⁷     to open the eyes that are blind to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,    from the prison those who sit in darkness.⁸ I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other,    nor my praise to idols.⁹ See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;before they spring forth, I tell you of them.

Matthew 3:13-17 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Baptism of Christ Sunday – January 11, 2026

Isaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 3:13-17

Rev. TJ Mack – Union Congregational Church of Hancock

A few years ago, I had the incredible privilege of baptizing my friend Penni in the Wisconsin River. A couple of weeks ago, while I was visiting Wisconsin, we talked again about that day. She told me that when she walked out of the river, something had changed deep within her. She didn’t suddenly become perfect or fearless—but she left the water with a renewed, embodied knowing that she was a beloved child of God. 

Penni told me that for the first time in a long time, God’s voice had finally risen above the false messages society had been speaking to her for decades—messages that said she wasn’t enough, wasn’t loveable, didn’t belong.

What struck me most is that Penni’s sense of being loved by God hasn’t faded with time—it has deepened. Her baptism has become an anchor point in her life, something she returns to again and again when the world feels heavy, confusing, or unkind. 

Last week, as we celebrated Epiphany Sunday, Jeff reminded us of some foundational truths: God loves us. God chooses us. God calls us to be the light in the darkness. 

Our scriptures this morning invite us to linger with that truth a little longer… and to let it sink deeper into our hearts and minds; deep into our souls.

When we move through our scriptures as when we move through life, it is important to approach with a curious mind and a compassionate heart.

Let us begin with Isaiah. These prophecies of Isaiah were spoken to a people who desperately needed hope. The people of Israel had known destruction, displacement, and exile. These were a people that spoke of feeling abandoned by God—the land laid waste, the people scattered. 

Sadly, our world still sometimes mirrors the world that Isaiah lived in and wrote about. 

In Isaiah’s time and place, and in our time and place, God speaks words of tenderness:“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.”

But Isaiah leaves us wondering—who is this servant?

Scholars suggest several possibilities. Perhaps Isaiah is speaking about the people of Israel. Perhaps about Cyrus, the Persian ruler who would eventually help end the exile. But Cyrus ruled through violent conquest, and Israel’s own history is deeply entangled with violence. As is ours in the United States of America. 

So we are led to ask some hard questions:Can a servant of God participate in violence and still bring justice?Can a nation—or an individual—be called to a nonviolent mission while living in a violent world?

Isaiah’s answer is surprisingly quiet—and radically different from the world around him. This servant will not shout or crush. This servant will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a dimly burning wick. This servant brings justice not through domination, but through mercy.

Justice is not about punishment. Justice is about restoration. It is about healing what has been bent, bruised, and nearly extinguished. Justice comes to us by way of humility and compassion. 

Our Christian ancestors believed Isaiah was speaking about Jesus:“I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.”

But we know this—there are multiple truths that can co-exist. When God is speaking about Israel—or about Cyrus—when God is speaking about Jesus—God is also speaking about you and me; about us.

Place yourself in the role of Israel or Cyrus—not as perfect people, but as wounded people. Hear God say: I uphold you. I choose you. I delight in you. I place my spirit within you.

Notice what’s missing. God does not say, “Once you get it right.” God does not say, “After you fix yourself.”God chooses, delights, and upholds first, knowing these are the foundations from which we rise.

Our work, Isaiah suggests, is to bring forth justice with humility and compassion—not because we are flawless, but because we are called. Our creator calls us toward righteousness from our very beginnings. And yet, we lose our way in this broken world. We forget who we are—and whose we are. 

Baptism reminds us who we are meant to be, and whose we are meant to be. Like my friend Penni walking out of the Wisconsin River, our baptisms call us back to the deep truth that we are beloved children of God.

God is with us—strengthening us, sustaining us, preparing us to be light for the world. To open the eyes of the blind. To release those imprisoned by fear, hatred, and injustice.

God chooses all of us. There is one God. And we are one people. No matter how far from these truths we or those in our world have strayed. 

In Matthew’s Gospel, John has been baptizing people in the Jordan River as a sign of repentance and transformation—fulfilling Isaiah’s vision. And then Jesus comes to John. Not because Jesus is unworthy, but because he chooses to be with us in all things. Jesus—God incarnate—steps into the same water as everyone else. Jesus—God incarnate shares the same world that we live in. God is with us through it all. 

A curious mind might ask: Who heard what happened that day at the river? Did only Jesus hear the voice? Did John? Did the crowd?

Matthew tells us the voice says, “This is my Son, the beloved,” not “You are my beloved.” And that matters. This is not a private spiritual moment meant for Jesus alone. This is a public declaration meant for the whole community to hear and to understand.

And God’s spirit descends like a dove and alights on Jesus. The dove takes us back to the story of the flood—when the dove returned with an olive branch, a sign that destruction was not the final word. The dove is a harbinger of peace. Of new creation. Of beginnings that come after devastation. The dove is our symbol of hope. 

Matthew cares deeply about righteousness and justice—not as abstract ideas, but as lived realities. Jesus’ baptism marks the beginning of a ministry grounded in healing, inclusion, and liberation. That ministry is ongoing. That ministry has been and is carried forward by faithful people in every time and place. 

And here is the good news for us today: that same Spirit rests on us.

We are invited to step into the river again and again—not literally, but spiritually—remembering who we are: beloved, chosen, and called.

May our curiosity keep us asking hard and holy questions.May our compassion guide how we seek justice.May we never forget the voice that names us—publicly, tenderly, and without condition: we are—every one of us—God’s Beloved.

Amen

Rev. TJ Mack – January 11, 2026