January 18, 2026
Second Sunday after the Epiphany
John 1:29 – “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”
The Israelites of old offered a lamb to God at Passover so that death might pass over them and do no harm. Over those long centuries of sacrifice, did they understand that this was actually God’s gift? That God would be the true Giver of the true Lamb?
Truly, we can never out-give God, for all that we have is His.
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Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 49:1–7; 1 Corinthians 1:1–9; John 1:29–42a
God Reveals His Glory in Christ and His Cross
“The LORD, the Redeemer of Israel,” calls forth “his Holy One” (Isaiah 49:7), Jesus, the Christ, “from the womb” of His mother (Isaiah 49:1). The incarnate Son of God is revealed as the Savior, not only for Israel but also “as a light for the nations,” whose salvation reaches “to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).
John came “baptizing with water” (John 1:31) to reveal Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and who glorifies His God and Father by His atoning sacrifice upon the cross. When Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended “from heaven like a dove” and “remained on him” (John 1:32).
By our Baptism, we are anointed by the same Spirit, adopted by God the Father, and “called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Therefore, we “are not lacking in any gift,” but we can trust Him who promises to sustain us to the end, “guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7–8).
Life Thoughts for the Week
Second Sunday after the Epiphany – Life issues (abortion, suicide, sexual identity, physician-assisted suicide to name a few) can often be the result of a person trying to solve their own problems or fulfill their own needs instead of relying upon the Lord to help them.
The appearance of our Lord as the sacrificial Lamb of God (John 1) reminds us that God is always faithful (Isaiah 49:7), even at the cost of His own blood. By faith in Christ, we can and should wait patiently for the Lord (Psalm 40:1) and make Him our trust (Psalm 40:4) in any and every situation, and we should invite our neighbors to do the same.
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Lectionary Series – Sunday’s Scripture Readings © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295 800-248-1930, Ext. 1265 • worship@lcms.org • lcms.org/worship. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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