Third Sunday after the Epiphany (2026)

Identity Revealed (Part 3): Jesus, The Light of the World

Text: Matthew 4:12–23 Supporting: Isaiah 8:19–9:4; 1 John 2:3–11

In Jesus name,

The prophet Isaiah gives us one of the clearest pictures of the human condition anywhere in Scripture. He describes humanity as:

“people walking in darkness.”

Not people who are merely confused. Not people who are just going though a tough time in life. But people walking in darkness—living life under the shadow of sin, suffering, and death.

And what makes darkness so dangerous is that it’s not only what you can’t see—it’s what you start to accept as normal.

We can sit in darkness so long that we begin to forget what light even looks like. Likewise, we can grow so used to fear, so used to guilt, so used to bitterness, so used to hiding, that we stop believing anything can change.

Isaiah speaks of “the shadow of death,” and we know that shadow. We feel it in weakness. We feel it in grief. We feel it when the world around us feels heavy and uncertain. We feel it when we turn-on the evening news. Sin clouds the mind. It darkens the heart. It leads people away from the living God.

But Isaiah does not just diagnose the darkness.

He foretells something we could never produce for ourselves.

He says:

A light will shine. A great light. A dawning light. A light strong enough to break the darkness.

And this is what Epiphany is: the season of revealing.

Christ is revealed—more clearly, more brightly, more powerfully—week by week.

And today, Jesus is revealed as the promised Light of the world.

And dear saints, before we go any further, let this Gospel truth land:

The Light has come—and He has not forgotten you.

1) The Light Comes Where Darkness Is

Matthew begins today’s Gospel reading with a detail that might seem small, but it matters.

He tells us that John the Baptist has been arrested. Opposition has risen. Danger is growing.

And what does Jesus do?

He doesn’t retreat. He doesn’t wait for a safer time. He doesn’t even hide.

He moves forward.

But what is striking is where He goes.

Matthew tells us Jesus withdraws into Galilee—and not merely any part of Galilee, but the region connected to Zebulun and Naphtali. And Matthew says this is done to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy:

“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light.”

Now Galilee was not the religious center. Galilee was not the place people would expect God’s grand saving work to begin.

It was despised. It was mixed. It was considered compromised.

And that is the point.

Because the Light of Christ doesn’t just shine in respectable places. It shines into the places people overlook. It shines into the places people avoid. It shines into the places where the darkness seems thickest.

And here is the Gospel comfort for the hearer:

The Light does not wait for you to climb out of darkness. The Light comes down into you.

And as I consider Isaiah’s words—“the people walking in darkness”—and as I hear Matthew say that Jesus goes into Galilee, into the shadowed places, I’m reminded of a story from the Vietnam War.

There was a group of young women known as the Donut Dollies. They weren’t there to fight. They weren’t there to win a war. They were there for something else.

They were gals in their early 20s, working for the Red Cross. They volunteered to go into forward areas—sometimes into harm’s way—bringing small treats, games, a smile, a conversation… and most of all, a message that soldiers desperately needed to hear:

“You are not forgotten. Somebody remembers you. Somebody cares that you’re here.”

That’s what light does in darkness. Light doesn’t argue with darkness from a distance. Light enters into it.

And in today’s Gospel, Jesus does exactly that. He doesn’t stay in the safe place. He goes to Galilee. He goes to the edges. He goes to the people the world overlooks. He goes to the ones sitting in darkness, in the shadow of death.

And He comes not merely with encouragement—He comes with salvation. He comes preaching repentance. He comes announcing the kingdom. He comes healing. He comes calling disciples.

In other words, He comes as God’s living announcement to us sinners:

“The Light has come—and He has not forgotten you.” Not by heaven. Not by your Father. Not by your Savior.

2) The Light Says: “Repent”

So what is the first thing the Light does?

Matthew tells us:

“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Repentance is often misunderstood.

Some hear the word “repent” and they think it means:

“God is angry, or God is disappointed with me. Clean yourself up. Try harder.”

But that is not repentance, for repentance is not darkness. Repentance is light.

Repentance is Christ shining into the shadowed corners of our lives and saying:

“Come out of hiding. Come into the open. Come to Me.”

Because repentance is not first about improving behavior. Repentance is about turning— turning away from sin and turning to the living God.

It is the Light exposing what kills us so that Christ may save us from it.

And that means repentance is not merely a moment in your past. It is the rhythm of the Christian life.

We do not repent once and move on. We repent because we keep living in a world that is still dark. We repent because we keep dragging our sinful nature around. We repent because we keep needing Christ.

As you reflect on these words, I invite you to take time this week in personal reflection and prayer. Consider setting aside a moment each day to identify any areas in your life where darkness still lingers—whether it be fear, guilt, or bitterness. Bring these before the Lord in repentance. Trust Him to transform those shadowed areas with His light, and remember that His grace is sufficient to bring new life and hope.

And here is the Good News: Jesus does not call you to repentance and then leave you there.

He calls you to repentance because the kingdom of heaven is near.

That is, the King is near. The Savior is near. Forgiveness is near. Hope is near.

The Light is near.

3) The Light Calls: “Follow Me”

And then Jesus does something deeply personal.

He doesn’t simply preach to the crowds.

He calls disciples.

He walks by the Sea of Galilee and sees two fishermen, Simon Peter and Andrew, doing ordinary work—casting nets.

And Jesus speaks a Word that changes everything:

“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Notice what Jesus doesn’t say.

He doesn’t say, “Improve yourself and then you may follow.” He doesn’t say, “Fix your life and then I’ll accept you.”

He says:

Follow Me. And then He promises: 

I will make you.

Christianity is not self-transformation. It is Christ’s transformation.

And the call of Jesus is more than “come and learn.” It is “come and belong.” Come into the light. Come into the kingdom. Come into My mercy. Come walk with Me.

And that is still how Jesus works today. Not first by our choosing Him—but by His choosing us. Not first by our decision—but by His call.

And today, we witnessed that call made personal in a beautiful way as little Jackson Lee was baptized.

Because in Holy Baptism, God is not merely offering a possibility. He is making a promise. He is placing His name upon a child. He is drawing him out of darkness and into Christ’s marvelous light. He is saying, “You belong to Me.”

Jackson was not baptized because he already understands everything. He doesn’t. None of us do.

He is baptized because Jesus is the One who calls. And when Jesus calls, He does not call emptily—He calls effectively. He calls in order to claim. He calls in order to give. He calls in order to make His own.

So when Jesus says, “Follow Me,” He is not merely asking for your best effort. He is creating faith. He is gathering you into His kingdom. He is giving you an identity that the darkness cannot steal.

And Peter and Andrew leave their nets and follow Him.

Not because they have everything figured out…

…but because the Light has called them.

4) The Light Restores: Teaching, Preaching, and Healing

And then Matthew summarizes Jesus’ ministry with a phrase that says more than we often realize:

“Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching… preaching… and healing…”

Teaching: truth for the mind. Preaching: repentance and Gospel for the heart. Healing: mercy for the body.

This is the Light of Christ shining on the whole person.

He doesn’t merely inform sinners. He restores sinners.

He does not merely expose darkness. He overcomes it.

—He brings mercy where there is misery. —He brings hope where there is despair. —He brings life where death’s shadow hangs heavy.

And through this ministry—through preaching, teaching, and healing—people begin to see who He is.

Not just a teacher. Not merely a prophet. But the Savior.

The Light of the world.

5) Identity Revealed: Children of Light

Dear saints, this is not only about the identity of Jesus.

It is about our identity in Him.

Isaiah describes people walking in darkness. But Christ’s coming changes that.

When Christ shines on us, we are no longer defined by darkness.

Nor by our shame. Nor by our past. Nor by the sins we struggle with. Not even by the grief we carry. Or the fears that haunt us.

Christ’s light reveals something deeper than your sin:

His mercy. His forgiveness. His kingdom.

And then 1 John presses the point:

Those who belong to Christ do not continue living as though darkness is normal. And 1 John teaches that walking in the light shows itself in love.

Love as the fruit of living in Christ’s light.

So we follow Him. (1 John 2:6) We walk with Him. We live in His Word. We return again and again to His mercy.

And then we reflect His light outward.

Into our homes. Into our relationships. Into our workplaces. Into the lives of neighbors who are still sitting in darkness and wondering if anyone sees them.

The Light of Christ does not burn us up. It warms us. It heals us. It sends us.

Conclusion: The Light Has Dawned

Isaiah was right.

We were people walking in darkness.

But Isaiah was right about something else too:

A great light has dawned.

And that Light is not a program. Not a mood. Not a method.

That Light is Jesus Christ.

He shines by calling sinners to repentance. He shines by proclaiming the kingdom. He shines by forgiving. He shines by healing. He shines by calling disciples to follow Him.

And in this Epiphany season, your identity is revealed:

You are not abandoned in the dark. You are not stuck in the shadows. You are not forgotten.

You are people upon whom the Light has shined.

And because Christ has shined upon you, you now reflect His light to the world.

Dear saints, hear it one more time, as a promise you can take to the grave and beyond:

The Light has come—and He has not forgotten you.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayers of the Church

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Lord God, heavenly Father, You have sent Your Son into the darkness of this world as the Light of the world, and in Him You have not forgotten Your people. Grant that we would walk in His light, repent of our sins, and rejoice in the Gospel of the kingdom, as we follow Christ in faith and reflect His light in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For the holy Christian Church, that Christ would preserve her in the pure doctrine of the Gospel; that His Word would shine forth in every place; and that many who still sit in darkness would be brought to the Light of life through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For pastors and all servants of the Word, that they would preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins with clarity and courage; and that God would bless the teaching of His Word among us, that we may be rooted and established in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For our congregation, that the Light of Christ would shine among us in unity and peace; that our homes would be places of prayer, mercy, and forgiveness; and that our life together would display the love of Christ to one another and to our neighbors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For those who govern, and for peace and order where unrest exists in our nation: grant wisdom to our leaders, restrain violence and lawlessness, protect those who serve in positions of authority, and turn our hearts away from fear and bitterness, that we may live quiet and peaceable lives in godliness and dignity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For all who suffer in body or soul, for the sick, the hospitalized, the homebound, the lonely, and the distressed—especially those burdened by chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and those undergoing treatments—grant healing according to Your will, patience in affliction, and comfort in the sure promises of Christ, who is our Light and our salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

In thanksgiving for the lives of Marie Poole and Margaret Bottke, whom You have called home to glory: comfort all who mourn with the hope of the resurrection, and keep us steadfast in the faith, until that day when we too shall be gathered with all the saints in the Light that never fades. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For Jackson Sim, who was baptized this day, we give You thanks that You have placed Your holy Name upon him and brought him into Christ’s marvelous light. Grant that through the faithful rearing he receives from his parents, and through the hearing of Your Word, he may be kept in the true faith, grow in wisdom and grace, and be led to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For parents, children, and households, that You would guard our families from the darkness of sin and deception; strengthen marriages and friendships; and grant that each generation would be taught to know Christ, confess Christ, and follow Christ in faithful love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For those who face temptation and spiritual darkness, for those wandering from the faith, hardened by sin, or captive to false teaching: shine upon them with the light of Your Word, call them to repentance, and restore them by Your mercy, that they may walk in the light of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, heavenly Father, into Your hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who taught us to pray, Our Father, who art in heaven…