In this episode, Derek reflects on the Christian season of Epiphany, a season centered on revelation, light, and clarity. Epiphany always falls on January 6, twelve days after Christmas, and reveals that Jesus is not only the Messiah of Israel, but the King of the nations, the Savior of the world. 

Derek also acknowledges the painful weight January 6 carries in the United States, recalling the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He contrasts two kinds of “epiphanies” —one that reveals a kingdom of love, truth, and self-giving sacrifice, and another that revealed how rhetorical violence can turn into real violence. Epiphany, he reminds us, is clarifying. It reveals things as they are. 

The episode then turns to the baptism of Jesus, the central Epiphany moment where God’s revolutionary kingdom is revealed. Drawing on Israel’s story, the Exodus, and the crossing of the Jordan, Derek shows how Jesus reenacts and fulfills Israel’s calling—not through conquest, but through love. In Jesus’ baptism, the Trinity is revealed, and we hear the words that define our identity before God: “You are my beloved.” 

Epiphany, Derek says, prepares us for repentance by first grounding us in revelation by helping us see who Jesus truly is and who we are becoming in His light. 

Key Insights 

Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus as Light of the World and King of the nations 

January 6, 2021 was an epiphany revealing the danger of violent rhetoric 

Epiphany shows that revelation is never neutral; light clarifies and exposes 

Jesus’ baptism fulfills Israel’s story and reimagines power through love 

The Jordan River connects Jesus to ancient Israel and God’s rescue plan 

In Jesus, we receive our identity before we perform: beloved sons and daughters 

Scripture Verses Mentioned in this Episode 

Psalm 99:1–2 

John 3:16 

Matthew 3:13–17 

Genesis 12 

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