The holidays are behind us, we've celebrated the birth of Jesus, and now we're stepping into a new year. So where do we go from here?

This Sunday, we're starting something different. Instead of moving forward into the life and teaching of Jesus, we're going backwards.

Over the next several weeks, we're exploring the ancient stories that shaped the hopes and expectations of the people who were waiting for a Messiah. We need to understand who they were looking for if we want to understand who actually showed up.

We're beginning with Moses, whose dramatic rescue as an infant and call to confront empire became the template for liberation. His encounter with God at the burning bush reveals something profound: our God sees suffering, hears cries for help, and refuses to remain distant. This is the same God we meet in Jesus, but in ways that surprised everyone and continues to challenge us today.

This series matters because Jesus is still being misunderstood. His name gets attached to movements of exclusion, systems that harm people, and agendas that look nothing like the Jesus we find in scripture. By going back to these foundational stories, we'll discover patterns, parallels, and the seeds of both hope and misunderstanding that help us see Jesus more clearly.