Epiphany Sunday

Sermon for January 2, 2005

1. Good Morning! Let’s Pray – O Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing to You O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

2. Opening Comments: Today, we’re celebrating Epiphany Sunday which commemorates the revealing of Jesus as the Christ to the Gentiles – to the rest of the world. In some European countries, the popularity of this Feast is known as the "Twelfth Night" (after Christmas).

The meaning of the word "epiphany" has its roots in the Greek language. The first part of the word, "epi," means "upon." The second part, "phainein," means "to show." By combining these two meanings, "to show upon," we’re reminded of the manifestation of the glory of Christ to the Gentiles.

3. Focusing on Scripture: In our First Reading today from the Book of Isaiah, we hear a prophesy that was made about seven hundred years before to the birth of the Lord Jesus. In those days, the Israelites were rejoicing because after years of captivity, they were finally allowed to return to the holy city Jerusalem. The prophecy of Isaiah gave them hope that the promised Messiah would soon rise among the people and that His glory would be seen by all.

As God's chosen people, it was prophesied to the Jewish nation that they would be the light of the world and that the nations of the world would come to their light.

Today's prophecy of Isaiah concluded with the words, "They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord." (Is. 60:6) Did you hear that? The “They” – the rest of the world – would bring gold and frankincense and worship the Lord.

Isn’t that exactly what happened when the Magi – foreigners - not Jewish people at all – came and gave their gifts of gold and frankincense and worshipped Him. (Mt. 2:1-2, 9-11) The only gift not mentioned in Isaiah’s prophesy is “myrrh” which is the spice used to embalm dead bodies. This was a gift that itself anticipated our Lord’s death.

In our Epistle Reading we heard Paul clearly stating that God had revealed to him a great mystery which was that Christ was also to be made known to the Gentiles – to the rest of the world. And in this way Christianity expanded beyond the Jewish nation. We find this in Ephesians 3:6:

“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

And finally, in today's Gospel Reading we read about the event of the three wise men who followed the star that led them to the Child Jesus.

Now let me give you some background on the Magi. Herodotus the Roman historian says that they were originally a Median tribe. The Medes were part of the Empire of the Persians. They tried to overthrow the Persians and substitute the power of the Medes. The attempt failed. From that time the Magi ceased to have any ambitions for power or prestige, and became a tribe of priests. They became in Persia almost exactly what the Levites were in Israel. They became the teachers and instructors of the Persian kings. In Persia no sacrifice could be offered unless one of the Magi was present. They became men of holiness and wisdom.

These Magi were men who were skilled in philosophy, medicine and natural science. They were soothsayers and interpreters of dreams. . . .

In those ancient days all people believed in astrology. They believed that they could foretell the future from the stars, and they believed that a man’s destiny was settled by the star under which he was born.”

Add this to the fact that at this time in the history of what today we call the Middle East there was a strong expectation of the coming of a great leader.

Another Roman historian by the name of Suetonius wrote ”There had spread over all the Orient an old and established belief, that it was fated at that time for men coming from Judaea to rule the world.”

And so the known world was, as it were, waiting for something world shaking to happen and the Magi were ready to identify it!

Lets turn now to our Gospel reading Matthew 2:1-12 and let’s delve into it a bit:

Matt. 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem. Herod the Great was the brilliant but moniachically evil King of Judaea. He murdered his wife and sons because of his paranoia and at his death in 4BC he had many of the leading citizens of Judaea murdered so that tears would be shed at his death. He was truly an evil man. Reading on:

2 and (the Magi) asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Now were hear about Herod and his evil craftiness. Verse 3:

Matt. 2:3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, which means ‘house of bread’ in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” – and we could easily add – the Bread of Life.

Here we see that Christ’s coming was prophesied of old. But He was not born in a world capital but in lowly Bethlehem – the House of Bread – and He was to become the Bread of Life that would bring life eternal to all who would believe.

Reading on – verse 7:

Matt. 2:7 Then Herod the Great – the paranoid - called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” Herod was crafty and with malignant intent! Reading on verse 9:

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Now what did these “wise” men do? They gave Jesus gifts and worshipped Him. They worshipped Him. Try to imagine that scene – grown wise men prostrating themselves before a baby not in a palace but in a manger – with the smell of manure and straw in their nostrils. They worshipped Him and then they gave him gifts of gold which is the gift for a king, and frankincense which is the gift for a priest and myrrh which is the gift for one who is to die – these were the gifts of the wise men, and, even at the cradle of Christ, they foretold that He was to be the true King, the perfect High Priest, and in the end the supreme Savior of humankind!

4. What does all of this mean for us today? It’s being made clear here that those outside of the chosen people of God – people other than the Jewish nation - were amongst the first to recognize who Jesus really was! Think about that for a moment! Who actually knew who Jesus was? Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth Mary’s cousin and God! That’s it! But God revealed it immediately then to wisest representatives outside of His chosen people – to the Magi! And they actually “recognized” who He was and gave Him gifts befitting a King, a High Priest, and a Savior.

Do you think that they really knew what they were dealing with here? Yes, I think that they had a pretty good idea and this is revealed to us by the actual gifts that they gave Him and the astounding fact that they then proceeded to worship Him!

They – who were foreigners - worshipped Him! They actually worshipped Him!

Think about that!

What is God trying to tell us?

That God wants to reveal Himself to the millions of unbelievers all around us and that He has and will continue to do this! And that as He does this they will come to Jesus and worship Him!

Can you see it? God did it then and continues to do it – He continues to reveal Jesus to the outside world! And as He does this they come to worship Him!

God reached down into our world and revealed His sovereignty by touching those outside of the people who were waiting for Him and showed Himself to those who were wise and were looking at His creation and noticed something so astounding that it was clearly a portent of some cosmological shift in the universe! They recognized that a Priestly King was about to be born and that His ultimate death was most significant! And they worshipped Him.

The ultimate reality here that just keeps bursting out at me is this – And they worshipped Him!

God revealed Himself to the outside world – they responded with gifts and then “they worshipped Him!”

Jesus is worthy of our unceasing worship and God wants to reveal Himself to the outside world!

The incident of the Magi make this abundantly clear. Christianity isn’t an “in club” thing! It’s not just for the Jews! It’s not just for us! It’s for everyone!!!! But it needs to be added here that it’s the wise and seeking unbelievers who will see Him and find Him!

Now God turns to me and to you and says as we stand at the beginning of a brand new year – what are you doing in your daily life to join Him in this grand endeavor?

What will you and I do to reveal Him to those outside of His kingdom?

Lucas and Emily’s wedding was a most perfect example of how God reveals Himself to unbelievers!

There were wise men and women in our midst – wise in many ways, but still outside of the Kingdom of God, and many of us – simply by the way we responded to them - witnessed to the reality of God!

Like the Magi of old some of them will see the fingerprints of God not necessarily in the heavens but certainly in the “way of life” – in the very lifestyle - of those of us who believe in Him! AND THEY WILL COME AND GIVE HIM GIFTS AND WORSHIP HIM!

And so the world is coming to know about this God-child – this Savior-King – this Son of God!

Here we stand at the beginning of a new year – God has and will continue to uniquely prepare this congregation to reach out to the unbelieving world and to draw them in by our words and even more by the witness of our loving lives!

May I suggest a New Year’s resolution for all of us of TCC?

I suggest that we pray that God would anoint us to become His “Bright Stars” – His Bright Beacons – living breathing sacramentals of His Presence! So that the gentiles – the unbelievers – who are wise and watching will be drawn to Him and will ultimately fall at His feet to worship Him together with us and truly we will unite Christ’s people around His Table! Amen and Amen!

Let’s Pray!