Happy Epiphany

Today in the Church Calendar We Celebrate Epiphany. Epiphany (Koine Greek: ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, "manifestation", "striking appearance. Epiphany is the feast in the Christian Calendar where we celebrate the rising of the star over the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem. Here’s the passage in scripture. 2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (1) What is the significance of this event? The Messiah has arrived: the gifts given are usually the focus in most people’s concept of Epiphany. 1. Gold: the symbol of a King, speaking to Christ’s Davidic line the promised messiah is here. The Gold speaking of the hey day of Israel under Solomans reign and the Temple covered in all its Gold. 2. Frankincense: I first smelt frankincense when I was recently in North Africa. This heady pungent beautiful fragrance pervaded everything. I remember the Berber sales man telling me that if I burn it in my home it would keep evil Spirits away. Christ has come to break all the power of the Evil one. The ascended Glorified Christ now fills all in all. Bt His Spirit he fills all in all. 3. Myrrh the bitter herb. This was possibly the bitter herb mixed with wine offered to Christ on the cross. Myrrh is extracted from a thorny plant that they “wound” to obtain the fragrant resin within the thorns. What a wonderful picture of the suffering servant of Isaiah. Bruised, wounded, pierced for our transgressions, bearing thorns as our curse. His wounds would later bear our sickness and our sin. Isaiah says and yet it pleased the Lord to wound Him. The Crucified God as Jurgen Moltmann puts it was wounded for our sins and transgressions. His wounds have transformed everything. The Messiah to the Gentiles too. This story messes with my exclusivist Evangelical head. Why, because God has used syncretic Astrologers to bring the news of Israel’s Messiah to the world. Matthews Gospel is the only Gospel that holds this story. Matthew a true Levite is saying to His people Jesus our Messiah is not only the Messiah to us Jews, but also to the Gentiles. These pagan Babylonians (possibly) the Jews former oppressors are also seeking the Messiah can this be? As Isaiah prophesied, the light to the nations has come in this baby . He has fulfilled Gods charge to Israel. I will always remember reading The Shack (2) a conversation between Mack and Jesus in the book where Mack asks Jesus “So are you saying all roads lead to you? “ Jesus replies to him “No most roads lead no-where, but I am prepared to go down any road to find you”. This is the mystery of our faith; God in his sovereignty has left His finger prints everywhere in general and natural revelation for man to grasp for Him. But at last in his son he has given us a full revelation of himself. He loves the World so much that he will go find seekers... even star gazers. Listen to the book of Hebrews: Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (3) He is the Cosmic Christ: Jesus is the Christ not only of the Jews or the saviour of the Gentiles but the Christ of all creation! It was only natural that the heavens and the Earth announce the miracle of His coming. I am often flummoxed when people ask me what doyou think was the greatest of Gods miracles, what a question... Creation, Resurrection, Red Sea, Sun standing still, however for some reason I am usually stuck between the incantation and the resurrection and ascension. That God would take on flesh is miraculous and wondrous. That the Holy Trinity could take mankind up into its life, are mind blowing concepts. Yet this is our faith, God contracted to a span, infinitely made man. This wonderful Carol sums up the mystery of the incarnation so beautifully. Let earth and heaven combine, Angels and men agree, To praise in songs divine The incarnate Deity, Our God contracted to a span, Incomprehensibly made Man. He laid His glory by, He wrapped Him in our clay; Unmarked by human eye, The latent Godhead lay; Infant of days He here became, And bore the mild Immanuel’s Name. Unsearchable the love That has the Savior brought; The grace is far above Of men or angels’ thought: Suffice for us that God, we know, Our God, is manifest below. He deigns in flesh to appear, Widest extremes to join; To bring our vileness near, And make us all divine: And we the life of God shall know, For God is manifest below. Made perfect first in love, And sanctified by grace, We shall from earth remove, And see His glorious face: His love shall then be fully showed, And man shall all be lost in God. (4) The incarnation has changed not only the course of the Jews the Elect people of god , the Gentiles the inheritors of Abrahams promises, but the very fabric of creation. His coming heralds the coming of the New Heavens and the New Earth. The Incarnation birthed it, the Cross redeemed it, the resurrection was its beginning and the final advent will come through much travail as finally the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of our God and it’s heavenly King Jesus. Happy Epiphany... References: 1.The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. 1989 (Mt 2:1–12). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 2. Young, W. P. The Shack,( London: Hodder & Stoughton 2008) 3. The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. 1989 (Heb 1:1–4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 4. Carol. Let Heaven and Earth Combine, William Henry Havergal (1793-1870).