EPIPHANY

I recently heard a sermon that made me want to share this probably familiar Scripture and a perspective about the importance of the star that I had never seen before.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

 “‘But you, Bethlehem, 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 shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  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, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.  –Matthew 2:1-12  (NIV)

 

Photo courtesy of Paul under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Let’s consider three important parts of this Scripture verse.

 

THE MAGI’S EPIPHANY

In some Bibles, the above passage has the title The Visit of the Magi, and some consider it the The Epiphany. The Magi, most likely astrologers, noticed a special star in the sky that they had never seen before. They were Gentiles, which meant they were not Jewish and were probably from Persia or southern Arabia. Scripture does not tell us exactly how long it took the Magi to get to the Christ child, but we can surmise it was close to two years from this Scripture:

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.  –Matthew 2:16  (NIV) 

I think the word epiphany is a powerful representation of the Magi passage. Per the online Cambridge dictionary, the meaning of epiphany is: “a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.” The word epiphany comes from the Greek word “manifestation.” The Magi realized the significance of the star and had to find the manifested King of the Jews, Jesus.  Can you imagine traveling for at least a year or two, following an unusual star to find the King of the Jews?

 

The Magi…

…were the first to recognize that Jesus was manifested for all nations, not just the Jewish people.

…taught us the proper response to Jesus’ birth is to worship.

…knew that worship is not about what we get but rather about what we give.

…left all they had to search for the King of the Jews.

 

REFLECTION:

What epiphany has impacted your faith journey?

 

Photo courtesy of Lex McKee under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

THE STAR

Have you thought about how all of creation reveals God’s glory? A star, a seemingly small speck compared to the vastness of all of creation in this world, announced our Savior’s birth! How blessed we are to each have different gifts and abilities that God uses for the good of everyone. The Magi used their knowledge of studying the night sky and knowing there was going to be a King of the Jews to find Jesus. The star served the particular purpose of revealing and leading the way to the presence of the newborn King, Jesus. Did you notice how the Magi were overjoyed when the star stopped exactly where Jesus was?

 

The star…

…teaches us to keep looking up.

…shows us the importance of looking for signs.

… is visible from everywhere.

…gives light to the whole world.

 

REFLECTION:

Does the star illuminate in your life, leading others to Jesus?

 

Photo courtesy of Thank You (24 Millions ) views under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

 

THE MAGI’S GIFTS

Isn’t it amazing that the Magi thought about bringing gifts with them, especially when traveling such a long distance? I also wonder if they knew the significance of the gifts they brought. The Magi did not have the privilege of knowing the full story of Jesus’ life like we do. I am in awe of the symbolism of the gifts the Magi brought to honor the King of the Jews, who became the King of all nations.

Gold was something valuable proclaiming Jesus as King.

Frankincense was used by the high priest in the temple on the Day of Atonement, giving off a sweet-smelling resin.

Myrrh was used as embalming oil, foreshadowing His death.

Do you know what the greatest gift the Magi brought was? It was the gift of their worshipping the child Jesus as they bowed down when they first saw Him. Worship is the most important gift we can give to Jesus daily too!

 

The Magi’s gifts…

…of gold pointed to Jesus’ royalty.

…of frankincense pointed to Jesus’ divinity.

…of myrrh pointed to Jesus’ humanity.

…of themselves, worshipping the child Jesus was the most important gift of all.

 

REFLECTION:

Do you give Jesus the most important gift of your worship throughout your day?

 

Photo courtesy of Dr Michael D Evans under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) 

 

Be encouraged this week to…

…see the ways Jesus is manifested in your life.

…follow the star and see where it leads.

…give your heart to Jesus in worship.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.  –1 John 4:9-10  (NLT)