by Linda Veath
… 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 in the east and have come to worship him.” … 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. 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.” ~ Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11 NIV
January 6. The Feast of Epiphany. Really? How many of you knew that?
The Feast of Epiphany is a time when Christians celebrate the revelation of God as Jesus Christ — the time when the baby born in Bethlehem was recognized by the world as God. And the time when the Wise Men from the East, representing all Gentiles who will come to faith in Jesus Christ, found the baby in Bethlehem and worshiped Him.
Wise Men. The three kings from the familiar Christmas carol. But in all honesty, we don’t know how many wise men there were. Tradition considers it to be three based on the fact that the visitors brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
We also don’t know exactly who the visitors were. Magi, kings, astrologers, priests, learned men, distinguished visitors. One commentator said they were definitely wise men because they were searching for Jesus. And when they found Him, they worshipped Him.
As I read about the definition (and use) of the word epiphany — a sudden flash of recognition — I realized how the epiphanies fit together in our lives. We celebrate the revelation of Jesus Christ as God on January 6, the Epiphany. And because of our finding Jesus Christ as God, we can now find epiphanies each and every day of our lives. Sudden flashes of recognition from God. Insight into His Word. The beauty of His world. The forgiveness of our sins. The joy in our salvation. And the list goes on. All gifts, personal epiphanies, to us from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So, may we feast on the Epiphany of Jesus Christ as God and celebrate all the other epiphanies He has waiting for us in 2019.
Blessings to you all! Happy New Year!
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