Epiphany

Matthew 2:1-12

Introduction

There was a game we used to play in a group in which you had a pair of scissors in your hand. You passed them to the next person and said either the word crossed or uncrossed. Those who didn’t know how the game was played were totally because they didn’t realize that you were not talking about the scissors being crossed or uncrossed, but your legs. The fun of the game was watching people suddenly understand. You could see by the look on their face that they suddenly got it and then they would have a look of confidence on their face as they played the game with understanding. You could call this moment of understanding an “ah ha” moment or an epiphany. The definition of an epiphany is “an experience of sudden and striking realization.”

Today is Epiphany in the Christian calendar and the dictionary defines it as “A Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.” The question is, is Epiphany an epiphany for us? Do we get it?

We know the story of the wise men. We know that there were 3, even though it doesn’t say so and it is only tradition that has assumed so because of the three gifts. We know they came from the east, but we don’t know where in the east they came from. We know Herod was not happy about the message of a king and later killed all the boys two years old and younger who were born in Bethlehem because of this announcement, which, by the way, was something totally within his character to do. We know the wise men gave gifts and worshipped the child and we know that they went home by another way. We know the story and have heard it many times, but have we really understood how it is an epiphany?

Who were the Magi? Why did they come? What moved them to go? Why were they involved in what is essentially a Jewish story? Why did they worship the child? What does it tell us about the child and the implications of His birth? What was God doing through the Magi? What does it tell us about God and how He works?

I.     Who were the Magi?

There are various theories about where the Magi came from. Gardner says that they were “…a priestly caste among the Medes and Persians.” Apparently, “Marco Polo told of a Persian village from which, the villagers claimed, the wise men had begun their journey.”  Brent Landau writes about an eighth-century Syriac manuscript held in the Vatican Library called “The Revelation of the Magi.” It tells the story of a group, numbering as few as 12 and as many as several score, of monk-like mystics from a far-off, mythical land called Shir, possibly China. They are descendants of Seth and the guardians of an age-old prophecy that a star of indescribable brightness would someday appear “heralding the birth of God in human form.” It tells that “when the long-prophesied star finally appears, the star is not simply sighted at its rising, as described in Matthew, but rather descends to earth, ultimately transforming into a luminous “star-child” that instructs the magi to travel to Bethlehem to witness its birth in human form. The star then guides the magi along their journey, miraculously clearing their path of all obstacles and providing them with unlimited stamina and provisions. Finally, inside a cave on the outskirts of Bethlehem, the star reappears to the magi as a luminous human child - the Christ child.” This is an interesting story, but Landau is quite certain that it does not give us the true story of where they came from. What is very clear about this story, however, is that whoever they were, they were Gentiles and that fact is significant and causes us to ask, “Why did Gentiles come to worship the Christ?”

Many times when we read the Jewish story of God’s people we perceive that it is a very exclusive story. After the exile to Babylon and in the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah, we have a powerful presentation that God desired his people to be faithful to Him and to avoid all contact with those who were not Jews. When Jesus came, many did not view contact with Gentiles as acceptable Jewish behavior. Even Jesus spoke about the gospel being first for the Jews. Yet in spite of that strong message that God’s people were Jewish, there has always been a sense that God also was calling Gentiles to Himself. The very first promise of a coming Messiah was made to Adam and Eve soon after they sinned and was a promise, not to one nation, but to all people of the earth. When Abraham was called by God, in Genesis 12:3, we read that, “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Later in Isaiah 42 God speaks about His servant and in verses 6, 7 says, “I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison whose who sit in darkness.” After Jesus completed his ministry, He told his disciples in Matthew 28:19 to “…make disciples of all nations…” In Ephesians 2:13 Paul, speaking of the Gentiles, says, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." He also says in Ephesians 3:8, 9 - "…this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things…"

This is the epiphany contained in the story of the Magi! God has invited the Gentiles to His kingdom. This is particularly important to us because we are Gentiles, we are “the nations.” How thankful I am that God has included us! I read something recently in which an author suggested that Jesus was white. Jesus was not white, He was Jewish. But the story of the Magi, early in the life of Jesus tells us that He did not come only for Jews or only for white people. He came for every nation on earth. God includes the whole world in His plan. The celebration of Epiphany is important because it tells us that the coming of the Gentile Magi to meet God’s Messiah assures us that God’s message of the gospel is for all nations. It is important for us to know this. Do we understand it and its implications?

II.  What moved them to go?

Another epiphany about this story comes from the presence of the star. We have sung about the star, but have we ever considered the meaning of the star? Many scholars have speculated about the star. Some have suggested that it was the conjunction of two planets. Of course if that is what it was, then astronomers are able to calculate which year there was such a conjunction of two planets, which made them appear as one bright star. Apparently something like that happened in about 4 BC, which is likely about when Jesus was born. Others have suggested it was a comet or some other special occurrence among the stars in the heavens. These theories explain a particularly unusual star in the heavens and allow us to pinpoint a date for such an occurrence, but they do not explain why the star was understood to contain a message.

What does the text actually say about the star? We notice first of all that the Magi tell Herod, in Matthew 2:2, "…we observed his star at its rising…” In Matthew 2:7 Herod asked them about, “…the exact time when the star had appeared.” Then in verse 9 we read, "…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." These things tell us some important things about this occurrence.

One thing we learn is that it was a specific star because it rose at a specific time. One thing I am not sure about is whether it was a normal star in an unusual place or if it was a star that moved. It seems to have moved because they were able to follow it to the stable.

Of these things I am not certain, but what is certain is that for some reason these people understood this star to have a very specific message. They understood that it was a star which communicated the birth of a king among the Jews. The question is, “How did they come to this conclusion?” Some suggest that the star was incidental and their knowledge of a king born had more to do with their knowledge of Old Testament Scripture. Yet even if that was the case, why was the star used to communicate this message? I believe that what happened was that they had knowledge of the meaning of stars, perhaps they were even astrologers. Messages in stars were a language that they understood. God wanted them to know about His Messiah and so spoke to them in their language. It is evident that the message was clear enough and powerful enough to move them to take a long journey to see this special king. The text seems to suggest that the star communicated to them that a Jewish king was born. How could the star do this apart from some belief that there was a message in the stars? Many people have believed that stars contain messages and still do today. In this one case, God used that language to speak to them in a way that they would understand.

This is a significant thought and one that should encourage us. It tells us something about how God communicates and that He wants people to know His truth. If God would speak in the language of the stars to communicate the birth of His son to a group of Gentiles, then surely God is very interested in inviting people to come to Him. It tells us that, although we must proclaim God’s message, God also is able to communicate aspects of His message in other ways. This is by no means the only time that God has done such a thing. In Romans 1:19 we read, "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them." How has God done that? Well, He has certainly left evidence of Himself in all of creation. But He has also made Himself known in other ways. When Paul was preaching the gospel in Athens, as recorded in Acts 17, he twice quoted pagan poets with a message that allowed him to make a connection for them to hear the gospel. In that case, God left the pagans in Athens with a message about Himself in their literature that could lead them to know God. Even today, we hear about how God communicates to unbelieving people of Muslim background through dreams which opens the way for them to hear the gospel.

A while ago, I had a conversation with someone about the justice of God. The question was being asked, “Is it fair that people in remote regions who have never heard the gospel should be judged because they do not know?” One answer to that question is seen in the story of the Magi. This story tells us that God is able to communicate His message to those who have ears to hear, even if that communication does not come from a Christian evangelist or from a Bible. Of course, the message of the Bible must still be communicated. The story of the Magi tells us that although they had the message of the star that was not enough. They needed the message of the Bible to clarify things. They came to Jerusalem and there it was the prophecy of Micah that gave them more accuracy about the message they had discerned. Yet the fact that God spoke in the star gives us an example of how God works that encourages us to trust in Him and His righteousness, justice and His desire to see all people come to know the way to life.

We also need to know this as we do the work of evangelism. We need to be aware of how has God has already been speaking in the world into which we seek to proclaim the gospel? How does He speak in the literature, media, history and culture of any nation in the world? This epiphany about how God works does not allow us to be lazy about gospel proclamation, but it does encourage us that we are not alone, but that God is also at work. We need to be aware of how and where God is at work and work with Him to proclaim the message of Jesus with accuracy.

I would suggest to you that these observations are another epiphany about Epiphany.

III.          Why did they kneel before Jesus?

So we have seen that God spoke to Gentiles in their language, but what is most significant is understanding that the message of the star brought them to Jesus.

Their first knowledge was that the star spoke of one who was “king of the Jews.” They came to do homage to the king of the Jews. What did they understand about the king of the Jews? Why was this something important enough for them to make a long trip, bring expensive gifts, give them to him and pay homage to him? We probably will never know for certain. However, whether they worshipped knowingly or not, we do know the identity of the king of the Jews from Scripture and whether or not they understood all this, and they probably did not, it reveals the truth of why He is worthy of worship.

The concept of a king of the Jews begins with the first king chosen to be king over Israel. At that time, Samuel warned the people that God was their king and they should not desire another king. Yet they wanted a king whom they could see and who could lead them and so Saul was chosen. He was not a faithful king and he was rejected as king and David became king in his place. David was a man after God’s heart and a faithful king who ruled in God’s way. Because of that, God promised in 2 Samuel 7:16, "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever." That promise was further declared in Isaiah 9:6, "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." When Jesus was born, his ancestry back to David was declared in the birth stories. In His ministry, Jesus proclaimed the coming of the kingdome of God over which He was king. When Jesus was crucified, we once again hear the language of Jesus as king in the sign that was placed over his cross, “King of the Jews.” Jesus was to reign not only over Israel, but over the whole earth. Because of His resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father, we understand that Jesus has been declared king over all. The promise to David was fulfilled in Jesus and when the Magi worshipped Him as King of the Jews, their worship was accurate in all these ways.

When the Magi went to Jerusalem and inquiry was made about where they would find this king of the Jews, Herod asked the chief priests and scribes and they introduced another identity of the child. They spoke about Messiah. So we learn that this king of the Jews was also Messiah. Messiah was the Old Testament promise of the one who would be anointed by God and sent by God to bring about His salvation. Psalm 2 is loaded with this kind of language. It speaks about the kings of the earth rejecting “the Lord and his anointed.” It also declares God’s promise, “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill” and further identifies that king as the Son of God. These are words that speak of the importance of Messiah. He is God’s anointed who came to do God’s work of redemption on earth and through his death on the cross to reign as king forever.

As I suggest, the Magi probably had no idea of all of this significance, but when they paid Him homage, this was all true. Jesus is all of this and more. What do we make of the fact that a group of Gentiles came to worship Messiah King?

It points to the centrality of Christ. The gospel is about Jesus. Although God may speak the language of other cultures, and although He reveals Himself through literature, cultural practices and even dreams, all who come to God must come through Jesus. Salvation is found in Him alone. Acts 4:12 is very clear about this, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” Jews and Gentiles, churched people and pagans from the remotest places of the earth can come to God in only one way and that is through Jesus. Some people find that uncomfortable. Why is God so exclusive? Yet when we understand that God Himself came to earth in the person of Jesus and died for our sins on the cross it becomes very clear that there is only one way and that is through the one who died for us.

This epiphany about Epiphany is demonstrated by the fact that Magi came from far away to see and worship Jesus because Jesus is from God and the only one able to reconcile people to Himself.

It is important for us to know this as we proclaim the gospel. Our message is not about good morality nor about joining a church. Our message is about Jesus. He is Lord. He is Saviour. In Him alone we find life and hope and forgiveness and peace and eternity.

Conclusion

Epiphany is about how God revealed Jesus to Gentiles. What an important message! It isn’t about the star or the gifts. The power of this story is that God chose to reveal Jesus to those who were far away by speaking in their language and inviting them to come to see the child who would rule the universe. This is the epiphany that comes out of this story for us. How do we respond to this revelation?

For one thing, we can be particularly thankful because we are those who have been drawn to Jesus through the proclamation of this message. We are among those from the nations who have come to know Jesus.

The story also invites us to observe how God is at work among the pagans in our world. We need to see how God is speaking to them in their language, how He is at work among them and then we need to help them make connections to the Word of God and the Son of God.

A further response is to recognize the importance of Jesus, God’s one and only Saviour and King. In all our life, work, thought and worship, we need to keep Jesus at the center.

            May this epiphany guide us as we worship Jesus and as we make Him known in this New Year!