January 7, 2024
Epiphany means “revealed.” It’s like a “light bulb moment.” When someone has one of those moments, it’s a real epiphany. Eureka! The original Epiphany was like a really big “light bulb moment,” with a giant natural light bulb from God. It was a moving star, put in the sky miraculously by God, to lead the wise men, the Magi, from the eastern fertile crescent on a long journey. It led them just where they needed to be—at the bedside of the long awaited, long prophesied King of the Jews.
It was important that they come, both for their own sake, and for the sake of Jesus’ countrymen and family. All needed to know that this King was not only the King of the Jews, but the eternal, everlasting King and Savior of all the nations on earth. The Wise Men were the first gentiles (non-Jews) to worship Jesus. For those of us who are gentiles, they’re “our guys.” For that reason, Epiphany is known as the “Christmas of the Gentiles.”
The Wise Men knew the prophecy of Balaam in our Old Testament Lesson so when they saw the star, they knew what to do. We know what to do also—to come and worship Jesus and present our gifts to Him who gave us eternal life.