An Epiphany With Our Lord

Had one yourself yet?

Summary: Must we encounter the living God or is knowing about him good
enough? Perhaps a closer look at the story of the Magi and their epiphany
with Jesus may provide an answer?
Scripture focus: Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-121
Date: Sunday, 7 January 2018 (Belfield Uniting); Sunday, 6 January 2008
(Hurstville Church of Christ)

Introduction
During the four Sundays immediately preceding Christmas, we spiritually prepared ourselves for
remembering and re-entering the story of the coming of the Son of God into the world, in the
form of a child born in a manger.

I am sure everyone here recognises that the dominant culture in

which we live simplifies and sanitises the story of the birth of
Jesus —there is even a Fisher-Price toy nativity set that is quite
cute and quite hard to come by because of its popularity. This is
an example of how the world sanitises the story of the birth of
Jesus because it knowingly or unknowingly wants to distract us
from the full impact of that story. Despite these best efforts, we
celebrated Christmas once again, and so too does the Son continue to impress upon us his
revelation of the Father.

Yet, the story of the birth of Jesus does not end with Christmas morning. Historically,
Christmas was celebrated over a season of twelve days, ending on 6 January with the festival of
The Epiphany of Our Lord. Epiphany focusses our attention on the search for the newborn
king undertaken by the Magi from the East. Upon finding the young Jesus, the Magi recognised
him for what he truly is, and honoured him as such.

Here too, in the story of the Magi, we find another example of the simplifying and sanitising of
the story of the birth of Jesus. According to one commentator,

Because of the Magi’s routine (and largely erroneous) inclusion in Christmas

pageants next to the shepherds and angels, we have come to expect and even
welcome the presence of these Magi, or wise men, or three kings of the Orient.
They add a dash of colour to the spectacle with their royal blue garments
embroidered with gold foil. They provide a whiff of the exotic through their
Persian ways as hints of spices fill the air. Above all, perhaps, they sound just the
right note of royalty for the child-king in the manger. (Scott Hoezee)2

These Magi arouse in us a pleasant nostalgia, but the truth of their story becomes uncomfortable
and challenging when we pay a little more attention. Before we do that, however, let us pray:

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 Almighty God, nations shall come to your light
and rulers to the brightness of your dawn.
By the compelling radiance of your Spirit,
draw us near, reveal your truth,
and teach us faithful obedience to your holy Word. Amen.

What’s Up With The Magi?

The first thing we might notice is there is no reason to assume
these Magi were royalty. We also don’t actually know how many
of them there actually were —three gifts does not necessarily
mean three gift-givers!3 So persistent has the mythology of these
Magi become that, in the fourth century, Helena, mother of the
Roman Emperor Constantine, claimed to have had a vision
which led her to the burial site of these three ‘kings’. She had
the remains brought to Constantinople and since 1163 AD their
skulls remain on display in the Cathedral of Cologne in Germany.4

If not three and if not kings, who were these Magi? Apparently, the earliest literary reference to
the names of the Magi comes from the 5th or 6th century, giving us the names of Melchior,
Gaspar, and Baltasar.5 Their names notwithstanding, they were the modern equivalent of
astrologers, peddling “secret wisdom” and Magic. They were stargazers who allegedly
understood present and future events through what they perceived in the movement of the
planets and stars. Likely based in ancient Persia,6 the Magi would provide horoscopes to anyone
interested. Many today would call such as these quacks or maybe even charlatans —the Old
Testament has even more harsher language directed toward such as these.7

That Magi showed up at the home of Jesus, Joseph and Mary would actually have been
somewhat scandalous to Matthew’s immediate readers. These likely conmen, Gentiles, why were
such as they drawn to the bedside of the young Jesus? Their inclusion in this story is not
scandalous to us because we are removed from its sociohistorical context and really rather prefer
the Fisher-Price version of the story...

Before we dismiss the Magi though, let us remember their appearance fulfilled minor prophecies
found in Psalm 72:10–11 and Isaiah 60:6, although Matthew did not himself draw attention to
this fact. Whatever we might think of their profession, these men, trained in astrology, noticed a
bright new star in the sky, and interpreted this to mean a king had been born in the land of
Israel. They travelled a great distance and followed the obvious protocol of looking for the new
king in the capital of Israel, which was and is Jerusalem. Not finding the king there, the star
reappeared8 and led them to Bethlehem, where they found the young Jesus —thereby fulfilling
another prophecy, found in Micah 5:2.

Neither the reigning king, nor the people of Jerusalem, were excited by the news brought to
them by these strangers —in fact, they did not even react to the information, either positively of
negatively, remaining disinterested apparently, according to Matthew. These Magi, in contrast,
were filled with joy as they searched. Upon finding the new king, they worshipped him9 and
offered him expensive gifts.

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In my research, I discovered that

Incense and myrrh were treasures characteristic of the East that the
Mediterranean world typically imported from there (cf. 1 Kings 10:10; Ps
72:10–11, 15). (Craig S. Keener)10

“Frankincense” was an aromatic used in sacrificial offerings; “myrrh” was used in

perfuming ointments. These, with the “gold” which they presented, seem to
show that the offerers were persons in affluent circumstances. That the gold was
presented to the infant King in token of His royalty; the frankincense in token of
His divinity; and, the myrrh, of His sufferings; or that they were designed to
express His divine and human natures; or that the prophetical, priestly, and kingly
offices of Christ are to be seen in these gifts; or that they were the offerings of
three individuals respectively, each of them kings, the very names of whom
tradition has handed down —all these are, at the best, precarious suppositions.
But that the feelings of these devout givers are to be seen in the richness of their
gifts, and that the gold, at least, would be highly serviceable to the parents of the
blessed Babe in their unexpected journey to Egypt and stay there —that much at
least admits of no dispute.
(Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown)11

Are these gifts symbolic? Perhaps not necessarily, from an historical-critical perspective, but I
do believe that those with “ears to hear” (Mark 4:9; cf. 8:17-21) will recognise that God does, in
fact, operate and communicate on many levels. We are therefore being invited, through the
many prophetic facets of this story, to draw closer to the God who acts in human history. Like
the Magi, you too may have an encounter with our Lord, if you will similarly seek him with your
whole heart and soul (cf. Dt 4:29).

Epiphany: Now and Then

“So what exactly is an epiphany?”, you might be wondering. The Macquarie Dictionary12 defines
the word “Epiphany” (big “E”) as:

1. the church festival on 6 January, celebrating the manifestation of Christ to the

Magi
2. a season of the church year

Indeed, today marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Epiphany, which will end with the
commemoration of Transfiguration Sunday on 11 February.

During the festival of Epiphany, many traditional activities may be enjoyed: in some churches, it
is customary to burn the greens hung in decoration during Advent; a white Epiphany cake may
be shared and consumed; in some parts of Europe, an Epiphany king or queen is crowned.13

In these ways, the festival of Epiphany celebrates the epiphany (small “e”) had by the Magi. This
form of the word is defined by the Macquarie Dictionary as:

1. an appearance, revelation, or manifestation of a divine being

2. a revelation of the basic nature of something; a perception of some essential
truth

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The most obvious example of the revelatory nature of
epiphanies comes from the second most famous anecdote in the
history of science: The story of a young Isaac Newton sitting in
his garden when an apple falls on his head and, in a stroke of
brilliant insight, suddenly comes up with his theory of gravity.
“The story is almost certainly embellished, both by Newton and
the generations of storytellers who came after him”, wrote Steve
Connor for the UK’s Independent news service,14 but that Newtown perpetuated this version
conveys the sense of joy likely experienced as he perceived the basic nature of the hitherto
misunderstood force of gravity.

Similarly, through the art of their magic and the science of their astrological charts, the Magi
were given a glimpse of a great light that had dawned. Why should the birth of a king in Israel
make any difference to these men from the East? The appearance of a star convinced the Magi
the birth of this king would have worldwide and eternal impact. Risking much, they travelled a
great distance to find this king and to worship him. They perceived an essential truth and would
follow that star to its antecedent.

And when they arrived, what did they imagine they would find? The insight provided by the star
led to an encounter far beyond their, or anyone’s, expectation. They found themselves in the
presence of Immanuel, “God is with us” (see Is 7:14; Mt 1:23). The Magi prepared to honour a
king but found themselves worshipping a divine being: “This tiny, helpless child in the straw is
also the God and ruler of our universe. All of our Advent prayers of longing for a Lord and
Saviour have come true.”15 Anyone would have thought this was simply another baby, but,
instead, the Lord made his ‘appearance’ in human history!

We might consider also the secondary, and sometimes forgotten, stories of Jesus’ childhood: The
presentation of Jesus at the Temple (Luke 2:22ff); the flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15);
Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39ff); and, the song of Zechariah (Luke 1:67ff), which all
speak of the mystery of this Messiah revealed. He is indeed a light shining in the darkness (Is
9:2), a light shining for all people.

Epiphany: His, Theirs, Ours

In this epiphany, Jesus appeared as the divine being that he is and this “reality is grasped” by the
Magi. Can we grasp the reality of Jesus too? Can we have an epiphany of Jesus like the Magi?
To answer this question, I believe there are two sides to the story of the Magi that must be
appreciated.

The Magi expected to find a king, but in such a state as they found Jesus? I think not! He was
not in the capital city, but ‘out back o’ Bourke’ in Bethlehem. Somehow, when they found Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph, the Magi were able to see beyond the façade of ordinariness and insignificance
to see their God and their King. Not only did they see God in the baby, they heard God speak to
them and direct them as they left. How is it they were so open to God, these charlatans, these
foreigners? If such as they had such an encounter, have you yet had an epiphany of Jesus?

The Magi had their epiphany. That is one side to this story. The remembrance of their
epiphany, celebrating Jesus being identified for who he is, becomes an invitation for us to have
our own epiphany. Do you ever get the feeling we were meant to live for so much more?
Knowing all is not right with this world and yourself, will you seek for insight with your whole
heart and soul? When you finally discover Jesus is more than just a baby and more than just a

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dead sacrifice, that he is your Lord and King, will you bow and worship him “in spirit and in
truth” (John 4:23)?

Australian Theologian Stuart Devenish shared with me the text

of a book he was working on in 2007 —I’m not sure if he ever
published it. Going by the working title, “Through Spiritual
Eyes: The Interior Life of the Christian Saint”, Stuart argued,

It is my conviction that a genuine encounter with God,

in the tradition of biblical Christianity, is what generates
an authentic spirituality which is focussed on Jesus
Christ, and which bestows an alternative vision of reality on the new believer.
The result of all this is that Christians know things, see things and understand
things about God, themselves and the world, which are fundamentally different
from that of the prevalent culture around them, and which do not reside within
themselves in any native sense. That is, when they embraced the way of Jesus,
something happened within them which caused them to renegotiate their
existence in the world on the basis of a radically alternate certainty that has
changed their self-image and their figure-ground place in the world. (Stuart Devenish)16

Stuart believes only an encounter with the living God can arouse the vibrant, life-giving spirit for
which you and I long desperately. I happen to agree wholeheartedly with him on this point.

How can we say we know anything about a person unless we

have, in fact and at least, met him or her; unless we have spent
time with that person? For instance, this past week my wife and
I were discussing our neighbours. I suggested they might be
willing to look after our dog the next time we go away —they do
live next door and it would be quite easy for them. My wife
suggested they weren’t very friendly. I’m not entirely sure she
has had enough interaction with them yet because when I lost
my keys, Tony next door was quite happy to invite me into his
home and to use his phone to call my wife. One of the sons painted our house; another is a
Catholic missionary to some degree and is rather more talkative than I would like.

However, they stated a few times after we moved into our current house that they were going to
have us over, but never did. So, on balance we don’t really know anything about them at all
because we haven’t spent enough time with them, and surely not enough to entrust them with
the care of our dog, I agree. But the onus is on us to get to know them better else we can’t really
say we know them since we don’t spend any time getting to know them.

This is no different than with the followers of Jesus. Read a Bible for proof! In its pages are
countless stories of people who experienced the risen Christ in a variety of ways and who were
radically transformed by the encounter. Such epiphanies are never presented as the exception,
but as the norm! Indeed, the promise of Jesus was “I am with you always” (Mt 28:20). Did he
mean that promise? Could it be the case an encounter with Jesus is actually normal for the
friends of Jesus?

Interestingly, Stuart goes on the define a class of people which he calls culture Christians:

But the one distinguishing feature of the Christian saint is that they place the
person of Jesus Christ at the centre of their lives in a fundamental and radical
way. For them Jesus is not simply some cultural icon, some spiritual guru, some

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 great teacher who lived and died 2000 years ago who left behind him a body of
teaching which has inspired his followers ever since. The people who fit that
category are called 'culture Christians'; they attend church regularly, recite the
creed, say the Lord's prayer, receive the elements of the Eucharist each
week, and believe themselves to be ‘in the faith’, but their lives have not been
changed or transformed. They have been church-ed but not Christ-ed. They
reside under the shadow of the church steeple but it cannot yet be said of them
that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). (Stuart Devenish)17

Culture Christians claim to know Christ but have never actually met him. They only know about
him.

There is one saving grace available to such culture Christians. It

can be summed up by the axiom: To be successful, hang out
with successful people! While cliché, this axiom expresses a
natural tendency of ours to be drawn to those living life to its
fullest (cf. John 10:10). If you want to live the free, full and
forever life promised by Jesus, then, at the very least, spend time
with and emulate those who already are enjoying that life. Do
what they do, practise what they practise, and, perhaps, you too
will find the God you are looking for.

Paul encouraged this tendency in his own disciples: “In Christ Jesus I became your father
through the gospel. I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me” (1 Cor 4:15-16a).18 Lest you think
Paul’s intention is to have us imitate him, he wrote later in the same letter, “Imitate me, as I also
imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). So, Paul serves as an example of a successful friend of Jesus,
successful in the sense that his transformation was readily evident.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking, however, that imitation of the apostle or any other Christian
saint will ultimately effect salvation because it does not include a direct encounter with God. We
must have our own epiphany with God. Spiritual practises are merely the means to the end.

Why is having an epiphany with Jesus important? Besides the obvious benefit of gaining the
free, full, and forever life promised by Jesus for those friends who love, trust, and obey him, it is
intimated in the prophecy of Isaiah 60:1-6 that it is, and always has been, the intention of God
that the person truly filled with the Spirit draws others to him or herself and, hence, to God, for
as it is written,

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the LORD shines over you [...]
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to your shining brightness. [...]
They will carry gold and frankincense
and proclaim the praises of the LORD. (Isaiah 60:1–6)

This is “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18), that our transformed life would overflow
and replenish the hungry and thirsty around us. Your epiphany is meant to be shared and lead to
epiphanies in others!

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Conclusion
Our creator God meant for us to have help in this life and his Holy Spirit is available to guide us
and empower us for successful living now and into the future. An encounter with the Living
God is truly possible and achievable, and it begins with taking Jesus seriously.

And when you study and meditate upon what is recorded of Jesus in the Bible, if you are held by
awe at the mystery of his love for you, and are drawn in humility towards him, then you are
indeed experiencing the presence of the Spirit! I am not describing a mere mental assent to an
idea here, but an experience that involves the coming together of our whole being and his.

Commentators tell us, “Various traditions connect the Magi with Arabia, Babylon, or Persia.
They represent humans of all ages, from all continents, giving gifts appropriate to royalty,
divinity, and death.”19 This highlights the point God is available to anyone and everyone, all who
would seek him will find him. Perhaps a good way to start this year then is with proper, pious
reflection on the source and content of our faith. Think about the person and ministry of Jesus,
as revealed in the Bible, and turn your heart and soul toward him. Perhaps we too then, as did
the Magi, will have our limitations and spiritual expectations transformed through our own
epiphany.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, you are the light of the world, the radiance of the unapproachable
light, in whom we see the light of God. From your countenance radiates upon us
the illumination of the knowledge of the love and glory of God. And you are
ours, our light and our salvation.

Teach us to believe more firmly that with you we can never walk in the darkness.
Let gladness in you be the proof that you are all to us, and be our strength to do
all that you would have us do.

Amen. (Andrew Murray, 1828–1917)20

Endnotes
1 All biblical quotes and references are taken from The Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN, USA: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017).

2 Scott Hoezee, “Epiphany of the Lord, Years A, B, C”, The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday’s Texts, Volume Three, editted
by Roger E. Van Harn (Grand Rapids, MI, USA: Eerdmans, 2001), pg 5.

3 “Matthew does not specify the number of Magi, give names, or call them kings; legends eventually supplied such details. Tertullian, referring to Psa
72:10 in Against Marcion III.13, was the first to imply that the Magi were kings. Origen specified the number three, based on the three gifts (Homilies
on Genesis and Exodus 14.3). This was widely accepted in the Western church in the 600s.” ~Michael D. Morrison, “Melchior”, The Lexham Bible
Dictionary, editted by John D. Barry et al (Bellingham, WA, USA: Lexham Press, 2016).

4 “The Shrine of the Three Kings, in Cologne, Germany, claims to have the bodies of the Magi. The tradition there says that they all died in AD 55:
Melchior on January 1 at age 116, Balthasar on January 6 at 112, and Gaspar on January 11 at 109.” ~ibid.

5 “There are different name traditions in the East. One sixth-century work gives the names as Hôrmîzdah, Yazdegerd, and Perôzâdh, from Persia,
Sabha, and Sheba. An Ethiopic book gives the names as Hor, Basanâtor, and Karsudan. An Armenian infancy gospel (14th-century manuscript)
uses the three names that are familiar in the West, assigning them to Arabia, India, and Persia. Some Eastern traditions have 12 Magi, with more
than one set of names.” ~ibid.

6 “Matthew says that the Magi came ‘from the east’ (Matt 2:1). Justin and Tertullian claimed this referred to Arabia, Jerome and Augustine said
Babylon, and Clement of Alexandria and John Chrysostom claimed the Magi were from Persia. The gifts of frankincense and myrrh suggest an origin
in Arabia.” ~ibid.

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7 “The Bible condemns Magi types as idolatrous deceivers to be avoided by godly folk. Indeed, a Jewish rabbi wrote not long before the birth of Jesus:
‘He who learns from a magi is worthy of death.’ ” ~Hoezee, pg 6.

8 “The text might imply only that the star appeared to move due to the Magi’s own movement. Even had the object been close enough to earth to
calculate its relation to Bethlehem, Bethlehem was so close to Jerusalem that any distance would have been negligible unless the object was only a
mile high. But the description of God’s leading of the Magi by a moving, supernatural sign may recall how God had led his own people by the fire and
cloud in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22).” — Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL, USA:
InterVarsity Press, 1993).

9 “‘Unto him gifts’: This expression, used frequently in the Old Testament of the oblations presented to God, is in the New Testament employed seven
times, and always in a religious sense of offerings to God. Beyond doubt, therefore, we are to understand the presentation of these gifts by the Magi
as a religious offering.” — Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, A. R. Fausset et al., A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New
Testaments (Oak Harbor, WA, USA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

10 The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL, USA: InterVarsity Press, 1993).

11 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA, USA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

12 Macquarie Dictionary Online, 2016, Macquarie Dictionary Publishers, an imprint of Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd,
http://www.macquariedictionary.com.au (accessed 5-Jan-2018).

13 Brett Webb-Mitchelll and Diane Archer, Sacred Seasons: A Journey Through the Church Year (Cleveland, OH, USA: Pilgrim Press, 2002), pgs 29-30.

14 Steve Connor, “The Core of Truth Behind Sir Isaac Newton's Apple”, 18 January 2010, The Independent Online, https://tinyurl.com/y8u4rygh
(accessed 5-Jan-2018)

15 Mueller Nelson Gertrud, To Dance With God: Family Ritual and Community Celebration (New York, NY, USA: Paulist Press, 1986), pg 117; quoted in
Webb-Mitchell and Archer, pg 29.

16 Stuart Devenish, Through Spiritual Eyes: the Interior Life of the Christian Saint, unpublished manuscript, pg 9.

17 Ibid, 8.

18 See also Acts 20:35; 1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1; Philippians 3:17, 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7; 2 Thessalonians 3:7, 9.

19 Morrison, The Lexham Bible Dictionary.

20 Adapted from Andrew Murray, The New Life: Words of God for Young Disciples of Christ (New York, NY, USA: Hurst & Company, 1891), pgs
155–156 by Elliot Ritzema (ed), 300 Quotations and Prayers for Christmas, Pastorum Series (Lexham Press, 2013).

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