+ The Epiphany of Our Lord (observed) – January 5th, 2020 +
Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12
Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Milton, WA
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
There’s something intriguing, suspenseful, and enjoyable about a good mystery story. Whether it’s tracking the crook with Scooby Doo, Shaggy and the gang, reading Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Father Brown, or Sherlock Holmes, Law and Order, or CSI; maybe even playing Clue with family and friends…we love a good mystery. We want to know, whodunit!? Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick or Miss Scarlett in the kitchen with a lead pipe?
According to Paul in Ephesians 3, there’s an Epiphany mystery afoot. He even uses the Greek word mysterium (mystery) four times.
The prophet Isaiah joins in and gives us a few clues.
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee… And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Even St. Matthew plays the part of a good mystery writer and casts the wise men as the inquisitive detectives:
In the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
There’s even a villain in this Christmas caper. Herod will stop at nothing to keep his self-appointed title of “king of the Jews”. He sends the Magi to try and do his dirty work for him and later on orders the murder all males under 2 years old in Bethlehem as the Holy Family escapes to Egypt.
In the Scripture’s way of speaking, a mystery isn’t so much a problem to be solved, but a hidden word and promise revealed by God. So, when St. Paul speaks of a mystery he’s speaking of a revelation, not of information but of the appearance person. Not a case to be closed, but more like a gift to be opened, revealed and received.
The Good News that was hidden before in the prophets has now been revealed in Jesus. As St. Paul declares…
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
According to Paul, in our Lord’s Epiphany, Jesus is Savior who is revealed for all people. Jesus is the Savior revealed to you and for you.
That’s what that little word “Epiphany” means; to reveal, appear, make known. The star revealed the birth of a king to the wise men. The prophet Micah revealed to Herod and the wise men that the Messiah (the Christ) was to be born, not in Jerusalem, but in Bethlehem. The magi’s gifts and worship reveal their faith in Jesus: Gold confesses Jesus to be a king; Frankincense confesses him to be God in human flesh; and myrrh confesses his death, for he came to be a sacrifice for you. And God’s dream sent to warn the wise men, reveals Herod’s true wickedness.
For just like the wise men, we are blind without God’s Word. As Isaiah reveals for us, the darkness of sin covers the earth. Thick darkness of death, doubt, despair, and wickedness shroud our hearts. Apart from God’s Word, not only are we blind in sin we are blind to the true depth of our sin. There’s a treacherous, wicked king Herod within our own sinful hearts.
So, if we want to join the wise men in finding Christ, we must close our eyes to all that glitters in the world and find in this humble child our true and only treasure. Put away all selfish desires. Look to the concern of others and count our neighbor as more important than ourselves.
And rejoice with the wise men in the revelation of the Epiphany mystery. To find in this holy Child the One who finds you and rescues you. In our Lord’s Epiphany, Jesus the Savior is revealed for all people. Jesus the Savior is revealed to you and for you.
And like any good mystery story, our salvation happens in the most unexpected of ways with a most unexpected Savior.
God becomes man and is born, not only as the King of the Jews, but the Gentiles as well. Jesus is born to lowly, unknown, humble people. The Almighty God and Lord of all is born of a Virgin and laid in a manger for all. Jesus’ birth reveals the kind of Savior he is: Jesus is born for the outsider, the foreigner, the outcast, lowly, losers, and sinners. Jesus is born for you.
To demonstrate his mercy Jesus takes on all our misery. To reveal his grace Jesus bears our guilt. To make known his salvation Jesus becomes our sin. To manifest his deep love for you Jesus dies in your place. And not just for little sins and little sinners, but for the chief of sinners: the likes of Paul and you and me.
We who were not God’s people are now his children. We who were dead in our trespasses and sin are made alive in Christ Jesus. We who were lost in sin, death and darkness have been found by the Divine Detective himself, Jesus Christ who is the Light of the world.
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
In our Lord’s Epiphany, Jesus the Savior is revealed for all people. Jesus the Savior is revealed to you and for you.
A blessed Epiphany to each of you…
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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