+ The Epiphany of our Lord – January 6th,
2016 +
Redeemer Lutheran, HB
Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Epiphany means “to reveal”,
to shine a light in the darkness.
Today we celebrate the
Epiphany of our Lord. Jesus is the Light in the darkness of our fallen world. Jesus
is the Messiah whom the prophets longed for, the King whom the wise men sought
to find, the Savior whom the shepherds ran to worship. Christ, our Morning
Star, has finally dawned.
Arise,
shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Epiphany means to reveal, to
shine a light in the darkness.
And we live in a land of
deep darkness, just as Israel did in Isaiah’s day, and the wise men did in
theirs. Isaiah saw injustice, poverty, exile, homelessness, people abandoning
God for false gods, people loving riches more than their fellow man, darkness
of sin covering the whole earth…and so do we, only we have the advantage of the
internet and cable news to fill our homes and minds with the darkness of this
world faster than the speed of light.
The wise men saw a wicked
king hell-bent on serving himself, who pretended to love God’s word but only
used it for his own gain, who abandoned the Lord for idols fashioned by human hands
- hands that also murdered every child in Bethlehem two years and younger. But
we see the same shadow of death over our land too. Our children are murdered in
abortion clinics, our elderly by euthanasia. There are financial challenges in
our homes and church; we face illness, terror, and death.
And truth be told, we love
the darkness. Not perhaps the kind we see on the news, but within each of us is
a sinful heart of darkness. We have sinned against God and our neighbor in thought,
word, and deed. Yes, we live in a land of deep darkness, and we’re socked in.
Where do we find a light in the
darkness? Do we look for some mystical light within us? To the flashing neon
lights of the world? No. Like the wise men, we turn to the Light of the world
shining forth in God’s Word.
That’s how the wise men
found Jesus. The star only got them to Jerusalem. It was the prophet Micah who
brought Epiphany to the wise men, who revealed God’s light to their path. Lord,
to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal light and life.
It is this same Word that
brings Epiphany to us. Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, come for you.
Jesus is the Light who first
broke the silence and void of creation with his word: “Let there be light…and
it was so.”
Jesus is the Light of the
World who was made flesh for Israel, the wise men, and for you.
Jesus is the Light of the
World who shines most clearly for us, just as he did for the wise men, in the
holy lamp of his Word.
For
we have something far better and brighter than a star: Jesus’ Word of life. It
is a light for you in dark places when all other lights go out. By His word, God
leads you to the Christ Child. The Light of God’s Word points you to Jesus’
greatest glory and Epiphany for you…not in Bethlehem of Judea, but in
Jerusalem, upon the cross. God reveals his greatest love for you in Jesus
crucified for you.
In him is
life, and the life is the light of men. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, made
flesh to save you. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, the light no darkness
can overcome – not the devil’s wicked temptations, not the world of chaotic sin,
nor our heart of darkness. All of it – our sin, death, and darkness, is swallowed
up by the light of Christ on the cross.
And
from the cross, Jesus casts the brilliant beams of God’s light to you here in
this beacon of Light.
God’s
Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to our path.
God’s
Word casts the light and life of his crucifixion over you in your Baptism,
where you are made a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may
proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You are no child of the night, but of the day.
God’s Word pierces our heart of darkness in with the radiance
of sins forgiven. In Holy Absolution light and life come to us in simple words:
Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.
Let there be light, and it is so.
God’s Word points us once again to Bethlehem where we come
and worship and receive the Christ Child, not resting on Mary’s lap, but hidden
in the bread and wine for our forgiveness. In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus
continues his Epiphany for you. Jesus reveals that simple bread and wine are
his flesh and blood given for you to outshine the darkness of our thoughts,
words, and deeds.
Jesus Christ is the Light of
the World, come for you.
And Jesus Christ is the Light of the world who shines through
you to others. You are now a child of the light. Therefore do not walk in
darkness. Rather, walk in the light. You are a city set on a hill. Do not hide
who you are, but let
your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Reflect
the light of Christ as you share the Good News of Jesus born for you with your
friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Shine the light of Christ on those friends
and family members you know whose lives are full of darkness and are in need of
compassion, care, and mercy. Share your earthly possessions of time and money in
this place, that Redeemer may continue to be a haven of God’s light in a dark
world where Jesus’ Epiphany, birth, life, and death are sorely needed.
For this is the one message that truly gives hope, life, and
salvation – this Epiphany and for all eternity.
Jesus Christ is the light of the world, come to save 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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