Communion With the Christ:: The Epiphany: Laying it All at Jesus' Feet

The Epiphany: This is a traditional Christian observance on January 6th that speaks of the coming of the "wise men" to see Jesus Christ at Bethlehem.

The observance of the Epiphany is, aside from the commemoration of the resurrection, the oldest of Christian "feast". It is commonly found in more liturgical Christian bodies. The word Epiphany in the Koine Greek is ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, "manifestation", "appearance" . The Epiphany or sometimes referred to as the “Theophany”.

In the Ancient Church the Epiphany commemorated three separate occurrences in the life of Jesus Christ. The visit of the Magi, The Baptism of Jesus and the Miracle at Cana. Over the years in the western church tradition the emphases has shifted more to the view toward the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem and their presentation of gifts and adoration. Each of these occurrences were a type of "Epiphany" of its own.

The Magi saw his star in the east and came to where Jesus was.

There has always been a lot of conjecture as to the events which took place at the birth of Jesus, and the time right after his birth. Most of those things are secondary or of no importance, what is important is that Jesus came to reveal God to us, and to be "God with us".

The early Apostolic Church understood that Jesus' coming was the appearance of God in the flesh to and for humanity. They understood that Jesus was not just a bringer of a new philosophy or religion but rather , Jesus was the very creator of all things having entered his own creation and joined us to himself in a relationship.

"and the Word became Flesh and lived among us" Jhn: 1:14

The Magi

Many often wonder who these visitors, the Magi, were and from whence did they come. It is also probable that their arrival was most likely up to two years after Jesus' actual birth. In many ways it does not matter, the real point was, and is, that they came when God got their attention, and drew them there to that place in Bethlehem where they had an encounter with the Lord Jesus.

The Magi came bringing what they could to honor Jesus, they brought it all to him laying it all at Jesus' feet and worshiped him; the gifts were only symbolic of the transformation that happens when they or we come to Jesus, when we have that personal Epiphany of who Jesus is and what his coming means to us all.

Jesus is the Real Point

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matt: 2:1-2

"where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”Matt:2:5-6

"they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." Matt: 2:9-11

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace":Isa:9:6

St. Matthew's account tells of the Magi's search for the "King of Jews". God had gotten their attention and they responded. What most do not realize is, that all of us are looking for Jesus, and in his providence, God will send us a star to get our attention.

Incarnation

God, in the person of His Son Jesus, took on our humanity. He became one of us, limited himself never using his deity for his own advantage though he retained it to the fullest.

In Jesus all of God is seen, that is, he is incarnate, this is what the Magi found, there, two thousand years ago, in that out-of-way place; and what we can still find today, is God in the flesh.

Our search for a life of meaning is ended when we come to Bethlehem, that is, that place where we find Jesus. Bethlehem is that place in all of our lives where we find our Lord Jesus. When we find Jesus and come to believe in Jesus for who he is, then our lives have accomplished everything that that a human life was ever intended to accomplish for we were born to come to believe in Jesus, that is why you were born.

"For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" Col: 2:9

This divine self-disclose of the great God in Jesus, is ongoing it never comes to a conclusion. Jesus' humanity makes this possible, and allows us to have a relationship with the Great God.

They Respond

For those who see his star, and follow it to that place where Jesus is, their search is over.

When we come to believe in Jesus, we accomplish everything that our lives were ever intended to accomplish, we all were literally created and born to believe in Jesus.

Remember the Magi came from afar off, they were willing to transverse even great distances to discover what God was leading them to. It was worth the journey, but this journey to Bethlehem would not have occurred had they not responded to the star that God had sent.

When the Magi arrived there at that place where the star had directed them, they came and presented to Him their gifts and worshiped Him. Matt: 2:9-11

Their Gifts

The gifts given are powerful symbols for us with great meaning.

Gold- The resources of their lives, all they had all which is valued for Jesus as our King.

Incenses- Their worship as their recognition of who Jesus is, the Great God incarnate and our High Priest.

Myrrh-The laying down of their lives, in recognition that Jesus would lay down his own life in death for all. , and embracing His death for us and the death of the old self.

Jesus Changed All Things Forever

"They knew that their lives could never be the same and that all human history would be changed"

Now that Jesus has come, the Magi knew that this young child would be the One who would change all things forever. So here they were "great men" and they knelt before this young child and gave gifts which represented more than time allows to expound upon

Jesus' Epiphany into our lives, demands a change, when the Lord is revealed to us, that is, when we have an Epiphany, when Jesus manifest himself to us, when we are called, are willing to make any journey which we are called to make no matter what the distance, are we willing to lay our lives at Jesus' feet?

No distance was too far to journey to find Jesus, the Magi saw his star in the east and came to where he was, because he came to where we are.

All Things at His Feet

None of us, who truly encounter Jesus, can remain the same, the One who has changed all things forever calls out to us, we need to forsake the old life and follow Him. If you are searching for meaning in life, then come to Bethlehem you will find our Lord is there.

There are many who hear the invitation to come to Christ, many to whom Jesus has been manifested, they metaphorically “see His star” and they now realize that he is present, but they hesitate.

Do we see “His star over a house”, that is where is Jesus working, do we worship? Do we acknowledge his rightful place?

His Epiphany, Our New Life

When Jesus is manifest to us, we have a chance to experience new life, which demands changes within us…an all-new life in him.

His Glory

Our God, in Jesus, is always manifesting Himself to us from Genesis to the nativity, or that Sunday Morning to the “Lord’s Day” in 90s AD on the Island of pathos to St. John-to us here today.

As we come to know him, when Jesus is manifest daily among us, and to us, we should be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be growing in the likeness of the Holy Son of God.

Every time we gaze upon him, come into his presences, we are transformed.

When his glory manifest. He calls upon us to to come to Jesus and, to lay all things before him, as did the Magi two thousand years ago. It will be worth the journey.

Benediction: May we each and all lay everything at the feet of Jesus when he has drawn us to himself, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.