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The Feast of the Epiphany: January 6, 2012

Isaiah 60: 1 – 9/Psalm 72: 1-2; 10-17/Ephesians 3: 1-12/Matthew 2: 1-12

Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines, D. D.

We celebrate today the Feast of the Epiphany.  Perhaps, many would see it with different interpretations and thoughts.  If you would look at most images in the Belen, most of the time, the three Magi are there that proclaims and shows to us the birth of Christ and the housing of the birth in a manger in Bethlehem. If you look carefully through Scriptures, you will find out that the Wise Men did not go to Bethlehem.  When they did arrive, Joseph, Mary and Jesus were not in that place any longer but were at home.

We see some confusion in the event of the activities of Christmas and Epiphany.  The decoration lights in the Sanctuary are off like Christmas is finished already, and yet the three Wise Men are a part of Christmas.   For some reason, we have gotten around to a point wherein we separate these events. In so doing, sometimes we may misinterpret them and not bring out the message that they were intended to do so.  Much of the music we sang today probably is not fit for today.  I am not criticizing but it is a part of our confusion.

Christ is not in us in this day.  Christ is not with us in this day. This day has a different declaration to us.  It has a different proclamation to us.  It is something that we have not really paid attention to because somewhere along the line, we have put all of these things in different patterns in our minds and hearts and we have not really sought the truth.

Isaiah 60 says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear upon you. And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” It shares other things about Christ coming to restore.  He was coming to bring back into fullness God’s kingdom and plan.

Verse 6 gives us a broader understanding of what this day was all about.   We have heard today where that Christ came as King of the Jews.  Naturally, He would come into the nation of Israel.   The Magi were not Jews.  They lived in a far of country, and yet the coming of Christ, even as a baby, was making a declaration that was meant to include all mankind, not just the Jews.  He came to touch, to reach the whole world.

When I saw Isaiah 60:6, I was shaken; but it brought peace and joy in my heart. It says, “A multitude of camels will cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba will come.”  These three tribal identifications are nomads which are descendants of Ishmael.  Ishmael was the son of Abraham by a maid who was removed, and Ishmael went out to establish his own kingdom and nations.  Today, we know of him because he is considered the father of the Moslems.  These were descendants of Ishmael.  They came to Jesus, at His birth, bearing gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh.  “They will bear good news of the praises of the Lord.”

This is prophetic.  In today’s world, we have a great fear of this great division that is taking place and some of the things that are happening.  But in this writing, God has given to us the understanding that peace should be in our hearts because one day, this is going to take place. The descendants of Ishmael will come and bow at the knee of Jesus Christ.  They will bring gifts to Him.  They will bear good news of the praises of the Lord.

This speaks the message of the day.  What the Belen scene proclaims to us is that truly, Christ was going to be the King of the world.  He was going to be the Ruler of the earth.  It was a declaration of His coming, not among the Jews, but to the whole world. His proclamation was awesome.

For some reason, we think that Christ came to be with us.  He came to make a proclamation for the whole world which includes us, but He came to redeem His creation.  He came to bring His creation back into its fullness.  He came as a child.   Because we see it in a different picture, perhaps we don’t take time to let the Scriptures speak to us and tell us exactly, “What is God telling us in the scene?”

Is it wrong that the Wise Men are there at the manger?   I don’t believe it is wrong or it is not correct; but technically, all the world gathers around Christ. They all come to Him because of who He was and what He has accomplished and done.  They will come to Him.  In other portion of Scriptures, it says, “They will come to Zion, the chief of the mountains and they will say to those in Zion, ‘Teach us your ways because our ways have failed.’”

As we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, it is not so much as I have said, “God with us.”  It is not God with us, but God with the whole world.  It is God reaching all the elements and all the segments of society.  In such a proclamation, He says to us prophetically, “The day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord.”

We come to then end of the Christmas Season. I am not sure that this is the beginning of something independent of Christmas because it follows exactly the pattern that God gives to us saying, “Now, I belong to the whole world. Now, I will minister to you as a complete creation.”

May it speak to us.  May our eyes be open.  Isaiah 60 shares with us some powerful hope that should take away fear and anxiety.  As we listen to the news, we hear what is going on in the Middle East, even in Mindanao.  We ask, “What is going to happen? What is going to be?” Obviously, the Church is in store for a revival.  The Church is in the plan of setting her high so that it speaks to the whole world of the greatness of God.

We need to renew our minds.  The Church is not the underling or the underdog. The Church is not the second place next to the world’s systems.  The Church is the kingdom of God and it is to be the leader of the world. It is to bring out the light of the world.  Isaiah 60 says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come.” Here is the challenge to us.  We see this also given to us in the writing of Paul to the church at Ephesus.  The responsibility is, “To bring forth that light which is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.”

The building up, the revival, the restoration, the quickening of the Church to her place of priority in the world, her place of respect and honor; no longer looked down upon, but leaders, setting forth guidelines and the principles for the world around us.

May we, as God’s people, celebrate this Feast with great expectation and great hope.  Christ did not just come for a few; He came to establish His kingdom of all the earth, of all mankind.  Great is our God and awesome are His provisions.

I don’t share this to tear apart what we have done.  We have been following the teachings of the traditions of the past, but it comes to a point when God unveils things to His church.  I believe that we are in that stage of time when He wants things straightened out and corrected. Not that they were totaling wrong before, but the meaning is brought out in fullness so that we have confidence, we have strength and power in Him to stand in faith and know that we shall not be put to shame.

The Feast of the Epiphany.  God with us, it is true, and I don’t take away from that; but it is Gods’ declaration and His proclamation that He is here for the whole world, for all of us.  The Wise Men came to tell us a story.  Eventually, the whole world will seek Christ.  May we be ready for the great event!