What is Epiphany?
Erik Strunk
What is Epiphany?
Introduction
Webster's dictionary defines "epiphany" as a manifestation or showing.
The Epiphany season begins each year on January 6, marking the end of
the Christmas season. This day is often referred to as "12th Day", "3
Kings Day", or "Little Christmas", commemorating the Magi visit to
Bethlehem.
Many Eastern churches celebrate the Lord's baptism on this day, while
others celebrate the Miracle at Cana. Epiphany is truly a season for
miracles. The events which surround the Birth of Christ, along with
the Lord's baptism, provided many miracles, which I will try to
describe a few in today's sermon.
Part one: A Basis for Joy
The Bible often speaks of people enjoying themselves, especially when
it involves families coming together to celebrate a joyous occasion. I
often recall several families throughout the Bible who grouped
together to travel upto Jerusalem for various festivals, which David
declares in Psalm 122:1. While in the Holy City, people built booths
or arbors to occupy for a week during The Feast of Tabernacles. Can
you imagine children especially enjoying these "camping out"
experiences?
There are, of course, certain events which were not enjoyable, such as
wars and the starvation sieges that prreceded them. Most wars,
including those which are sometimes waged in the church, are no
picnics. This is especially true when sin causes these controversies
(see James 4:1-2).
By contrast, how blest are we when Christ's peace prevails! Psalm
133:1 says, "How good and pleasent it is when brothers live together
in unity!" (For more on this, please reread my "Intro. to UCCOG"
sermon). As for St. Paul, Romans 5:1 says, "Since we have been
justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord,
Jesus Christ". And this my friends is the basis for joy this Epiphany
season.
Part two: Christ is Our Peace
As tragic as it is for churches to suffer from warfare, it is far
worse when battles are fought within the church itself. In the "mother
church" in Jerusalem, founded on Pentecost Day, Grecian Jews
complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being
overlooked in the daily distribution of food (see Acts 6:1). However,
this was nothing compared to the much greater controversy over whether
Old Testament ceremonial laws should included in New Testament
Christianity. This conflict led to an apostolic convention in
Jerusalem, where the principle of freedom from the Mosaic Law was once
for all established.
The church in Ephesus was also shaken by this same controversy. It
needed spiritual guidance, which St. Paul provided in his epistle in
Ephesians 2:14-15. Because of Christ's obedience to the law and his
work of atonement, we are fully and freely saved through faith in
him. This goes for both Jews and Gentiles alike, who are now
considered as one body in Christ.
Part three: A Test of Faith
Joseph in Egypt saw his problems multiply, making them seem like the
flooding Nile River. As you may recall from Genesis 39, he was sold
into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, falsely accused of sexual
harassmeny by Potiphar's wife, and committed to a foul dungeon. For
piuos Job, there was no end in sight as a whole series of afflictions
befell him. He exclaims in Job 5:7, "Man is born to trouble as surely
as sparks fly upward". For Job, the sparks led to a total
conflagration of the life he had known.
Undoubtedly, we all have been in situations when we exclaim with the
psalmist in Psalm 69:1. Troubles beget troubles so that amid the
inundation, we can not see the other side. God did not forsake us, but
assured us of his saving help. Our lord does just that when we pray,
"While the nearer waters roll, while the the tempest still is high;
hide me, o my savior hide, till the storm of life is past". This is
what I call the miracle of faith.
Part four: Epiphany is Serendipity
Nothing in this world can compare with the love of God, which comes to
us in Christ Jesus, our lord. We have God'd Eiphany, which is
serendipity.
You may wonder what this means, so I'll tell you. We take these two
words, one old and one new, and coordinate them together to make one
celebration. Let's first talk about the new word, serendipty. Have you
ever started looking for one thing and wound up finding something
else? That's serendipity.
Epiphany is a celebration to remember the baby born over 2,000 years
ago in Bethlehem. Epiphany recalls how some time after Jesus was born,
wisemen or magi followed a new heaven-sent star, finally showing up in
Jerusalem to pay their respects to whom they thought would be the next
ruler of the Jewish Nation. But little did they know, this heaven-sent
star was actually leading them to someone far better than an earthly
king, a heaven-sent savior.
Epiphany is a celebration of serendipity. We look for one thing and
God supplies another. He does this all the time. The childless priest,
Zacharias set out to burn incense and ended up with a promise that his
son would be the forerunner of the Savior. A Samaritan woman went to a
well to draw water and found the Savior who would give her forgiveness
and a new path to walk. Finally, Mary Magdalene sat before an open
tomb and started a search to find her teacher's dead body. The most
wondrous serendipity of all was when she saw her living,
death-defeating savior. This my friends is the greatest miracle of all
time.
Conclusion
War continues in our world and church edifaces are still being
destroyed. Disputes still arise and many laws are still broken. The
truth of salvation by grace--without the deeds of the law, without a
golden-rule morality, and without human merit of any kind--stands
firm. By standing on this foundation, Christ's church and its members
are still at one peace.
God will stand by us, even into the future, and stand by his promises.
So when we tread the verge of Jordan, we can bid our anxiuos fears
subside. In the end, God will land us safe on Canaan's side. Take the
time now to remember all the miracles the Lord has done for you,
consider what life will be like if he did not perform those miracles.
In the end, you will appreciate all the good things in the world and
you will be grateful that you never did without them.
written by E. Strunk on 1/4/2009