"And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him." Matthew 2:11  

 

For the next few weeks we will celebrate the season of  Epiphany. The word Epiphany means "revealing" and there are many truths that were revealed at that special time after the birth of Christ.

This is the season when church lessons often centre on the story of the wise men who visited the baby Jesus. Contrary to those lovely crèches that show the Magi at the manger scene, the wise men likely did not arrive until some time after the birth of Jesus. Scripture tells us that the holy family was safely out of the manger and living in a house by the time of the wise men's visit. That, and other Scriptural clues, lend us to believe that the visit occurred as long as two years after the birth of Jesus.  The timing does not matter. What is critical about the story is the message that Jesus did not just come for the Jews. The Magi were most definitely Gentiles from a culture far removed from Judaism. Yet, they worshipped before the King of Kings.

Epiphany is the time to take down the Christmas decorations, pack away our celebrations and try to keep those New Year's resolutions. It's also time to move on to the tasks the Lord sets before us in a new year. I hope you will join us in worshipping not only the infant King, but also the risen Christ who gave His life for you.

 

Pastor Wayne Lunderby