The word epiphany means “manifestation,” and the Feast of Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, commemorates the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Magi, who represent the entire Gentile world.
This is a feast day in the life of church because God revealed himself not just to the people of Israel, but also to the Gentiles—that is, those outside the Law and promise of God. The Magi were the first, but the gospels record Jesus’ interactions with other Gentiles and the book of Acts demonstrates God’s plan to bring salvation in the name of Jesus to every tribe, tongue, and nation. Most of us are, by God’s grace, recipients of this kindness, and so we celebrate the fact that the doors of salvation are open wide to those not numbered amongst the Israelites!
The Season of Epiphany, which is a season of Ordinary Time, follows the feast day. Ordinary Time (a green season) is an extended period of time where we get to “work out” what the feast day introduced. (The other, longer period of Ordinary Time is the Season after Pentecost, where we “work out” what occurred at Pentecost.) Thus, during this season, we are given the chance to focus on who God has revealed himself to be in Jesus Christ. We are encouraged to celebrate not just a general revelation of God’s existence, but instead the specific manifestation of God in the character of Jesus Christ, who is God-in-the-flesh.
Prayer during Epiphany should spring from the desire to understand Jesus Christ. Rather than emphasizing application or obedience, our devotional reading should focus on simply seeing Jesus clearly. In this season, we pray that God would reveal himself to us as we read, and we should hunger to understand the character of our Lord Jesus Christ, because in him, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are made manifest!
Steven+
Scripture Reflections
When exiled Israel began to return to the promised land, God gave them a mandate. Rebuild the temple! Build back the center of Israel’s spiritual life, the place where God’s presence would dwell among his people, newly restored in the land he had given him. When they laid the new foundation there was a great celebration in Jerusalem, but that celebration was mixed. There were still older Israelites who remembered the glory of the first temple. The new temple’s modest foundation couldn’t compare to the glory of the original.
The prophet Zechariah had a simple message for those who were tempted to scorn the new work that God had done. “Whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice” (Zech. 4:10). His co-worker prophet Haggai echoed that message from the Lord: “the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former…and in this place I will give peace” (Hag. 2:9).
I thought of this story while I was reading through the Christmas story in Luke. It occurred to me how beautifully God worked through the small and easily despised at Jesus’ birth. There was Bethlehem, “too little to be among the clans of Judah” (Mic. 5:2), home of the original too-small king David. There were the shepherds—humble people doing a humble job isolated on the hillside. Then there was the birth itself—some travelers in an animal pen, and a humble teenage girl laying the Son of God in a manger. Through those small things God has brought about the most glorious thing imaginable—the redemption of the world through the incarnate Christ.
One of my prayers for us is that we would be people who do not despise the small things. I don’t mean our creature comforts, or “the little things” that might bring some pleasure (though there’s room for that too). I mean the humble things that are of no account in our world. Little acts of service toward the poor, the middle-class, and even the powerful. Quiet acts of everyday endurance and patience that no one sees, and that bring us no credit. We may not see it now, but those humble acts are the threads of love that God will weave into the church’s wedding garment (Rev. 19:8).
Do not despise the day of small things. From Jesus’ birth to the crucifixion and beyond, it is God’s pattern to bring from them a greater glory than anything else we might have expected or hoped for. Remember that when it seems that faithfulness brings no immediate fruit, or when obedience is just boring. May God give us eyes to see what he sees in the midst of them, and the grace to love as he has loved us.
Justin
Advent Reflections: The Angels' Message of Peace
On the official “Breedlove Advent wreath,” the fourth candle reminds us of the angels’ declaration of peace. After announcing the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds, the heavenly army sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”
Why peace? Why did the angels declare peace to God’s people, and not hope, salvation, or joy? All these would have fit the situation—why did they choose to sing “peace”?
In pondering this question, it is worth remembering that biblical peace is far more than the absence of hostility. In the Bible, peace is pictured as all things restored, everything in perfect harmony. It is pictured as the barren giving birth, the lame walking, lions and lambs playing together, poisonous snakes ceasing to be dangerous to children, tears being wiped away, sickness eradicated. It isn’t just the absence of war; it is the positive presence of everything as it was created to be.
This is what the angels declared to the shepherds. The Messiah ushers in this all-things-restored peace. The peace is offered to those with whom God is pleased, and God is pleased with all those who simply trust him (Heb. 11:6). It is true that the peace offered will only reach its full culmination in the return of Christ, but even now, he brings true peace to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The next few days are a whirlwind for most of us, and often are sprinkled with sadness even in the midst of joy. Christmas has a way of offering both joy and sadness, especially for those who are alone. In the moments of exhaustion or discouragement, remind yourself of the peace the angels declared. The Messiah came to put all things to right, and even if we have only been given a foretaste of what this will mean, his peace is greater than anything we can achieve for ourselves. Cling to him in faith, and he will give you his peace.
Steven+