Epiphany
Dear friends in Christ. By now most Christmas decorations have been put away for another year. Some already put them away Christmas night dragging the tree to the curb; others waited until New Year’s; a few kept the decorations up the full 12 days of Christmas. Today begins the season of Epiphany, one of the oldest celebrations in the Church. In the Epiphany season the Church sees the Baby born in Bethlehem revealing who He really is: the Son of God and the Savior of the world. The Epiphany season shows the Divine glory shining in the human life of Jesus, just as John 1.14 writes: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
In the Western Church, the traditional Gospel reading for today is the coming of the Wise Men. They were non-Jews and they sought out Jesus in order to honor and worship Him. Our text makes it clear that they were not looking for some Jewish crown prince but the Savior of the world who was indeed promised to the Jewish people and who would come from the line of David. They were looking for the King of Grace whose kingdom would encompass all people and stretch over the whole world and who would bring spiritual and eternal gifts to His subjects. To the Wise Men, and to us who by faith follow them into that house to worship Him, Jesus revealed Himself as not only the King of the Jews but that He is also the Savior of all people, both Jews and Gentiles; and that’s why Epiphany gets the nickname “The Gentiles’ Christmas.”
Dear Christian, we do well today to ask and ponder the question the wise men asked as they came to Jerusalem: "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”
1. This is a vital question because of its deep meaning. Here we get to the heart and soul of Christmas and what Christmas is really about. The wise men got it! They understood that Christmas was not just the birth of any baby, but it was the birth of the Baby promised by God who would be the Savior of the world. Certainly at this time, it was no big deal who the king of the Jews was—after all, the Jews occupied the dirty backwaters of the Roman Empire. They were not a mighty or influential people—so who would care who their king is? But in faith, the Wise Men came to know that that Baby born in Bethlehem was not just any ordinary king of, for them, a far off land. Instead, they knew that this Baby was the One promised by God, who even had His star announcing His coming.
The title “King of the Jews” had a deeper and more significant meaning. It did not merely mean some Middle Eastern king/ despot of an insignificant country. The title “King of the Jews” meant the Messiah, the Savior of the world. We read Herod had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. Herod understood exactly what the Wise Men meant by “King of the Jews”—the Christ, the Messiah, the One promised by God to the OT people that He would be their Savior from sin, death, devil and hell.
The fact that these non-Jewish wise men were asking about the King of the Jews means that they understood that He had come and was born for all people—just as the angel told the shepherds [Lk. 2.10]: I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be for all people. For there is born for you this day…a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
Dear Christian, in these days and months after Christmas we do well to ask Where is He who has been born King of the Jews. Where is Christ, the Messiah in our hearts and lives? His birth, Christmas, is all about God becoming man to be our Savior from sin, death, devil and hell. His birth is all about our salvation—all that God has done to save us from our sins, His wrath and eternal condemnation. If we do not continue to seek out the Christ Child, our Savior, and look to Him for forgiveness of sin and life then our Christmas celebrations will have all been in vain.
Notice Who it was Who was born the first Christmas—the King of the Jews. Already at His birth He is King. Jesus doesn’t first become King later. Normally when an heir is born, he isn’t born as king but will one day be. Jesus comes as King; He is born already as King; and even in His lowliness here and throughout His life He is King. And why? Because that Baby that was born is also the one, true, eternal God. This, too, is precisely what God had promised in the OT through the prophet Isaiah 9.6: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. Already at His birth, as He is given for us, He is ruling all things even as He is in His mother’s arms; and He continues to rule all things. He has been born King of the Jews, and, as the prophet continues: of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice.
From the very moment that Jesus took on human flesh and blood in the womb of Mary and became true man and was born, He is the King of the Jews, that is, He is the promised Savior of all people. Even at His lowliest, Jesus is King and acted as King and was to be worshipped as King. For us, too, the vital question we must ask ourselves is: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews. Has He been born in our hearts by faith again this past Christmas and is He ruling us and our hearts, or has the announcement: I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be for all people. For there is born for you this day…a Savior who is Christ the Lord, left us cold?
2. Where is He who has been born King of the Jews, is a vital question with deep meaning; and it is a question that when we hear it or ponder it brings either great pain or great hope. Our text: When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Here that question brought great pain to Herod and Jerusalem. Herod was the king; but he wasn’t even ethnically a Jew; he had been placed on the throne by the Romans and secured his throne in a bloody fashion. Even though he was an old man and wouldn’t reign much longer, he feared that his kingdom would be taken from him by this new king—this one who was born already a king.
Not only did this question of these wise men stir up and trouble Herod, but also all Jerusalem with him. In one sense, who could fault them? After all, they knew how ruthless Herod had been in the past and if there was a new King, the change of king would not be without turmoil and bloodshed. Perhaps there was also a bit of pride and prejudice among the people of Jerusalem—the Messiah was born in their midst and yet these non-Jews, uninvited guests, announced it to them?!
Either way, there were no joy or praises at the announcement of the King, the long promised Messiah, the Savior of the world, who had been born.
That’s the picture of our politically correct world today. The Christmas message does not bring people joy, merely great consternation with only more shouts to get Christ out of Christmas, to make Christmas “the holidays” with a “holiday tree,” etc. The question: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews, gets people uptight because of what it really means: we are sinners who because of our sin cannot save ourselves; that we cannot get heaven by our works and efforts. They, like Herod want to get rid of the new-born King: Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."
This question of the wise men not only gets the unbelieving world worked up and causes it great pain, but it also causes distress to even many so-called Christians. Remember, not just Herod but all Jerusalem was troubled by the wise men’s announcement. The Jews, especially the religious leaders, had every advantage; they had the prophets and the prophecies, as we read in our text: And when Herod had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.' "
They had the external knowledge of Scripture; they knew the words, but they did not take the words to heart; they had no desire to worship Christ, the center and content, of Scripture. That’s the same reason why so many so-called Christians do not rejoice at the Christmas message. To be sure, they may be in church; they may be able to recite the Luke 2 Christmas narrative; they may go through all the motions but there is no joy and no desire to worship the newborn King in His house because the word, the content of Scripture is not taken to heart—a Savior, MY Savior from sin, death, devil and hell has come! Was born for ME to save me from MY sin!
No mere superficial knowledge of the facts of Scripture is what saves but faith in that Savior who was born that first Christmas Day. That’s why the Church spent the weeks before Christmas in the season of preparation—Advent—listening to John the Baptizer’s call [Mt. 3.2]: Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!, so that when the Christmas Gospel of the birth of our Savior from sin is announced we welcome it with all joy: Jesus, the king of the Jews, the Savior of all people, MY Savior has come. I have been rescued from the just reward of my sin. Because of Him and His work for ME MY sins are forgiven, God is reconciled and heaven is opened. That’s why it does us good each day to examine our hearts and lives in the light of God’s holy law, recognize and sorrow over our sins and in faith look and long for and receive Jesus, the King of the Jews, the Savior of all people.
The question of the wise men, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews, gives hope to us who recognize our sin and long for a Savior from sin. In faith, we know where He is—in heaven, living and reigning into all eternity having done everything to bring us forgiveness of sin and eternal life. And we have a greater hope because when we hear the wise men ask Where is He who has been born King of the Jews, we can also point to Christ’s holy word and sacraments. In grace, He comes to us in them and gives us His blessings and benefits of forgiveness of sin and eternal life. He is in His holy word; He is in His holy absolution! In baptism He comes to us and brings us into His holy family and unites us in His death and resurrection. He is most wonderfully in Holy Communion giving us with the bread and wine His very body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. Here the wise men saw God in humblest human form. They put away their physical sight and saw with the eyes of faith the King of the Jews, the Savior of the world. Throughout the Church Year, week after week, may we with the eyes of faith behold Christ in word and Sacrament, as He reveals Himself to us and recognize Him as our true God and Savior! May we then, with the wise men say: For we have seen His star in the East [that is, with the eyes of faith, we have seen Him in His word and sacraments] and have come to worship Him; and then with them having opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. May we give the King of the Jews the gifts worthy of our King of kings and Savior—ourselves and all we have in His service. INJ Amen