Epiphany

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In the Liturgical Year we have Epiphany. It occurs right after Christmas and before Lent. The term comes form the Greek word epiphaneia which in pagan religion was used to describe the “a manifestation or striking appearance of a deity and was used of a festival held in commemoration of the appearance of a god at some particular place.”

In the writing of Scripture the term is used to describe the historic event of Jesus Christ coming into the world and being seen as a witness to the Gentiles.

The Apostle Paul writes these inspired words using the term: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest (ἐφανερώθη transliterated ephiphany) in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

In the Liturgical Calendar Epiphany is a religious feast which celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12) and occurs on January 6.

Here is Matthews record of the three kings from the East who followed the star to Bethlehem:

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men^[a] from the east came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose^[b] and have come to worship him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

⁶ “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

⁷ Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

⁹ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way” (Matthew 2:1–12).

The spiritual sense of excitement of Jesus Christ entering our world is captured in a scene described in C. S. Lewis’ book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Over a meal in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver the Pevensie children hear for the first time about a mysterious being called Aslan. Let’s listen to the thoughts and feeling of the children at this first hearing:

“They say Aslan is on the move perhaps has already landed.”

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning—either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or beginning of summer.”

Lewis has captured that remarkable supernatural sense of God’s presence by resetting it in a fairytale. But this is only a faint echo of the cosmic reality of what happened in our world. The little baby the Wise Men came to see grew to manhood and began a public ministry of inspired teaching, healing the sick and raising the dead. Then Jesus Christ suffered torture and death to atone for our sins. Having risen victoriously from the dead, He has now been exalted on high as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Here is how the Apostle Paul describes Christ’s humiliation and exaltation:

⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,^{[a] 6} who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,^[b] being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

In what ways does the Christian Feast of Epiphany help anchor our spiritual focus after Christmas and before Easter?