Pastor Sherry’s message for January 5, 2025 

Scriptures: Isa 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-7, 10-14; Eph 3:1-12; Matt 2:1-12

A fable is told of… “a cave which lived under the ground, as caves have the habit of doing. It had spent its life in darkness. It heard a voice calling to it: “Come up into the light; come and see the sunshine.” The cave retorted: “I don’t know what you mean; there isn’t anything but darkness.” Finally, the cave ventured forth and was surprised to see light everywhere. Looking up to the sun [the] cave said: “Come with me and see the darkness.” The sun asked: “What is the darkness?” The cave replied: “Come and see.” And so, one day the sun accepted the invitation. As it entered the cave it said:  “Now show me your darkness.” But there was no darkness!”

(Autoillustrator.com, TRUTH, as shared on www.FamilyTimes.com, 1/2/2025.)

It’s true, isn’t it…that the presence of light dispels darkness. Where ever you shine a lamp, a flashlight, a candle, your I-phone, light overcomes or invades and eliminates darkness.  This is the point of our Scriptures today:  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.  He came into this world to save us, but He also shone the light of His sinless example to model for us a better way to live.

Today our Gospel Lesson (Matthew 2:1-12), on the Sunday closest to January 6th, celebrates Epiphany.  An epiphany is a God-sighting.  It always occurs on God’s timing, and it indicates a moment when the veil is pulled back, allowing humans to see God–and to realize that they have seen Him.  My 17 year old grandson was in a wreck in his pick-up truck on New Year’s Eve morning.  It was foggy and the road was slick.  His truck flipped but he emerged from the accident without a scratch.  It was a miracle that he wasn’t killed.  I told him afterward how happy I was that he is alive, and that it was God who had spared him.  That experience was an epiphany for him and for all of us in my family.

The first NT epiphany occurred when Mary and Joseph beheld the infant Jesus’ face.  The 2nd folks to view Jesus—and recognize Him as Messiah—were the shepherds, the night (or early morning) of His birth.

The prophets Anna and Simeon recognized Him when He was presented on His 8th day at the Temple (though the priests serving there, and the other worshippers, missed out).   But interestingly, the Christian Church has long celebrated Epiphany as the date that marked the visit of the Gentile Magi to Bethlehem.

The Magi seem to materialize out of nowhere, present their gifts, and disappear.  Only Matthew references them and he doesn’t tell us when they came.  I always thought it was directly after the shepherds, but Biblical scholars believe it was up to 1- 2 years later.  Matthew 2:11 reads—on entering the house.  This suggests that after eveyone else who had journied to Bethlehem to be counted and taxed had gone back home, Mary and Joseph had decided to remain.  They had been homeless, but let’s not forget that, as a carpenter, Joseph had a trade he could practice anywhere to support them.  So Jesus may have been a toddler by the time the Magi visited Him.

Matthew also doesn’t tell us how many Magi made the trip.  Paintings from the 2nd and 3rd centuries show four of them.  Other accounts cite 12. Church tradition settled on 3, because there were 3 types of gifts.  But because their caravan caused quite a stir in Jerusalem, there were probably more.

Furthermore, Matthew doesn’t really clarify who they were, or where they were from.  Again, tradition/song refers to them as Kings, probably based on the 10th verse we recited this morning from Psalm 72—May the kings of Tarshish [Turkey] and of the isles render Him tribute; may the kings of Sheba [Yemen] and Seba [Sudan] bring gifts. Some believe they were descended from Noah’s 3 sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth.  A Greek manuscript from the 6th century actually names them:

(1)  Balthasar, who was said to have been a black king from Ethiopia, about 40 years old, brought myrrh. Myrrh was used in perfumes but also as a pain-killer and as a funeral gift.  Due to its high cost, it was used for embalming a dead prophet or a king.

(2) Melchior, also 40, a King of Arabia, brought gold –-the world’s most precious commodity, a gift you presented to royalty! (3) and Caspar, a King of Turkey, around 20, brought frankincense–fragrant gum resin burned as incense in worship services,  This was a gift typically provided to a priest, wheich he would then use in a worship service. 

Thus they appear to represent Gentiles of all nations and races, and to bring gifts fitting for Jesus in his three “offices” (or functions) as suffering prophet, high priest, and king.  All Matthew tells us is that they came “…from the East” [east of Israel](v.1).  The Greek historian, Herodotus, writes that the priestly caste of the Medes [of Iran] were called Magi.  Magi are also mentioned in the Old Testament books of Esther, Jeremiah, and Daniel.  Jeremiah and Daniel both describe the Magi as serving in the Babylonian [Iraqi] court.  They were the doctors, scientists, mathematicians, and legal authorities (wise men) of their time.  They were also well-schooled in astronomy and astrology, and they advised the king.  In Daniel 2:48, King Nebuchadnezzar appoints Daniel, the Jewish prophet, master of all his Magi.  No doubt Daniel, and the other Jews living in Babylon, shared their faith in Israel’s One, True God.  Perhaps they also shared with them prophecies regarding the Coming Messiah.  So it is quite possible that they were familiar with the predictions from Numbers 24:17—A star shall come forth from Jacob [meaning Israel], and a scepter [indicative of a king’s rule] shall rise from Israel…and from Micah 5:2—But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel. 

What we do know for sure about these Gentile visitors is that they came from some distance, bringing gifts, and that they worshipped the baby Jesus. They are probably the first Gentile believers. They were drawn, obediently, to Bethlehem by the star–a “star” that traveled westward, leading them from the East.  This special star appeared to have stopped  and remained over Bethlehem on the exact night of the birth of Jesus-–and may have flashed on and off for some time after—light’s on for the Magi.  This Epiphany light was predicted in our Old Testament Lesson, Isaiah 60:1-2—Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, [spiritual] darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory [His bright, shining light] appears over you!

The Apostle Paul assures us in Ephesians 3:6 (NLT) that God the Father always intended for us Gentiles to come to know His Son, Jesus—And this is God’s plan:  Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children.  Both are part of the same body [the Christian Church] and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.  God ensured that the Magi would not miss out on the birth of His Son.  And He didn’t want us to either!

On Epiphany Sunday, we celebrate the fact that the Light of Christ has come into the world!  It is possible to miss it!

Consider the following story:

“A man flew into Chicago and hired a taxi to take him downtown. As he was riding along they came to a red light & the driver went right on through the red light. The man said, “Hey, the light was red. You’re supposed to stop.” The driver said, “Yeah, I know, but my brother does it all the time.” Soon they came to a second red light and again he went right straight through. The passenger said, “You’re going to get us killed. That light was red. Why didn’t you stop?” The driver said, “Don’t worry about it. My brother does it all the time.” Then they came to a green light and he stopped. The man said, “The light is green. Now is the time to go. Why don’t you go on through?” The driver answered, “I know it’s green. But you never know when my brother may be coming through.” Sometimes it seems as if all the world is going through on red and stopping on green. We’re constantly trying things that don’t work. But the Gospel works. Folks, the Gospel works.”

(Melven Newland – Sermon Central; www.family times.com, 1/2/2025).

We don’t want to be misperceiving the meaning of the Light of Christ. We don’t want to stop when we should go or go when we should stop!

Let’s Pray:  Lord God, please help us to recognize any epiphanies—any God-sightings—in our lives.  Through Your Son, Jesus, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts.  You’ve turned His light on!  May others see that this Christ light shines in us.  May we deeply believe in Him, treasure His light, and allow His light in us to dispel the spiritual darkness of the world around us.  Amen.

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams