The Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles
04 January anno domini 2026 Holy Communion
O GOD, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Ephesians 3: 1-12
1For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
The Gospel. St. Matthew 2:1-12
1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
MISSION AND MESSAGE
Let’s think about the two distinct and yet related messages we read in today scripture. When Paul is explaining the mission of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the mostly Gentile readers of his letter to the church at Ephesus, he is very direct. There is no ambiguity to his message; “..6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” Paul is both informing the Gentile members of the church AND the Jewish members that the gospel of Christ, revealed first to the Jew and later to the Gentile converts in the congregation that they were one and the same. Period.
“... is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ...”
Why was this so important that Paul needed to drill down on this concept? There were elements of what would later be known as ‘Judaizers’ who were adding to the simplicity of the gospel by teaching that all new gentile believers had to become Jewish converts first before they could convert to the faith once delivered. This added step was taught as necessary for salvation, contrary to the true Gospel. A new believer did not have to adhere to Jewish customs and laws in order to be fit for regeneration. There are still groups to this day that try to teach you must belong to one or another “true” church, following the rules and traditions of said church, in order to be accepted by God. There is no truth in that. Paul makes this clear in the next three verses:
10To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Within the Gospel reading from Matthew we see the launch of the universal salvation message of Christ Jesus birth. A group of astronomer/astrologers come to visit he who was announced by the stars: 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Understand that these men spent their lives studying the heavens, the planets, the stars for signs and meaning. To them the star that suddenly appeared where there were no stars of that magnitude, caused them to take notice. They followed this start as it led them from somewhere east of Jerusalem to the west. God would use the stars and the heavens to reveal His work. This was not a call to study astrology, it was a notice to man to watch the heavens, to understand the creation, to see His glory in the day to day, month to month, year to year progression of planets, stars, comets, and other heavenly events.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Psalm 19:1-4
We read in the book of Job, in Ezekiel, among others, where the heavens, the firmament declare the glory of the LORD.
So as we read of the arrival of the wise men from the East we should understand that God uses all of His creation to announce and declare His message. In this particular instance, He is announcing and fulfilling prophecy that was uttered centuries before, concerning His plan for redeeming that which was lost: mankind. God fulfilled his covenant with Adam by revealing to the world, the Messiah, who would redeem that which Adam lost in the Garden in the beginning. The Wise men were part of this ongoing message and mission that was put into motion back at the Garden. “and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him”
As we contemplate the meaning of the Epiphany, let us thank God that in His wisdom, he included us, those outside of the gates of Judaism, to be part of the redeemed. He reached down through the Halls of Time and provided a means of Salvation for us all, in the death, burial, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. This event will be the beginning of a world wide plan of salvation, this will be our salvation from suffering the eternal separation from God our creator. Thank you God for providing to your creatures, this means of salvation, through this most dear and costly sacrifice, your Son, who ‘while we were yet sinners, died for our sins’.
Let us pray:
O Heavenly Father, who hast filled the world with beauty: Open, we beseech thee, our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works, that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness, for the sake of him by whom all things were made, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
NOW the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
