FESTIVAL OF THE EPIPHANY
Hymns: 126, 127, 130, 131
Matthew 2:1-12 — “Where Is He That Is Born King of the Jews?”
Grace, mercy, and peace to you all from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today we observe the Festival of the Epiphany of our Lord. The appointed Gospel reading is Matthew 2:1-12:
Now 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, Saying, 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. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And 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.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And 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.
When 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. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And 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. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Introduction
According to the pericopal calendar today is actually the First Sunday after the Epiphany, but the Epiphany of our Lord is such a wondrous event, we are observing it today. It simply is too marvelous to let slip past unobserved. The season of Christmas is 12 days, ending with the Epiphany on January 6. The season of Christmas can actually be called the Jewish season while Epiphany is Gentile Christmas, as the Gentile Magi come sometime after the actual birth, led by the star, to worship the one born King of the Jews. This is truly a marvelous event to consider. It holds much before us concerning the limitless mercy and grace of the Lord our God.
I. Where Is He That Is Born King of the Jews?
Of the four Gospel accounts that we have, only Matthew and Luke record actual events of the birth of Jesus. These two evangelists approach this from two very different perspectives. It is really quite informative to consider their accounting procedure. Luke, who is writing for a predominantly Gentile audience, takes the approach of instructing his hearers regarding the faithful testimony of the Old Testament prophecies. He tells of the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning John the Baptizer and then of Jesus. He tells of those few faithful Israelites who excitedly waited to see their Messiah, looking for Him to appear in the temple, and then, by the special revelation of the Holy Spirit, ran up to worship Him and proclaim Him when He was carried into the temple by Mary and Joseph. Luke holds before a Gentile readership the fact that the Old Testament Church was preserved by God so that a few received their Savior in true faith when He appeared. He tells of the Jewish shepherds who immediately went running to see what the angels told them, of Simeon, and of Anna.
Matthew, who is writing to a predominantly Jewish audience, gives us the account of the Magi, who studied the stars, seeking the sign of the one to be born King of the Jews. He tells of the faith of these Gentile scientists from far away Babylon as contrasted to the entire city of Jerusalem, the city of the temple and Jewish Church, who were for the greater part not even aware of their Savior King’s birth.
Now 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, Saying, 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. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Matthew writes this as a very powerful warning to those who consider themselves to be the true Church, the true worshipers of God. Consider the Church of that day. They had the Scriptures. They had the doctrine. They had the sacrifices or sacraments. They had the true priesthood from the house of Aaron. They had the rebuilt temple. They had the holy city of Jerusalem. They even proclaimed the promise of the Messiah or Christ. And yet the Christ had been born in the very place and at the very time that the Scriptures proclaimed, yet the people of Jerusalem had to hear of it from Gentile Magi from Babylon.
What must these magi have thought? They come to the royal city and the people do not even know that the promised Messiah has been born? Today we have Christmas lights in the stores and in the streets even before Thanksgiving. Even people who do not believe in Jesus have Christmas trees and lights and stars on their trees. Even in the department stores Christmas carols are played, using the good news of the birth of Jesus to try to promote sales. Yet in Jerusalem, the city of Zion, nothing. The people who claimed to be the people of the Messiah did not even know that He was born. How could this be?
The magi came asking for Him. “Where is He?” they inquired, expecting that the city should be jubilantly aware and ready to proclaim Him. Herod had to send for the chief priests and scribes. They knew the prophecy. They quoted to Herod what they had been teaching the people. Yet this blatant hypocrisy had no impact upon the magi. They simply received the information and set forth to seek the newborn King.
II. We Are Come to Worship Him
Their question explains why.
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.
These men were not concerned whether or not others were faithful and true. They were not like them. They were not seeking tradition for tradition’s sake. They were seeking the promised one. They were seeking the one born King of the Jews, the one Daniel had trusted, the one Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, had trusted, the one foretold by all of the prophets of the Lord. The people of Jerusalem, the people of the temple and of the holy city, did not honor Jesus. So what? That was their loss. These men had come to worship the one born King of the Jews. They came not to honor the people but the King. The people did not have the King. So the men went to where the King was promised to be found.
The people of Jerusalem were proud of their heritage. They were the people of the promise. They were the people of the Law. They were the people of the holy city. They were the people of the temple. They had the sacrifices. They had the Scriptures. They had the priesthood. They had the doctrine, and thus they had the preaching of the true faith. They had it all. And yes, even the King was their King.
One thing, however, was missing. Their worship was not true worship. They followed all of the prescriptions declared in the Scriptures. Their Pharisees even determined for them how many steps were allowed on the Sabbath. Yet in the end of all of their careful efforts at faithfulness and propriety, their worship was self defined and self serving. They worshiped their own worship.
These magi came saying, “We are come to worship Him.”
These magi were not concerned with the temple furnishings. They did not care about the palace and the city. They did not care about the historic roots of the people. They were concerned with only one thing: “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.”
They came seeking Jesus. They did not know His name, but they knew who He truly is. They came to worship Him. Their knowledge of who He is they demonstrate with their gifts. The Jews, or at least the ones whom the magi encountered, imagined worship to be defined by what they do towards God. But these magi gave gifts that demonstrate a very different understanding of worship. Their gifts reflect what the one worshiped comes to do. Gold reflects His rule as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Frankincense declares Him to be the one who graciously hears our prayers and has the power to grant them fully. It acknowledges Him as the Lord God almighty, the God of all grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, and peace. And Myrrh honors Him as the one born to offer Himself as the sacrifice by which all the world would be saved from sin, death, and the power of the devil. And so their gifts stand as gifts of true worship, worship defined as humble recipients of God’s holy and saving presence and power and blessing.
III. Lo, the Star
This is why they rejoiced with exceeding great joy when they again saw the star. These men had been studying for a long time in expectation of this star. They were scientists. They studied the Scriptures and then looked to the signs that God had promised in Genesis. On the fourth day God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.”
But this was no ordinary star. This star was very special. Imagine how excited these men must have been to see it. Suddenly, after studying the heavens for years and years, suddenly this very special star appears just has they had calculated. Lenski records a remarkable observation from the scholar Rawlinson:
Rawlinson, the Cuneiform Inscriptions, 3, 51-64, reports regarding astrological tablets with formulas: when this or that occurs, a great king will arise in the west; then justice and righteousness, peace and joy will rule in all lands and bless all nations; and other similar expressions.
Apparently the Chaldean or Babylonian magi had recorded their calculations regarding this promised king. The magi who came apparently had calculated the time of the appearance of His star.
Imagine their joy when it appeared. They prepared for their journey. They brought gifts reflecting what they knew of His heavenly identity. They traveled for many days, with this very special star actually moving and leading them so that they followed it. Then as they drew near to Jerusalem, the star disappeared so that they came to Jerusalem and inquired where He was.
He was not where people would have expected. He was not in Jerusalem. He was not in the palace. In fact, no one here even knew that He had been born! The religious leaders knew the doctrine and repeated it, and having heard, the magi trudged onward.
Suddenly, they see the star again and are overjoyed! The star now is so close that it actually shows which house the newborn King occupies. These mighty scholars gain entry to the house and they see the baby and they fall down and worship Him!
What would they have said when Joseph answered the door?
Hi! We’ve been following the star from our homeland in search of the one born King of the Jews. We have traveled far to find Him. The star indicates that He is here, in this house. We have come to worship Him. Please, tell us that He is here. Please, allow us to see Him. Please, we have come to worship Him!As we hear today what Matthew records for us, do we understand? Do we grasp what the Holy Spirit is teaching us? Do we really understand the meaning of true worship?
These men fell on their faces and worshiped Jesus. Then they rose up and presented their gifts, very carefully chosen gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Today we enter His house and beg permission to come and worship Him, too. We fall to our knees, confess our sins, receive His gracious absolution, and rise to present to Him bread and wine, through which He gives us His body and blood to refresh us in the unity of the communion of His body and the forgiveness and life of His blood.
Conclusion
We live in a time when churches can be found beyond our ability to count them. They claim to be places to worship Jesus. Thankfully we do not have to travel far to find Him as did the magi. He is here with us today as we gather to Him through the means that He has ordained. He has promised to be with us wherever two or more are gathered into His name through Baptism and where His name is rightly professed through the pure Gospel and Sacrament. We need not be troubled by the massive confusion of the many churches. We need not be concerned over how many are gathered. Like the magi we have only one true concern, “Where is He, that we may worship Him?” He is here with us today, just as He has promised. He is with us to grant us His grace, mercy, and peace to comfort us and renew us for each moment of our life until the great Last Day when He comes to take us to the everlasting habitations that have been prepared for us. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus forever. Amen.
FESTIVAL OF THE EPIPHANY (January 6)
Hymns: 126, 127, 130, 131
The Introit (Lit.text, Ecce advenit; Ps.72:1)
P: Behold, the Lord, the Ruler, hath come,C: and the kingdom and the power and the glory are in His hand.
P: Give the King Thy judgments, O God,
C: and Thy righteousness unto the King’s Son.
The Collect
O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest Thine 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 the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
The First Lesson Isaiah 49:1-7
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
The Gradual (Ps.72:18,19,3;100:1,2)
P: All they from Sheba shall come:C: They shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord.
P: Arise, shine, O Jerusalem:
C: for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Alleluia! Alleluia!
P: We have seen His star in the East:
C: and are come with gifts to worship the Lord. Alleluia!
The SECOND LESSON Isaiah 60:1-6
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.
The SENTENCE for the Season (Psalm 117:1-2)
P: Hallelujah! Oh, praise the Lord, all ye nations, and laud Him, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us:C: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Hallelujah!
The HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 2:1-12
Now 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, Saying, 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. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And 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.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And 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.
When 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. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And 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. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Matthew 2:1-12 — “Where Is He That Is Born King of the Jews?”
Introduction
I. Where Is He That Is Born King of the Jews?
II. We Are Come to Worship Him
III. Lo, the Star
Conclusion
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