Isaiah 60,1-6. The Feast of the Epiphany

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Isaiah 60,1-6   713

Fest der Erscheinung des Herrn (Epiphanias)  013 

Epiphany of the Lord. Matthew 2,1ff.

6. January 2013

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who by the leading of a star did manifest Your Only-begotten Son to the nations: Mercifully grant, that we, who know You now by faith, may also be led to behold Your Divine majesty and glory (Löhe 455). Amen. 

2. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh has risen upon you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh arises upon you, and His glory is seen upon you. And nations enter your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons arrive from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you see and are radiant; your heart thrills and exults, because the abundance of the sea is turned to you, the wealth of the nations comes to you. A multitude of camels covers you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba arrive. They bring gold and frankincense, and bring the gospel, the praises of Yahweh. 

3. The Prophet Isaiah foresees the time when the Light will dawn upon Israel and the Glory of Yahweh will rise upon them. Isaiah says, however, that this Divine Light and Glory is not only for Israel, but also for all the nations. Israel liked to boast that they alone had the One True God, His holy words and His gracious mercy. Isaiah, however, had spent 59 chapters demolishing this sinful pride of Israel, for Israel, you see, was no better than the pagan nations around them: both Israel and the nations were in the dark clutches of sin, death and hell. This darkness in Israel manifested itself with pagan idolatry and contempt of their neighbors. The Church often takes up the prideful banner of Israel. It is true that we have the True God, His Word and His merciful grace, but we tend to be stuck in the darkness of idolatry and contempt just like all the unbelievers who live around us. 

4. Some people erroneously believe that Christians and the Church are perfect, holy people who sin less than everybody else. The truth is: the Church is full of sinners, and Christians can be some of the most exasperating sinners on the earth. Christians are just as lost in the darkness, just as in need of forgiveness, as any other person. Christ Jesus was born to redeem both Israel and the nations and convert them into Christians. Thus we joined Simeon in His Nunc Dimittus this morning: mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy people Israel. 

5. We see this Light and Glory for Israel and the nations in Jesus’ epiphany. An epiphany is a Greek loan-word that means „manifestation“. The liturgical season of Epiphany reveals the ways in which God’s glory manifested itself through Jesus. „The Jews have the proclamation and the angels singing praise, they have the shepherds, they have Joseph and Mary, they have Simeon and Hannah and they have the very sun in their midst, the newborn Christ. The Gentiles have the mysterious revelation, a wonderful morning star“ and the magi from the East, traditionally known as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. „The same grace is extended upon the Jews and the Gentiles“

 (Löhe 60). 

6. The Prophet Isaiah proclaims: »A multitude of camels covers You, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba arrive. They bring gold and frankincense; they bring the gospel and the praises of Yahweh.« The Apostle Matthew writes: »Then, opening their treasures, the magi offered Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh« (Matthew 2,11). Isaiah prophesied, and Matthew wrote that it was fulfilled. The three gifts brought by the Magi to Jesus were: gold (for a prince), frankincense (for a priest), and myrrh (for a physician or an herb used in burial rites). 

7. As the Magi’s gifts foretold, Jesus is our Prince, Priest and Physician. He is the Son of God the Father and is seated at His Father’s right hand. He rules the universe on behalf of His Heavenly Father. He is the priest, yes, the high priest, who offers unto God the Father the sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. He Himself is both the priest who offers the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself. He offered Himself up on the cross as the ransom price for the world. He is the physician who heals all the world from the ills of death and damnation. His Word is a healing balm and ointment that He applies liberally to the wounds and hurts we have incurred from this wicked world. His Sacrament of the Altar is the prescription for everlasting life. 

8. The magi travelled from afar, from the heart of what is now Iran, to bow down before Jesus as their Lord and to worship Him as God. This same Jesus is also our Lord and God. Thomas’ post-resurrection confession of Jesus is also our Christian confession: My Lord and my God (John 20,28)! 

9. Jesus manifests Himself in our midst. He called us to be fellow-heirs in our Holy Baptism. He absolved us in our sins with His words of forgiveness. He sits among us today as we hear His gospel read and preached. He feeds us and satisfies our needs with His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. He sends us forth into the world with His blessing in the Benediction. All these means of grace are manifestations of Jesus’s glory, presence and redemption in our lives. He spares nothing and gives us everything, yes, even His very Self! 

10. Such assurance of Divine presence and providence is especially needed at this time of year. Today, the Feast of the Epiphany, is the twelve and final day of Christmas. The world and the radio stations have already cast Jesus and Christmas aside eleven days ago, but the Church was only beginning to celebrate the joy of Christmas. No matter what the world says, or our doubting flesh thinks, Jesus is with us, now and always. He is a gift from our Heavenly Father who is more precious than gold, more aromatic than incense and more healthful than myrrh. 

11. The star guided the magi to the Divine Star who is Jesus the Christ. Jesus has manifested Himself, He has arisen in the sky and His light shines down upon us. Jesus draws Israel and all the nations unto Himself to reveal to them His righteousness and salvation which He radiates upon them. Jesus is the Bright Star

 who guides His Church, the ship of faith, on her voyage across storm-tossed seas to safely arrive at her final destination on the shores of heavenly, everlasting life. 

12. „Hail Day Star! Brightest Angel sent to man throughout the earth, and Thou steadfast splendour of the sun, bright above stars! Ever Thou dost illumine with Thy Light the time of every season. As Thou, Begotten Son of God, Son of the True Father, without beginning abodest ever in the splendour of heaven, so now for need Thy handiwork beseecheth boldly that Thou send the bright sun unto us; that Thou come and shed Thy Light on those who long ere this, compassed about with mist and in the darkness, clothed in sin, set here in the long night, and must needs endure the dark shadow of Death. Now are we full of hope and put our trust in Thy salvation, heralded to the host of men by the Word of God, which in the beginning was with God, with the Almighty Father coeternal, and afterward was made flesh unstained of sin, which the Virgin bare, a solace unto wretched men. God was seen among us without sin; together dwelt the Mighty Son of God and the Son of man, in peace among the people. Wherefore we may rightfully give thanks forever to our Victor Lord, that He would send Himself to us“ (Cynewulf 104-29).  Amen. 

13. Let us pray. O Son of God, full of Eternal Might, all the nations praise You, and all the people laud you! Keep us in Your Providential hand so that we remain among those who praise You so that we remain enlightened by Your glorious Light unto salvation.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

Cynewulf, Crist. Copyright © 2000 In parentheses Publications. Translation © 2000 Charles W. Kennedy

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.