Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Matthew 2,1-12. Epiphany

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Matthew 2,1-12 0715

2. Sonntag nach Christfest 12 (Epiphanias, transferred)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel 1,7 ✠

04. Januar 2015

1. O Jesus Christ, O Eternal God, we have reason to celebrate and give thanks! You live among us, and You do not stay away from us. The angels have proclaimed it and tells the shepherds further said: Unto you is born a Savior. Your star had guided the magi to the manger in which Jesus, Your Son, and our hope, lies. Open our eyes and hearts to Your star so it illuminates our darkness, lights our paths and leads us to You. Let us feel Your closeness today, tomorrow and forever. Amen. (VELKD, Prayer for Epiphanias § 1).

2. Now after Jesus was Born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying: „Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have arrived to worship Him.“ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him: „In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the Prophet: »And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you will be a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.«“ [Micah 5,2] Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying: „Go and search diligently for the Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word, so that I too may go and worship Him.“ 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 went to rest over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 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. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

3. Simeon proclaimed when Jesus was 8 days old that this Holy Child is »a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory of Thy people Israel« (Luke 2,32). The shepherds had been the first in Israel to worship Jesus on the night of His birth. Two years later the magi were the first Gentiles to worship Jesus. They had told King Herod the Great that they had seen the Child’s star rise in the heavens to herald His birth. Starlight had alerted the magi of the arrival of a Royal Light, for stargazing was one of the vocations performed by the Mesopotamian magi. The world knew when Prince George had been born when his father, Prince William, walked through the hospital doors and announced his son’s birth to the myriad of reporters. Likewise, the heavens told the magi when a majestic prince had been born who was destined for great things. Just as millions around the world waited with anticipation and fervor for William and Kate’s firstborn to arrive, so did the magi and others who read the heavenly signs that said a crown prince had been born in Judah.

4. Who were these magi in the Gospel according to Matthew? Magi were advisors the kings and rulers of Mesopotamia and Babylon. They were similar to the men and women who make up the president’s staff and advise him on many different issues. The Magi were priests, astronomers, scholars and doctors who were men well-versed in several academic studies so that they would be what we would called Renaissance men who mastered different disciplines. We find these magi in the Prophet Daniel. During the Babylonian Captivity, the King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon added the young Jewish men who showed an aptitude in learning arcane knowledge and wisdom. Among the young Jewish captives initiated into the Magi Caste were Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Daniel 1,3-7). Daniel became so renowned in hi studies and knowledge that the king eventually elevated him as the chief of the magi (Daniel 5,11). They may have received their information about the star from the Prophet Daniel, who became the chief of the Magi before the Jews returned from the Babylonian Captivity (Daniel 5,11). In this capacity, Daniel may have passed on to the magi a knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures and the prophecies of their messiah. This new knowledge would then be studied and passed on to succeeding generations of magi.

5. There are several theories as to what exactly was this star that the magi had seen in the heavens. The Torah tells us that a star is a symbol of the Messiah: »A Star will arrive from Jacob. A Scepter will arise from Israel« (Numbers 24,17). Thus, Jewish tradition preserves a belief that the advent of the Messiah would be connected with some special star, comet or grouping of planets to form a conjunction. Abarbanel, a renowned rabbi of the Middle Ages, believed that the Messiah would come in the same month as the Exodus took place, and claimed that the Cup of Elijah in the annual Jewish Passover celebration preserves this tradition. He looked for Messiah to enter human history when Jupiter and Saturn conjoin in the constellation of Pisces which happens every 805 years. Jewish tradition identified the planets of Jupiter and Saturn with the Justice of God that vindicates the righteous and punishes the guilty. Therefore, a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Pisces would be the sign of Messiah’s advent into human flesh. This very conjunction took place a short time before Christ’s birth. 17. century German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler (a Lutheran), checking astronomical tables, found the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on 29. May, 29. September, and 4. December in 7 bc. This triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn in one year’s time is extremely rare. The final conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces put it over Bethlehem. Jerusalem is a mere 5.52 miles/8.89 km north of Bethlehem, and that is where the magi went since Jerusalem was the capital of King Herod the Great. Every 805 years there is a conjunction between Jupiter, Saturn and Mars (Mars joins them a year later.). Jupiter the King’s Planet approaches Saturn the Defender of Palestine: »You carried along the staues of the god Sikkuth as your king and the star-god Kiyyun, the gods you made for yourselves.« (Amos 5,26) and Mars signifies war, struggle or change. Thus, a Messianic King is arriving in Palestine amid a time of great change or who will bring about a great change. This is how the magi and other ancients read the meaning of the star that appeared three times right before Jesus’ birth. After this star appeared in the heavens, and the magi understood its significance, they began their trek to Jerusalem.

6. We see from St. Matthew the importance of the star heralding Jesus’ advent. King David wrote this psalm: »The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge« (Psalm 19,1-2). The Apostle John writes in his Gospel: »In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome the Light. The True Light, which gives light to everyone, was arriving into the world. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His Glory, Glory as of the Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth« (John 1,1-5.9.14).

7. Starlight heralded the True Light’s arrival in the world. This Light is Jesus. He is the promised Messiah of Israel and the Christ of the Gentiles. He Light shines and gives Life to all live on this earth and furthermore gives Eternal Life to all who believe in Him as their Savior. Satan had tricked Adam to supplant the True Light with his own human light. This devlish trick plunged Adam and his descendants into darkness with the fellowship between God and man sundered. The Light had waned, but not forever, for God had promised that the Light would wax again upon mankind.

8. The Son of God entered His Earth that had fallen into sin and darkness. His Light waxed brightly upon the world and illuminated both Jew and Gentile. The darkness, however, never yields willingly. The devil riled up his thralls and maneuvered the arrest and condemnation of Jesus. He sentence was death; the goal was to snuff out the Light once and for all so that darkness would enshroud God’s Earth. The darkness always underestimates the brightness and the heat of the Light. Jesus knew all that would befall Him and He allowed the darkness to have its day. It was a dark day, a day when darkness covered the land for three hours, but at the end, the Light had triumphed once more. Yes, Jesus died, and in dying He had redeemed fallen men and women back to His Father. For a time, the Light was shrouded in burial clothes and the darkness of a tomb, but the Light burst forth in resurrection Glory and Brilliance. The Light had triumphed over death and the devil.

9. The Epiphany star did not divulge all this to the magi. They only knew that a majestic messiah had been born in Judah. They went to worship and adore Him, just as we did on the night of His birth. The star leads us to Bethlehem and shines down upon the Infant Jesus. The Holy Scriptures enlighten us about His life and the Light He would bring to the world, the Light of Life and Salvation that only God can bring. And bring it He did, in all His Brilliant Glory, Jesus Christ, our Light who shines now and always driving the darkness into the abyss. Amen.

9. Let us pray. O Christ, Thou Eternal Light who is praised by the all nations and lauded by all peoples, be the Lamp for our feet and the Light on our path so that we remain always in Your presence. 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, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Monday, January 5, 2015

Matthew 2,1-12. Epiphany

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