Matthew 2,1-12. Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord

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Matthew 2,1-12            0719

Fest der Erscheinung des Herrn (Epiphanias)  013 

The Epiphany of our Lord 

6. Januar 2019 

1. O Well-beloved 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. »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 magi 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, frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.« 

  3. Saint Matthew tells us that when Jesus was around 2 years old magi arrived in Jerusalem from the East. In the 1. century AD, magi (wise men) were advisors to 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 well-versed in several academic studies akin to the Renaissance men who mastered different disciplines in the fields of religion, astronomy and other scholarly pursuits. We find such magi in the Prophet Daniel. During the Babylonian Captivity, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon added the young Jewish men who showed an aptitude in learning arcane knowledge and wisdom to His caste of advisors. 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). The Magi who visited Jesus may have received their information about the star from the Prophet Daniel, who had become 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 the Jewish messiah. This new knowledge would then be studied and passed on to succeeding generations of magi. 

 4. 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 heavenly signs told the magi that a majestic prince had been born in Judah who was destined for great things. 

5. The Torah tells us that a star is one of the symbols of the Messiah: »A Star will arrive from Jacob. A Scepter will arise from Israel« (Numbers 24,17). 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). Thus, Jewish tradition preserves a belief that the advent of the Messiah would be connected with some special star or heavenly sign like a comet or a planetary conjunction. This is how the magi and other ancients read the meaning of the star that appeared three times right before Jesus’ birth. Jerusalem is a mere 5.52 miles/8.89 km north of Bethlehem, and that is where the Magi went after this star appeared in the heavens, and they began their trek to Jerusalem, the capital of King Herod the Great, rightly presuming that this new prince was Herod’s son.  

6. Saint Matthew tells us about the importance of the star heralding Jesus’ advent. Furthermore, the Apostle John writes in his Gospel that: »The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome the Light. The True Light, which gives light to everyone, was entering 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). The Holy Gospels all affirm that Jesus is the Light of the world. 

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. His Light shines and gives Life to all lifeon this earth and furthermore gives Eternal Life to all who believe in Him as their Savior. The Serpent had tricked Adam to supplant the True Light with his own human light. This devilish trick plunged Adam and his descendants into darkness with the fellowship between God and man sundered. The Light upon mankind had waned, but not forever, for God had promised that the Light would wax again upon mankind. 

8. The Advent antiphon for 21. December heralds this approaching Divine Light that was waxing upon fallen mankind: 

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:

veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis. 

℣ O Morning Star, splendor of Light Everlasting and Sun of Righteous- | ness: * 

℟ Draw near and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shad- | ow of death. 

Christ is the Morning Star, who, when the night of this world is past, gives to His saints the promise of the light of life, and opens everlasting day (The Venerable Bede). 

O Christ, our Morning Star, Splendor of Light Eternal, shining with the glory of the rainbow, draw near and waken us from the grayness of our apathy, and renew in us Your gift of hope.  Amen. (The Venerable Bede) 

Christ is the morning star who, alleluia

when the night of this world is past, alleluia

brings to his saints the promise of the light of life, alleluia; 

and opens everlasting day, alleluia. 

Christus est stella matutina, Alleluia

Qui nocte saeculi transacta, Alleluia

Lucem vitae sanctis promittit, Alleluia;

Et pandit aeternam, Alleluia. (The Venerable Bede) 

9. The darkness, however, never yields willingly. King Herod reacted to the Magi’s declaration with paranoia. He was Herod the Great for good reason, and he refused to yield his throne to the Greater King that the star heralded. So it is with us, for every human heart revels in its own pride, hubris and enlightenment. My light will shine forth and no other light shall outshine me. Adam’s temptation to be like God is that his light should shine as brightly as God’s. Such is our fallen state we have inherited from Adam. 

10. The words of woe that the Prophet Isaiah spoke to the King of Babylon also humble us: »How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star,, son of the Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground. You have said in your heart: „I will ascend to heaven; I will make myself like the Most High.“ But you are brought down to Sheol« (Isaiah 14,12-15). To us narcissistically enamored with our own light, the True Morning Star has arrived. Jesus dwells in our midst and tells us: »I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the Root and the Descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star« (Revelation 22,16). »I will destroy this temple and in three days raise it up« (John 2,19). The True Light was covered in darkness for 3 hours, and then Jesus died. For a brief time our human light shined supreme and unchallenged. Until the Morning Star arose from the darkness of death and the grave; then His light shined even more brilliantly and He extinguished our lights, for Jesus has triumphed over all other lights. 

11. Jesus proclaimed: »The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, then your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, then your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, then how great is that darkness« (Matthew 6,22-23). »You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven« (Matthew 5,14-16). Our faith in Jesus makes us sons of the Light (John 12,36), and thus we walk in the light as He is in the light (1. John 1,7). 

12. At Epiphany, the star leads us to Bethlehem and shines down upon the Infant Jesus. The Holy Scriptures enlighten us about the Light He brings to the world, the Light of 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 of death and grave into the abyss.  Amen. 

13. 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 always remain in Your presence. Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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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.

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

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