And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come 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 came 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. – Matthew 2:8-11 Christmas Day has come and gone, but it is still the Christmas season! In just a few days, on January 6th, many people around the world will observe Epiphany – the Twelfth Day of Christmas. For nearly two thousand years, Christians around the world have celebrated January 6th as the day when wise men from afar arrived in Bethlehem and saw the infant Jesus. “Epiphany” refers to the revealing of Jesus to the world outside of Israel. (An epiphany is a “manifestation” of something being revealed – an appearing, a realization.) The “magi” were foreigners. We don’t know if there were exactly three of them: the term is plural, so there were at least two, bearing at least three gifts; we also don’t know if they were “kings”, but they were wise men. They had traveled to Jerusalem from the East in order to worship the newborn king of the Jews. As such, when they reached the house in Bethlehem where Mary was with her baby boy, the wise men represented the first time that Gentiles had seen the Lord incarnate. (Presumably, the shepherds and others in and around Bethlehem were Jewish.) The Gospel of Luke talks about the shepherds, while Matthew describes the journey of the wise men. It seems that the shepherds saw Jesus the day that He was born (“unto you is born this day”), meanwhile the wise men must have arrived some time later, since Jesus had already been born when they first arrived in Jerusalem (“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he?” – Matthew 2:1). Moreover, the shepherds found Jesus in a manger, while the wise men found Him in a house. We have no reason to believe that it was exactly twelve days after Jesus was born, and regardless we have no reason to believe that Jesus was born on December 25th. In short, we have no idea on what day of the year the wise men saw this epiphany. But we do know that eventually, after His birth, those outside of Israel saw the incarnate Christ while He was an infant. As such, the Twelfth Night (January 6th) can serve as a reminder that God revealed His Son to the entire world – and continues to reveal His Son through the church. For more than 35 years, my wife and I have hosted an Epiphany party on January 6th. We established this event on very pragmatic, non-religious grounds: Social – When we lived in Washington, DC, our friends came from a variety of international backgrounds, many of whom had celebrated January 6th in their native countries (Dia de Los Reyes in Mexico, Epiphany in Greek Orthodox nations). For many, this was the biggest day of the Christmas season – when kings bring presents to children. We honor their traditions. Practical – The holidays were so busy helping others to celebrate that we did not have time to throw a party of our own Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or New Year’s Eve. Available – People tend to be available on January 6th, since there are not many competing activities in the early days of the New Year. Those who have been away visiting family have an opportunity to return to another festivity – and students had not yet gone back to school. Economical – Christmas items (plates, napkins, hams) are heavily discounted after the holidays. Historical – Our own English ancestors had celebrated this feast day (cf. Twelfth Night by Shakespeare). Counter-cultural – With society’s tendency to commercialize Christmas, we find it playfully refreshing to do something out of the norm and celebrate the last hurrah of the Christmas season. The Bible is clear that there was an epiphany – an appearance of Christ to the Gentiles through the wise men – so we can all celebrate this glorious Gospel truth. Let me encourage you to recognize this truth. You could recognize it by having your own party. But first, let me ask you a life-or-death question: Have YOU had an Epiphany? Have you seen Jesus alive in your life? If so, then like the wise men, worship Him now. If not, then call me. I want you to see Him.
