Epiphany

Tomorrow, Sunday, is Epiphany in the Christian church calendar. This is the day on which the coming of the Magi (the Wise Men of Matthew 2) to the infant Jesus is celebrated and it is, traditionally, the twelfth day of the Christmas season. The word "epiphany" comes from a Greek root that may be translated "the appearing", and thus refers to the appearance of the Saviour ot the Gentiles (non-Jews). All of this, of course, explains why the Magi are not a genuine part of the traditional nativity play stable scene; nor a proper subject for the traditional Christmas card!! It might also be noticed that there is no mention of three Magi - indeed, the only clue that we have as to the number is that it was more than one!
But the story is recorded, not merely that folk might have scholarly discussions on the meaning of the word, but that we might learn from it. In this wee musing (more of a message!), may I suggest that we may learn from the gifts that Matthew records as having been brought by the Magi - the three gifts that have led generations of readers and hearers to assume that there were three men!
The first gift that was brought was gold - and in giving that particular substance, the Magi were acknowledging Jesus as Master. Gold has been, throughout most of recorded history, the symbol of kingship and authority and, as such, was most fitting for the King of kings - even if a strange gift to bring to an apparently illegitimate Jewish baby! But it is, indeed, the offering that He deserves. It is the very best that man can offer. And it reminds us of the obedience that He demands. This is not merely an infant, but the One born to be King - and not by force, but by love; not from a throne, but from a cross; not over a clearly defined territory, but over the hearts and minds of those who are prepared to, like the Magi, acknowledge His Kingship. This, of course, is no mere lip-service, but total and unequivocal commitment to Him. Little wonder that so relatively few are prepared to accept Him on His terms!
The second gift was frankincense, and this was the gift for a priest. As such, it reminds us that the Magi were acknowledging Jesus as Mediator. This is the great function of a priest - to mediate (be the "go-between") between God and man (using the term generically!!). In other words, the ministry of a priest is one of reconciliation. So the apostle Paul is able to write to the fellowship of Christian believers in Corinth that "... God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them." It wasn't God Who fouled things up at the beginning - it was mankind. But only God could bridge the gap, and He did it in the Person of the Son (look out for a future post in which I'll try to explain the Christian doctine of the Trinity!! Definitely worth coming back for!). Of course, a priest doesn't just represent man before God; he is also used, by God, to convey the means of grace to man through the Word and the Sacrament. Jesus, of course, is the "Word made flesh"; His was the broken Body, the shed Blood. All the resources of God are found in Him, and in Him alone. He is the "... one Mediator Who can reconcile God and humanity." (I Tim.2:5).
Master; Mediator, and Man of Sorrows. That was the significance of the myrhh. It was used in the embalming of the dead - and this Infant came to die; despised and rejected by the very people Whom He came to save. We might consider the price paid for us. Not of wealth, or possessions, but the very Life of God the Son, nailed to a cross. We might also consider the promise made to us. In fact, there are many promises made to the true child of God, but I'm thinking of one in particular. As He left our dimensions of time and space, and returned to that "light inaccessible, hid from our eyes" that is beyond our experience and understanding, angelic beings assured the watching disciples that "... some day He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go." (Acts 1:11). That is the great hope and expectation of the believer - not that He revealed Himself some 2,000 years ago, but that He will reveal Himself again, in majesty and power. May each one of us be prepared for His return, and welcome Him with joyful hearts.