The Epiphany of Baptism, January 11, 2015

The Epiphany of Baptism

Genesis 1:1-5, Mark 1:4-11

January 11, 2015

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

The World of Epiphanies  Last Sunday, we entered the fascinating world of epiphanies - those special snippets of time when God reveals his love and guidance for us in very special ways. We heard that over the centuries, the Church has observed three of those epiphanies as they relate to Jesus - the Star that led the wisemen to Jesus, Jesus’ baptism, and when Jesus changed the water into wine during a marriage celebration in Cana. Last week I suggested that epiphanies still occur in our lives. They all depend upon what we know, who we follow, where we look and what we give.

Baptism of the Lord Sunday  This morning we move to the second of the three great epiphanies that relate to Jesus - his baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. As we do this, we will look at our own baptism, and identify the ways in which all of life is baptism.

Our Baptism Let’s start by remembering our own baptism. Were any of you baptized in the River Jordan? The Mississippi? Any river at all? How many were baptized as babies? As youth or adults? Were any of you baptized right here in this sanctuary? It is likely that each of you has a fairly definite idea of when and where you were baptized. On December 28th, I baptized Louis Edward Pigg. If you were to ask me, I would tell you that I was baptized by complete immersion on Easter Sunday, 1942 in a country German Baptist church in Iowa when I was eleven years old.

Jesus’ Baptism If we turn to Jesus’ baptism, we find it was quite impressive. First of all, let’s look at the man called John the Baptist or John the baptizer. John essentially was in the baptism business. People would come from all over to be cleansed of their sins through the water of baptism.

 Jesus had asked John to baptize him. John had been reluctant to do this because he felt that baptism was just for sinners and Jesus was sinless. However, Jesus knew that baptism would accomplish several things.

1. First of all, it would become the sign of the New Covenant that God would establish with his people through his death and resurrection.

2. Second, it would serve as a means by which he could identify himself with the people he had come to save.

3. Next, it would provide a means by which people like you and me could spiritually connect with Jesus through our own baptism.

4. Finally, his baptism was an epiphany from God as a divine validation of his Messiahship. As Jesus emerged from the water, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove. Then a voice from heaven proclaimed, “This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17). Jesus now knew this was God’s will for his life and so began his journey to the Cross.

Water in Scripture It is important to remember that Jesus and all of us here this morning were baptized with water, not some exotic ointment or costly balm. It wasn’t Gatorade that players pour on their coaches with when they win a game. No, we were baptized with ordinary water. But water was exactly the right thing to us since water is used to cleanse and water is essential if we’re going to live.  

Cleansing from Sin In the Bible, water symbolized the washing and cleansing from sin. Jewish converts were always immersed in water to symbolize their cleansing from sin. In the time of Noah, God washed away the sins of the world by the water of the great flood. Peter wrote, “In the ark only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also...” [1 Peter 3:20-21]

Deliverance from Slavery  When God through his servant Moses led Israel through the water of the Red Sea, he delivered them out of slavery into the freedom of the promised land, from death to new life. Paul wrote, “our forefathers were all under the cloud and they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” [1 Corinthians 10:1-2]

Two Aspects of Baptism This morning I ask us to expand our thinking of baptism as an event of our past and explore the thoughts that:

1. Our baptismal experience is grounded in the great creation saga of Genesis, and

2. We are being baptized by the Spirit every day of our lives.

Genesis In our morning scripture we read the first few lines of the creation story. They are familiar words to all of us since we’ve heard them many times before. In fact, over the years, we read the Genesis account of the Creation and see it as simply something that happened in history eons and eons ago. And for the life of us, we can’t see what an empty and formless earth with darkness over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovering over the primordial waters, has to do with us. We tend to skip over it and move quickly on to the great stories of Abraham and his descendants or to the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and receiving the Ten Commandments, or to Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. After all, these accounts deal with real people, just like us.

However, I propose this morning that the creation story has everything to do with us because in a way it is the original baptism story. Why? Because out of the formless and empty earth shrouded in darkness, God brought light and order out of the primeval chaos. God created life out of death. That’s exactly what God does for us each day when our lives become formless and empty and dark because of our sin.

One person put it this way: “Genesis, Chapter One, is about your creation, about how God creates and re-creates you and me. God is always hovering over the chaos of our world and our life, speaking new things into existence. God is always baptizing us - making ways for new life when we can only see dead ends. It means that every painful moment that seems like a little death in our lives is also the moment of the outpouring of new life, the overflow of Jesus’ baptismal waters, the movement of the Holy Spirit.” [From sermon, “Fully Alive” by Isaac Villegas, pastor of Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship in North Carolina]

Thus baptism is the act of God creating something new and orderly out of the chaos of our lives.

All of Life is Baptism  The second thought that I offer for our consideration builds upon the assertion just made about Genesis and creation. It is that we affirm what Martin Luther once said, All of Life is Baptism.

 

 

In looking at Jesus’ baptism and remembering our own, it is logical to think of them only as one-time events that took place at a certain time and place in history. We were baptized and have a baptismal certificate to prove it. As far as our water baptism is concerned, our thoughts are correct. It was a one-time event that took place in the past.

However, we also are baptized in the Spirit countless times in our lives. Why? Every day we mess up by hurting others with our words and actions. And by so doing, we separate ourselves from them and from God. Then it is that God’s waters of forgiveness and redemption wash over us making us a new creation. The old is gone. Behold we’ve been baptized anew.

However, it also means that sometimes we are in distress because of things that happen to us and we find our lives in complete chaos. We find we don’t have enough money to meet the bills. We’ve been laid off from work. Our spouse has died. Our child has become addicted to drugs. Our house has been destroyed by a tornado. Such events as these, and many more, can plunge us into despair. We think there is no hope, no solution. All is in shambles. But just as the Spirit of God hovered over the darkness of the deep and the formless and empty earth, the Spirit comes to the chaotic darkness of our lives and says, “Let there be light!” And God’s epiphany raises us up and baptizes us into hope. We are immersed in a fountain of deliverance and rebirth and now have a light to our path.

Final Thoughts  Finally, it is my assertion this morning that:

Every breath we take is a baptism of the Spirit and a deliverance from death to life.

Every friend we have is a baptism of the Spirit and a deliverance from loneliness to fellowship.

Everyone who loves us is a baptism of the Spirit and a deliverance from isolation to affirmation.

Every time we are forgiven is a baptism of the Spirit and a deliverance from separation to intimacy.

Remember: baptism doesn’t save us. Christ saved us. Baptism doesn’t make us better persons. The Holy Spirit makes us better persons. Baptism is God’s “Yes” to us. Our lives are spent in saying “Yes” back to God because all of life is baptism.

Genesis 1:1-5 NRSV

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Mark 1:4-11 NRSV

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

Prayer

 

 

The Epiphany of the Wine, January 18, 2015

The Epiphany of the Wine

 Isaiah 55:1-5, John 2:1-12

January 18, 2015

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Introduction  This morning I’d like to share some thoughts about four things:

1. A wedding that ran out of wine and how the problem was solved.
2. What this meant to the bride and groom and the disciples of Jesus.
3. How this wedding gives us a refreshing image of Jesus.
4. What this event means to us today.
   The Wedding  The wedding to which I refer took place about 2,000 years ago in Cana, a little village of about 200 people about four miles from Nazareth. Included as invited guests were Mary, the mother of Jesus, along with Jesus and his disciples. There is no mention of Joseph so he either had to stay back at Nazareth and work or he was no longer alive. No doubt, everyone in the two villages knew each other and many were related to one another. It is most likely that the guests had been together at many weddings in the past.
   Wedding Tradition  Now let’s look at the wedding itself. The first thing to note is that weddings in Jesus’ day were a lot different from weddings today.
   Instead of going on a honeymoon, the bride and groom held an open house for seven days of continual feasting and rejoicing with their guests. Every day they wore their bridal garments. They had crowns of flowers on their heads and were addressed and treated as royalty. Guests would come to the wedding feast in the morning, stay until evening, and then go home to sleep. The next day they arrived again, and stayed until evening, and then went home to sleep. This continued for seven straight days. Today parents think its rough hosting a wedding reception that lasts a paltry three or four hours. Here we are talking upwards of ninety hours of being the “host and hostess with  the mostest.”
    
    
   Prepare for Daughter’s Wedding  Parents started preparing for their daughter’s wedding the day she was born. Each year of her life, when they would ferment their family’s barrels of table wine, they would make one extra barrel and set it aside for their daughter’s wedding.
   Since girls usually got married by the time they were sixteen years of age, parents would have set aside sixteen barrels of wine for her wedding. The barrels set aside in her early years are now superbly aged. At the wedding, these would be served to the guests first, leaving the more recent wine to be served later.
   Everyone knew Jesus   Now let’s look at Jesus for a moment. First of all, everyone at the wedding knew him. They didn’t know him as the Messiah. Instead they knew him simply as Joseph and Mary’s son. They had watched him grow up as a toddler, a young lad, a teenager, and now as a mature man of about thirty years of age. No doubt many of the guests were boyhood friends. 
   Different Image of Jesus  As I read the story of this wedding, it revealed a completely different image of Jesus than perhaps we’d ever thought of before. Think about it for a moment. Our usual perception of Jesus is as a person teaching and preaching, such as the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes. We think of him as a man healing the blind and the lame, casting out demons, chasing out money changers from the Temple, and raising people from the dead. But at this wedding, he is walking around with a glass of wine in one hand, laughing and shaking hands with the other guests. He’s greeting his friends with a hug and eating the food provided with great delight. In other words, he’s acting just as we act at wedding receptions. This does not trivialize Jesus, but rather makes him more approachable in our prayer life.
   Wine Ran Out  Now back to the wedding that Jesus was attending. After four or five days of celebrating, it was discovered that there was no more wine. To run out of wine was a social disaster since proper hospitality, especially at a wedding feast, demanded a superabundance of both food and drink. If either ran out, the family and the young couple would never live down the shame.
    
   Mary tells Jesus  When Mary heard about the problem, she walked over to her son and said, “They have no more wine.” I’m not sure what she expected Jesus to do. After all, Jesus couldn’t run down to the local convenience store and buy more wine, could he?
   Water into wine  But Jesus saved the day! And this is how he did it.  At every wedding were always large pots of water each holding about 25 gallons. The water was used for two purposes.
   Because guests walked on dusty roads with open sandals to get to the wedding, water was used to wash the feet of the guests when they arrived. Second, the law of Jewish ceremonial washings dictated that hands had to be washed in a certain way before eating. Thus an ample supply of water was necessary at any wedding celebration.
   Jesus told the servants to fill six of the empty water pots to the brim with water. Then they were to draw some out and take it to the steward of the wedding reception. The steward was responsible for the smooth running of the meal. It was his duty to taste and approve the wine before it was served. When he tasted the water the servants brought him, the water had turned into the finest wine. The steward was amazed. He said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
   And so Jesus changed six stone jars of water into wine. Now that is about 150 gallons of wine! No small accomplishment.  And it was far more than was needed.
   Why Did Jesus Perform this Miracle? Now why did Jesus perform this miracle? The most obvious was to save the family from the shame and embarrassment of running out of wine. The steward, the bride and groom and their guests were clueless as to where the abundance of wine came from. Jesus didn’t walk around and say, “Look at this great wine I made!” However, his disciples knew. And by so doing, Jesus for the first time revealed his divine power and glory to them. And from this time on, the disciples believed in Jesus as the Messiah. This was God’s Epiphany.
    
   Why at a Wedding?  Why would God choose to reveal the divine nature of his son through such a common place event as a wedding reception? After all, the star which led the wise men was quite spectacular. And the descent of the dove at his baptism with a voice from heaven was equally impressive. I’m sure that Jesus could have performed a far more spectacular miracle. Yet Jesus performed his first miracle at an ordinary wedding reception. Not very imaginative to say the least. However, this is the way Jesus revealed the greatness of God time after time throughout his ministry. He met the people in the every day events of their lives.
   In their need for food, he fed 5,000 with a few loaves and fish. 
   In their need for health, he cleansed lepers and healed the blind and crippled. He helped his disciples catch fish, and he cast out demons from the common people. In other words, he met the needs of the people where they were with great revelations of his power and love.
   What Better Place than a Wedding?  So what more appropriate place than the joyful exuberance of a wedding? Over the centuries, wine has been a symbol of gladness and jubilation. I read somewhere that there is a child inside each of us that God made for exhilaration - for shouting and singing and dancing and playing and skipping and running and jumping and laughing.
   When is the last time you shouted and sang and danced? When you skipped, ran, jumped and laughed. If not physically, at least inwardly? To be filled with the Spirit means to be filled with a spirit of joy and delight. But sometimes we forget to show the joy that we have with Jesus in our lives.
   The story is told of a little girl who came running into the kitchen one morning, lighthearted and smiling as little children can be. She noticed that her mother had a dour expression. She said, “Mommy, aren’t you happy?” The mother replied, “Why certainly I’m happy.” “Well,” said the little girl, “you certainly haven’t told your face yet.”
   Jesus wants us to enjoy him and one another  I read that there is a church in west London that serves wine instead of coffee after every Sunday service. So instead of asking “regular or de-caf” the question might be: “Merlot or Zinfandel?” Although I’m not suggesting that we begin doing the same here at Grace, but in a way such a practice reflects the fun and joy that Jesus wants us to have with him and with each other.
   Just as we was mixing with the crowd at the wedding in Cana, so he wants to move among our lives, greeting and hugging us and wanting to catch up on all the news.
   Nothing Gloomy about being a Christian  The Wedding at Cana demonstrates that there is nothing gloomy about being a Christian. Jesus wants us to enjoy our time with him and our times with each other.
   Our catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” Answer: “To glorify God and enjoy him forever.” [Question one of the Westminster Shorter Catechism] So perhaps we should ask ourselves, “Am I enjoying God today?”
   Some people awaken in the morning and say “Good morning, Lord!” Others wake up and say, “Good Lord!  Morning!”
   Jesus Cares about Every Detail of our Lives  I believe that the miracle at the wedding at Cana means that if Jesus cares that they ran out of wine, he also cares about everything that happens in the ordinary events of our lives - at work, at home, at school, at leisure. He cares if we can’t find our glasses, or if our back aches, if our children have problems, or if we’re having problems paying our bills. Jesus is able, if we let him, to take such events that we take for granted and change them into events flavored with a full bouquet of the finest wine.
   Power to Transform Lives   I also suggest that his miracle of turning water into wine also demonstrates that he can take ordinary, everyday people like you and me and transform us into new creations - from water into fine wine.
   Paul put it this way: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” [2 Corinthians 5:17] That’s water into wine.
   “You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” [Ephesians 4:22-24 NRSV] That’s water into wine.
    
   No matter who we are, no matter what we’ve done, no matter how much we have hurt other people, just as Jesus changed ordinary water into wine, so he can take us and change us into new men, women and youth who can begin enjoying life more than ever before and thus enjoy God more than ever before.  And remember one more thing. When we die and enter life eternal, we’ll know more than ever before that Jesus has saved the best ‘till last.
   Amen.

John 2:1-12  NRSV

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.  

 
Isaiah 55:1-5 NRSV

Ho, everyone who thirsts,

   come to the waters;

and you that have no money,

   come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

   without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

   and your labour for that which does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,

   and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

   listen, so that you may live.

I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

   my steadfast, sure love for David.

See, I made him a witness to the peoples,

   a leader and commander for the peoples.

See, you shall call nations that you do not know,

   and nations that do not know you shall run to you,

because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,

   for he has glorified you

The Epiphany of the Star, January 4, 2015

The Epiphany of the Star

Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12

Grace Presbyterian Church, Crystal City

January 4, 2015

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Epiphany Card  I’m a bit disappointed this morning. Next Tuesday is “Epiphany of the Lord Day” and I haven’t received a single “Have a Happy Epiphany” card from anyone. But then I guess it’s understandable since Epiphany doesn’t seem as important as Christmas in peoples’ minds. But I suggest to you this morning, that sending and receiving Epiphany cards is most appropriate. Why? Maybe I can answer that question by sharing some thoughts on Epiphany.

What exactly is An Epiphany?  Among the ancient Greeks, an epiphany was the manifestation or appearance of God to his people at a particular place and time.  We find epiphanies throughout the Bible since God’s appearance to his people was always accompanied by outward and visible signs. For instance, the burning bush of Moses , or the cloud and fire that led the Israelites to the promised land, or the great trial by fire of Elijah and the prophets of Baal where God’s fire consumed a water-soaked sacrifice. Or when a light from heaven flashed around Saul on his way to Damascus and blinded him resulting in his conversion as the Apostle Paul. In each of these, God made himself known to his people in quite dramatic ways.

Christian Epiphany About 1600 years ago, the Church decided to celebrate three particular epiphanies in which God revealed his glory in ways connected to Jesus. (1) The first was when the great Star of Bethlehem led the wise men to Jesus. This revealed the fact that salvation in Christ was for Gentiles as well as Jews. (2) The next was when Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. This showed the disciples and the world that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah. (3) And the third was when Jesus changed water into wine at the marriage at Cana in Galilee.This revealed Jesus’ divine power.

The Church set aside January 6th as Epiphany of the Lord day. This date is the twelfth day since Christmas and became the conclusion to the Christmas season which we thought was long over. Thus, the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is the observance of what we call “Christmas Tide.”

The Great Star  Over the next three weeks, we are going to look at the star, the baptism and the marriage. This morning we will begin with the great star that led the wise men to Jesus.

The Wise Men Who are these wise men? The word that appears in the original Greek is “magoi” from which we get the word “Magi.” Basically, the word means magician or astrologer. There were two kinds of magi in those days. One were magicians who traveled from town to town putting on magic shows and telling peoples’ fortunes. The other kind consisted of very learned men who were well educated in literature, the stars, and the natural sciences. These magi were a part of a small tribe of priests who lived in Persia. They were the teachers and counselors of the Persian kings. It is said that no religious sacrifice could be made unless one of the Magi was present. According to the account from Matthew the wise men were Gentiles who were acquainted with the scriptures of many religions, including Judaism.

How many were there and what were their names? The Venerable Bede called them Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Actually, scriptures never give us their names and we have no idea how many wise men traveled to see Jesus. Tradition has placed the number at three since there were three gifts. However, over the centuries, paintings have depicted anywhere from three to twelve wise men.

Importance of Stars  People of that time believed that each person’s life was linked to a particular star, and that new stars forecast important events on earth such as births of emperors, kings or great leaders. In the book of Numbers, it states that “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” [24:17] From this developed the belief that when the Messiah was to be born, a great star heralding his birth would appear in the heavens.

Since the wise men were also astrologers, they had studied the stars in the sky for many years. Thus, they believed that the brilliant light in the sky was a sign that the King of the Jews had been born. And when it began to move, they immediately followed to see where the star led

The Star of Bethlehem There has been some fascinating research done on the star seen by the wise men. It has been proven that in the year Jesus was born, Jupiter and Saturn were so closely aligned that they appeared as one extremely brilliant star. Jupiter was considered to be a royal star, and Saturn was thought to be the special star protecting Israel. In the year of Jesus’ birth, Jupiter and Saturn came together three different months - in May, October, and December. This fact, along with the year of the census, and the dates that Herod and Quirinius were in power, pinpoints Jesus birth. [cf. Keller, Werner, “The Bible as History,” 1956, pp. 345-354]

Isaiah  This great star takes on additional significance when we read the 59th and 60th chapters of Isaiah. At this point in history, the Israelites are mired in despair. Their leaders were prisoners of Babylon and were living in exile. Their hopes had been completely dashed. They said to one another, “Justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we look for light, and behold, darkness; and for  brightness, but we walk in gloom.” (Isaiah 59:9) Then Isaiah came to them and proclaimed, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you, and nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the lord.” (Isaiah 60:1,2,6) In light of this prophecy, the wise men following the great light and presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus.

The gold was an acknowledgement that Jesus would one day be the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Frankincense was used in Temple worship as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil for sacrifices which gave grain offerings a pleasant aroma which they felt would please God [Leviticus 2 and 6]. This pointed to the time when Christ would be the great High Priest whose personal sacrifice on the Cross would be pleasing to God. Myrrh was a resin used in embalming and this gift foretold the time when Jesus would suffer and die. And so gold was for royalty, incense for priesthood and myrrh for sacrifice.

Jesus as Young Child  We should also remember that the wise men didn’t actually meet Jesus until Jesus was close to two years of age. We know this because when the wise men told Herod when the star had appeared, Herod ordered all male children two years of age and younger to be killed [Matthew 2:16]. And Matthew says that the wise men came to the house where Jesus was staying, not to a stable where he had been born.

Epiphanies Today  As we enter the new year, we might ask if epiphanies still take place today. The answer is “of course!” However, such epiphanies depend upon four factors: what we know, who we follow, where we look and what we give.

What we know First of all, what we know. Had the wise men never studied the Jewish scriptures which foretold the birth of the King of Israel, they would not have realized that the great star heralded his birth. They never would have found Jesus. In like manner, if God is to interact in our lives, we must be well acquainted with the scriptures. It is there that we learn that God is love and that he loved us so much that he gave his only son to die for our sins on the Cross. So you can join a Bible study class here at Grace or in the community, and you can study the scriptures on your own through using a guide on meditation and prayer such as “These Days.”

Who we Follow   Next it is important to choose who we follow in life. The wise men followed the star and the star led them to the Christ child. In the Book of the Revelation, Jesus says, “I am the bright morning star.” [22:16] The bright morning star in astrology is Venus, visible just before sunrise. It heralds the coming of the dawn. Soon the darkness will be dispelled and all will bask in the warmth of the light. Jesus is the bright morning star who says to us this morning, “Follow me!” for I will lead you to salvation and eternal life.

 

 

Where we Look Where we look is vital. The wise men first thought the new born king of Israel would be born in the capital city of Jerusalem. So at first, they looked in the wrong place. Then the star led them a few miles south to Bethlehem and there they found Jesus. Where we look for the hope, peace, joy and love in life is important. We won’t find them in the mall. We won’t find them in our bank accounts. We won’t find them in our houses, cars and possessions. We won’t find them in drugs. We won’t find them in our good works. We find true hope, peace, joy and love only on our knees in the manger of Bethlehem.

What we give Finally, what we give. What can we give Christ this coming year? We can’t give him gold, frankincense or myrrh.

Gold  However, since the gift of gold reflects the kingship of Christ, I suggest that first of all we give King Jesus our gift of obedience.

Frankincense  Since the gift of frankincense foretold Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, let us give him the gift of gratitude for opening the door to God’s forgiveness and for reigning as our Great High Priest who intercedes with God on our behalf.

Myrrh  And since the gift of myrrh anticipated Jesus’s death and resurrection, let us give him the gift of joy for eternal life.

So as you leave here this morning to embark upon the New Year, I challenge you to know your scriptures better, follow Jesus more completely, look only to him for your ultimate happiness, and then give him your hearts to love him, your minds to know him, your voices to praise him, and your will to choose him. By so doing, epiphanies will be cascading about you in profusion! Amen!

 

Isaiah 60:1-6 NRSV

  Arise, shine; for your light has come,

   and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth,

   and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,

   and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light,

   and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;

   they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away,

   and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;

   your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,

   the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you,

   the young camels of Midian and Ephah;

   all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,

   and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Matthew 2:1-12 NRSV

 

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

   who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’

 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then 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 may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.