The Epiphany of Our Lord
January 5, 2014 - Pastor Adam Moline
Isaiah
60:1-6 Ephesians
3:1-12 Mathew 2:1-12
Grace, mercy and
peace to you from God the Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text today, for the celebration of the feast of Epiphany comes from
the Old Testament lesson just read, especially these words, “Arise, shine, for
your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon
you.” Thus far our text for today.
Dear friends in
Christ. Its Epiphany. Epiphany comes from the Greek word “Epifainoj” which means “To shine forth.” And during this season in the church year,
that’s exactly what we focus on, how the majesty and glory of God shines forth
from the just born baby Jesus Christ. And
that is central message of our text today.
Isaiah writes in
it, “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the
peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen
upon you. And nations shall come to your
light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
Darkness covering
the earth. It’s a darkness that we know
well – we know it intimately in fact.
It’s a darkness that covers the earth emanating from our own cold dark
and sinful hearts. The darkness of this
world springs from your own guilt, dear friends. You have sinned. Consider the works of your hands, they are
full of shame before God. Your hand has
stolen, taking what was your neighbor’s for the sole purpose of pleasing your
own covetous heart. Your hand has hurt
others around you, fighting, striking, murdering, and failing to care for those
who need your help. Your hand has committed
dreadfully sexual acts outside of marriage, in ways that perhaps are too
terrible to mention from the pulpit.
And this darkness
spreads forth into the world around us.
Because of our sin, because of YOUR sin, there is sickness and hunger in
our world. Because of sin people die in
this world, including loved ones and friends.
Because of sin… you too will one
day die.
This darkness
flows out from our hearts into the world, and yet, our text tells us that this
darkness is not the final word in this world.
Isaiah says “Arise, Shine! For
your light has come! And the Glory of the Lord has risen upon you!” He has been born in Bethlehem, he has been
laid in a manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths.
He is Jesus Christ, the eternal all powerful God, enveloped in the flesh
of a tiny little baby. And His light
shines in the darkness, and no darkness of this world can overcome it. Not even
the darkness of your sin.
No, his glory will
shine forth upon you and all the world.
It will shine brighter than the earthly human glory of sinful King
Herod, who’s feeble attempt to kill baby Jesus in the slaughter of the
innocents of Bethlehem fails miserably. It
will shine brighter than the darkness of Satan and all his temptations of
Christ. It will shine brighter than all
the criticisms aimed at Christ from sinful human beings during his life. And His Glory, the glory of the everlasting
Son of the Father shines most clearly and gloriously as Christ hung suffering,
bleeding and dying for your sin on the cross.
That’s right. The revealed glory and light of Christ shines
from the cross to cover your sin. All of
it. Every last bit. It’s darkness is overcome by Jesus, crucified
and risen to taken away your sin.
Its for this
reason, the revelation of God’s salvation for the darkened hearts of sinners,
that the magi came to see Jesus in our text.
Not to bring him their best – even though they do bring him
Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh. Not to
give him their best worship, even though they do kneel before him. Not to crown him as king, or anything other
than this: To receive the light of
Christ that overcomes the darkness of all their sin. And so Christ gave those magi a gift more
wonderful than anything that had to offer back to him.
Dear friends. That same gift is promised to you in
baptismal waters. Forgiveness. Life.
Salvation. It is all yours in
Christ Jesus crucified. His light shines
into your lives, here and now, and that light covers all the darkness of your
sin, guilt, and shame. His word is a
lamp to your feet, that you may avoid sin.
His word is the word of reconciliation that makes all right in your
life. He, and he alone, can shine forth
– epifanoj – into your life, to take away your sin.
In the name of
Jesus. Amen.
