Third Sunday after the Epiphany

St. Matthew 8:1–13

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jesus does two miracles in today’s Gospel. He heals a leper and He heals a centurion’s servant. And there are surprising things about both miracles. First, the surprising thing about healing the leper is that Jesus touches him. Under the Law of Moses, the disease of leprosy made someone ritually unclean. They could not enter the Temple or participate in the Divine Service there, and they were required to live apart from the rest of the Israelite community. And any clean person who came in contact with a leper was also made unclean. But Jesus touches the leper. And the leper does not make Him unclean, but the opposite happens: He makes the leper clean. Jesus restores the man’s health physically and He restores the man to the fellowship of God and His holy people.

This is related to the surprising thing in the second miracle. The surprising thing about healing the centurion’s servant is that Jesus was willing to go into a Gentile’s house. All Gentiles were considered unclean according to the Law of Moses. A centurion was an officer in the Roman army—normally in charge of 100 men, hence the name, centurion. So, this man was some kind of Roman, certainly some kind of Gentile—not a Jew, not a member of the Israelite people. So, he, as well as his home, would have been considered ritually unclean. And if a clean Israelite had dealing with a Gentile and entered his home, then he would also be made unclean. But Jesus is willing to go there. These miracles don’t mean that Jesus doesn’t care about the Law of Moses. It means that Jesus is greater than the Law of Moses. He is the source of all true cleanliness and holiness—He is the holy Lord who purifies a people for Himself and makes them His holy people.

But then there comes a third surprise, not from Jesus, but from the centurion. “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof, but only say the Word, and my servant will be healed.” He does not pretend to be worthy of Jesus’ help. He does not claim any rights or fair treatment. How many of us don’t give a second thought to Jesus coming to our homes? The Bible sitting unused week after week, the Catechism or hymnal gathering dust on the shelf. Or we march up to the altar where the Lord comes under the roof of our mouths—and we are proud, thinking we deserve it, or we are not thinking at all, taking it for granted. This centurion is different from many of us who have all the blessings of the kingdom and claim to be God’s children. He has true humility and faith. He confesses his own sin and unworthiness. As a Gentile, he does not deserve to be a part of God’s people, and as a sinner, he does not deserve God’s love. But he also confesses his faith in Jesus’ authority and goodness. He believes that Jesus has the authority to heal his servant, just by speaking a word. And He believes that Jesus will heal his servant because Jesus is good and His mercy endures forever.

God grant us to have such humility and faith. What this centurion said even made Jesus marvel—I don’t think that happens very often! Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” So, being a child of Israel, being in the in–crowd, having the rights and privileges of the community, being a Jew by blood, that won’t save you in the end. Jesus says that while many Gentiles will be saved and will get to eat at the heavenly banquet with the fathers of Israel, many Jews, the sons of the kingdom, will not.

And this shouldn’t be all that surprising. It was always intended that Gentiles would be included in the kingdom of heaven. An example from the Old Testament was in our reading today. Naaman gave us a foreshadowing of both miracles: he was a leper who was healed, and he was a Syrian, a Gentile, who came to faith in the one true God.

St. Paul, the Lord’s appointed apostle to the Gentiles, also said as much in our Epistle reading: I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. Paul is writing to a mostly Gentile congregation in the capital city. And he makes it clear that the Gospel is for all people: not only Jews, and not only Greeks, but even for the barbarians, you know, all those uncivilized people in Britain and Germany and Africa. The Good News of Jesus Christ is for them.

So, Paul goes on: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:14–17). The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Yes, it came to the Jews first, in the promises of the Old Testament and in the person and work of Jesus, but then also to the Gentiles. Because salvation is not a matter of bloodlines or ethnicities, and it’s not a matter of doing perfectly the works of the Law, keeping the rituals, or even giving your best shot at moral improvement. Salvation is a matter of faith in Jesus Christ, in His atoning death, His victorious resurrection, and His forgiving Word. As both the old prophets and the new apostles testify: The righteous shall live by faith.

And this leads us to a practical point as well: the Church is bound to be going about missionary work. St. Paul wasn’t unique in wanting to preach the Gospel in Rome. He was simply carrying out the command given by the Lord to His Church: make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them (Matt. 28:19). And the little Israelite servant girl, enslaved in Syria to work in Naaman’s household, she didn’t do anything particularly extraordinary when she told her mistress about the prophet in Israel. She was just speaking of the wonders that the Lord, the true God, could do.

So, it is important that we as a congregation, fellow-believers with saints around the world, contribute to the mission of the Church—to sending and supporting missionaries, to training pastors and teachers in the Word of God so that they can teach others. And it is important that we as Christians do “missionary work” right here in our own town and in our own households, like that little Israelite servant girl—inviting, encouraging people to make use of the Means of Grace, to come and receive what the Lord so richly gives here in His Church, and teaching the children of our congregation so that the Word of God can be passed on to the next generation. In doing all this, we follow our Lord Jesus Himself, who ministered to the Gentiles and rejoices to see them enter His kingdom.

And still, we must always be careful that we don’t turn into those sons of the kingdom who will be thrown into the outer darkness. We must watch that we don’t neglect the Lord who is already in our midst, already here at our church and in our homes. We have so many blessings in being members of the church, maybe even life-long members. We must be on guard that we don’t take those blessings for granted, and become self-satisfied with our condition and stop seeking the Lord, or count on our works in the church organization to make up for our lack of faith, or, in our missionary zeal to reach the lost, we make an idol out of “missions”, and neglect our own souls and the souls of those closest to us. We are only saved by faith.

So, we must always be coming back to Jesus like that leper, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then hearing Him say, “I am willing; be clean… I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” And always coming to Jesus like the centurion, saying, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the Word, and Your servant, will be healed.” Then hearing Him say that Word: “Let it be done for you as you have believed… This is My Body. This is My Blood… given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” And so, He does come under the roof of your mouth, unworthy though you are, and He heals you. He grants you the medicine of immortality, in order that you might be raised up and included in that great congregation, who will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Artwork copyright (c) 2010 Edward Riojas. Used by permission.

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

St. John 2:1–11

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The hymn we just sang, Of the Father’s Love Begotten, is one we sing on Christmas Day. But it’s also a good hymn for the Epiphany season. Consider how these words work for Christmas and Epiphany: And the babe, the world’s Redeemer, First revealed His sacred face (LSB 384:2). When did Jesus first reveal His sacred face? Well, certainly at His birth. But then you could also say this at His Baptism, when the Father and the Spirit revealed that the Man, Jesus, is in truth the Son of God. And then also you could say it at Cana, where the world’s Redeemer performed His first miracle. He changed the water into wine. This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. That was also how He revealed His sacred face—this time, for the first time, with a miracle.

But there’s another line in the hymn we should connect with today’s Gospel: Now He shines, the long-expected; Let creation praise its Lord Evermore and evermore (384:3). Epiphany is all about the shining of Jesus—the epiphany-ing of Jesus—the manifestation of His glory. And when the Lord of creation reveals Himself, then His creatures recognize Him and respond to Him by doing what He has given them to do. That is, they praise Him. Praise is not only singing and extolling, but also action, living and doing what God would have His creatures do. Now He shines, the long-expected; Let creation praise its Lord. The water at Cana saw its Lord and blushed.* The water responded to its Lord and so praised Him by becoming wine. Water and wine are the Lord’s creatures and they praise Him by doing what He has them do.

And let’s not forget another creation of God that witnessed and benefited from our Lord’s first miracle: marriage. Marriage is a creation of the Lord—male and female He created them… and they shall become one flesh (Gen. 1:27 & 2:24). So, this miracle happens at a wedding. Water and wine praise the Lord for the gift of marriage and for blessing it. The Bible tells us that wine is given to gladden the heart of man, and we certainly should be glad at a wedding. Besides being celebrations of love, weddings are celebrations of life! And celebrations of the Lord who gives life! 

A wedding gives us a glimpse of Eden, where the Lord brought man and woman together and blessed them: Be fruitful and multiply! A wedding is a renewal of God’s promise to create and bless life. The husband and wife are pro-creators, God works through them. He loves marriage and He wants man and woman to find delight in each other. He loves children and He wants to bless families. What’s my point in all this? The miracle at Cana shows that the Lord loves His creation and He loves to bless it. And marriage is a part of that blessed creation. The Lord loves fruitfulness and wine. He loves husbands and wives serving and enjoying each other. He loves the children that come from those men and women. He loves the beautiful world He made and He wants it to flourish.

And this is why the Church cares so much about things like marriage, because it is intimately connected with the whole created order of things. God’s Law is not arbitrary or random. God’s Law is His will, that is, it’s His design for this creation and life. What’s more, the design of God’s creation reflects who He is. Creation is fruitful and delightful because the Word Himself, who created all things, bears fruit and gives delight. And creation is orderly because God Himself is orderly.

Within the Holy Trinity, the three Persons are equal in glory and substance. Yet, God the Father is the Head of the Son, and this is good. That means Christ is the Head of His Bride, the Church. And Man is the head of woman, and that is good. We heard this in Ephesians 5, but Paul also teaches it in 1 Corinthians 11: I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. This is not something for us to roll our eyes at, or sigh about, or be embarrassed about. Headship, authority, and hierarchy are built into creation because that is who God is and so that’s how God creates and sustains and blesses life. We need to see the big, beautiful picture of God’s world.

If we rebel against His order, we also sacrifice His gift of life for the sake of our own selfish ideas, and we destroy His blessing. But this is exactly what the prevailing attitudes have done in the past century, and we are seeing their devastating results. We tried to sterilize and control the love between a man and a woman, so we could seize this precious gift and twist it for our own selfish and perverse lusts. We suppress and even kill the life that God wants to give. We try to take the strength away from our men to subdue them, and we try to take the beauty away from our women to make them more like men. And what do we have from at least a century of this? Disease, murder, rape, abuse. Many fathers have vanished, and many of the fathers that remain aren’t sure what they’re supposed to do. There is dishonor for men and shame for women, while people just keep using each other for momentary gratification.

We need to recover God’s good design for His creation. We need men to be men, strong and noble, and women to be women, life-nurturing and gentle. Should men also be gentle and are women also strong? Absolutely, but not in the same ways. They are not interchangeable. Men and women are different, and this goes beyond our physical bodies. We have different virtues, different qualities. God created us this way, He has given us different things to do, and this is good. We need husbands and wives to receive God’s blessing to be fruitful and multiply. And all of us, whether we have children or not, should cherish them as a real gift and blessing from the Lord, and hold up the raising of children as one of the greatest works you can do in this life. That is why hundreds of thousands of Christians marched in Washington DC this weekend in defense of the unborn (though you wouldn’t know this from the news. They report the Women’s March, but not the March for Life). But Christians don’t demonstrate like this because we care about a particular political side, but because we know and love God’s design for life.

The Church is not simply the morality police. The unbelieving world calls us Misogynists (women-haters) or even more generally, Misanthropes (haters of humanity), because we tell them they must not do what their evil minds want to do. But we’re not out to ruin life and fun. The Church is on the side of creation, humanity, beauty, life, human flourishing, human enjoyment. We know what is good, what God has created, what He wants to give us. When we keep His Law, when we live according to His design, we are joining into that big, beautiful picture of life that God has made for us. When we do that life is better and God’s blessings are given. 

And so, by taking our place in His creation and gladly doing what He has given each of us to do, we are praising our Lord. We are acting like that water turning to wine. This is even why we give thanks for our food and enjoy it, like we will soon do today. Food is not merely for sustenance, but as a gift from God, food is meant to be enjoyed and shared, to show love and help build community. And when we receive our food in this way, the way it’s meant to be received—with thanksgiving—then the food is blessed and it is used to bless us. Jesus blessed the water, and He used it to bless the marriage. He showed His glory as the Creator and Giver of Life. And His creatures, both the water and the bridal couple, responded in praise and thanksgiving.

At the center of this grand design is what Paul calls the Great Mystery—the great Truth Himself—in Christ all things hold together (Col. 1:17). The Lord Jesus is the Bridegroom for the world. He loves His creation and He redeems it. He blesses His creation and elevates it to a life that will never end. Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25–27). He loves His Bride the Church in this way, and so He prepares her—He prepares us—for that Day when we will be ushered into His beautiful presence. Then His glory will be fully manifest, fully epiphanied for all of us to see. Then the Bridegroom will be with His Bride and the wedding feast will begin.

The miracle at Cana is marvelous in so many ways, but it shouldn’t come as a complete shock to us if we know our God, who loves His creation, and loves to see us enjoy His creation, and will one day re-make His creation. The prophet Amos foresaw it: The mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it… My people… shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God (Amos 9:13–15). Our Lord will return, He will show His glory, and His new creation will break forth in joy. Then we will truly be able to sing, Now He shines, the long-expected; Let creation praise its Lord Evermore and evermore.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

* Best source for this quote is from a Latin poetic work by Richard Crashaw, a late metaphysical poet. But I also found vague references to Lord Byron and Alexander Pope.

Artwork copyright (c) 2010 Edward Riojas. Used by permission.

The Baptism of Our Lord

1 Corinthians 1:26–31

St. Matthew 3:13–17

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Baptism of Jesus belongs in the Epiphany season because it’s one of the clearest epiphanies or manifestations of the Son of God. In fact, it is the clearest vision of the Holy Trinity: one God in three Persons. The Father’s voice speaks from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” The Son, the Man, Jesus, stands in the water of the Jordan River. And the Spirit descends like a dove and comes to rest on Him.

This revelation of the Holy Trinity at Jesus’ Baptism should also tell you something about your own Baptism. This is why you are baptized in the Name of the Holy Trinity—in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descends and comes to rest on you. With the water and the Word, Christ the Son takes away your sin and covers you with His own righteousness. And the Father declares, “You are My beloved child. With you I am well pleased.”

Sounds good! Better than good! What can possibly be better than being baptized by the Holy Trinity? Do we have any idea of the infinite worth and dignity poured upon us when the one living God of the universe comes to us and serves us in this way? Do I need earth’s treasures many? No, I have one treasure worth more than any—my Baptism—That brought me salvation free Lasting to eternity! (LSB 594:1).

Sounds really good. But what about when things are not so good? What does a Christian do when it seems that all of earth’s treasures many have been stolen away? How does a Christian rejoice and go on with life when it feels like we’ve lost our way, or that we’ve hit bottom, or that even the bottom has dropped out and there’s nothing holding us up? The glory and honor of Baptism sounds good but then sickness comes when we were least expecting it. Tragedy strikes, and it seems like it usually strikes the people that least deserve it. Death still waits for each of us, or comes rushing at us, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. What are we supposed to do then? How are we supposed to keep positive when all we want to do is cry until there are no more tears left? How are we supposed to keep praying when we’ve got no words for our fear or grief? How are we supposed to keep faith when it seems like even God has abandoned us?

When nothing else revives your soul, Your Baptism stands and makes you whole. Let me say that again: When nothing else revives your soul, Your Baptism stands and makes you whole (LSB 596:5). Your Baptism is good and true whether you feel it or not, whether you even think about it or not. Your Baptism is the eternal guarantee from the one true God that He is your God and you belong to Him. He never breaks a promise.

So, what do we do when all is lost? Remember your Baptism.

            O Christian, firmly hold this gift

            And give God thanks forever!

            It gives the power to uplift 

            In all that you endeavor.

            When nothing else revives your soul,

            Your Baptism stands and makes you whole

            And then in death completes you (LSB 596:5).

Although, maybe that seems like a strange way to end that hymn stanza: And then in death completes you (LSB 596:5). But you see, what got started at your Baptism, continues every day of your life: God is drowning you, the old sinner, and raising you, the new man. There’s no other way to deal with sin than by killing the sinner. God puts you to death with Jesus so that He can raise you up again with Jesus. That got started with that little bit of water and the Word. And it will finally be complete when you are dead for good. Because then all that remains is for you to be raised for good.

Now all that drowning and dying seems negative and backwards to the world. But that’s the kind of God we have. He doesn’t do things the world’s way. Remember what the Apostle taught us in the Epistle reading: Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

God works and saves in weak and lowly ways, because He doesn’t want anyone getting the idea that they saved themselves by their own efforts, pulled themselves up into heaven by their own bootstraps. So, God upsets the world and does things His own way. He calls weak and lowly people to be His people—foolish, no-good sinners like Moses and David, Peter and Paul, you and me. And God uses weak and lowly, even despised things, when He is doing His will. He uses things like persecution and cancer and death. He does this for our good, to bring us to nothing, so that we may know that we are nothing without Him, so that we have no reason to boast in ourselves. Even the most kind, humble, and gentle person we know has an arrogant old sinner inside them, and that has to be killed.

But most important of all, God did His saving work in the most weak, foolish, lowly, despised way possible: He gave His Son over to suffering and death. The Son of God was forsaken and damned. But by doing this backwards thing, He satisfied God’s Law, He destroyed the power of death, He crushed the devil, and He opened the gates of heaven for all who believe. Christ Jesus, the God who died and rose again, He became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” God saves you in His weak and lowly way. He saves you by His Son dying and rising, and by baptizing you into that dying and rising, joining you to Christ in His holy death and in His victorious resurrection.

Baptism itself is quite a weak and lowly looking thing. Just some water and some words. But Baptism is something to boast about. We don’t arrogantly boast about ourselves, but we, His baptized ones, we boast in the Lord. We, baptized children of God, can’t help but sing and shout and boast in what He has made us: God’s own child, I gladly say it: I am baptized into Christ! There is dignity and worth beyond anything in this life. There is a foundation that cannot be taken away, a promise that cannot be broken.

Sin, disturb my soul no longer: I am baptized into Christ! Although we often remember our sins and they still cause us sorrow, they cannot hurt us. They are covered by the perfection of our Savior. Satan, hear this proclamation: I am baptized into Christ! The devil will try to dissuade us, tempt us, bring us to despair, but if we’re with Jesus in our Baptism, then the devil is just a liar, and our God will put an end to him and to all his noise. Death, you cannot end my gladness: I am baptized into Christ! Those who are baptized and believe are immortal. They will live forever with Christ. Not even death can deny this promise we have from God. Baptism really is something to boast about—even when things seem to be at their worst—here’s something to boast in the Lord about.

There is nothing worth comparing 

To this life-long comfort sure!

Open-eyed my grave is staring:

Even there I’ll sleep secure.

Though my flesh awaits its raising,

Still my soul continues praising:

I am baptized into Christ;

I’m a child of paradise! (LSB 594)

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.

The Epiphany of Our Lord

St. Matthew 2:1–12

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Epiphany is sometimes called the Gentile Christmas, because we hear about the visit of the Magi or Wise Men. These magi are magicians or astrologers, wizards if you like, and they are clearly Gentiles, even if they are interested in a Jewish King. Although the Shepherds of Bethlehem were lowly, unlikely people to be among the first greeters of the Messiah, they were still Jews, children of Israel. But with the visit of the Magi, the Christ is recognized and worshiped for the first time by Gentile sinners, outsiders according to the Old Testament Law.

Yet, Epiphany is more than just a Gentile Christmas. While it’s closely connected to the Christmas season, it also starts its own season. Epiphany has its own message it wants to impress upon us. The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “revelation.” So on this day and in the season following it, we focus on the epiphanies, the manifestations, the revelations of God in Christ. While Christmas focused on the coming of God in the flesh, Epiphany shifts our focus to the revelation of this God in this flesh. God reveals Himself to us. We can’t find Him on our own. God shows Himself, manifests Himself, epiphanies Himself, not in visions of His awesome power, but in the person of Christ, the Babe of Bethlehem. Epiphany teaches us that God shows Himself to be here, on earth. Our God shows Himself to be the Man, Jesus. And He shows, He reveals, that salvation is found only in this Man, the Son of God.

In our Gospel, there were actually two epiphanies—two manifestations or revelations from God. The first, and more obviously spectacular, is the Star. By the star, God revealed His coming into the world to the Magi. However, while this beautiful star must have been a marvelous sight to behold with the eye, it is not an entirely clear epiphany. The rising of the star seems to raise more questions for the Magi and for us. What did it mean? How did the Magi know it signified the birth of a King of the Jews? And what kind of King is He?

I assume, that the Magi knew at least some of the Old Testament Scriptures which helped explain this star. In Numbers 24, another Gentile wizard, called Balaam (the one who hears a donkey talk), he is forced by God to prophecy of about the coming Christ: I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near: a Star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. Then in our Old Testament reading, Isaiah the prophet sees a glorious future for Israel, where the Gentile nations come to bow down before the Lord: 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 Psalm 72, sung in our Introit, tells of Gentiles from the East bringing gifts to the King of Israel: may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!

But still, the Magi must not have had all of the Scriptures—at least they must not have read Micah, because they did not know where this King was to be born. So, even though the star is a marvelous epiphany, it does not tell the Magi everything. It is not clear and it is not complete. They do not follow the star, at least not at first. They see the star, recognize it as a revelation that a King of the Jews has been born, and they go to Jerusalem. That is, they go their own way looking for this King.

However, there is another, better epiphany here than the star—an epiphany that even makes the star itself better. The second manifestation from God here is His Word, handed down in the Holy Scriptures, inspired by the Spirit, through the pen of the Prophet Micah. Where is the Christ, the King of the Jews, to be born? The answer from the Jewish priests and scribes is immediate and without hesitation or uncertainty, because while stars can be tricky, the Scriptures are clear: “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 shall come a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’” 

The Magi’s knowledge of stars could only get them so far. They needed the Holy Scriptures to show them what the birth of this Child meant and where to find Him. This epiphany or revelation from God through the mouths and pens of His prophets is better than the star because it shines its own light upon the star itself. The light of the star truly pales in comparison to the bright light of God’s Word.

And once the Magi hear this Word, they can set off once more, this time following the star.Now, with Scripture in their ears, the light of the star in their eyes did guide them to the place where the Christ Child was. Joined to God’s clear Word, the epiphany of the star could now serve as a sure sign and revelation to these Gentiles. And for you Gentiles too. With God’s Word, the star becomes a guide to The Light Himself—Jesus Christ. Guide us to thy perfect Light—as we sing in the carol. Or better yet, O Morning Star, how fair and bright! You shine with God’s own truth and light, Aglow with grace and mercy! That is Jesus, the Light of the World.

The glorious star of Bethlehem is no longer shining in the night sky. You no longer follow a miraculous light guiding you to where the Christ Child is. The Christ is no longer a Child either. The Child grew to be a man. He revealed God’s will for Himself and for us. And this man suffered, died, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven. His star is no longer shining and He is no longer in Bethlehem. Don’t seek Him there. But you still have the Word—the Holy Scriptures. The Word of God is your Bethlehem—your House of Bread that feeds you with the Word of life. The Holy Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, is your bright, shining star, drawing you to the mercy and forgiveness in His blood. 

Following the light of the Gospel brings you to the Christ your King. Scriptures and Star—Word and Sign—they go together. The water in the font is just plain water, but with the Word of God it is a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit. The bread and wine on the altar is just plain bread and wine, but with the Word of God it is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for us Christians to eat and to drink. Without the Word of God, a star is a poor sign. Without the Word of God, water, bread, and wine are quite ordinary things. But with the Word of God they are true signs, true sacraments, delivering to you the Word made flesh for the forgiveness of all your sins. So we sang: 

Your Word and Spirit, flesh and blood

Refresh our souls with heav’nly food.

You are our dearest treasure!

Let Your mercy 

Warm and cheer us!

O draw near us!

For You teach us

God’s own love through You has reached us.

In the font, in the Scriptures, from the minister, at the altar—these are the places where God’s own love has reached us.

And that is the epiphany we really need. A Gentile Christmas teaches us that by nature we are Gentile sinners, like those Magi. On our own, we are not wise men, not kings, but unlearned and superstitious, unworthy and selfish. There is no way we could find this King on our own. And there’s another point of the Gentile Christmas. It’s not so much about us seeking Him. In the darkness of our sinful hearts we don’t even know what we’re looking for or what we truly need. The Epiphany of our Lord shows us what we need: forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. We unworthy Gentile sinners need to be brought back and reunited with our Lord. 

The Epiphany of our Lord is that He seeks us! O draw near us! We pray. And He does. He comes and finds us, shedding the light of His grace and truth into our darkness and making a way for us. We aren’t seeking Him. We are following—following Scripture and star, Word and Sacrament, to the place where the Christ is. Rejoice exceedingly with great joy! Come, enter this house and see Christ the King, the Son of Mary. Fall down and worship Him.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.