Epiphany – The Manifestation of the Lord

Epiphany – The Manifestation of the Lord

My word of the day is EPIPHANY. Yesterday, January 6th (the day after the 12th day of Christmas), was actually Epiphany – which commemorates the revealing of Jesus as Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi and the baptism of Jesus. But today is when the Church celebrates it.

I was watching the Chip and Joanna Gaines’ “Fixer Upper” show a few days ago and in it, Joanna said, “I had an EPIPHANY and we need to…..” Chip said, “An EPIPHANY – what’s an EPIPHANY?” Jo said “I had a bright idea.” And she was right. EPIPHANY also means “a moment of sudden insight or understanding.

So EPIPHANY is the magi’s “EPIPHANY” and I pray, it is our EPIPHANY (sudden insight and understanding) of WHO this Christ Child was and is to us today.

I love those words we see posted: “Wise men (and women) still seek Him.” It is an EPIPHANY when one soul seeks Him and finds Him. And when we find Him, we find more than we ever imagined. For in Jesus Christ, we find forgiveness, inward peace and joy, today, and the promises of life eternal tomorrow.

The Magi found Him as a young child with Mary His mother. By the way, they didn’t show up at the manger scene as all of our nativity sets display – though it sure adds to the beauty of our sets. (See the ceramic one below that my sweet mother-in-law recently passed on to me that she painted many years ago.) It took those magi almost two years to find “the child”, but they didn’t give up. They were persistent and unwavering and so should we be. When we find him today – He is the living Christ, clothed with glory and honor and seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven. He is there because He finished the work He came to do on earth.

Of His coming, the Bible says, “He was made in the likeness of men: and… He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him… that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:7-11). That certainly removes that little innocent, dependent, baby in the manger vision to one that describes our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

It is so true that wise men AND women still seek Him and it is so wonderfully true that He still seeks us. We hear a lot of talk about men searching for God and finding God. But first, and foremost, our search is very much related to the fact that God first sought us. In Luke 19:10 Jesus said, "...the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost." And, shortly before His death, Jesus told his closest followers, during the Last Supper, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide..." (John 15:16). To me the most important truth in Christianity is that God loves us enough to seek us out even before we start trying to find Him -- whoever we may be.

May the EPIPHANY of our Lord be revealed to you today. The Babe of Bethlehem, Who is now our King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, invites you to come into His royal family today. He’s at your heart’s door, knocking, and asking if you would welcome Him in. All we have to do is open the door, receive and take this priceless gift. Once we do, like those VERY wise men, we won't be able to help ourselves -- we will want to worship with everything we are and everything we have.

Come into my heart. Come into my heart. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today. Come in to stay. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.