Sermon Tone Analysis

As I mentioned earlier, today we celebrate Epiphany Sunday, a date set as January 6th in the early church—twelve days after Christmas—to commemorate Jesus’ appearing to the world.

“Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “revealing.”

We often use the word to describe an aha moment—a moment of insight when something that was concealed is suddenly revealed or understood.

If we have an “epiphany” about something, we have an illuminating discovery or realization—a perception of meaning that hopefully impacts us in a significant way.

Historically, the Christian Church has celebrated Epiphany in different ways.

In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, Epiphany focuses on the baptism of Jesus, when Jesus is revealed as the Son of God.

In the Western Church, Epiphany focuses on the story of the wise men—the magi coming to worship Jesus.

The Christ Child is revealedto the Gentiles.

Epiphany.

A revelation.

A manifestation.

I’m going to read today from the story of the wise men, which is told to us only in Matthew’s gospel, in chapter two.

But before I do, here’s a word of caution:

There's a danger in approaching these familiar Christmas stories.

We hear "wise men" and "star," and we can easily tune out: "Yeah, yeah...know that one.

I've heard sermons on that my whole life."

Familiarity with a text can inoculate us from hearing the Spirit's voice in a fresh way.

We can become so obsessed with hearing something new and different that we miss the chance to hear something old and familiar in a new way.

What we need is an “epiphany” about “Epiphany.”

So I invite you, in a moment of silence to quiet your heart and to ask the Spirit to bring this familiar story to life in you, that you might find yourself in the journey of the wise to Bethlehem, as they seek hard after Christ.

PRAYER and read text

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The Magi are old familiar friends this time of year.

They journey on Christmas cards with their treasure-laden camels, under words proclaiming, "Wise men still seek him!"

They show up in television specials with little drummer boys, offering their gifts in the stable.

They appear in Christmas plays and in nativity sets, dressed as kings in royal turbans and bright colors, kneeling at the manger, worshiping the newborn king.

It's a pretty picture--lowly shepherds and sophisticated wise men kneeling together in wonder at God's gift.

But it's not the picture from Scripture, is it?

The Magi didn't arrive with the shepherds.

They didn't worship Jesus as he lay in a manger.

Their journey to worship Jesus was a long one, and by the time they reached their destination, Jesus, Joseph and Mary were staying in a house.

By the time the Magi arrived, Jesus could have been as old as two.

So just who were these strange visitors to Jerusalem who followed a star to find a king?

For one thing, the Magi weren't kings themselves, no matter what our Christmas carols say.

It was the fourth-century preacher Augustine who gave the Magi a royal upgrade and made them foreign monarchs.

People embraced the idea--it seemed right that foreign kings should bow the knee to the King of kings.

And even though we sing about three wise men, we don't know how many there were--the Scriptures don't tell us.

During the Middle Ages it was declared there were three wise men, based on the three gifts given, and the Magi were even given names.

Truth is, the Magi are cloaked in mystery.

Were they from Babylon? Were they descendants of the wise men who served in the king's courts with the prophet Daniel--men who had learned the Jewish prophecies about the Messiah during the time when the Jews were in exile there?

Or were they a tribe of priests in Persia, who served as teachers and advisors to Persian kings?

We don't know for sure.

From ancient historical sources we glean only that the Magi were skilled in philosophy, medicine, and astronomy.

They were known for their skills in interpreting dreams and in watching the movement of stars to predict future events.

They were the psychics of the ancient world, writing daily horoscopes for the Baghdad Gazette.

The Hebrew Scriptures condemned the magi type as idolatrous deceivers to be avoided by godly people.

In fact a Jewish rabbi wrote not long before Jesus was born, "He who learns from a magi is worthy of death."

You see, we're so used to seeing the Magi make their annual appearance at the manger that we don't catch the scandal of what Matthew is communicating in sharing this story.

In fact…it’s just one of the many scandalous elements of the Christmas story told in the gospels.

Take a look, for example, at the genealogy of Jesus that Matthew shares at the beginning of his gospel: take a close look at it and you’ll see that some of the folks listed there were prostitutes, adulterers, and even Gentiles…non-Jewish folks.

In the very genealogy of Jesus!

And of course there’s the central scandal of the Christmas story: that of an unwed teenager finding herself pregnant and a righteous man trying to figure out what to do so that she isn't stoned to death.

And now throw into all of that the Magi.

The Magi were Gentiles.

Foreigners.

Astrologer-priests.

And Matthew's first-century Jewish audience would have been shocked that God used a star to guide pagan philosophers to worship the King of the Jews.

It’s outrageous.

And yet this child born King of the Jews would become the Savior of the world: savior not just to the godly who sought him, but to the scandal-ridden outcasts and outsiders.

By showing us the Magi, Matthew is showing us the reach of God's grace.

The Christ child who attracted pagan wise men to worship him at his birth would later have the same magnetic effect on lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, Roman centurions, and Samaritans.

And he has the same effect today, drawing all kinds of people--from all kinds of backgrounds, from all kinds of brokenness and sin--drawing the most unlikely of people to himself.

People like you and me.

Our text in Matthew 2 gives us a foreshadowing of the worldwide mission of Jesus Christ.

It also gives us a foreshadowing of the rejection he will experience from his own people.

Think about the contrast Matthew provides between the Magi and the Jewish religious leaders.

The Magi commit to traveling hundreds of miles over dangerous terrain in order to seek and find the King of the Jews.

But the chief priests and scribes living in Jerusalem don't even bother to travel five miles to Bethlehem to check out the wise men's claim that their king has been born.

The Magi glimpse the light of revelation God gives them in the heavens, and they commit themselves to pursuing it.

But the holy men in Jerusalem read the light of revelation in the Scriptures, shrug their shoulders, and stay right where they are.

The contrast couldn't be clearer: it's the Magi who are the model of faithful seeking.

John puts it this way when he describes Jesus' coming in John 1:

(SLIDE)

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

The Magi had eyes to see the light of God coming into the world, while God's own people continued to walk in the darkness of their apathy, indifference, and pride.

Ironic, isn't it, that when it comes to journeys of faith, it's the Magi who follow in the footsteps of people like Abraham and Moses?

The Magi had the vision to see that something cosmic had happened.

And then they made the commitment to do whatever was required in order to respond to the revelation.

Like Abraham who left everything familiar to journey to a new home in faith, not knowing where he was going.

All because he knew God had called him.

Like Moses who left everything familiar to journey back to an old home in faith.

All because he had encountered God in a burning bush.

So these faith-filled Gentiles, these Magi, make the long walk west, following a sign given in the heavens.

The journey of the wise is a journey of faith.

And I wonder: Whom do we resemble in our own journeys of faith?

How far are we willing to travel in obedience to what God has revealed to us? Do we, like the Magi, have the courage to follow wherever God leads, no matter what the cost?

It’s a question for us as individuals.

It’s also a question for us as a church.

We, as a church, face some unparalleled challenges when it comes to being the body of Christ in the 21st century.

For decades, both here in the UK and in my homeland, the church was a backbone of the community.

A central part of the culture’s life.

It isn’t that way anymore.

And we fool ourselves if we think it will ever be that way again.

We are strangers in a strange land, much like the wise men were.

And as a result, Christian churches all over the world are on a journey of faith.

And those same questions apply to us: how far are we willing to travel in obedience to what God is revealing to us? Do we have the courage to follow wherever God leads, no matter what the cost?

I said this was an unparalleled challenge, but that’s not really true.

People of faith have faced similar challenges all throughout history.