Epiphany Yrs ABC 2026
Christmas • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 4 viewsThe gospels attest to the very Jewish background of the birth narrative and also to Jews as the primary focus of the ministry of Jesus. Epiphany shows the Jewish King and the Jewish people indifferent or hostile to the birth of Jesus the Messiah while gentile magi recognize it, travel a great distance, worship, and sacrifice, i.e. give gifts. That points to what Paul would later explicate, the full inclusion of the Gentiles as members of God’s people that led to an explosion of world evangelization that included most of us.
Notes
Transcript
Title
Title
Inclusive from the Beginning
Outline
Outline
It is clear that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews
It is clear that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews
The genealogies are give him an Israelite pedigree, the only exceptions being three women who married an Israelite and became true Israelites. The birth story in Matthew revolves around the Jewish legal implications of a virgin birth and around Jesus’ Davidic credentials. The latter is also true of Luke, who also has songs that relate to a Messiah of the Jews. Later the ministry of John the Baptist is aimed at Jews and Jesus will say that his ministry focuses on Jews.
But Epiphany lets us know that although Jews are first Jesus is ethnically inclusive
But Epiphany lets us know that although Jews are first Jesus is ethnically inclusive
While the focus at the beginning of the story is on Herod, king of the Jews, who lived kosher, at least while in Palestine and had married a Jewess, Mariame, it quickly shifts to magi, pagan astrologers, who unknowingly see the light, the glory of the Lord, of Isaiah ch 60, and travel to where the newborn king of the Jews should be, Herod’s palace, to give the baby homage. But Herod, close to death and troubled by rumors of or actual coups, is troubled and sees this as another such plot. Not only that, but “all Jerusalem” is troubled with him. And while chief priests and scribes know the Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem, none of them nor of the other Jerusalemites walk the two hours to find out if the magi’s star interpretation corresponds to something in Bethlehem.
The magi are ignorant enough of Herod that they believe he wants to give homage, yet these gentiles go; they see the star again; they locate the house, they worship the baby they find, and they present their gifts (compact and not bulky, available in their home locale), unaware of the meaning Jewish believers would later see in them. (Happily also compact and valuable enough to finance the flight into Egypt). Gentiles worship and sacrifice, while Jews are disturbed at best and hostile at worst.
This all shows that the Epiphany story foreshadows Paul’s later observation
This all shows that the Epiphany story foreshadows Paul’s later observation
The ministry of Jesus was focused on Jews, especially those expecting a Messiah and a restoration. There are exceptions in all of the gospels for those with eyes to see, but only after the resurrection is the inclusion of Gentiles clear. Yet even then it took Paul to draw out the implications of Peter’s experience “that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Paul pointed out that the laws pertaining to Jewish ethnic identity were no longer binding on the people of God and that Jewish and Gentile Christian should be one.
We, assuming your background is not Jewish, should rejoice in Epiphany, for it declares that the light of the Nativity has shown upon us, that we are the fulfillment of the promise of Isaiah, and that even the unbelief among the Jews does not hinder God’s promise from including us, leading to the explosion of Christianity, starting in the first century, around the world.
