Epiphany: The Untold Epilogue of Christmas

Last Friday, on January 6th the Christmas season ended in many liturgical churches in the west with Epiphany. (The calendar is a little different in the eastern churches). For those of us in the more informal, so called free or non-liturgical, churches Epiphany passed without recognition. For many of us it remains the untold epilogue of Christmas. In our churches the story of the Epiphany is conflated into the nativity. Our creches and living nativities will represent the baby in the manger, the Holy family, the angels, the shepherds, and the Magi all staring together in wonder at the new born babe in the manger, but the appearance to the shepherds and the visit of the Magi were separate events.

The Nativity story which is principally about God fulfilling his promise of a Messiah to the nation through a single Jewish family is told in the very private personal story account of the gospel of Luke. Matthew connects the events of the Savior's birth and early life to an historical genealogy and to the significance of his coming to the Gentile world, to the epiphany of the gospel. Epiphany, of course, means, a divine or inspired revelation. God had revealed his plan of redemption to his people Israel through the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants, the Ceremonial Law, Prophecies and several historic event, climaxing in the birth of this child.

God had revealed his plan of redemption to his people Israel through the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants, the Ceremonial Law, Prophecies and several historic event, climaxing in the birth of this child.

In this way God's work in Israel was to reveal God's plan of salvation to all people's. Shepherd's guarding their flock at night experience an angelic appearance, and heard the message of Christmas. God chose to reveal the culmination of his redemptive work to other nations through what the church has labeled the Epiphany. Neglecting the Epiphany, as too many of us do, leads to an ignorance of how God reveals his plan of salvation through through the history of Israel, and how he guides our daily lives. It is the untold epilogue of Christmas that we would do well to tell:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “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.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2 ESV)

The Epiphany reveals that life's unexpected turns are part of God's divine purpose (2:1-12). God revealed himself in a bizarre series of events and to people who we would never have expected. Who were these wise men? They remain unidentified. The Bible does not tell us actually how many men appeared. Church tradition is that one person presented each gift, but we have no biblical record of the number of Magi. These three gifts are part of the revelation: gold is a symbol of economic wealth; frankincense a beautiful luxurious ointment that was used as a status symbol for the rich and famous; myrrh was a burial anointment. By the time they arrived Jesus was a toddler; the family was in a house. The gifts pointed to his power, his majesty and his untimely death. The hordes of people who had come into Bethlehem for the census had left the tiny village. Joseph and Mary, however, stayed in the family home. The family was no doubt confused and surprised by the strange group of visitors, the gifts and the message they brought. The scripture calls them, Magi, wise men, we really know not whether, they were kings, or astrologers, only that they had seen a stellar phenomenon and were observant of how God's was at work around them. Somehow they understood these events were God's message to them that the Jewish Messiah had come into the world for their redemption. But how did these Gentile men know that these events were revelatory? Was God speaking to them through this strange celestial happening? No doubt as undeveloped as observers of the heavens there were many phenomena that puzzled them. How did they recognize this event as a divine message to them? What was God telling them through this star? We can make some assumptions from what we know the background to the events that Matthew recounts.

The Jewish diaspora had lasted 70 years.  Despite the return some Jews remained in their foreign lands even at time of Christ's birth. The conquering and exile of the Jews had carried the Jews and their religion to every corner of the then known world. Nebuchadnezzar had come to worship Jehovah. Darius had released the people from exile. Nineveh had repented. The Tanach, the Law, the Writing and the Prophets had spread around the world. These men had some exposure to the Jewish ceremonies and even perhaps to the scriptures themselves. They could have known of Moses, and Elijah, and of the prophetic captivity and deliverance. The revelation had been given in scripture many years ago. They understood the supernatural events in the heavens through traditions and scripture of the nation of Israel. The epiphany, contained no new truth to them, it merely affirmed how their God's was at work to accomplish his will for them.

Through Israel's history God revealed his redemptive purposes to the nations (Genesis 12:3; Exodus 19:4-6; 2 Samuel 7:19; Amos 9: 11 & 12; Acts 15: 15 -17). When they saw the star they followed its lead to Israel. They presented themselves as diplomatic guests of Herod to assure him that they came in peace. They explained to him tell that they believed their star citing to be a Divine message to them. Through their observation of the heavens and their understanding of scripture and Israel's history they were lead to believe that the Messiah had been born. Herod was a secular man of Hebrew ethnicity. He was appointed by Rome. He understood that the history of Israel demonstrates that God alone has authority over world events . Herod longed for power, prestige and glory. He is confronted with a message that threatens to upturn his life.

His visitors come to honor neither him nor Rome but to worship the new King. The visitors informed him of a cosmic event, over which neither they nor he had any control, and which they believed, because of their knowledge of scripture, was God's message to them. They come to honor a newborn King, and they brought gifts symbolizing their wealth, their honor, and their lives, and dedicated themselves to him. Herod was threatened; angry, he sought to determine whether God was truly the messenger. Herod never questioned what the Magi's had seen, but sought to verify whether it was an epiphany. He knew that God had revealed his plan and purposes for redemption through the history of Israel and the scripture. 

He sought an understanding of the events through the lens of the Old Testament. His scribes point him to Micah 5:2 where the Ruler is said to come from Bethlehem, from Ephratha, not Zebulun. God had promised hundreds of years prior that from smallest of towns from the nearly decimated tribe he would raise a new King. The scholars also pointed him to the prophet Ezekiel (34:23) who spoke of new Shepherd king, who like David, would be born in Bethlehem and lead all nations into relationship with him. What the Magi had seen was indeed from God, as it was affirmed in His Word:

“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."(Mt 2:6 ESV)

Herod was terrified and determined to put and end to this child before he had a chance to threaten his power or Rome's. (Considering the length of their sojourn and what he had understood had transpired, Herod believed the child to be around two years old). These rich and powerful men visited the Holy family, reminding them of God's call on the life of their child. The Magi told them of the star they had followed because the scripture had told them of God's plan for their people revealed in the history of Israel and the birth of this child. Warned in a dream of Herod's plan to kill all child under two the wise men escaped with no return visit to Herod report on their findings to Herod.

No mention is made of the Holy family's reaction to their visitors. Perhaps as they settled into a young family's routine the significance of the young boys birth had waned in their memories? Like us they knew the promises of God, but the routine of life dulls the enthusiasm. We trust Scripture, but his ways are mysterious. God intervenes. Joseph has another epiphany He is told to flee to Egypt. Another strange turn of events, surely God could have protected his Son from Herod. Why Egypt? Why now? At least since the time of Alexander the Great (and perhaps since the Exile itself) there had been a community of expatriated Jews in Alexandria Egypt. They had fled to Egypt when Babylon conquered their homeland. Twice when Israel was threatened God lead a remnant into exile. He had preserved the nation to insure the Messiah's timely birth; now he was protecting the messiah to preserve the climax of his plan for all people. Joseph experienced his second angelic visitation in a dream."Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." The revelation came as a warning, to Herod, that God's redemptive work was beginning. It was a warning to Joseph that God's work brings opposition and disturbance.

Again as angel comes to him in a dream reminding him of God's promise for this child:

"Out of Egypt I called my son."(Hosea 11:1)

Is Matthew taking liberty with the text? How does Jesus fulfill this promise? To understand how Messiah is revealed prophetically, we have to understand how the New Testament writers used the Old Testament. God's promise to restore his broken relationship with men through a Messiah precedes his calling of the nation to be his people. The promise comes as early as the prediction of a redemptive male descendant of Eve (Gen 3:15). It is this holy Son who will crush the head of Satan while himself being bruised. A third child, Seth, will be born to Adam and Eve. He will restore what they have lost. Through Seth's progeny, Abraham and Issac, a nation would rise. Through their son's history God would raise another son, born through that nation. to redeem and all nations and people (Ex19:9). The history of Israel, God's son, Jesus would redeem all people for himself. This passage from Hosea describes a principle that can be observed in God's work with the people Israel; that is also observed in the life of Christ.

The history of Israel's exile followed by divine redemption is parallel to the history of Christ's work his leaving heaven to be limited by finite humanity, and his exile from Bethlehem are followed by God's redemptive loving deliverance. 

The history of Israel's exile followed by divine redemption is parallel to the history of Christ's work his leaving heaven to be limited by finite humanity, and his exile from Bethlehem are followed by God's redemptive loving deliverance. Hosea is the story of God's unreserved love and redemption of Israel. Parallel to the story of an adulterous spouse who is redeemed out of prostitution back to her husband God reminds his people that because of his love, he redeemed, his Son, Israel from Egypt and would redeem them from Babylon. The prophet reveals to these wayward people how God shows through the history of Israel a Messiah would come.

Matthew relates Jesus refuge in Egypt and his return from there as a revelation that this child took own the bondage of human flesh, and would rise out of that bondage, as Israel had done in order to demonstrate God's love to all the nations of the earth. So the history of Israel is a repeated cycle of enslavement and persecution and rising above of it. Jesus' leaves the glory of his father lives in bondage to time and space, dies and arise from the dead and returns to glory. Jesus', God's son, life parallels the history of Israel. The very history of Israel illustrates God's Messianic work. He works through the history of his son, Israel, and His Messianic King to redeem all people for himself. Joseph Mary and their child flee the country but in this disruption of their lives God leads them to safety.

The Epiphany upturns the lives of the Magi, Herod, of Joseph and the Holy family. God intervenes in human lives. He disturbs our plans and intervenes in our circumstances to fulfill his promises. The guidance, God' voice to us, comes not from observing what he is doing, but from searching the scripture. The Epiphany speaks of an aspect of the Christmas story we often neglect. In life's tragic turns or events God is with us and leading us. Those who follow him will endure suffering on the way to redemption.

Matthew reminds us of an often forgotten Christmas theme: in life's darkest times, and history's blackest moments God is at work to deliver us:

Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”(Jeremiah 31:15 ESV)

Rachel gave birth to Issac, also known as Israel, who had two sons, Judah and Benjamin. The Messiah was a descendant of Judah and was born in Bethlehem in the tribe of Benjamin near where Rachel was buried. This prophet observing the destruction and conquest of Judah speaks of Rachel crying out from her grave when as the Jews were carried away into exile in 586-587 BC. The tears of Rachel were heard and eventually the people came out of exile and were restored. The message here is that in the infanticide Herod commits and the tears it brings God is at work among his people. The infant will escape and will complete the work of salvation. Out of the  tears of Mary at the foot of the cross the infant will rise to redeem. The trials of Israel portray the destruction that comes through man's separation from God. The agony of Christ reveals that God has not forgotten his people, who at the time of Matthew's writing are writhing in captivity. Israel's history is the story of how human suffering and all of our tears are wiped away by the birth of this child. It is the untold story of Christmas.

In this final movement of the Epiphany the gospel revelation is complete. Joseph returns to his family home of Nazareth after Herod dies. Here Matthew says the Old Testament is fulfilled. Jesus is a Nazarene. There is no direct reference to scripture or parallel to any person or event here. Nazareth bore no particular historic, political, religious or cultural significance, which is why it is important in the Revelation of Christ. Bethlehem had the legacy of being the burial place of Rachel, the birthplace of David, and by extension the Kings of Judah, and of Jesus, himself. But why would a Prince be raised in Nazareth. Nazareth was the Bronx as opposed to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. People living in Nazareth were called Nazarene's. In that term some might be reminded of Samson. (Samson disgraced his Nazarite vows.) When Phillip recruited his brother Nathanael to be a disciple; Nathanael objected that the Messiah could come not possibly come from Nazareth (John 1:46). He can't be one of those people! Nazarene's were the underclass, the untouchables. Calling someone a Nazarene is an ethnic slur. Jesus was from among those who were despised and rejected (Matthew 21:11), and is himself despised and rejected. The conundrum that is the Epiphany completes the Christmas message.

The Epiphany reveals four untold Christmas message

1) Christmas reveals how God leads us:

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ^{(Heb 1:1-3} ESV)

Christmas changed the way God speaks to us. Before the Messiah he spoke through the prophets and “in many times and in many ways.” He spoke through a burning bush, Ballam's donkey, Gideon's fleece now he speaks through His Son the Word. The one who fulfills the law (Mat. 5:17), to those who are the Israel of God (Gal 6:9). God is still God. He is active all around us. He still works miracles and still acts, but the actions of God are no longer his revelation – “in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son.” His Son is the Word who has come. Now that His Holy Word has come, he guides through his Word. When God guides us personally and individually he affirms his redemptive work in scripture as he did to the Magi, to Herod and to Joseph.

When God guides us personally and individually he affirms his redemptive work in scripture as he did to the Magi, to Herod and to Joseph. 

Since Christ has come God has no reason to reveal new truth. This birth was the beginning of His "finished" work at the cross. After the cross God leads us to the place where his redemptive promise in scripture is realized. We interpret the ordinary events, conundra, or sufferings in the light of scripture, yet his Word will always meet opposition.

2)Christmas reveals the spiritual opposition that Christ follower's face.


The forces of hell amassed to kill this child. This One who gave up his place in glory went into exile, because men are alienated from God. God was at workto restore him and his followers. Peace comes “to those on whom his favor rests.” Those who surrender their power rather than fight to keep their prominence. The grace and mercy of the Child comes to those who suffer. The glory of the resurrection always follows the ignominy of the cross. We are redeemed by an incarnation. That God sent his son, innocent as  a child, yet despised, to suffer for the sins of all people, that he might die, and rise again to build a people for himself is the message of Christmas.

3) Christmas reveals the centrality of Israel to all that God does.


 The history of Israel, God's holy son, parallels and promulgates God's message of deliverance to all people. No people have suffered as much contempt. None are as hated. None as despised. None have felt the force of man's inhumanity as Israel, and yet none have repeatedly been restored from such impossible conditions. Israel's  history reveals the scope of God's grace accomplished in Christ.

4. Christmas reveals the unreserved power of God's love and grace. God who will put a star in the sky to guide gentile sages to the Savior. Who will protect the Savior from the most despised people from the most powerful government on earth will spare nothing, not even his own son to reach even you and me.

Epiphany must not be ignored. Last Friday, January 6th was Epiphany The last of the twelve days of Christmas, and its untold epilogue. In a corrupt and chaotic, violent, reprobate world, there is a Savior who has joined our suffering, and who is at work behind all of the terrible human tragedies around us to make us a people who are redeemed to God's love. It reminds us that salvation comes from the Savior, not from political or military might. It reminds us in violent times that God is using those times to advance his purposes. It reminds us that the message of the gospel is not only for Jews or for Americans, but for that woman wearing the hi jab in the adjacent cubicle for the immigrant recruited by ISIL to kill us all. It reminds us that to know Christ demands a response. Christ grace is not cheap, and we follow him at great cost. It reminds us that the Christmas story is more than a story. It is a strange  event that took place in real time, and is still at work today. Epiphany call us to search the Scripture to discover the Messiah: who he is what he has done for us. We can no longer ignore Epiphany: it is the untold Epilogue of Christmas