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“St. Matthew 2:1-12” Epiphany (Observed) *AudioClick for* Pastor Schultz Trinity Lutheran Church Paola, Kansas January 8, 2023 Epiphany means "revealed." It comes from two Greek words: Ñ”Ð» (epi), "Upon", and parvÃ³ (phino) "to shine." So Epiphany means "to shine upon, to reveal." The focus today is when the star shone over the house in Bethlehem and led the Magi to Jesus. But epiphanies work in other ways too. This Little Gospel Light of the World shone from Bethlehem and revealed the thoughts and fears of all the years. As one wise man has said, "God gives us children to reveal and break our idols." God has given us this child, the baby Jesus, to reveal our idols and break them. His Epiphany reveals both our sin and our Savior. Jesus' first epiphany revealed the thoughts and actions of three different groups of people. First, there were the magi, then King Herod, and finally the Chief Priests and Scribes. First, the magi. These were likely advisors or astronomers from Persia or Babylon. The Old Testament prophet, Daniel, served as an advisor to Nebuchadnezzar and even was made chief of the magi (Dan. 5). Hundreds of years later, these magi, likely following Daniel's teachings, saw a star and followed it to Jesus. But notice how they struggled. They read the stars but went to the wrong place. What does this mean? It's something called "natural revelation." God reveals Himself through nature. In summertime, you can take a walk through a field and be truly amazed at the golden waves of wheat. You can take grain in your hand, or put it under a microscope, or grind it into flour and be amazed at the use and beauty of God's creation. That order testifies to its Creator. You can tell that there is a god of nature, but, from that grain of wheat, as intricate and useful as it may be, you don't know who that God is or what He's done for you or if He even cares about you. The Magi followed the natural revelation of a star and ended up in King Herod's courts asking for the King of the Jews. Now this was unfortunate, to say the least. King Herod was, by all accounts, a horrible person. He was a ruthless politician, a suspicious father, and a murderous monarch. After the Magi left, King Herod had all the boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem murdered because the tyrant feared a toddler. So, when our Gospel reading says that Herod was troubled "and all Jerusalem with him" (Matt. 2:3), it's because the people were terrified of what Herod would do to protect his throne, what blood he would spill, what throat he would cut. But for all of Herod's horrible qualities, he was smart. The magi came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" But Herod did not ask his lawyers. He asked the Chief Priests and scribes - religious leaders. And he didn't ask about the "King of the Jews", echoing the magi; he asked about the "Christ," the Messiah. Herod knew exactly who the King of the Jews was and what was He would do, and Herod rejected this. But he was not the only one. The Chief Priests and the scribes also knew exactly who the King of the Jews was and where the Messiah would be born. They pointed to Micah 5 and told Herod, "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" (Micah 5:1, 3; Matt.2:6). The chief priests and the scribes had more than the magi. They didn't just have natural revelation, but specific revelation. They had God's Word. They knew the Scriptures. They knew who the true God was, what the True God would do, and where the True God could be found. But they rejected Him. Jesus' epiphany revealed the sin of Herod, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes. There are Herods in the world and there are Chief Priests and Scribes in the world. The Herods of the world are ruthless. They hate God and everything true. They want to kill or silence anything that would threaten their earthly thrones. Oftentimes this is quite active. We see this today when influencers and celebrities and politicians tell you not to shove your Christianity on others. You can be a 'Christian' they say, just don't let it influence your job, your coworkers, your kids, your actions, your schedule, or really anything else about you. These are the Herods of the world who don't know God's Word and don't want the babe of Bethlehem at all. The Chief Priests and Scribes of the world are a different breed. These are the people - Christians, you might call them - who do know God's Word. They can point to passages. They can arrive at the right conclusions, intellectually. But, like Herod, they resist and reject that Gospel. The Chief Priests and Scribes did not worship Jesus. Instead, they remained in Jerusalem. They don't go with the magi to the manger. These are the Christians who know God's Word, but for them it is a dead script, not up to the current events, at most a historical moral teaching, devoid of any eternal Gospel. These Christians see the God of love, but don't consider what that love cost. They see Jesus who ate with sinners, but forget He called sinners to repent. They worship the creatures, but forget the Creator who made them male and female, who knitted them together in their mothers' wombs. Christians who do not worship the God who inhabited a womb, who came as a baby boy, who was born in Bethlehem, these 'Christians' are revealed to be Chief Priests and Scribes. They hear God's Word, but don't listen to the Word made flesh. The magi were different. They had the natural revelation of the star. From the Chief Priests and Scribes, they had the specific revelation that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem. So, they went. They brought gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. They presented these to the child as these grown men got down on their faces and worshipped Jesus. For lesser men, these gifts would be the stuff of idols. Gold was a gift fit for a king. Frankincense was burned to gods. And myrrh was used for religious funeral practices. With these costly gifts, these magi revealed the Savior. Jesus would be crowned King of the Jews, not in triumph, but in shame, not with gold, but with thorns. Then Jesus would be nailed to the cross to bear the sins of the earth. No mortal man could bear so many sins. But Jesus was not just man. Fully God and fully Man, Jesus suffered and yes, God died. Since He died at the time of the Passover, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and the disciples took His body down from the cross. They anointed it and buried it in a hurried funeral. Perhaps Jesus still smelled of myrrh on Easter morning. With the Epiphany, Jesus reveals the sins of the world. Sinful man has rebelled against God since Adam and Eve. Sometimes that rebellion is active and ruthless, like Herod. Other times it is a passive neglect of what God says in Scripture, like the religious leaders in Jerusalem. But in the Epiphany, the Magi's gifts revealed that Jesus was and is the Savior of the world. True God and true man, who would die and rise again. He alone is worthy of all our worship and praise. Now it is unfortunate today, a true shame, that we won't come forward and fall on our knees. The Magi in Matthew's Gospel heard God's Word, went to where God promised to be, and fell on their faces before God's flesh and blood. Here we are today: we've heard God's Word, we've come to where God has promised to be, but we will not fall on our knees to receive Jesus revealed in bread and wine. Until next week, let us pray that no earthly idols would distract us or pull us away from coming to church. Let us pray that no other priorities of time or money would keep us in Jerusalem away from Jesus. Let us pray that the Christ child would reveal our sins, lead us to repentance, and shine as our Savior unto life everlasting. Amen. NOW MAY THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING GUARD AND KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN. Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

“St. Matthew 2:1-12”
Epiphany (Observed)

AudioClick for

Pastor Schultz
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
January 8, 2023

Epiphany means "revealed." It comes from two Greek words: Ñ”Ð» (epi), "Upon", and parvÃ³ (phino) "to shine." So Epiphany means "to shine upon, to reveal." The focus today is when the star shone over the house in Bethlehem and led the Magi to Jesus. But epiphanies work in other ways too. This Little Gospel Light of the World shone from Bethlehem and revealed the thoughts and fears of all the years. As one wise man has said, "God gives us children to reveal and break our idols." God has given us this child, the baby Jesus, to reveal our idols and break them. His Epiphany reveals both our sin and our Savior.

Jesus' first epiphany revealed the thoughts and actions of three different groups of people. First, there were the magi, then King Herod, and finally the Chief Priests and Scribes.

First, the magi. These were likely advisors or astronomers from Persia or Babylon. The Old Testament prophet, Daniel, served as an advisor to Nebuchadnezzar and even was made chief of the magi (Dan. 5). Hundreds of years later, these magi, likely following Daniel's teachings, saw a star and followed it to Jesus. But notice how they struggled. They read the stars but went to the wrong place. What does this mean?

It's something called "natural revelation." God reveals Himself through nature. In summertime, you can take a walk through a field and be truly amazed at the golden waves of wheat. You can take grain in your hand, or put it under a microscope, or grind it into flour and be amazed at the use and beauty of God's creation. That order testifies to its Creator. You can tell that there is a god of nature, but, from that grain of wheat, as intricate and useful as it may be, you don't know who that God is or what He's done for you or if He even cares about you. The Magi followed the natural revelation of a star and ended up in King Herod's courts asking for the King of the Jews.

Now this was unfortunate, to say the least. King Herod was, by all accounts, a horrible person. He was a ruthless politician, a suspicious father, and a murderous monarch. After the Magi left, King Herod had all the boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem murdered because the tyrant feared a toddler. So, when our Gospel reading says that Herod was troubled "and all Jerusalem with him" (Matt. 2:3), it's because the people were terrified of what Herod would do to protect his throne, what blood he would spill, what throat he would cut.

But for all of Herod's horrible qualities, he was smart. The magi came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" But Herod did not ask his lawyers. He asked the Chief Priests and scribes - religious leaders. And he didn't ask about the "King of the Jews", echoing the magi; he asked about the "Christ," the Messiah. Herod knew exactly who the King of the Jews was and what was He would do, and Herod rejected this.

But he was not the only one. The Chief Priests and the scribes also knew exactly who the King of the Jews was and where the Messiah would be born. They pointed to Micah 5 and told Herod, "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" (Micah 5:1, 3; Matt.2:6). The chief priests and the scribes had more than the magi. They didn't just have natural revelation, but specific revelation. They had God's Word. They knew the Scriptures. They knew who the true God was, what the True God would do, and where the True God could be found.

But they rejected Him.

Jesus' epiphany revealed the sin of Herod, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes. There are Herods in the world and there are Chief Priests and Scribes in the world. The Herods of the world are ruthless. They hate God and everything true. They want to kill or silence anything that would threaten their earthly thrones. Oftentimes this is quite active. We see this today when influencers and celebrities and politicians tell you not to shove your Christianity on others. You can be a 'Christian' they say, just don't let it influence your job, your coworkers, your kids, your actions, your schedule, or really anything else about you. These are the Herods of the world who don't know God's Word and don't want the babe of Bethlehem at all.

The Chief Priests and Scribes of the world are a different breed. These are the people - Christians, you might call them - who do know God's Word. They can point to passages. They can arrive at the right conclusions, intellectually. But, like Herod, they resist and reject that Gospel. The Chief Priests and Scribes did not worship Jesus. Instead, they remained in Jerusalem. They don't go with the magi to the manger. These are the Christians who know God's Word, but for them it is a dead script, not up to the current events, at most a historical moral teaching, devoid of any eternal Gospel. These Christians see the God of love, but don't consider what that love cost. They see Jesus who ate with sinners, but forget He called sinners to repent. They worship the creatures, but forget the Creator who made them male and female, who knitted them together in their mothers' wombs. Christians who do not worship the God who inhabited a womb, who came as a baby boy, who was born in Bethlehem, these 'Christians' are revealed to be Chief Priests and Scribes. They hear God's Word, but don't listen to the Word made flesh.

The magi were different. They had the natural revelation of the star. From the Chief Priests and Scribes, they had the specific revelation that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem. So, they went. They brought gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. They presented these to the child as these grown men got down on their faces and worshipped Jesus. For lesser men, these gifts would be the stuff of idols. Gold was a gift fit for a king. Frankincense was burned to gods. And myrrh was used for religious funeral practices. With these costly gifts, these magi revealed the Savior.

Jesus would be crowned King of the Jews, not in triumph, but in shame, not with gold, but with thorns. Then Jesus would be nailed to the cross to bear the sins of the earth. No mortal man could bear so many sins. But Jesus was not just man. Fully God and fully Man, Jesus suffered and yes, God died. Since He died at the time of the Passover, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and the disciples took His body down from the cross. They anointed it and buried it in a hurried funeral. Perhaps Jesus still smelled of myrrh on Easter morning.

With the Epiphany, Jesus reveals the sins of the world. Sinful man has rebelled against God since Adam and Eve. Sometimes that rebellion is active and ruthless, like Herod. Other times it is a passive neglect of what God says in Scripture, like the religious leaders in Jerusalem. But in the Epiphany, the Magi's gifts revealed that Jesus was and is the Savior of the world. True God and true man, who would die and rise again. He alone is worthy of all our worship and praise.

Now it is unfortunate today, a true shame, that we won't come forward and fall on our knees. The Magi in Matthew's Gospel heard God's Word, went to where God promised to be, and fell on their faces before God's flesh and blood. Here we are today: we've heard God's Word, we've come to where God has promised to be, but we will not fall on our knees to receive Jesus revealed in bread and wine. Until next week, let us pray that no earthly idols would distract us or pull us away from coming to church. Let us pray that no other priorities of time or money would keep us in Jerusalem away from Jesus. Let us pray that the Christ child would reveal our sins, lead us to repentance, and shine as our Savior unto life everlasting. Amen.

NOW MAY THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING GUARD AND KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND

MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING.

AMEN.

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