The Collect for the Epiphany
(The Manifestation of The Lord Jesus Christ To The Gentiles)
Almighty God, Who by the leading of a star did show forth Your only begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant, that we, who know You now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of Your Glorious Godhead; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle, Ephesians 3:1-12
3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles,
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
The Holy Gospel of St Matthew 2:1-12
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Bishop Ian’s Thoughts
Today’s Epistle Reading is taken from St Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians Chapter 3, Verses 1-12.
St Paul opens this portion of his letter by emphatically stating his credentials and mission:
“1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles,
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.”
St Paul describes himself as the “Prisoner of Christ Jesus” for the sake of you Gentiles.
This description clearly reveals that St Paul considers himself as having been "arrested” by the Lord Jesus for a particular purpose. That purpose was that he would be the Lord Jesus’ Apostle to the Gentiles.
This may seem strange as St Paul had been raised and trained as a Pharisee. In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 23, Verse 6, St Paul, while being examined by the Sanhedrin (the ruling Jewish Council), describes himself:
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees.”
It is my opinion that St Paul’s training as a Pharisee was an essential part of his ministry to the Gentiles.
In order to make known the Holy Gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ, St Paul needed an intimate knowledge of Old Testament Theology, Thought, and Worship, so that he could explain the background and significance of the Lord Jesus’ Life and Work to any person unfamiliar with the history of the Abrahamic / Mosaic Faith.
St Paul then confirms this very unique qualification to preach to the Gentiles:
“4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.”
St Paul tells us that his “insight into the mystery of Christ” has now enabled him to reveal that “mystery” to all people, whereas those “in other generations” had not received this Greatest of God’s Gifts.
The Greek word translated as “mystery," used in the phrase “the mystery of Christ” refers to a something that was previously, hidden but now has been fully revealed.
In modern English literature we can have “mystery novel” wherein a crime or some secret plan is exposed by the actions of a detective, or private investigator, hence the use of the term “mystery.”
St Paul reveals the mystery of God’s Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus:
“6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
The Gentiles are revealed as joint heirs, with Israel, of the promise of God, made long ago to the Patriarch Abraham, and now made manifest in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Revelation that the Gentiles are "joint heirs with Israel" means that through the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus, the promise made to Abraham, centuries before, now includes those Gentiles who believe in God’s Word concerning the coming of His Holy Messiah, Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.
This Solemn Promise of God is recorded in the Old Testament Book of Genesis Chapter 12, Verses 1-3, which declares that Abram would be the father of a great nation and that in him “all the peoples on earth” would be blessed:
“1The Lord had said to Abram,
“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
This Promise has now been brought to fruition in the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus, wherein all believers are equal. St Paul declares this in his letter to the Galatians Chapter 3, Verses 28-29:
“28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Through the Sacrificial Death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, all people who believe in His Life and Work, which we, in this day and age, know as the the Holy Gospel, are graciously clothed in the Holy Righteousness of the Lord Jesus, and are made the Adopted Children of God, and Heirs of His Eternal Kingdom.
St Paul continues with a word of self-confession:
“7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”
St Paul describes himself as “less than the least of the Lord’s people.” This is a reference to St Paul’s previous life, as Saul, a Pharisee dedicated to persecuting Christians on behalf of the Jewish leaders, before he was physically confronted by the risen Lord Jesus, on the road to Damascus, and became St Paul, the Lord Jesus’ Apostle to the Gentiles.
St Paul’s intensive training enabled him to relate the miracle of the Holy Gospel to people that had never heard of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, or any Prophet of the Old Testament.
St Paul was able to proclaim the Holy Gospel to Gentiles, within the context of the Old Testament promises to Abraham, Moses, and the Old Testament prophets, flowing on through the ages to the time of his Gentile hearers. He was able to show the progressive revelation of God from the Jewish forefathers to the, then, present day, culminating in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who unites all believers through faith in His Holy Gospel.
St Paul begins closure of our Epistle Reading, by declaring the culmination of God’s purposes, in and through, the Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of the Lord Jesus:
“10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the “mystery” that was hidden from men and “the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,” and is now entrusted to the Christian Church to proclaim to all future generations of men and women.
“The rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” refers to the evil spirit beings (demons), led by Satan. These evil spirit beings attempt to discredit the Works of the Lord Jesus, and then attempt to lead those who would heed the Holy Gospel, into continued disbelief, sin and eternal damnation.
Praise be to God that the Mighty Holy Spirit defeats the plans of Satan and his followers.
Satan and his followers did not have foreknowledge of the Holy Gospel and were unaware that God’s plan was to save believers by graciously clothing them in the the Perfect Righteousness of His Beloved Son, Whose own Blood was shed, on the Cross of Calvary, in payment for the sins of God’s chosen people.
When the Lord Jesus descended into hell (the place of the dead) after His Death on the Cross, He proclaimed his Victory over sin to Satan and his demons, and revealed the Miracle of His Holy Gospel, which led to the forgiveness of the sins of God’s chosen people, and the means by which they would become Heirs of God’s Eternal Kingdom.
Satan and his demons were defeated by the Holy Gospel, and are aware that they are awaiting, in dread, for the Great Day of Judgement which will take place when the Lord Jesus appears a second time on earth. This Great Judgement will bring about their eternal damnation.
St Paul closes our Epistle Reading with the joyful and bold declaration:
“12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence”
This is the Joy and Blessing of the Holy Gospel, that now we have the freedom and confidence, of a Son or Daughter, to approach our Heavenly Father.
Let us always thank God for this Miraculous and Priceless Gift. Amen.
Today’s Holy Gospel Reading is taken from the Holy Gospel of St Matthew Chapter 2, Verses 1-12.
St Matthew, in this second chapter of his Holy Gospel, records that the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the region of Judea, during the reign of King Herod.
After the Lord Jesus’ birth, Magi came to Jerusalem seeking him who was born “King of the Jews”:
“2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
The Magi were learned scholars who combined the sciences of astronomy and astrology (as was common in ancient times). They had been studying the stars and had observed a very bright new star (a powerful, star-like light in the night sky) appear.
The appearance of the new star was interpreted as a sign in the heavens that a mighty event had come to pass, so they set off, travelling in the direction of the new star’s movement, and came to Jerusalem, where the star ceased to move, and remained stationary in the night sky.
No doubt, on arrival in Jerusalem, the Magi asked many prominent people such as priests, magistrates, scholars, soldiers and even common people where the King of the Jews was to be found.
Word of their arrival soon reached King Herod, who immediately perceived the threat to his Kingship. Herod was a “puppet king” of the Romans and was not the most popular of rulers.
The people of Jerusalem were also “disturbed” at the news for they would have been most apprehensive of any political unrest involving Herod and the Romans:
“3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.”
Herod reacted quickly to the news of the visitors. He summoned all the people’s chief priests and their teachers of the Law of Moses, and asked them to tell him where the promised Messiah (the Mighty Deliverer) was to be born:
“4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
Herod was advised by the scholars that the Old Testament Prophecy of Micah had foretold of the coming Messiah in Chapter 5, Verse 2 of his Book:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Herod summoned the Magi and questioned them as to the exact time at which the star had appeared, and commanded them to go to Bethlehem and carefully search for the child, and report back to him, on the pretext that he wanted to also go and worship the child:
“7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
The Magi carried out their search, and the bright star that had led them from their homeland continued to guide them to the place where the Lord Jesus was, together with His Mother.
Having been brought to the end of their search, the Magi then proceeded to worship, and honour, the infant Lord Jesus.
“9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
They presented Him with costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts were associated with the riches of a King.
Gold is an obvious symbol of kingly wealth and power.
Frankincense is hardened sap of the Boswellia tree and is a pleasant smelling incense burned in worship, of a supposed deity.
Myrrh is a substance obtained from the Commiphora tree used to rub on a body to promote healing and healthy skin. It was also applied to a dead body to help to prevent unpleasant odours prior to burial.
These three gifts of the Magi may have been used in a practical way by Mary.
The gold would have paid for the accommodation that Mary and Joseph were sharing as they cared for the newly born Lord Jesus.
The frankincense could have been burned to provide a pleasant environment in their accommodation.
The myrrh may have been rubbed onto the infant Lord Jesus to keep His skin in a healthy condition, and it was also used as a burial lotion to prevent odors.
These three gifts are also believed, by a number of scholars, to represent the Lord Jesus’ future Role and Ministry, gold signifying His Kingship, frankincense signifying worship given to Him, and myrrh to anoint His Body at burial.
St Matthew records the warning that the Magi received from God, regarding Herod’s request for a report on the infant Lord Jesus:
“12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”
It interesting to note that in many works of art, and in many movie representations the visit of the Magi is shown as ending in the stable where the Lord Jesus was born and laid in a manger. This, however, this is not the case.
King Herod ascertained the time and date at which the star had appeared to the Magi. Added to this calculation was the advice of the priests and teachers of the Law. Many scholars suggest that it is more than likely that the Lord Jesus was nearly two years old, and was with His mother in a house that was rented, by Joseph, for his family when the Magi made their visit. This view is further supported by the fact that King Herod gave orders to his soldiers to kill all male children up to two years of age, rather than only new born babies.
Let us give thanks to God for St Matthew's account of the visit to the infant Lord Jesus by the Magi, and for the glory and honour that they gave to Him. May we also give the Lord Jesus all glory, honour, and praise for His coming into the world to save repentant sinners and provide the means of our forgiveness and Adoption as God’s Children. Amen.
Bishop Ian