We have celebrated the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, we know that His birth brought God into human existence. When that took place Jesus was celebrated by the Jews as the long awaited Messiah for which they had waited for generations.
We now follow the 12 days of Christmas which started with Jesus birth and ends on the 6th day of January .Also this is the day of the Feast of the Epiphany. The word Epiphany means to reveal. It is when the Wise Men came to honor the Christ Child who as the Son of God was revealed to have come to save both the Jews and the Gentiles.
This is also the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus. This is when the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove and God said, “this is my Son who I love and whom I am well pleased”
Contrary to what some Christmas stories relate and some visuals of Mary, Joseph and the baby show, the Wise Men, the Magi saw a star in the west announcing the birth of the Messiah to the Gentiles . They started out following the star and arrived at the house where the parents had taken him. Researchers estimate that it took them 1 1/2 to 2 years to make the journey.
Until the arrival of the Magi, all the characters of the Christmas story are Jewish. Jesus himself is a Jew and his arrival which was foretold by Jewish prophets , was the fulfillment of the promises God had made to the chosen people , the Jews. But the Magi are not Jews and their coming to bring Him gifts and pay homage to Him was the first indication that Jesus’s message was universal. Jesus had come to preach the message to the whole world.
One of the most appealing Christmas stories is that of Amahal and the night of the visitors.The three Wise Men are on their way to Bethlehem and came to the home of a poor woman who had a little boy named Amahal. He was crippled and could not walk without a crutch. One evening their normal existence was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. The woman told Amahal to go see who was there. He came back and said “Momma, there is a king at the door.” She was upset at his response and told him to again go to the door. He came back a second time and said, “Momma, there are two kings at the door.” She said go back and find out who is there. He came back a third time and said ” Momma, there are three kings at the door. She finally went with him and saw that he was right. She invited them in but said we are poor and I have nothing to give you. Amahal sensing that his mother was embarrassed , said , I will give them my crutch.
The one thing that was indispensable to him, he was going to give it away.So he lifted it up and gave it to the Wise Men.
He gave what he had, gave it personally and gave it completely. Then a miracle happened. His mother noticed it first, he could walk! The giving away of his most valued treasure, was the very thing that freed him from having to use it.
This story gives us a glimpse of Christ’s desire for us.-to give what we have for God’s glory. What gifts do you bring to the King? Not only during this season but every day of your life? The Magi brought gifts of incredible value. God has placed gifts of incredible value inside each one of us. Our calling from God is to share whatever gifts we have to bring light to this sometimes dark world through our outreach and sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Epiphany truly is a message of how God has blessed us and how we can in turn use those gifts to bless others. Amen
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