TITLE: EPIPHANY
SUB TOPIC: THE REVELATION
Text: JOHN 1: 13, 14
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Introduction:
It’s that mystical, magical, miraculous, time of year that we love to celebrate, referred to as Christmas; although some contend for the political right to say Happy Holidays! This only adds to the already controversial or paradoxical mystic of the greatest event to ever occur in the life of humanity. Reverently speaking it is the advent (not event) of the Lord and Savior, the only begotten of the Father. Jesus the son of God, moreover God the son, God in the flesh, God in the form of man conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a woman (Virgin Mary).
It is indeed a paradox or a great mystery! Do you believe? Can you receive? The Logos, the spoken revelatory (Rhema) word incarnate; The Word incarnated, made flesh, the expressed image of God. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (personal interpretation) In the beginning was God, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was (is) God. This speaks of his pre-eminence, infinity, divinity, for he is eternal with God. Jesus is the Christ, born into humanity as the Messiah, the long awaited one to come as prophesied. Jesus is the Word, the son of God, the Messiah, our Savior and Lord, Jesus is God. First Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Here are two definitions of Epiphany:
Epiphany is the manifestation of a supernatural and divine reality. 2. Any moment of great or sudden revelation. (World English Dictionary)
Wikipedia the free encyclopedia: Epiphany (from Koine Greek, epiphaneia “appearance”, “manifestation”) is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the son as a human being in Jesus Christ. It falls on January 6 or, in many countries, on the Sunday that falls between January 2 and January 8.[2][3] Since the Julian Calendar, which is followed by some Eastern Churches, is at present 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar and the revised Julian Calendar, 6 January in that calendar corresponds at present to 19 January in what is the official civil calendar in most countries. On this feast, Western Christians commemorate principally the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, i.e., his manifestation to the Gentiles; Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. It is also called Theophany, especially by Eastern Christians.
What we celebrate as Christmas is the Epiphany/Theophany/Incarnation!
This is a historical reference from- Wikipedia the free encyclopedia:
The observance had its origins in the Eastern Christian Churches, and was a general celebration of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. It included the commemoration of: his birth; the visit of the Magi (“Wise Men”, as Magi were Persian priests) to Bethlehem; all of Jesus’ childhood events, up to and including his baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist; and even the miracle at the Wedding of Cana in Galilee.[6] It seems fairly clear that the Baptism was the primary event being commemorated.[7]Adoration of the Magi by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 17th century (Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio. Christians fixed the date of the feast on January 6 quite early in their history. The earliest reference to Epiphany as a Christian feast was in A.D. 361, by Ammianus Marcellinus[10]St. Epiphanius says that January 6 is hemera genethlion toutestin epiphanion (Christ’s “Birthday; that is, His Epiphany”).[11] He also asserts that the Miracle at Cana occurred on the same calendar day.[12]
In 385, the pilgrimEgeria (also known as Silvia) described a celebration in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which she called “Epiphany” (epiphania) that commemorated the Nativity of Christ.[13] Even at this early date, there was an octave associated with the feast.
In a sermon delivered on December 25, 380, St. Gregory of Nazianzus referred to the day as ta theophania (“the Theophany”, an alternative name for Epiphany), saying expressly that it is a day commemorating he hagia tou Christou gennesis (“the holy nativity of Christ”) and told his listeners that they would soon be celebrating the baptism of Christ.[14] Then, on January 6 and 7, he preached two more sermons[15], wherein he declared that the celebration of the birth of Christ and the visitation of the Magi had already taken place, and that they would now commemorate his Baptism.[16] At this time, celebration of the two events was beginning to be observed on separate occasions, at least in Cappadocia.
Let Us Transition to The Present (Here and Now):
I have often heard it said on many different occasions by several different people that and I quote “I had an Epiphany”. I must question, did you really? Epiphany here is used in the context of revelation. While it does mean revelation it’s not just a revelation; it is The Revelation of God to man. What many refer to as revelation is not really revelation at all, it is moreover enlightenment. If you have come into the knowledge of something for the very first time then it is revelation to you, but that does not mean it has just been revealed. You might be slightly delayed, or just a late bloomer, however better late than never. The Revelation of God to man is a one-time miraculous event that will never happen again. For this reason Epiphany is also referred to as Theophany, which is God revealed to man in human form. I heard someone ask, “what about the second coming”, when Jesus the Christ returns in his full glory he will not have a fleshly body. It’s been said, and I quote “there is no more revelation”, for God has been totally revealed. God has been revealed as our heavenly Father, the creator and sustainer of life. God has been revealed as the son, the messiah, the redeemer, the Lord and Savior, our Salvation. God has been revealed as the Holy Spirit, the comforter, our teacher, our guide. God has been revealed in spoken Word, in written Word, and ultimately as the living Word.
During this Christmas celebration it is my prayer that you do have an Epiphany. That you not only celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, but that Jesus is born in you. We pray that you receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. We pray that you have “The Revelation of God”. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Merry Christmas! And may God continue to prosper you in the coming year, Happy New Year!