How is your Epiphany journey going this year?  You might say, “WHAT EPIPHANY JOURNEY?”  Christmas often involves  a journey and Easter is a journey and Summer Vacation often involves  a journey- but I don’t think of Epiphany as a journey!  A journey often involves  planning and preparation and anticipation and excitement and Epiphany doesn’t always bring these feelings to  mind!
       In case we have forgotten this journey of Epiphany in our Christian journey of faith, we celebrated  Epiphany yesterday January 6 in the Church Year  Calendar.  But the truth is- most people and churches did not celebrate Epiphany at all.  Most people don’t send out Epiphany cards (Although that is my family’s tradition; they don’t give Epiphany presents, they don’t go traveling to go Epiphany caroling, College students didn’t make a special trip home for Epiphany, although they may still be here as a part of  their Christmas journey; families don’t travel to  reunions at Epiphany.  Yet Epiphany is still an important  celebration in the church as we remember the journey of the Wise Men to see the baby Jesus and the celebration of the “GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST” is really for “ALL PEOPLE!”
       From the very beginning of the Bible, God’s dealings with His people, often has involved a journey as a rich sign and symbol of the spiritual life and of God being involved in people’s lives each step of the way on the journey!  God makes a covenant with Abraham to promise to bless him and Abraham  responds with a journey out of the land of Ur of the Chaldees filled with idolatry to the Land of Canaan.  In the Old Testament, Joseph’s journey to Egypt in chains as his brothers sold him into slavery but eventually he would  become a ruler in Egypt and results in God’s deliverance of his brothers and his father Jacob during the time of famine in the land of Israel.   God calls the children of Israel on a journey from bondage as slaves in Egypt through the desert for 40 years to the promised land of Canaan. In the New Testament  Mary and Joseph journey to Bethlehem to give birth to the infant Redeemer Jesus Christ.  And Jesus journeys to the Cross of Calvary to die on the cross and rise from the grave to pay for our sins so that we as Christians can continue our journey to eternal life in heaven!
       All of our life is a journey and that includes Epiphany as well as we celebrate and read about the journey of the Wise Men from the East to visit Jesus- The King of the Jews.   The story of the visit of the Magi (wise men from the East) as recorded in our Gospel lesson from Matthew 2 is just such a Magnificent journey of Epiphany.  It is full of joy and happiness, and  faith and trust but also confusion and perplexity and anticipation which makes for one magnificent journey!
       The word “EPIPHANY” in its original meaning  involves a journey and a revelation as it means “TO SHOW ONESELF, TO APPEAR”.  In the church  Epiphany  means, “THE  APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE WORLD WITH HIS PHYSICAL BIRTH IN BETHLEHEM IN ORDER TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE WORLD!”  The first  Epiphany occurred when “WISE MEN FROM THE EAST” were guided by a star to come and worship Jesus- the King of the Jews and the Savior of the world and to give him gifts!  The Bible does not give us a great deal of information about this Epiphany event as our gospel lesson from Matthew 2: 1-12 is the only place in the Gospels where the visit of the Wise Men from the East is mentioned and is tied together with the birth of Jesus Christ- the Epiphany of God in a visible way in the world!
       The first Epiphany involved a journey  as the wise men experienced joy and anticipation and involved  faith- being willing to follow the star wherever it might lead them!  It brought them a long distance to worship Jesus to show that Jesus was the Savior of all people- Jews and Gentiles alike.  God guided them and directed them to Bethlehem and gave them the “EYES OF FAITH” to find the Son of God just like the Old Testament had promised!  The Wise men expected to find the King of the Jews in the Royal city of Jerusalem and were puzzled about why the people of Jerusalem knew so little about the birth of their king!  Had their journey been in vain?   Would they turn back because of discouragement and despair because the reality did not meet their expectations when they arrived in Jerusalem?
       The Wise men kept the purpose of their magnificent journey in mind when they said, “We have seen his Star and have come to “WORSHIP HIM” which literally means, “TO BEND THEIR KNEE IN HONOR AND TO PLACE THEIR FOREHEADS ON THE GROUND IN SUBMISSION TO A KING!”  They rejoiced exceedingly when they saw Jesus and gave Him gifts and returned to their country and to their family and shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with them.  The Wise men have given us an example to follow in our lies as God’s people as we worship Jesus with great joy and give our gifts to Jesus and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others!
       Isn’t it exciting to   pursue a goal and to reach a destination when you are traveling on a journey!  That happens in Epiphany!  Isn’t it inspiring if the journey is difficult and involves some persistence in the journey to reach the goal and destination?  That happens in Epiphany!  In many of our journeys we need help from others with questions to be asked and answers that we need to ponder!  That happens in our magnificent Epiphany journey!
       As we all know journeys often have obstacles along the way and that is especially true in our Christian journey of faith. We receive wrong information and head in the wrong direction and become lost and not want to ask for help.  Or we have  something go wrong on the journey and feel like giving up!  We make mistakes in the journey and experience pain and suffering and like to blame others for our problems in our journey.  We can become puzzled and confused along the way and forget where to turn for help and try to solve all of our problems by ourselves. 
       That is what happens because we are sinners and don’t know what to do and forget about God in our life.  We don’t mean to get lost and have problems but we continue to make the same mistakes and commit the same sins over and over again and we need help!  But the good news is that  as we continue on the journey with the big picture in mind and have that journey become  successful, we know that faith in God and persistence in the truth of God’s Word pays off and  leads us to happiness and joy- we feel blessed and magnificent in the journey!  We can then give to others in their journey of life as we have been given in ours!
       A missionary in Africa was  teaching a group of people about the Christian faith and life.  One day the missionary explained that many believers in Jesus express their joy at Christmas by giving each other gifts just like God gave them the gift of Jesus at Christmas.
       The next Christmas one of the African men brought the missionary a shell of magnificent beauty.  When asked where he had discovered such an extraordinary shell, the man said he had walked many miles to a certain bay, the only place where such shells could be found.  “IT WAS VERY KIND OF YOU TO TRAVEL SO FAR TO GET THIS GIFT FOR ME, BUT YOU DIDN’T NEED TO GO THAT FAR TO GIVE ME A GIFT!” said the missionary.  The African man’s eyes brightened, “LONG TRIP PART OF GIFT!”
       Jesus Christ went on a long journey for us- from heaven to earth on that first Christmas day and the long journey to the cross to pay for your sins and mine and for the sins of the whole world!  It was part of God’s gift to us- that Magnificent journey that involved pain and suffering, and faith and trust and keeping the big picture in mind of the reason for the journey!  Jesus did that so that we can make that journey to heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior!
       We are the in Epiphany season now- the 21st Century Epiphany- A MAGNIFICENT JOURNEY and just like the first wise men and the wise women who have lived before us in the Christian faith we are encouraged to seek and to worship and to Reach out and Share the Love of Jesus  Christ on this MAGNIFICENT JOURNEY ENDING UP WITH ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN!

Copyright © 2008 by Pastor Mark Cattau.  All rights reserved.

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  Epiphany logo designed and provided by Dale Bargmann