06/01/2023
FOR THE PULPIT
FROM THE COMMON LECTIONARY READINGS
EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
FRIDAY 6TH JANUARY 2023
THEME: Christ The Light Of The World
READINGS:
1. Isaiah 60:1-6
2. Ephesians 3:1-12
3. Mathew 2:1-12
PSALTER: Psalm 72:1-14
REFLECTIONS
It's now 2023 - the presents have been opened, the puddings eaten and lots of TV has been watched! It truly feels like Christmas has been and gone for another year.
But did you know 6 January marks an important date for many people in the Christmas calendar?
That's because it's the date of something called Epiphany, which falls 12 days after Christmas.
Epiphany is one of the three principal and oldest festival days of the Christian church (the other two are Easter and Christmas).
It is a Christian holiday commemorating the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, and the manifestation of his divinity, as it occurred at his baptism in the Jordan River and at his first miracle, at Cana in Galilee.
One of the striking features of the Gospel of John is the way it depicts the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
The other gospels usually tell us stories about Jesus. Then, like the disciples, we are left to ask, "Who is this, that wind and sea obey him? Who is this who feeds the multitude on a couple of loaves and a few fish?"
But in the Gospel of John, there's never a doubt who Jesus is, because he tells us. Usually he does so with a statement that begins with the words, "I am."
Put him in a situation and he will clarify who he is and what he has come to do.
You can put him in the desert surrounded by people who are chronically unsatisfied, and Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35).
You can put him in the midst of people who are confused, people who ask, "Who are you, Jesus? What makes you different from all the other gurus, rabbis, and religious leaders?" And Jesus says, "I am the gate for the sheep. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture" (10:7, 9). It is an act of self-definition.
You can put him at graveside, in the midst of grief-stricken people, and Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live" (11:25).
Or put him in the midst of people who feel disconnected by life's difficulties, and Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing" (15:5).
In the Gospel of John, in one situation after another, Jesus defines himself and says, "This is who I am...." In the eighth chapter, Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life" (8:12).
His words echo the opening words of the Fourth Gospel, where the writer defines the person and work of Jesus in terms of light. "What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people ... The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world" (1:3-4, 9). Jesus says, "I am the light of the world."
This is the kind of thing we might expect to hear in these days after Christmas. Not long ago we gathered on Christmas Eve to hear the prophet Isaiah say, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." We don't know if old Isaiah had any idea who or what he was talking about, yet we celebrate Christmas as a festival of light. We string up twinkle lights on fir trees. We illumine our houses. We burn candles in the windows and plug in GE bulbs on the shrubbery. We burn up the kilowatts because Jesus Christ is born. Why not shine a little light?...
1. The Light of the World.
2. The Light Comes into Darkness.
Matthew is highlighting that all do not come to Jesus by the same way. God uses unexpected means. This sets up what recurs in Matthew — Jesus, Israel's King, is recognised and welcomed by the least expected people.
There are at least five truths that Matthew wants us to see in this story about Christ and worship 1) Jesus is the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and should be honored as such. 2) Jesus is to be worshiped not just by Jews, but by all the nations of the world, as represented by the wise men from the east. 3) God wields the universe to make his Son known and worshiped. This is his great goal in all things—that his Son be known and worshiped. 4) Jesus is troubling to people who do not want to worship him and brings out opposition for those who do. 5) Worshiping Jesus means joyfully ascribing authority and dignity to Christ with sacrificial gifts.
1) Jesus is the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and should be honored as such.
2) Jesus is to be worshiped not just by Jews, but by all the nations of the world, as represented by the wise men from the east.
3) God wields the universe to make his Son known and worshiped. This is his great goal in all things—that his Son be known and worshiped.
4) Jesus is troubling to people who do not want to worship him and brings out opposition for those who do.
5) Worshiping Jesus means joyfully ascribing authority and dignity to Christ with sacrificial gifts.
And so may God take the truth of this text and waken in us a desire for Christ himself.
May we say from the heart,
“Lord Jesus you are the Christ, the King of Israel. All nations will come and bow down before you. God wields the world to see that You are worshiped. Therefore, whatever opposition I may find, I joyfully ascribe authority and dignity to you, and bring my gifts to say that You alone can satisfy my heart, not these.
If you have gold, give it;
if you have frankincense, give it;
if you have myrrh, give it to Jesus; and if you have none of these things, give him your love, all your love, and that will be gold and spices all in one.
Give Him your mouth and speak of Him; give Him your hands and work for him; give him your whole self.
I know you will, for He loved you and gave Himself for you. The Lord bless you.
May you today experience the glory of the Lord in your personal life that you may personally identify who Christ is and what He stands for in your life and your personal relationship with him.
God richly bless you!
Quophie Anochie Ababio