billy grahamThis past Sunday at church, when the children were called forward for their special time, everyone in the congregation watched with joy as the little ones tripped down the aisles in their dresses and bows, sweaters and ties, their little feet moving excitedly to reach the front of the sanctuary.

Pastor Chris sat down on the floor in front of the pulpit to see from their perspective. When the children arrived and sat down on the red carpet—some leaning against the altar, some sitting next to the pastor—they all looked at the children’s minister, a kind woman with a calm voice.

She said to them, “Does anyone know how the wise men found the baby Jesus on that night so long …”

And before she could finish her question, a little boy, maybe 5 years old, jumped up on both feet and yelled, “STAR!”

It took a few minutes for the laughter to die down from the congregation. Somebody had taught this little boy the story of the wise men who took a long journey to see the baby Jesus, an event celebrated as Epiphany on the Christian calendar. And this little guy was excited. He knew how the wise men had found their way.

ON THE LOOKOUT FOR GOD

The Bible says, “The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:9-10, NIV).

The wise men were some of the first people to worship Jesus as Lord. But because it takes some time to travel—and back in Jesus’ day, there were no GPS systems or online mapping services, much less, cars—the Christian calendar places Epiphany on January 6, twelve nights after the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Journeying perhaps 500 miles or more, the wise men sought after the Christ child, following the prophecies from Hebrew Scripture, specifically those from the book of Micah.

In the fifth chapter of Micah, Scripture says, “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 be the shepherd of my people Israel” (Micah 5:2).

God’s people were the Jewish people, the people of Israel. But the the wise men were not Jewish. They came from the east and were known as “magi,” or people educated in the ways of astrology. They were pagan, or pre-Christian; but they also knew that the prophets had foretold the birth of the King of the Jews in Bethlehem.

When the magi saw Jesus, they fell down and worshiped Him. They had brought precious gifts with them for the child, who they recognized as a king appointed not by people or family name, but by God. They had an epiphany, or a sudden insight into the true nature of something. They realized that they were in the presence of God.

Theophany, a theological term, also describes the wise men’s experience that night: a moment when God manifests Himself to the world. The birth of Christ represents the introduction of God’s Spirit into human form, or incarnate.

And this incarnation of God, the man Jesus Christ, had arrived for the sake of all people—Jews as well as non-Jews, or Gentiles.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul writes about the amazing grace of God shown through Jesus Christ—amazing because it is Good News for everyone, both God’s people, the Jewish people, and everybody else as well.

Paul writes, “Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation … 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” (3:1-3; 6).

The wise men were Gentiles, but they were on the lookout for God, searching for Him in Scripture, listening for Him in the words of the prophets, and watching for signs of His revelation on earth. And through Christ, they were able to become God’s people as well.

SEARCHING FOR THAT STAR

Before Christ came, many people expected the Messiah to enter the world with fanfare, on horseback and brandishing a sword. God had other plans.

No colorful lights and ribbons decorated the trees and houses when Christ was born. It was just another day in Bethlehem, a small town that had no movie theater, shopping mall, or even a vacant room in the inn. Some sheep and shepherds rested and wandered in the fields nearby. And a beautiful star in the clear night sky shone more brightly than the millions of other stars.

But God, being unpredictable, amazing, and holy, was up to something that would change people forever: His revelation in the person of Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation for all who would believe that Christ came, lived, died, and rose again for their sake.

The Bible says, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).

Amazing! It’s no wonder that the magi fell down on their faces at the sight of Jesus Christ.

When you look at something that you may have known about for a long time, and suddenly you realize that it is very special, much more meaningful than you’ve ever acknowledged; then at that moment, you’ve had an epiphany. You’ve uncovered something that was there all along, but was hiding, in a sense, just below the surface. It wasn’t so obvious. It took a second look.

The magi realized that Jesus was their king, too, so they went out of their way to yield to Him and bring Him the praise that He deserved. Recognizing Jesus as King is the ultimate realization that anyone can have—it’s a life-changing epiphany.

EPIPHANY MOMENTS: GOD IN THE EVERYDAY

At this time of the year, life can seem a little lonely or dreary. The Christmas trees have been taken down, lights packed away, and wrapping paper trashed. Children have played with their new toys until they don’t seem new anymore, and the new year has come and gone. You already may have broken a resolution.

But the joy of Christmas isn’t over yet because we can choose to recognize the mercy of God in the everyday stuff. With open hearts and an expectant outlooks, believers can have epiphany moments any day.

Try looking at life through the eyes of a child who is so excited about the Christmas story that he can’t contain himself. Or see the events of the day through the eyes of a traveler who has journeyed many miles to find something very small, new, and precious.

In fact, Jesus commanded that His followers have this kind of wide-eyed faith.

The Bible says, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 18-1-3).

After all, it is this childlike hope, this irresponsible passion, this wild, seemingly naive faith that allows someone to …

laugh with others,
appreciate a warm cup of coffee,
enjoy the silence of a morning,
delight in making a new friend,
reach out to someone who is hurting,
listen for God’s voice,
open the Bible, seeking a fresh perspective

… or be astonished at the wonderful mystery of God, that He would reveal Himself to the world through Jesus Christ.