In the Western church, the feast of Epiphany, originally a single celebration, eventually developed into distinct feasts – Christmas, Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord; each feast highlighted one aspect of the Lord’s manifestation to the world. Let’s look at them together to see what meaning they might have together as a group for us today.
Jesus is the manifestation of God among us. And not simply “among us,” for a further aspect is that Jesus is one of us for us. The magi from the east who visited Jesus represent the men and women of all times and places who search for God. In welcoming worshipers from foreign lands, Christ shows that his coming is not limited to a particular time or place or even religion. He is here for us all, and the salvation he brings is meant for all, including even those who as yet do not know him.
Another aspect of the original Epiphany that is now celebrated separately is the Baptism of the Lord. As Jesus rises from the baptismal waters, the Father declares, “This is my beloved son,” manifesting Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, to everyone. The declaration manifests the love of God to the world. Our own baptism unites us with Christ and make us in our own way a manifestation of God to the world. The feast reminds us of our vocation to manifest Christ to the world. Our showing that love of God cannot be limited. It is easy to love those whom we like, those similar to ourselves. But the wise men were not like Jesus. They were foreigners, strangers, speaking a different language, probably of a different skin color. Our own community must be as open to the world, accepting the children of our Father who are different from us, whether in race, nation, gender, sexuality, religion, politics or physical or mental abilities. We must, like Jesus, accept our vocation to manifest God to the world. We must make that a part of our lives, shaping who we are and what we do. When we do that, we ourselves become an epiphany, an introduction of God and the world.