January 6
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him,'” Matthew 2:1-2. (To get the full Epiphany picture, please read Matthew 2:1-12.)
On the church calendar, January 6 is designated as Epiphany, which means “manifested.” It is the day on which we remember how God manifested with a star to the wise men from the east that Jesus had been born. Then they journeyed to Jerusalem to worship Him.
There are many details and questions for which we do not have answers. How did God give the wise men the meaning and message of that special star? How many wise men were there? Were they three kings, as is sung in the song, “We Three Kings Of Orient Are”? Christmas cards frequently portray the wise men as worshiping at the manger. However, the Bible specifically says that they came to the house where Jesus and His mother were. Remember that the wise men came from the east. We are not told from what country they journeyed or how long it took them to arrive in Jerusalem. We also are not told how many days they spent in Jerusalem gathering information before they arrived at Bethlehem. How long did it take before the news about their arrival got to King Herod, and when did Herod gather the religious leaders together, after which he had another meeting with the wise men, and after which they arrived in Bethlehem?
People might express their personal opinions to answer any or all of these questions, but we must remember that our Christian faith rests on what is revealed in the Bible, not on people’s opinions.
The wise men did the only wise thing to do: They worshiped Jesus, the King of our salvation. “When they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh,” Matthew 2:11. Having worshiped Jesus, the wise men presented gifts to Him – gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These were costly gifts. This reminds us of the saying, “Put your money where your mouth is!”
Let us follow the example of the wise men. Let us worship Jesus, the Son of God and our Savior. The wise men did not worship or pray to Mary, Jesus’ mother. That would have been unwise! In fact, worshiping and praying to Mary is idolatry. Jesus said, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve,” Matthew 4:10. We do not worship or pray to Mary or to any of the saints. They cannot hear or answer prayers.
The Son of God also became the Son of Man. As the God-Man, Jesus fulfilled the Commandments in our place. He lived the perfect life. He took all our sins upon Himself and carried them to Calvary’s cross, where He suffered and died to redeem all people. The apostle Peter wrote, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot,” 1 Peter 1:18-19.
As a Christian, do the only wise thing: Worship the one true triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Worship Jesus as God’s Son and your only Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” Acts 16:31.
“As with gladness men of old,
Did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright,
So, most gracious Lord, may we,
Evermore be led by Thee!” Amen.