Scripture Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6 & Matthew 2:1-12
(Slide 1) Each year Epiphany falls 12 days after Christmas Day and marks the start of a new liturgical season. The ending scene of the Christmas story is often missed in church services. Last Tuesday was Epiphany this year. Long before the wise men reached Bethlehem, long before they bowed in worship, a light had already begun its work. It pierced the darkness, crossed borders, and whispered a promise to those who were watching. Epiphany is the story of that light – God’s light – breaking into the world, refusing to stay hidden, and inviting all people to come and see.
(Slide 2) We gather as people who have seen light – sometimes faint, sometimes dazzling, yet always persistent. Isaiah cries out, “Arise, shine; for your light has come,” and Matthew tells us of a star that rose quietly in the night sky, summoned hearts, stirred longing, and set weary travellers on a journey toward hope. Also, the story of the wise men who followed the light, came upon camels to seek Jesus, and presented gifts while worshipping Him, was already prophesied in Isaiah 60.
(Slide 3) Epiphany reminds us that God’s light does not merely appear – it arises, shines, and moves us. It draws us from where we are toward who Christ is, from a distant sign in the sky to a Saviour who comes near. Today, we do not simply remember a star; we stand before the Light that still calls, still leads, and still changes those who follow.
(Slide 4) In Isaiah 60:1-6, God’s glory rises in the midst of deep darkness and draws the nations. Israel is not commanded to produce light, but to respond to a light that has already come. This is crucial, because Isaiah 59 makes clear that they were incapable of shining on their own. The prophet describes their condition with painful honesty: they searched for light but found only darkness, groped like the blind, and stumbled at noon as if it were night – living as though dead even among the strong. They were living like the blind, stumbling through thick darkness, unable to find their way. This was an honest confession of their spiritual condition.
(Slide 5) It is to these people, lost in darkness, that God speaks the astonishing command: “Arise, shine.” On its own, the command would be impossible. But God immediately gives the reason: “For your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” They are called to respond to the light due to God’s glory. The call to “arise” assumes they had been lying in darkness, covered by night. Yet now, as morning breaks and changes everything, the people are now called to stand up because the darkness is giving way to glorious light. The coming of God’s glory transforms what was once impossible into a new reality.
(Slide 6) This word is not confined to the past. It is spoken to us today. The true Light has come into the world – Jesus Christ Himself. In Him, God’s glory has risen upon us. Therefore, the call still stands: Arise. Not because we generate light within ourselves, but because Christ, the living Light, has come among us and shines upon us.
Epiphany begins not with human effort, but with God’s initiative. Darkness still covers the earth, yet God’s glory is revealed within it. The nations are drawn, not driven. God’s light attracts and guides kings, peoples, and those from afar. It is an expansive, inclusive light, and the world moves toward God’s light that moves us.
(Slide 7) In Matthew 2, we encounter very different responses to the birth of Christ. Herod hears the news and responds with fear and violence. The chief priests and scribes know the Scriptures well – they can quote Micah’s prophecy and identify Bethlehem as the Messiah’s birthplace – yet their knowledge does not lead them to joy, worship, or movement. They remain indifferent, unmoved, and unchanged.
(Slide 8) But the wisemen are different. They are outsiders, Gentiles from the East. With only a star as their guide, they set out on a long and uncertain journey, driven by a deep hunger for truth. They travel far, risk much, and rejoice greatly when they finally encounter Christ. Encounter with Christ brings deep joy, not mere confirmation. Their worship is not passive – it is costly. They worship Him and offer their most precious gifts. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh symbolize kingship, divinity, and suffering.
(Slide 9) Even today, people respond to Jesus in many ways. In the Magi, we see the image of true worshipers – those who seek truth earnestly, recognize Jesus as the Savior of the world, rejoice in His presence, and offer Him their lives in devotion. The wise men followed a star that pointed to Christ. What is the star that leads us to Jesus today? And can we become that light for others?
(Slide 10) The life of Jesus itself unfolds in the midst of danger and oppression. Born under tyranny, living under Roman rule, and dying among criminals, He never turned away from His mission. On the cross, He proclaimed, “It is finished,” completing the work of salvation through love and obedience.
Even now, our world remains a place of darkness, injustice, and fear. Yet our faith is not an escape from this reality. It is a calling. We are not meant to let darkness remain untouched. We are called to remember the star that led us to Christ and to shine His light into the world.
The Magi were guided by God both on their way to Jesus and on their journey home. In the same way, God leads us to Christ, and then back into the world, changed. God’s protection of Jesus in his childhood proves Him to be the promised Saviour for all nations. Jesus is the light of the world, and we are called to be small lights – little flames reflecting His glory. May we follow His light, worship Christ with our whole lives, and become lights that lead others to Him.
The wise men followed the star, but they did not return the same way. After encountering the Saviour, their journey changed. Epiphany always changes our direction. We come drawn by light, but we leave sent by it. The star led them to Jesus; the Saviour now sends us into the world. Christ, the true Light, has met us in our searching, our fear, and our longing. May we rise and shine, as Isaiah proclaims, not with our own brilliance, but with the light of Christ reflected in our lives.
Epiphany does not end in the stable; it is not the ending scene, it continues in the way we live. The Light that guided the wise men now rests upon us. And as we go, may others glimpse, through us, the grace, love, and hope of the Lord who has come for all of us. God’s light always creates movement. May the light that once moved us toward the Saviour now move through us, so that in our words, our compassion, and our faithfulness, others may rise and come to Him and His light.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
(Ref. Bible, commentaries, theological books, UCA materials, and a Vanderbilt Divinity Library Resources)