Jan 8

Written by:
1/8/2012 10:00 AM 

Last Friday was Epiphany Day, January 6 (the twelfth day of  Christmas!!). I have always enjoyed the beautiful Epiphany hymn, "We Three King of Orient Are", "We three kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse a far, Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star, O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to Thy perfect light." 

OK,  I know that the Biblical purists out there will tell me, that NOWHERE in Scripture does it tell us that there were ....THREE kings! The tradition of three kings came from the fact that the Magi (wise men) from the East brought THREE different gifts to the infant Jesus.... gold, frankincense and myrrh. Another Biblical clarification, is that the Magi .....WERE NOT at the manger on Jesus birthday (doesn't that mess up all of our Nativity Scenes!!). They came some time later, to Joseph and Mary's house... "And going into the house, they saw the child (Jesus) with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshiped Him" (Matthew 2:11).

In fact, the early Christian Church celebrated Epiphany for many years.... BEFORE they celebrated Christmas. As far back as A.D. 200, Clement of Alexandria wrote about celebrating the Festival of Epiphany. And in the fourth century, the Eastern Church included Epiphany as one of the three great festivals of the church year. What is interesting, is that Christmas was NOT one of the other two. They were... EASTER and PENTECOST!!A clear message of Epiphany, is that Jesus will draw people from all over the world to Himself. The OUTREACH and EVANGELISM connection is very powerful!! One of the hymns we will sing this Sunday, is "Go Tell It On the Mountain" (refrain) "Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills, and everywhere; Go tell it on the mountain, That Jesus Christ is born!"                                                                                                                          May we, like the Magi, "bow down" and worship Jesus..... and then ....GO AND TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS  ... over the mountains and everywhere!