EPIPHANY, THE TWELFTH DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, IS WHEN THE CHURCH MARKS THE CONCLUSION OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. EPIPHANY MARKS THE APPEARANCE OF THE WISE MEN AND THE SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND THE GIFTS GIVEN TO THE CHRIST CHILD.
THE WORD "EPIPHANY" MEANS "TO SHOW" OR "TO REVEAL." THE “BIG WORD” WE USE IS “MANISFESTATION.” WE USE THE TIME TO MARK THE ARRIVAL OF THE "THREE WISE MEN" FROM THE EAST WHO CAME "TO SHOW" AND "TO REVEAL" THAT THIS TODDLER-BOY WAS LORD AND KING.
THIS IS WHY WE RECOGNIZE EPIPHANY! WE MUST TELL THE GOOD NEWS OF HOW GOD HAS BEEN "SHOWING" AND "REVEALING" HIMSELF TO US THE VERY MOMENT THE KINGS OF THE ORIENT BOWED THEIR KNEES AND PRESENTED THEIR GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH.
MATTHEW REFERS TO THE MEN AS “MAGI!” THEY WEREN’T LITERAL “KINGS,” BUT SIMPLY EXPERTS IN THE OCCULT OF THE MAGICAL ARTS WITH A STRONG FASCINATION WITH ASTROLOGY WHICH IS WHY THE BETHLEHEM SKY CAPTIVATED THEIR INTEREST.
LITTLE DID THEY KNOW THAT IN THEIR PASSIONATE QUEST OF THE STARS THAT THEY WOULD BE FULFILLING THE WORDS OF ISAIAH 60:3, "ALL NATIONS WILL COME TO YOUR LIGHT. MIGHTY KINGS WILL COME TO SEE YOUR RADIANCE."
THE DECISION IS MADE TO GO AND PAY HOMAGE TO THIS NEW KING. AFTER NEARLY TWO YEARS OF CONTINUOUS TRAVEL, THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN BETHLEHEM. WE ARE TOLD THAT SEEING THE STAR FILLED THEM WITH GREAT JOY AS IT POINTED THEM DIRECTLY TO HOME OF THIS NEW KING OF KINGS.
UPON REACHING THE HOME, THEY KNEEL IN WORSHIP OF THIS YOUNG CHILD. THEIR WORSHIP IS HEIGHTENED WITH THE CUSTOMS OF THEIR LAND THAT REQUIRED THEM TO RENDER GIFTS TO THOSE WHO WERE CONSIDERED SUPERIOR.
THEY LAY BEFORE THE CHRIST-CHILD THE GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH. THEY UNDOUBTEDLY GAVE BEYOND WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED "INEXPENSIVE AND PRACTICAL."
THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT CAN FULLY DESCRIBE THE EXTRAVAGANCE BEHIND THE GIVING OF THESE THREE GIFTS. ONE CAN ONLY STAND IN AWE TO THINK THAT GOD, HIMSELF, THROUGH JESUS, GAVE HIMSELF AS THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL.
THE MAGI SET FOR US THE EXAMPLE OF WHAT “RIGHT” LOOKS LIKE. THEY RECOGNIZED GOD AND HONORED HIM THROUGH THE GIVING OF THE THREE GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH.
GOLD: THIS IS A GIFT OF A KING. PSALM 72:15, “LONG LIVE THE KING! MAY THE GOLD OF SHEBA BE GIVEN TO HIM.MAY THE PEOPLE ALWAYS PRAY FOR HIM AND BLESS HIM ALL DAY LONG.”
GOLD RECOGNIZED THAT JESUS WAS DEITY AND THE ONE, PURE, HOLY CHILD BORN TO BE THE KING OF KINGS. ISAIAH 61:6, "YOU WILL BE CALLED PRIESTS OF THE LORD, MINISTERS OF OUR GOD. YOU WILL BE FED WITH THE TREASURES OF THE NATIONS AND WILL BOAST OF IN THEIR RICHES."
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS GIFT SET THE STANARD OF OUR LEVEL OF GIVING. WHEN WE GIVE GOD OURSELVES, OUR TIME, RESOURCES, ABILITIES, AND WORSHIP, IT MUST BE OFFERINGS OF SUBSTANCE AND OF VALUE. THE DAYS OF PUTTING FORTH SLOPPY, HALF-HEARTED, LAST-MINUTE, EFFORTS, ARE NOW OVER.
THE GIFT OF GOLD TEACHES US TO GO "ALL OUT" AND “GIVE ALL” WHEN WE SERVE GOD. THE MAGI OFFERED GOLD, NOT BRONZE, COPPER, SILVER OR BRASS, BUT PURE, REFINED GOLD. NO "LEFT-OVERS" OR "HAND-ME-DOWNS"… EXCEEDING THE STANDARDS BY GIVNG THE MOST SACRIFICIAL GIFT WORTHY OF A KING.
PROVERBS 3:9, "HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR WEALTH AND WITH THE BEST PART OF EVERYTHING…." MALACHI 3:10, "BRING ALL THE TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSE SO THERE WILL BE ENOUGH…." THE GIFT OF GOLD FROM THE WISE MEN SHOWS US THAT WE TOO, MUST ALWAYS GIVE GOD OUR VERY BEST.
FRANKINCENSE, WAS A GIFT FOR DIETY. ISAIAH 60:6(B), “THE PEOPLE OF SHEBA WILL BRING GOLD AND FRANKINCENSE AND WILL COME WORSHIPING THE LORD.” THE WORD FOR THIS SUBSTANCE, USED IN WORSHIPPING THE LORD IN THE TEMPLE, COMES FROM A HEBREW TERMS MEANING "WHITENESS, OR TO BE WHITE."
WHITE HAS ALWAYS SIGNIFIED MAJESTY AND PURITY. THIS GIFT OF FRANKINCENSE SHOWS US THAT THE MAGI RECOGNIZED JESUS AS THE DIVINE AND PURE SON OF GOD WHO ALONE WAS WORTHY OF SUCH RECOGNITION, ATTENTION, AND WORSHIP.
THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT WE NEED TO WELCOME THE AROMA OF FRANKINCENSE TO IMINATE AND REMAIN IN OUR CHURCHES TODAY. WE NEED TO INTENSIFY OUR DESIRE AND EFFORTS TO LOVE, SERVE AND WORSHIP GOD AS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF ALL.
PSALM 96:4, "GREAT IS THE LORD! HE IS MOST WORTHY OF PRAISE! HE IS TO BE REVERED ABOVE ALL OTHER GODS." THE GIFT OF INCENSE CALLS US TO ELEVATE AND MAINTAIN THE PURITY OF HEART TO WORSHIP THE MAJESTY AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD IN OUR LIVES, OUR HOMES, AND IN OUR CHURCHES.
THE THIRD OF THREE GIFTS IS MYRRH. A VALUED SPICE AND PERFUME ASSOCIATED WITH EMBALMING MAY, AT FIRST, SOUND LIKE A BIZARRE GIFT TO BRING A TWO-YEAR OLD CHILD, BUT NOT REALLY! THE SON OF GOD CAME TO DIE ON THE CROSS!
THE MAGI SHOW THAT BY GIVING JESUS MYRRH THAT HIS LIFE WOULD BE THE SACRIFICE AND THE DEATH THAT WOULD PUT AN END TO ALL SACRIFICES AND ALL DEATH BECAUSE OF THE NEW COVENANT HE WOULD ESTABLISH IN HIS BLOOD.
THIS GIFT USED FOR EMBALMING THE DEAD SHOWS US WE MUST PREPARE FOR ETERNITY! WE RECOGNIZE OUR SINFULNESS THROUGH CONFESSION AND SEEKING FORGIVENESS TO OBEDIENTLY FOLLOW JESUS. WE STAY FOCUSED AND LIVE IN A PERPETUAL REALITY OF OUR OWN MORTALITY. WE DIE TO SELF AND FULLY SURRENDER TO THE COMMANDS AND LORDSHIP OF JESUS.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:21-22, "FOR AS BY A MAN CAME DEATH, BY A MAN HAS COME ALSO THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. FOR AS IN ADAM ALL DIE, SO ALSO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE."
JESUS CHRIST SACRIFICED HIS LIFE TO MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER, SO WE, IN RETURN, MUST SACRIFICE OUR LIVES TO MAKE OURSELVES BETTER FOR CHRIST AND FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
WE DO THIS BY ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EMBALM US WITH THE MYRRH OF OBEDIENCE, SELF-CONTROL, LOVE, AND HOLINESS. ROMANS 12:1-2, "AND SO, DEAR CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, I PLEAD WITH YOU TO GIVE YOUR BODIES TO GOD. LET THEM BE A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE - THE KIND HE WILL ACCEPT.WHEN YOU THINK OF WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU, IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK?"
LET US GIVE THE GIFT OF MYRRH BY BECOMING DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE TO CHRIST AND WHAT CHRIST CAN DO IN US AND THROUGH US BECAUSE WE ARE FULLY SURRENDERED TO HIM AND HIS WILL FOR OUR LIVES.
LEARNING FROM THE "THREE GIFTS" OF THE MAGI: GOLD TO SIGNIFY THE SACRIFICIAL GIVING OF OUR BEST; INCENSE TO SHOW THAT WE NEED TO BRING THE PURITY OF WORSHIPPING THE MAJESTY OF GOD BACK INTO OUR LIVES AND INTO OUR CHURCHES; AND MYRRH TO REMIND US THAT WE MUST BECOME DEAD TO SIN AND ALIVE TO CHRIST.
ALTHOUGH THIS YEAR’S CHRISTMAS SEASON IS ENDING, THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS STILL CONTINUES ON THROUGH US IN THE WAY WE SHARE, INVEST IN, AND LIVE OUT OUR FAITH.
GOD ALONE IS WORTHY. THE ESSENCE OF TRUE WORSHIP IS HONORING JESUS FOR WHO HE IS AND BEING WILLING TO GIVE HIM WHAT IS OF MOST VALUE TO US – OUR VERY LIVES!
LET US FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE WISE MEN WHEN THEY ENTERED THE PRESENCE OF JESUS: THEY BOWED; THEY GAVE; THEY WORSHIPED! THE GIFTS OF EPIPANY SPEAK OF SUBSTANCE AND VALUE! NOTHING EMPTY OR SHALLOW. THE HIGHEST OF STANDARDS LAVISHED UPON THE KING OF KINGS.
WILL YOU OFFER ALL YOU ARE? WILL YOU GIVE ALL YOU HAVE? SACRIFICE! OBEIDENCE! YOUR BEST! COME! ADORE THE KING OF KINGS WHO IS WORTHY OF THE GREATEST OF ALL WE HAVE TO GIVE! PRESENT YOUR “GIFTS OF EPIPHANY” FULLY TO JESUS!
