Each Christmas we’re reminded of the question: “What Child is this?” We share gifts and meals. We see family members we haven’t seen in a while. We say “Merry Christmas” to strangers as we rush to beat them into the line at the store. We feel warm and fuzzy. Christmas is about asking the question, “What Child is this” but Epiphany is about answering the question. Epiphany says, “Move on from the question, for it has been answered”.
In last Sunday’s sermon we saw that Peter tells his readers they are an entirely new people group, made of up men and women who may have nothing in common save for faith in Jesus. They come from different ethnic groups, with differing skin tones and languages and cultural expressions. They wear different styles of clothing, enjoy different foods, and have different music. Still, because they have been born again into God’s family, they have Jesus in common and so in the midst of their diversity they can work together for a common cause, which is the glory of God in the face of Christ.
This happened to be where we were in the text. Today happens to be Epiphany, the day the church celebrates the revelation of Jesus. That’s what “epiphany” means. God reveals Jesus to the world. There were four significant events that were epiphanies. The first was when the wise men from the east visited him.
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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1-2 ESV
These men were told the prophet Micah prophesied the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. They made their way to that tiny town.
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11 ESV
What is significant here is these were foreigners—Gentiles—worshiping the young Jesus. We do not know for sure where these “wise men” came from, but many scholars think Persia is the most likely as the Persians were known for being particularly knowledgeable in astronomy and astrology. They followed a star, after all, which likely means some sort of “sign” in the heavens that prompted them to look for the one who was born to be king. The Persians were well-acquainted with the Jewish Scriptures, and therefore the prophets, given the presence of the Jewish people in Persia during and after the exile.
This is an epiphany—a revelation. God’s Messiah is being revealed to the nations. Years later there was another epiphany, this time at the baptism of Jesus.
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17 ESV
Once again God acts to reveal Jesus to the world. In the Eastern churches, this event is the primary focus of the day of Epiphany. At his baptism Jesus is publicly revealed by the Father and the Spirit, and thus begins Jesus’ public ministry. As he himself said many times, he only did what he saw his Father doing, indicating the connection between Father and Son.
The third epiphany, or revelation, occurs at a wedding.
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
John 2:1-5 ESV
Here Jesus’ mother urges him to perform a miracle, to provide wine so as to avoid the shame and embarrassment the hosts would experience. Notice Jesus tells her, “My hour has not yet come”. It isn’t time for me to be fully revealed, yet! We see this idea more fully in Mark’s Gospel. There Jesus frequently tells people to not go around telling others who he is. He’s trying to control the timing. If he “rises” too quickly, he may be killed before he can fulfill all the prophesies. This is what he’s getting at here. His time is not quite ready, so he must be careful. Still, he performs the miracle and turns water into wine.
What is remarkable about this particular miracle is John very explicitly says Jesus has them fill stone water jars with water. He says these are ritual purification jars. They would be used for Jewish ritual purification rites. Jesus transforms them into wine jars, indicating that the things that were separated by the need for ritual purification were being brought near. More specifically, this act hints at the tearing of the veil that separated the Most Holy Place in the temple. Jesus knew his blood would so cleanse and purify his people—all of his people—so that they may enter into the direct, immediate presence of God.
This theme of Jesus not fully revealing his identity continues in the Gospels until a very specific event. At his birth we see wise men from the east, foreigners, coming to worship him. This was signaling a massive shift in the world. At the wedding at Cana he declared, “My hour has not yet come”. In John 7 the people sought to arrest Jesus but John declares Jesus’ hour had not yet come. In John 8 Jesus declares he is the light of the world and tells the people if they knew him, if they truly knew him, they would also know his Father. They wanted to arrest him but once again John says they did not, for his hour had not come. Then we come to chapter 12.
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
John 12:20-23 ESV
Quite interestingly these Greeks saw Philip and approached him. John points out he’s from Bethsaida in Galilee. He’s indicating Philip looked less Jewish and more Greek, likely due to hairstyle or clothing. They assumed he would also speak Greek and so they approached him. Again, this is John foreshadowing what’s about to happen. When Jesus hears that Greeks are searching for him, he declares, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified”.
It is when the nations come looking for him, seeking after him, that the timing is now right for his glorification. At Cana his hour had not yet come. When he was teaching in the temple his hour had not yet come. After raising Lazarus from the dead and entering Jerusalem triumphantly on a donkey his hour had not yet come. When the nations began searching for him, his hour had come. The time of his death was here.
There’s actually one more epiphany—and it’s the biggest. The decisive epiphany, or revelation of Jesus to the world, was here. John specifically numbers six signs pointing to Jesus’ true identity and purpose. His first sign was turning water into wine (John 2:1–11). His second was healing the official’s son with just a word (4:46–54). The third was healing the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (5:1–15). The fourth was feeding the 5,000 (6:1–14). The fifth was healing the man who was born blind (9:1–7). The sixth was raising Lazarus from the dead (11:1–44). John doesn’t label the seventh sign, but his entire Gospel points to it. The seventh sign confirms everything the earlier signs indicated. Seven is, of course, the number that represents completeness. So we see that Jesus doesn’t merely raise the dead: he conquers death itself. His resurrection is the definitive revelation of who he is and what he has claimed. John indicates there were many signs, but he only included specific signs.
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31 ESV
Jesus’ death and resurrection confirm his mission and purpose, and that mission and purpose are vast. As we saw last Sunday, it includes all nations. Just as the “mixed multitude” joined with ethnic Israel in the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:38), so the nations were always intended to be counted among God’s people.
“For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering.”
Malachi 1:11 ESV
The Psalms speak of this desire of the Lord for the nations.
Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Psalm 96:1-10 ESV
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.
Isaiah proclaimed this.
And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Isaiah 60:3 ESV
When the nations, exemplified by the Greeks in John 12, came to Jesus this prophesy was being fulfilled. The nations are coming to the light of the world. This is why the day of Epiphany matters. Jesus is no tribal deity, limited to a particular nation or people group. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He rules over the whole world and has come to save his people from every tribe and language and people and nation. As he does so he unites these disparate peoples into his chosen race, his royal priesthood, his holy nation, his people for his own possession.
Epiphany officially ends the Christmas season. Christmastide asks the question, “What Child is this?” Epiphany answers the question. He is no mere child. He is the Sovereign Lord, the Lamb of God, the one who sits at the right hand of the Father and reigns over his everlasting kingdom. He is the one who has conquered death after giving his life as a ransom for many. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, who will never lose one his Father has given him. He will never leave nor forsake them. He is the friend who is closer than a brother. He is Emmanuel—God with us.
Christmas shows us a Jesus partly revealed, yet still obscure. Epiphany reveals we don’t get to keep asking, “What child is this?”. For many Christmas is warm and fuzzy and really sentimental—and there’s nothing wrong with that! Epiphany, however, presents us all with a choice. We will either believe in him or we will refuse to believe in him. The child in the manger is the Sovereign Lord before whom each one of us will stand. Every nation on earth will bow before his power and glory. The one who humbled himself by becoming a human and by taking on the form of a servant and dying on a cross, fully revealed himself when he conquered death on the third day. The question each and every human being must answer is not, “What child is this”, but “When will I bow before him and confess he is Lord?”
This is the fate of every human being on the planet. Scripture is clear:
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 ESV
Every knee will bow, eventually. Epiphany reveals this. Those who gladly bow in this life will receive an inheritance that is kept in heaven, guarded until the Lord Jesus comes again. Eternal life begins now. Let us love the Lord and love our neighbors, that they, too, might gladly bow the knee in this life and receive Emmanuel, God with us.