[Sermon Archive]

This Week's Sermon The Epiphany of Our Lord 06 January 2007 "Arise, Shine, for Your Light Has Come" LSB Series C Pastor Philip G. Meyer Soli Deo Gloria!

Epiphany is the season of light, as is no other season in the liturgical year. Not even Christmas can match the opulence of Epiphany, even though people decorate their homes with light only for Christmas. Epiphany is the climax of the Christmas season, this day being the 12th Day of Christmas.

Christmas is humble, Epiphany is much more boisterous. "Arise, Shine, for Your Light Has Come," wrote the prophet Isaiah of this event of the Epiphany of Jesus Christ. The word "Epiphany" means unveiling, uncovering. At Christmas Jesus came as a baby in very humble circumstances. Now at Epiphany the veil is pulled back and his real identity becomes evident. Here is not merely an ordinary child, but the Son of God, the Creator himself in human flesh. The appointed Psalm for Epiphany gives a much more direct picture of Christ's identity.

"Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!" (Psalm 72:1, ESV)

The Psalmist writes:

"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light." (Psalm 36:9, ESV)

Consider the utter spiritual darkness of our world. We certainly appear to be descending further and further into the darkness of selfishness and hate. Of late one would have to be completely in the dark [!] to fail to notice the extreme narcissism of our culture. Narcissism can be defined as vanity, self-absorption, self-importance, egotism. Nowhere is it more prevalent than about the young celebrities of our culture. I find it a curious inner contradiction that such individuals are called "stars" by the media. Stars in the sky give off light, yet these "stars" are more like a black hole which absorbs light. Consider the outrageous things that these pop culture "stars" have done to get attention, the hard partying, hard drinking, drug-taking, sexually provocative and outrageous behavior that has been in the headlines lately. All of it seems to be for a purpose: "Look at me! Love me! Pay attention to me!" In particular, these young women seem to have a desperate need coupled with incredible self-centeredness, or narcissism.

Or you can consider the utter darkness of the political world. King Herod presents himself as a rather typical despotic tyrant when, threatened by the Epiphany of Jesus, seeks and accomplishes a murderous solution. He is no different than any one of a number of present day despots who murder any rivals, from the yet to be discovered Russian officials who murdered the man who appeared to solve the murder of another Russian official. His murder by radiation poisoning has created an international uproar. And there are the despots ruling in Africa or Cuba or in any of the Islamic nations. Sudan's president stands out as a particularly loathsome individual as he has presided over the genocide of millions of his fellow countrymen because they are Christians. When evil has the spotlight of God's light shone on it, evil strikes back to reassert its darkness.

But evil cannot put out God's Light! Jesus has been revealed as this world's Savior at Bethlehem. The star brought the Magi to the infant Jesus where they presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and tonight you experience the gift of frankincense as its lovely odor wafts through our sanctuary. It is the odor of royalty, of God's Son!

Jesus is the Savior for all the world. That facet of the Holy Gospel becomes prominent in the Epiphany season. Gentiles, people who were not among the chosen people, have salvation brought to them, too, regardless of race, nationality, sex, or economic status. The Light, who is our Lord Jesus Christ, for he said, "I am the Light of the world" [John 8.12].

The forces of darkness seek to put out the Light today, just as Herod did. A 19 December column by Megan Basham told of a Christian organization in India which works among the children of Dalits, India's lowest caste. They are bringing the Gospel to them and establishing schools among these most despised of India's citizens. Yet, recent reports tell of families forced out of their communities because they became Christians, students in one Bible school who were beaten and threatened with being burned alive by a mob, and where all their Gospel literature was burned. A regional director of the program acknowledged that such incidents were common in this region. Even more, in one place last Easter, masked men interrupted a church service and removed all the men from the building and then beat the women and children nearly to death. The intruders also burned a sanctuary under construction. All of this because Christian missionaries dared to bring the Gospel to the Dalits, the lowest caste of India. These people, sometimes known as "the untouchables," are being enlightened by the light of Christ.

We need to have a sober view of Satan's desire to keep the world in darkness. He rages, commits murder and mayhem, but he cannot win because God's Light has come. It sometimes seems to us that the darkness is winning, but it cannot and will not win. Epiphany proclaims that our Light has come! Already on Christmas Day the Evangelist John reassured us:

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5, ESV)

Some would like another Epiphany of our Lord, one with power and great might. Indeed, that happens at the Second Coming, but this is not that time. This time is still God's time of grace. Epiphany proclaims that heaven's door remains open so long as it is "today," as the Apostle Paul writes. During this time Christ's Epiphany takes place in Word and Sacrament. Epiphany keeps us glued to God's Word, God's revelation, the place where God tells us that we will find the Christ. The star pointed to Jesus. The Word is the star today, and the Word points to Christ and to his presence among us in his Word and Sacraments. Here in the Sacrament of the Altar is the Epiphany of Christ. Here he unveils himself to you through the eyes of faith. You here receive him in bread and wine. Under this bread and wine he has promised to be present in grace for you. Here he shows himself to you. This gracious Epiphany takes place at every Divine Service. In the light of God's Word and Sacraments we indeed see Christ himself.

And so it remains for God's people to "Arise and Shine" because your light has come. Christ himself is here, and his presence is glorious and beautiful! Jesus is your Savior! Jesus is the Savior of all people! Jesus is the Savior of the whole world! May God's Light continue to shine forth in all the places where darkness yet reigns!