Why God's Mission Needs Epiphany

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For about five weeks, at the turn of each year, the Church remembers the Incarnation of God—the story where God put on flesh and blood to be with us to save the world. Epiphany is what we call the days that conclude this story-season that began in Advent and then became Christmastide. During Epiphany, we celebrate that God's vision of healing and redemption is for the entire world, not just a select few. Of all the seasons of the Christian year, Epiphany speaks most directly to the mission of God in the world. This is what Advent and Christmastide have been for this whole time.

The feast of Epiphany begins on January 6, immediately following the 12 days of Christmastide. Depending on your tradition, Epiphany is either celebrated up to February 2, the feast of Candlemas, or until Ash Wednesday. We celebrate the climax of God turning darkness to light, and we defiantly proclaim that Jesus is the light of the world. We remember the visit of the wise men to Jesus and Mary and Joseph. When I was growing up, our family attended a Methodist church with its own traditional Epiphany service. We would sing "We Three Kings," and the gothic sanctuary would be lit up with hundreds of candles. Every member of the congregation would light their own candle as they exited the sanctuary into the darkness of the evening.

The Christian calendar tells us the story of Jesus anchored by two big ideas--Incarnation (Advent-Christmas-Epiphany) and Resurrection (Lent-Easter-Pentecost). The seasons of Incarnation utilize the metaphor of darkness turning to light, and the seasons of Resurrection from death to life. Both of these include three movements that lead from our human rebellion and frailty to God's extraordinary and surprising work to the inclusion of all humanity. Like Pentecost, Epiphany reminds us that the beneficiary of God's mission involves every person on earth.


Epiphany in the story of Israel


The creation and un-creation of the world that we read in Genesis 1–11 are universal stories. When God then approaches Abram in chapter 12, God says, "All the families on earth will be blessed through you." God's promise to Abram will impact all of humanity.

Generations later, a prophet echoes this sentiment, going so far as to anticipate that foreign kings would come to God's city,

“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.
Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.
All nations will come to your light;
mighty kings will come to see your radiance.”

When outsiders call upon God in such a way, this is Epiphany. This is God's dream--God's mission--for the restoration of creation.


Epiphany and the Wise Men


Contrary to most pop culture reenactments of the nativity scene, the wise men aren't at the manger. Matthew is the only gospel that shares the story of the magi (Greek for wise men, or royalty with knowledge of deep spiritual mysteries). According to Kenneth Bailey, "from the east" is a colloquial expression for anything east of the Jordan River, and these men of royalty are most likely from southern Arabia.

This is a story about kingship and true power. If we read it carefully, we see a chess match between the magi and Herod (pay careful attention to the author's use of the words king and messiah). The irony is thick when a group of Gentile kings comes ready to worship Jesus when the Jewish king (though a puppet of Caesar) doesn't know what's going on. We should see in Herod something like Denethor in Tolkien's Return of the King, a steward who has forgotten his true role.

That the people who should recognize Jesus' true nature don't while those who shouldn't are the ones who do is a major theme in Matthew's gospel. A later standoff with the Pharisees about Sabbath leads to a quote from Isaiah 42: "He will proclaim justice to the nations [Greek, ethne]... His name will be the hope of all the world [ethne]." And it's Matthew that ends with the Great Commission: "Go and make disciples of all nations [ethne]." This thesis in Matthew that the good news is for all the world finds its origin in the story of the magi.


Epiphany and the end of the story


One of my favorite TV shows is Lost, and for several seasons of that show, the antagonists were "The Others." The big narrative conflict in the story of the New Testament is what to do with "The Others"—the Gentiles, i.e., the nations. The Greek word is ethne, which we might understand as "people groups that are not Israel." The English word ethnic comes from this.

The visions in Revelation speak powerfully to this dramatic thread that goes all the way through Matthew 2, Isaiah 60, to Genesis 12 and Abraham. "After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation [ethnous] and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands" (Revelation 7:9).

The conclusion of Revelation offers this vision, echoing the Epiphany themes of light and gifts from human royalty:

”I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

These visions cut the legs out from every form of xenophobia and racism human beings imagine. In Epiphany, we take note that there is plenty of room at God's table for people who do not look like us.



Epiphany is for seekers


The story of the magi should lead us to expect to be surprised by Epiphany. When Jesus appears among us, we should be surprised by who comes out of the woodwork looking for him. Epiphany is for people who are looking for Jesus and have yet to see him in any organization or institution. Epiphany is for every outcast. It's for every outsider to join in the parade with their own gift and singing their version of, "O come, let us adore him." Epiphany is for every seeker, hungry to find the true king of all creation.



What do we do in Epiphany?


Here are just a few activities to commemorate Epiphany with your family or church:

  • Light candles. King Jesus is the light of the world, and Jesus invites his disciples to be light in dark places. Candles remind us of our vocation.

  • Chalking of the doors. This is a simple tradition of intentionally marking our homes as outposts of God's mission in our neighborhoods.

  • Three kings crowns. If you have young kids, this is a fun way to remember that we are all "Sons of Adam" and "Daughters of Eve," and therefore royalty with gifts to bring Jesus.

  • Share a meal with a stranger. Make space around your table for someone with a different perspective or from a different culture.

  • Worship with a congregation that doesn't look like you. Visit a local ethnic church that worships Jesus in a different culture from your own.

  • Read a book from a Christian cultural perspective different from your own. Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys, Jesus and the Disinherited, and Water Buffalo Theology are a few of my favorites.


    However, you celebrate Epiphany, remember God's mission. God's shalom work in the world is healing more than just me. It's for everybody.

    If you want to dig deeper into Epiphany and the all the season of the Christian year, be sure to check out     Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality Through the Christian Year by Robert Webber.

Peter White