“I am the LORD; I have called you [the Messiah] in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them." – Isaiah 42:6—9
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you [the people of God]. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” – Isaiah 60:1—3
“Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John (c.f. Matthew —17)
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14—16
On the church calendar, this Sunday is the last Sunday of ordinary time following Epiphany, thus ending the time of Epiphany for this year. If you are a Reformed Protestant, you most likely weren’t even aware of this season in the Christian year. You probably pay attention to Christmas and Easter, and you might even be aware of the Advent and Lenten seasons. But, the Epiphany season is probably a bit of a mystery to most Reformed, Protestant, and Evangelical Christians.
So what is Epiphany all about? The common term “epiphany” comes from the Greek word epipháneia meaning appearance, manifestation, or showing. Maybe you’ve use the word epiphany to describe an “aha moment” that you recently had. Maybe you’ve heard someone talking about something they’ve recently learned, “I had a great epiphany last week.” These common uses of the word “epiphany” owe their usage to the Christian season of Epiphany. Epiphany (January 6) and the following Sundays of ordinary time leading up to Ash Wednesday and Lent, are an opportunity for us to celebrate Jesus being made known to the world. Epiphany (January 6) is usually when Christians think about the visit of the Magi and their “aha moment”, their realization that the helpless babe lying in a manger is the cosmic King of all. In subsequent Sundays, we think of little boy Jesus confounding the Teachers of the Law in the Temple
Now, here is where things get even more astounding, as the body of Christ, we are granted the honor of being the light of the world (Matthew —16). In our mystical union with Christ, the light of Christ shines in and through us to those around us. As the sun shines upon the moon, the Son of God shines upon us. And, as the moon reflects the sun’s radiance, we reflect the glory of God. God has made himself known to us and through us he is making himself know to others (2 Corinthians ).
THE EPIPHANY CHALLENGE:
First, with each passing day, do we expect Jesus to reveal himself to us with ever increasing depth? Do we read the Bible eagerly expecting to know God more vitally? And, do we live in such a way that we constantly look for the light of Christ to shine upon our daily lives?
Second, do we passionately live to shine the light of Christ? Do we expect Christ to show forth from us? Are we shining lights or flashing swords? Do our churches chase away the darkness of this life with light of God’s Word?
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