Throughout the years, Christians have celebrated the Christmas season in different ways. The Puritans, for instance, believed in the regulative principle of worship—that when it comes to worship, whatever Scripture does not command is forbidden. Since the Bible does not explicitly prescribe a Christmas celebration, the Puritans banned Christmas altogether.

Most have not taken this strong of a stand. While I agree that we should worship according to Scripture (Deut 12:31–32; Lev 10:1–3), I don’t believe that, in themselves, the seasons of the Church calendar really introduce any new elements into worship; it only organizes those elements that God sets for us to do. They are simply one way of ordering Scripture readings, hymns, and prayers according to the life of Christ and in a way that unites believers through time and across the world.

That being the case, I believe that how you use the Church calendar, or even whether you use it at all, is completely a matter of Christian freedom. Let me say that again: how you use the Church calendar, or even whether you use it at all, is completely a matter of Christian freedom. You can celebrate Christmas or not. You can celebrate Easter or not. That said, I thought I would give a personal reflection on the meaning of Epiphany, especially for a (former) gentile like myself.

Perhaps, first off, I should set Epiphany in context. If one were to travel back in time and worship with the ancient church, one would notice a clear distinction between Advent and Christmas. Advent is the four-week period immediately preceding Christmas Day. It is a time of waiting, of longing, of unfulfilled desires, and of engendering hope that those desires will one day be fulfilled when God makes all things new. As you stood in worship (that’s right, no pews) you would listen to passages from Scripture about the world being made right through judgment. And you would sing songs like “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”. The Spirit of this season is encapsulated in two guttural cries, which mark the Church in this age: “How Long, oh Lord” and “Come, Lord Jesus.”

But all the sudden, somewhere between the evening of December 24^th and the morning of December 25^th, the wonder of Christmas would break through the longing of Advent, a celebration that would last until January 6—the day of the Epiphany (for some good reflection on practicing Advent and Christmas in this manner, see these posts by John Haralson, pastor of Grace Seattle, PCA) .

So what is Epiphany?

Epiphany comes from a Greek word and means manifestation or appearance. In the Christian Tradition, Epiphany marks the manifestation or shining forth of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Early on, Christians in the West started their celebration of the birth of Christ on December 25. And for 12 days, the 12 days of Christmas, Christians would celebrate God’s faithfulness to his promises in sending his Son. This celebration would culminate with a reflection on how God’s son brought salvation to the nations, as represented in the Magi presenting their gifts to Jesus. Epiphany, therefore, is a celebration of the revelation of Christ to all the nations.

Okay, so what does that have to do with me?

Well, everything. You see God’s saving purpose has always been that through the seed of Abraham, he would bring salvation to all the peoples of the world (Gen 12:1–3).  However, because of their enslavement to sin, God’s people continually aborted their mission of being a light to the nations. But even if the people had abandoned their mission, God had not abandoned his. In the book of Isaiah God promised to restore his people and their mission:

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations (42:6).

And again:

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (49:6).

Though the nations of the world sat in a deep, deep darkness, without hope and without God (Eph 2:12), God refused to give up on his plan to bring them his light. And so in one breathtaking passage we read:

            Arise, shine, for your light has come,

                        and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

            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.

            Lift up your eyes all around, and see;

                        they all gather together, they come to you;

            your sons shall come from afar…

            They shall bring gold and frankincense,

                        and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.

            …

           The sun shall be no more

                        your light by day,

            nor for brightness shall the moon

                        give you light;

            but the LORD will be your everlasting light,

                        and your God will be your glory.

            Your sun shall no more go down,

                        nor your moon withdraw itself;

            for the LORD will be your everlasting light,

                        and your days of mourning shall be ended.

            Your people shall all be righteous;

                        they shall possess the land forever,

            …

            I am the LORD;

                        in its time I will hasten it. (Isaiah 60)

And he did. A “light” did shine upon those walking in darkness. And in Matthew 2 we read about some “Wise Men” who come from a distant land. Why did they travel so far? They were following a “star that arose” (v3). And their expressed purpose: “to worship him” to whom it pointed (vv 3, 10). And they did. How? The text says that opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh (v11). These would be the first Gentile Christians that we find in the New Testament and the first sign that God had made good on his promise and plan to save the nations.

Being a non-Jew myself, Epiphany is extremely meaningful. For had not God made good on his promise, had he not remained committed to his plan, I would still be dwelling in deep darkness. But lo and behold the true light, which gives light to everyone, came into the world (Jn 1:9). And we have seen his glory (1:14). And if you have followed this light, if you have seen what the wise men saw, then no doubt, like the wise men, you have bowed before him as well. When the wise men arrived they reliquished their “treasure”. But why? To a baby who they know little to nothing about? For those of you who have encountered him, you know why: because in him they found the greatest treasure of all. These are our models, our parents in the faith.

Epiphany means worship. It means treasuring Christ. But Epiphany means something else for me as well. God’s plan has always been to bring the light of his salvation to a dark and dying world through his people. And for those of us who have worshipped this Messiah, that means us. God’s plan is that "we should be a light for the nations," "a city set on a hill," "that his salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” And even now God refuses to give up on his plan. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (Jn 1:5), not in Bethlehem and not in Santa Barbara either. So press on: 

The LORD will be our everlasting light, and our God will be our glory.

Happy Epiphany!