Epiphany

Feast of the Epiphany

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”

After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

The three gifts of the Magi are reflective of the threefold ministry carried out by Jesus: 

Kingly Shepherd <> True High Priest <> Prophet of God

Gold	Gold is that gift fit for a king. All authority has been given to Jesus by the Father. But Jesus does not exercise this authority as those who lord over their subjects with a heavy hand. Rather, he cares for his own, like a shepherd, leading them to life giving places where they can prosper and grow.
Frankincense	Incense is used by the High Priest in the sacrificial offerings made on the altar. Each sacrifice offered is a sign of the peoples total and unconditional consent to God's divine plan. The fragrance of the incense, filling the altar, confirms the integrity of heart with which Jesus offered his "yes" to the Father.
Myrrh	The role of the prophet is to be the voice of God speaking to all peoples, revealing God's plan for all creation and man's true purpose and destiny. But every prophet who speaks the truth, must face the wrath of the enemies of truth. The gift of myrrh, which is used to anoint the body for burial, foretells Jesus battle to the death with the prince of all evil and Jesus' ultimate victory over sin and death by his resurrection and ascension to the Father's right hand.  ............................................................................................

We now have a picture of the three key elements that make up the Christian life, namely: 

WORD <> WORSHIP <> SERVICE

We will see in the threefold temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, Satan attacking Jesus in each of these, in order to deceive Jesus and cause his downfall. It will be our experience that we too must undergo the same threefold testing.

For more on the threefold structure of the Christian life go to the page: Praying On A Passage of Scripture