After the fun of Christmas, it can be easy to want to take down the Christmas tree and move on quickly. But it can also be a blessing to remember that for Christians, the powerful message of Christmas continues through the weeks of Epiphany (when we celebrate the visit of the Wise Men), all the way up until the Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas) on February 2nd (when we remember Jesus the child being presented at the Temple).
Epiphany offers us a rich wealth of images and themes to help us understand more about the meaning of the Incarnation. At the centre of the story is the coming of the Magi from a distant land in search of the child born to be King. After a difficult journey, the discovery at the end of their efforts was unlike anything they expected – a stable rather than a palace. What does this say to us about our own expectations of who God is?
The travellers were foreigners and Gentiles, showing that the love of Jesus is for everyone and not just a chosen few. What does this say about how we approach outreach? Do we prefer to welcome people ‘just like us’ to church or are we truly inclusive and open-hearted?
Tradition says that there were three Wise Men because of the three gifts. The truth is we don’t know how many people were in the stable that day! But there were certainly two kings in the Epiphany story and their styles of kingship are dramatically contrasted – the dictatorial tyranny of Herod and the servant-hearted kingship of God manifested in the innocence of a newborn child. A King in his palace and a King among the people. What does that say about leadership?
There is another theme that perhaps we may find particularly reassuring. The Wise Man faced many challenges and adversity to get to Jesus, but were led by a bright star guiding their way. We enter 2025 against a backdrop of terrible wars, injustice, continuing austerity and climate change – but Epiphany reminds us that despite everything we have hope because we are led by God, who does not abandon us but guides us back to the heart of worship, to the crib of the infant Jesus, to the foot of the cross, and finally home to his everlasting Kingdom.
With love and best wishes for the new year,
Revd Jemima