From Christmas Light To Epiphany's Star
As winter keeps the Northern Hemisphere in long nights, we stand between the simple settings of Christmas and the exotic events of Epiphany. This Sunday our readings take us from celebrating Christ's birth to witnessing how his divine light draws seekers from afar.
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Welcome to The Rhythm of Grace
Welcome to my weekly thoughts about how the ebb-and-flow of our lives beats with the rhythm of God's grace.
To experience this rhythm of grace, we'll explore the Gospel reading for each week, look at resources for our journey, and share stories with each other. Remember to subscribe in order to receive each update when it's published – plus, you can comment, too – which I hope you do. And, it's all free!
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The Sunday in-between
As winter keeps the Northern Hemisphere in long nights, we stand between the simple settings of Christmas and the exotic events of Epiphany. This Sunday our readings take us from celebrating Christ's birth to witnessing how his divine light draws seekers from afar.
If your house is like ours, most of the Christmas decorations have been put away. But, we're keeping our Christmas tree and nativity scene out until Epiphany on Monday, January 6. These lights that linger after the New Year are symbolic of today's theme. They represent how divine revelation continues to shine after the Nativity, drawing people from every nation into an encounter with Jesus.
This week two Gospel readings weave together the Word becoming flesh and the story of star-guided Magi. Connected, these stories show us how God's revelation moves from intimate incarnation to universal invitation. As you read, consider how your own journey of faith combines moments of personal encounter with an awareness of the worldwide impact of the story of Jesus.
We're dealing with a pair of New Testament passages that are seldom explored on a single Sunday. Let's read two scripture passages – one for Sunday, January 5 (John 1:1-18), and the other for Epiphany on Monday, January 6 (Matthew 2:1-12).
These passages are long, so I linked to them for your reference.
From Word to Wonder: The Light That Draws All People
Scripture Readings:
John 1:1-18 (NIV)
Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV)
Light Breaking Through
As we stand in the gap between Christmas and Epiphany, divine revelation unfolds like dawn breaking over the darkness of creation. The Gospel of John speaks of the Word becoming flesh - God taking on human form -
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. -John 1:14a NIV
While Matthew shows us this divine presence drawing seekers from distant lands.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” - Matthew 2:1-2 NIV
Together, these passages tell a profound story of how God makes the divine known in ways both intimate and universal.
A Journey of Recognition
Recognition often comes gradually, like when your eyes adjust to the morning light. In 13th century Italy, Francis of Assisi understood the need to make divine mysteries tangible when he created the first living nativity scene.
Today, most nativity displays continue this tradition of making the divine accessible, almost always combining the intimate local scene - Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, and local animals - with the exotic presence of the Magi.
Our own nativity scene, pictured below, was given to us by my parents after a trip to the Holy Land in the 1980s. It's made of olive wood, not expensive, but it has a certain charm to it. And, we actually have a set of twin shepherds (only one makes it out of the box each Christmas) because two of the shepherds are identical! Obviously, a packing error, but we found it amusing.
You also see the Wisemen right there in the stable with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, in addition to the shepherds and animals. Although not historically accurate, placing the Mesopotamian wisemen with Bethlehem's Jewish shepherds beautifully illustrates the universal reach of God's love. The same divine presence that drew local shepherds from their fields also guided foreign seekers across distant lands.
This combination - the rural shepherds of Bethlehem alongside the regal presence of the Magi - captures perfectly what these two scripture passages reveal: God announces his presence both in plain and simple ways, and by complex and profound means.
The Word Among Us
John's prologue takes us to the heart of Christmas mystery -
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
This isn't abstract theology but concrete reality. The same creative Word that spoke galaxies into existence chose to be born in a specific place, at a specific time, becoming as human and as local as any of us.
But this localness carries universal implications. Just as a stone dropped in water creates expanding ripples, the impact of God-in-human flesh reaches outward. John tells us this Word was --
"the true light that gives light to everyone."
Everyone - not just the religiously observant, not just the locals, but all who would seek truth.
Seekers in the Night
Enter the Magi - scholars, astronomers, outsiders who followed the light of a star. Their journey bonds John's cosmic Word with Matthew's historical Jesus. These foreign seekers represent humanity's quest for meaning, and our collective journey toward truth. The Magi came from a different religious tradition, guided by their own methods of seeking wisdom, yet God revealed the birth of the newborn King to them, too.
The Magi's presence at the manger tells us something vital about divine revelation - it speaks in multiple languages. The same God who inspired Hebrew prophecy also lit a star that Persian astronomers could decipher. The same truth that shepherds received through heavenly angels was revealed to eastern scholars through careful study of different heavenly bodies.
Grace Upon Grace, Wonder Upon Wonder
"From his fullness we have all received grace...," wrote John.
The story of the Magi illustrates this beautifully. They received the grace of guidance through the star, the grace of recognition when they found the child, and the grace of warning in their dream about Herod. Each grace built upon the previous ones, leading them into deeper understanding.
Their gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh - mirror this divine generosity. More than presents, the gifts represent their recognition of who this child is: King, God, and Savior. The Magi's offerings acknowledge the multiple dimensions of Christ's identity that John's Gospel proclaims.
Living Between Incarnation and Epiphany
As we stand between Christmas and Epiphany, these passages invite us to consider:
- How do we, like God-in-human-flesh, make our faith tangible and present in our world?
- How are we being led, like the Magi, to seek God's truth beyond our familiar territories?
- What gifts do we bring to honor the pre-eminence of God in our midst?
A Light for All People
The message emerging from these passages has a word for our diverse, searching world. Christ comes not just to one group, but to all people. He is revealed not just through one means but through many. The light John speaks of - the light that illuminates everyone - still shines, still draws seekers, and still reveals truth to those who receive it.
Whether we first encounter God through scripture, or through observing God's creation like the Magi, or through personal epiphanies, the invitation remains the same -
- to recognize that in Jesus, God has come to us,
- to receive His light that illuminates all people, and
- to join others in the ongoing journey of discovery and worship.
Would you pray with me?
Prayer:
God of revelation, who comes to us both in whispered intimacy and dramatic display, open our eyes to recognize your presence in expected and unexpected places. Grant us the wisdom of the Magi and the insight of John to see your truth, and the courage to follow where it leads. Amen.
Grace Notes
Each week I'll have some suggestions you might want to explore as we follow the rhythms of the Christian Year in our own lives.
Book of the Week:
"Rhythms of Life: The Biological Clocks that Control the Daily Lives of Every Living Thing" by Russell Foster & Leon Kreitzman. This is a classic book that helped popularize the notion of "the rhythms of life." They really do exist and it makes a fascinating read.
Music for the Journey:
If you're interested in a charming musical about the Magi, listen to Gian Carlo Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" – a delightful one-act operatic imagining of the Visit of the Magi written by Menotti for television in the early 1950s.
Imagine You Are a Wiseman (or Wisewoman):
Find a vantage point outdoors this week where you can spend 10 minutes in silence watching the night sky. Think about...
- the patience, planning and determination you would need to make a journey of several months and hundreds of miles to follow a strange star;
- the urgency that drives you and your colleagues on this spiritual quest;
- the importance of this new King of the Jews for you and your people;
- how your scholarly wisdom also allows for spiritual wonder in this journey.
Alternative: If you can't see the stars outside, light a single candle inside and contemplate how one light can dispel the darkness and guide your way.
Looking Ahead: The Grace of Beginning Again
Next Sunday we move from starlight to water as we witness Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River. Luke's account shows us how sacred moments often happen in ordinary places - a local river becomes the site of divine revelation. The text introduces themes of identity, calling, and the Spirit's presence.
Weekend Contemplation
As you transition from Epiphany to Jesus' baptism and the start of his public ministry, consider:
- How do moments of ending and beginning shape our spiritual journey?
- Where do you see God's grace in fresh starts?
- What guides your path forward?
Join us next week as we explore the rhythm of grace, flowing like a river, marking both endings and beginnings in our faith journey.
Scripture Preview for January 12, 2025: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
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