More or less, here’s my sermon from Epiphany Sunday at my two churches. As soon as I started studying for this sermon, the title popped into my head and wouldn’t leave, so I ran with it. I hope my attempt to share the story of the Magi and ponder whether they knew who they were visiting is a blessing to you! – Jonathan
Matthew 2:1-12 (NLT)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[b] and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[d]”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
During the weeks leading up to Christmas, two songs seem to be all over the place on the radio and playlists at gatherings: “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey and “Mary, Did You Know.” So many artists have covered this song, and I couldn’t name them all in the time we have today. I would be shocked if you didn’t know the song because I’m sure every one of us has heard it at least once. Perhaps you’ve heard it sung as a special here. Mary Did You Know initially written by Mark Lowry in 1984 and recorded by Michael English in 1991. I was surprised when I first learned that Mark Lowry wrote the song because I know him more as a comedian than a prolific music writer. Yet, he did. He has been part of the Gather Vocal Band and has some great singing chops.
I get the question in the song; Lowry wasn’t the first to question whether Mary truly understood what she was being asked to do and the significance of the baby she would bring into the world. For the record, I do believe that Mary knew. She wasn’t an idiot, and she undoubtedly knew what the angel Gabriel meant when he said to her, as recorded in Luke 1:31-33, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel[f] forever; his Kingdom will never end!””
Today is the day we observe the Epiphany, traditionally celebrated on January 6th. We remember when the Magi followed the star to Jesus’ house, paid tribute to him, and even worshipped him. Of all the people involved in the story of Jesus’ early days, the Magi are the ones I wonder about. Did they truly know who it was they were going to see? Did they understand the significance of their participation in the coming of the Messiah? Magi, Did You Know?
The Magi were far from dumb. These men were highly educated in many areas. Today, we may call them Renaissance Men, meaning they had knowledge of many fields but were not experts in most areas of study. Mike Leach, Mississippi State’s football coach who recently died, was considered such a man by many people. Another way of describing the Magi and Leach would be to say they knew a little about many things and were experts in a few areas. For Leach, it was pirates, war strategy, and the air raid offense. For the Magi, it was astrology.
Above all, they were seekers of truth, and when they saw a star that heralded the arrival of the long-promised King of the Jews, they were intrigued. As learned men, they were familiar with the prophecies of Isaiah, even if only in passing. They knew the signs and that God would let His people know when the Messiah arrived. So, when all of this started to come together, they had to go and see for themselves. They also knew that the right thing to do in the event they did meet the king was to pay him tribute, which they did with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We often imagine they each held a small box or bag of the stuff, but the more likely scenario was that they brought a lot of each and probably traveled in a caravan to carry it all. On top of being well-read, they were also a wealthy bunch.
When they stopped for directions and met up with Herod, I imagine they felt very uneasy when they heard his request. Sometimes, we “just know” something is off, and Herod’s words would have given me pause. Indeed, someone as powerful as Herod would have known the whereabouts of a king within his realm. One reason for suspicion would have been that this wasn’t right after Jesus was born. The Magi’s journey likely took months, more than enough time for Herod to have been informed of the presence of the so-called king of the Jews. The Magi knew something was up.
Did they know whom they were paying tribute to and even bowing to worship? If we believe in prevenient grace, we must assume they had at least an inkling. The gifts were indeed providential, as the gold and perfumes could be used to finance the family’s flight to Egypt to escape the edict of the firstborn males being killed. Frankincense and myrrh were commonly used, among other things, to prepare bodies for burial, thus creating an illusion of what was coming later for Jesus.
Did they know? If they didn’t, they came to understand once they saw Christ. I hope they came to a saving knowledge of him, but I am confident that their encounter, and God’s prevenient grace, helped the word to spread in their part of the world of what God had done to save his people. Who would have ever thought a group of wealthy pagan astrologers would have been the first to lay eyes on the Lord and presumably tell of him? Some of the most unexpected people to be the first evangelists because I’m pretty sure… they knew.
We say that we know and spend much time wondering if people like Mary and the Magi knew as well. But what about our knowledge? Do we know? Do we tell of the wonderous salvific love God has shown us in the Christ child? The definition of epiphany is “a manifestation of a divine or supernatural being.” The Magi had their epiphany. Have we? Perhaps, like the Magi and Mike Leach, we know a little about this and that about Jesus but are we experts? Do we know him and who he is? Do we know whose we are?
Mississippi’s new bishop, Sharma Lewis, has issued a Bible reading challenge for all United Methodists in Mississippi. I hope you will join me in this endeavor to read the Bible from cover to cover through 2023. So here’s a resolution: Become an expert in all things Jesus in 2023.