The Epiphany of our Lord – January 4, 2026

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Magi traveled a long way. They went from their home in the east all the way to Jerusalem.

And then from Jerusalem, they went down to Bethlehem. And then from Bethlehem,

they went back home again.

Along that journey, they experienced good days and bad days. joy, and sorrow.

Yet through it all, both the star and the scriptures guided them to Jesus.

So also, on our journey to heaven, there will be good and bad days.

There will be days of joy and sorrow, but through it all, the scriptures point us to Jesus.

They guide us on our way to heaven.

While Judah was in exile in Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Daniel as

being in charge of all the wise men, what perhaps were like astrologers and things like that.

Daniel most likely taught the wise men that the promised Messiah would be a savior for them as well.

They're Gentiles. Our epistle lesson, Paul said that the gospel now goes out to all nations.

Epiphany is, you might say, the Gentile Christmas.

Daniel also would have taught them that when the Savior will be born,

then a star will come out of Jacob, Numbers 24.

This promise of a coming Savior was likely passed down to generation after generation,

all the way down for 600 years.

Can you imagine the promise of the Savior being passed down for 600 years there in Babylon?

When the Magi finally saw the star, they believed with certainty that the Savior has been born.

So they packed their bags, they loaded up the gold and frankincense and myrrh,

they loaded their camels and set out for a long journey.

Apparently the star that led them was no more. Where do they go?

Well, they went to Jerusalem.

And though they rejoiced in the Savior being born from home,

they were compelled by faith to seek out their Savior in person.

They traveled in order to worship the Christ and to give him gifts.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they asked a simple question.

Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?

We saw his star when it rose, and we come to worship him. Very simple question.

But no one in Jerusalem knew anything about the birth of Christ.

Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews, and it was the religious place,

the center of religious life.

Yet no one knew anything about the birth of Christ, not even King David.

I mean, King Herod knew anything about the Christ being born.

Now put yourself into the place of the Magi. What would be going through your mind?

Are the promises of the Messiah recorded in Scripture really true?

Should we trust in God's Word, or should we trust in what our eyes and ears

tell us, that no one knows anything about this child?

Did we make this long journey for nothing? Do we give up, turn around, and go back home?

When you go through trial and tribulation, when your days are filled with sorrow

and sadness, what do you do? Where do you turn?

Do you rely on the promises of God's Word, or do you rely on what you see and

feel around you and your own human reason?

We live in a fallen, sin-filled world. Trouble, trial, tribulations,

and suffering and pain are real, and they're all around us.

We endure them day after day. We suffer from our own sin, and we suffer from the sin of others.

In the midst of these struggles, our sinful flesh tempts us to doubt God's promises.

It tempts us to curse God, to turn away from Him, and to seek comfort in the pleasures of the world.

But do not give in to the flesh. Instead, cling to the promises found in God's

word that he does love you and he does care about you.

Holy Scripture declares that Christ is your refuge and strength,

the very present help in trouble. He is your good shepherd and you are his dear lamb.

He watches over you and God forgives all your sin on account of Christ's death and his resurrection.

Did the Magi doubt the scriptures? No, they did not.

They did not ask, has the king of the Jews been born?

Rather, they asked, where?

Where is the king of the Jews? Where is he? We know he's born.

You see, they believed that he is born. They only asked, where can he be found?

They trusted in God's word, what God's word had promised, rather than what all

of Jerusalem seemed to deny.

Scripture shaped their faith, not public opinion or human reason.

Did Herod believe that the Christ child, the king of the Jews,

has been born? Yes, he did.

Herod believed that the Christ had been born not so that he might worship him,

but so that he might destroy him.

Herod's claim that he wants to worship the Christ child is a lie.

Herod feared a rival king and would not stop at anything to secure his power.

Did the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem believe that the promised Savior is born? Well, most likely not.

They showed no joy or eagerness to the news brought by the Magi.

They likely assumed that if anyone should be privileged to hear about the birth

of a Savior, it should be them.

They wondered, who are these foreigners from the East bringing news of a Savior?

Yet the prophet Isaiah had prophesied in Isaiah chapter 60, our Old Testament

Isaiah 60 · chapter mention

reading for today, that nations will come to your light.

And it goes on to talk about camels coming and people giving gold and gifts.

So the Jewish leader should have recognized that the prophecy in Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 60 · chapter mention

60 is being now fulfilled among them.

Because Gentiles are coming from the east to worship the Christ,

yet they remained in their unbelief.

Did all of Jerusalem believe that the Messiah has been born? Well, we don't know.

But we do know that they were troubled. Well, why were they troubled?

Well, they were troubled because Herod was troubled.

And you don't want Herod to get mad because bad things happen.

So they feared Herod more than they feared the one true God.

They followed Herod rather than the Word of God.

Like Herod, our culture seeks to destroy Christ and his teaching.

It wants nothing to do with Christianity or the Word of God.

Therefore, do not follow the pagan culture of our world.

Do not be like Herod who opposed Christ out of fear and pride.

Do not be like the Jewish leaders who trusted in their own status and their

works rather than in God's word.

Do not be like the crowds in Jerusalem who feared Herod more than they feared God and his word.

Instead, hear the preaching of God's word. Receive the gospel for the forgiveness of all your sins.

Persevere in the faith, even in the midst of a hostility from an unbelieving world.

Continue to trust in Christ as your Savior. Cling to the promises found in Scripture.

The Magi were told that according to Malachi chapter 5, that the Savior was

supposed to be born in Bethlehem.

So trusting in God's word, they set out for Bethlehem.

And as they went, the star that first appeared to them reappeared, and it went before them.

And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

And the star led them to where the infant Jesus was located.

They found the baby and the mother Mary.

They knelt down on their knees. They worshipped the infant Jesus,

and they gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Then God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. Don't go back to Herod.

And so they listened to what God's word told them, and they returned to their country another way.

All said and done, the Magi relied on the promises found in God's word.

And even when they encountered difficulty and confusion in Jerusalem,

they did not turn back. They persevered.

They clung to the scriptures. They followed the word. And the scriptures,

together with a star, led them to Jesus.

Jesus, too, was on a journey from heaven above.

He went from heaven above to earth. And after the resurrection He ascended back up to heaven again.

Jesus' life on earth began when he was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb

of the Virgin Mary. He was born there in Bethlehem.

And Jesus' public ministry began when he was baptized in the Jordan River.

And throughout his ministry, he preached good news to the poor.

He healed many with frail and diseased bodies.

He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.

They did not believe that he, Jesus, is the promised Savior and King.

Jesus was indeed a king, and he is the king of the Jews, not a king like Herod.

Jesus' mission was not to seize power from the people, but rather to suffer and die for the people.

And on what we call Good Friday, Jesus made the perfect payment for our sin by means of his blood.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sin and the sin of the whole world,

and he died in order to reconcile us with the Father.

The Magi were right. Jesus is the king of the Jews, and the gifts they brought

were fitting for him. Gold is fitting for a king.

Frankincense was used in the sacrifices offered by the priests,

pointing to Jesus, who is the real high priest himself, and as a fragrant offering

for the sins of the whole world.

And finally, myrrh was used for burial, is a burial ointment for the body of

the dead, anticipating Jesus' death and burial.

But death did not have a final word.

Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated our enemies of death and the devil.

And 40 days later, he ascended to the right hand of the Father.

Throughout his journey from heaven to earth and back to heaven again,

Jesus never threw in the towel.

He never gave up. He persevered. He remained faithful to his mission given to him by the Father.

You too are on a journey, a journey to heaven.

And on your journey, don't be like the chief priests and the teachers of the

law who doubted God's word.

Instead, believe in God's word, even when it goes against human reason.

Believe that God saved you in the waters of holy baptism. Believe that Christ

gives you his body and blood here at the altar.

Believe that God deeply cares about you, even in good days and in bad.

And do not be like Herod. Do not resist or oppose Christ, but remain faithful

to God's word, trust in his word,

receive the forgiveness of sins, cling to Jesus alone for your salvation,

and in faith, worship Christ as your Savior.

On your journey to heaven, God's word will guide you.

It will instruct you on how to live as a Christian, what to do and what not to do.

It will warn you of the dangers of idolatry and immorality and sin.

On your journey to heaven, the gospel will be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.

It will keep you in the narrow way and it will strengthen your faith in Christ.

By faith, you listen to God's word, and you believe in the promises of God.

By faith, you receive gifts, not gold and frankincense and myrrh,

but gifts of life and salvation.

Jesus is your true treasure.

And by faith, you give up everything, and you go to where Jesus and his gospel are found.

And by faith, you freely support God's kingdom.

A star does outlead you to Christ.

Rather, the gospel leads you to Christ.

Here in this house of worship, Christ is present.

You hear his word, and he reminds you of your love and care.

He reminds you that he washed you in the waters of baptism, and he gives you

his body and blood here at the altar. On your journey, Jesus will be your epiphany star.

Jesus will guide you safely home to heaven. Amen.