Epiphany – which on the calendar is always January 6th, the 13th day after Christmas, the Christmas season having 12 days – has a few Bible stories that are associated with it. The alternate name for Epiphany used by the Eastern Church, Theophany, might help in understanding. It all relates to a God showing forth. It is a sudden manifestation of our recognition of God in our midst. Christmas isn’t necessarily an Epiphany because nobody other than Mary and Joseph, the angels and the shepherds, recognized that this was God in our midst. The Epiphany is when we recognize who Jesus is. This is also how the word Epiphany crosses over to our general usage which is something like the personal recognition of a large truth. But the largest often hidden truth is the Godhood of Jesus Christ.
The stories associated with Epiphany are first the Magi and the star. God was shown forth by those wise men and their gifts. They traveled to find the King of the Jews, most likely guided by their astrological star sign. And then arriving at the Jewish palace, they are guided by a moving star – probably an angel – and their dreams to Nazareth, a town not even on the maps. God started to make himself known to those far off. And those gentiles bring him gold, signifying a kingly crown, frankincense, signifying a priestly calling, and myrrh signifying a prophetic purpose. Jesus manifest early as prophet, priest and king.
The second story associated with Epiphany is our gospel lesson today- the boy Jesus in the temple. The teachers of the law, the Jewish sages of that day, taking notes from a 12 year old amazed at his understanding and answers. But it might be the Epiphany missed that is more open to meditation. Said of Mary, “they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.” That saying being “I must be in my Father’s house” to Mary’s chastisement of Jesus. His time was not yet. And so he returned and was submissive to them.
Which leads to the third story, the Wedding at Cana. It is a story that reverses the child in the Temple. Mary comes to Jesus about the problem with the wine. She knows now who he is and what he can do. Jesus says “It’s not my time.” But he then turns the water into wine performing “the first of the signs.” No longer submissive to Mary, Mary indicates it might be his time and tells everyone to do what he says. There is a very human interplay of the child desiring to move on early and the mother not ready morphing into the young man not wanting to set out and the good mother saying it is time.
The final story of Epiphany in the Baptism of Jesus. You get the full Theophany – God shining forth – in the voice of the Father, the descending dove of the Spirit and the Son exiting the waters. “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.” The gospel retellings are interesting. Matthew tells the theophany as being audible and visible to all. Mark tells it as Jesus alone heard and saw. John holds that he Baptist gave witness to the voice and the dove (John 1:32-34). And Luke our gospel this year? Luke drily reports that it happened without any comment. There is something of every Epiphany in there. Not everyone sees and hears the same thing. At least not at first. We all grow into real Epiphanies. They take time to process.
All these stories are early. All are before Jesus begins his active ministry. They are hints of what is to come, but to the attentive it is all there. Which I tend to think is exactly how God works in the this world. When he reveals himself, it is all there. God does not withhold himself. But we are only able to process so much at any one time. Some Epiphanies are probably too big for our one life. We will be pondering them in our hearts until the resurrection. Other parts are made clear early. It is part of the grace of God that he reveals himself to far away magi and very close mothers. And in that grace is his steadfast love, that wherever we are at, we might come to know Him more fully.