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THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD January 6, 2026 Pastor Tom Steers Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church Martin Luther's writings and sermons for the Day of Epiphany emphasize that God uses Scripture to reveal His Son to the Magi and to us. Luther's 1522 sermon for the Epiphany explains why the Lord guided the wise men to Bethlehem through His Word rather than solely by the star. This approach served to teach adherence to the Holy Scriptures as the source for finding Christ. The Reformer explained, "In them He desires to be found, and nowhere else.” Our Bible Readings: Old Testament – Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-15 Epistle – Ephesians 3:1-12 Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12 Our Hymn for the Day from Lutheran Service Book is: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Annointed” HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=LHDPX3ZQQWS&LIST=RDLHDPX3ZQQWS&START_RADIO=1 THE SERMON – In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Epiphany is the feast of God’s shining, a celebration of the great gift of Christ being unwrapped. It is a commemoration of divine light breaking into a darkened world. Christ is revealed not only to Israel, but to all people who were far off. As Isaiah proclaims, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” That glory is not an idea, nor a philosophy. It is not a vague, spiritual glow. The redeeming glory is a Child, truly human, truly divine, born in Bethlehem in humility, yet bearing the salvation of the world. Matthew tells us that wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” They had seen His star when it rose, and they had come to worship Him. Already here we see the great mystery of Epiphany. God reveals His Christ to those who did not know Him by birth or blood, but by His revelation. The Magi are Gentiles. They’re outsiders to the covenants and promises of Israel. Yet they’re drawn, summoned, guided by God. A lot of ink has been spent over the centuries on who the Magi were. Were they astrologers, astronomers, scholars, kings, or priests? How many were there, and exactly where did they come from? Scripture doesn’t satisfy our curiosity on these points. Instead, the Bible directs us to what truly matters. God revealed Christ to them. He did so by a star in the heavens, but far more importantly, by His Word on earth. When the Magi arrive in Jerusalem, the star alone does not lead them to Christ. It brings them first to the Holy City, not the Child. For that, God uses His written Word. Herod summons the chief priests and scribes and asks where the Christ is to be born. They answer by quoting the prophet Micah, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel . . . .” (Micah 5:2) This is crucial in the Epiphany account. These Gentiles have read and followed Holy Scripture. They know a King worthy of being worshipped by foreigners is to be born in Israel. The location of the Saviour’s birth, Bethlehem, is foretold in Scripture. That same Word speaks of His eternal nature, “whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” This is how the Almighty continues to work today. God doesn’t reveal Christ to us by signs in the sky or internal feelings, but by His Word. As the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians, this mystery “was made known to me by revelation.” And that mystery is this: “the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” The Epiphany Good News is not merely that Christ exists. It is that Christ is given. Given to all nations. Given through the Word entrusted to and proclaimed in the Church. Martin Luther, preaching on this text in his 1522 Church Postil, makes this point with great clarity. He says the star was a servant, but the Word was the true guide. Luther wrote, “The star does not remain, but the Scripture remains and must guide them.” The Reformer explained, “God does not wish to lead us by new revelations, but by His Word.” This is a deep, comforting truth. Our faith doesn’t depend on fleeting signs or extraordinary experiences. It rests on the sure and true, inerrant Word of God. The same Word that pointed the Magi to Bethlehem, now leads us to Christ. That Word is found where God has promised. In His Church, in the means of grace. In the preaching and teaching of the Gospel, through which the Holy Spirit works faith within us. In the waters of Holy Baptism. In the body and blood of Christ given and shed for us. The Magi, once directed by the Word, rejoice with great joy. They find the Child with Mary, His mother. They fall down and worship Him. They open their treasures and offer gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts are not payments. They’re confessions. Gold confesses Christ as King. Frankincense confesses Him as God. Myrrh confesses Him as the One who will suffer and die. Even here, at Epiphany, the shadow of the cross is present. The light that shines in Bethlehem will one day shine from Calvary. The Child revealed to the nations is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Psalm 72 echoes this Epiphany joy when it declares, “May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render Him tribute.” And Isaiah foretells it when he proclaims that nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. All of this finds its fulfillment in Jesus. Yet there is a sober warning in this Gospel as well. Herod hears the same Word the Magi hear. He’s reminded of the prophecy. He now knows where Christ is to be born. But instead of worship, he responds with murderous hatred. The same Word that creates faith in the Magi hardens Herod’s heart. This reminds us that Epiphany is not only revelation, but also division. The light of Christ exposes what lies in the darkness. Some rejoice. Others resist. Yet God’s purpose is not thwarted. He warns the Magi in a dream, and they return home by another way. They carry the light they’ve received back into the world from which they came. So it is with us. Having seen Christ by faith, we are sent back into our vocations bearing His light. Not as saviours. But as witnesses. We do not reveal Christ by our cleverness or holiness. We reveal our Lord by pointing to His Word. By confessing what has been revealed to us. Luther beautifully summarizes this Epiphany faith when he writes that the Magi, “allow themselves to be taught, not by their own thoughts, but by the Scriptures.” That is the posture of the Church. We receive what God reveals. And we worship the Christ whom the Word makes known. It shines in Christ. It shines for Jews and Gentiles alike. For sinners. For us. We have not seen His star in the sky. But we’ve heard His Word. And that is enough. For in that Word, Christ Himself comes to us, forgives us, and leads His forgiven children to eternal life. To Him be glory in the Church, now and forever. Amen.