The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles

A blessed New Year of Grace 2014, a joyful Christmastide and a happy Epiphany to all! God bless you!

‘Those who once worshipped the stars are now led by a star to worship thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to follow thee, the Orient on High.’ This beautiful prayer from the ancient Byzantine rite refers to the wondrous mystery of our orthodox faith which we celebrate on 6^th January, the Epiphany, or as the Prayer Book describes it, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. This feast declares the self-revelation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the only-begotten Word of the Father. Jesus is the Light of the world; He is the Life and Light of men (Saint John 8.12, Saint John 12.36, Saint John 1.9). The Catholic creed professes Him ‘Light of Light.’ Jesus Christ, the Lord of the universe, of Jews, of Gentiles, of all creation, shines upon a world darkened by death and sin. He comes to set the world alight with the brilliance of His divine power, presence, resurrection.

What is the significance of the title of this feast as provided by the Book of Common Prayer? The Jewish Messiah of Israel, the Promised One of the true covenant people, reveals Himself as the universal Saviour of the whole human race, the redeemer of creation and Head and Author of the new created order and the new redeemed human family, the Church. He shows the Gentiles, those races and nations originally outside the old covenant, that they are now called to divine life and salvation. Christians are often tempted simply to think and act as though Our Lord were Himself a Gentile – but not so – it is as the Jewish Messiah that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, the Davidic Priest-King, comes to bring the Gentiles into communion with God (Ephesians 2.11-22).

The word epiphano in the koinetic Greek means ‘to shine forth, manifest, reveal, illuminate, cast light upon.’ From it, we garner the English term ‘Epiphany.’

In the Holy Scriptures and according to the Holy and Apostolic Tradition, there are at least three Epiphanies or manifestations of the Lord Jesus as the Eternal and Incarnate Word. Our Prayer Book liturgy will dwell on each in the weeks to come:

1. Specifically, on the Feast of the Epiphany itself, we celebrate on 6th January theVisit of the Magi (Saint Matthew 2.1-12). The number of three Magi is not identified in the New Testament; rather, the sacred number is only given by Tradition. Magi were Persian astrologers and students of the sky, observers of natural phenomena and rulers of the people. They are the representatives of the Gentile world who come to adore the new-born King of all men. The three Magi manifest the three major races of mankind; they represent the whole of mankind in his three main races, European, Asian, African. The ethne or Gentiles nations, personified in the wise men, come to submit to and worship their Lord and the King of all. Saint Hilary of Poitiers, an eminent Church Father of the West, interprets the holy gifts offered to Christ by the Three Kings:

• Gold: the honour of royalty, gold shows forth Christ as King of the Universe and of the Gentiles.
• Frankincense: incense is always used in the Old and New Testaments in the worship of the Most High God, representing Deity and Divinity.
• Myrrh: a spice used for burial, it symbolises the Death, Burial, and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Who is King, God, and Sacrifice: Our Lord is the crucified and risen God, the Messiah-King.

2. The Baptism of Christ. In the Epiphany of His Baptism, Christ is manifested, revealed as the Messiah, and anointed with the Holy Ghost in His humanity as the Incarnate Son. In being baptised, the God-Man also sanctifies the water of our own Baptism into Him. Christ’s Baptism is, as well, the first and most vital manifestation of God as Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The voice is that of the Father, the Son is baptised and revealed in His human nature, and the Spirit is seen as the dove descending on Christ (Saint Matthew 3.13-17, Saint Mark 1.9-12, Saint Luke 3.21-22, Saint John 1.29-34).

3. Cana-in-Galilee: The Epiphany of Our Lord’s first miracle is recorded in Saint John’s Gospel (Saint John 2.1-11). Christ turns water into wine, which miracle or sign is an icon, image, of the august miracle and sacramental Sign of the Holy Eucharist, wherein Christ continually transforms bread and wine into His most precious Body and Blood. The Real Objective Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist is a perpetual Epiphany. ‘This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.’

There are, in fact, many Epiphanies of Jesus Christ in salvation history, and particularly today. The Holy Catholic Church of Christ is the great Sacrament of Christ and perpetually manifests Him in creation. The Church, Christ’s Mystical Body, is His epiphany still. All Seven Sacraments of the Church are a continual epiphany of Christ, a manifestation of His power and grace. In the Church, we mystically join with the Magi and worship the new-born King, our Priest and Messiah. We unite ourselves with them in offering our lives to the True God. Our Blessed Lord has epiphanied Himself to mankind so that we, united to Him, may manifest, presence, reveal our Saviour to others. The Christian vocation, of one who has ‘put on Christ’ (Galatians 3.27), is to ‘shine forth the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (II Corinthians 4.6), to shine in a benighted world with the divine Sun of Righteousness.

We are summoned to illuminate the whole of this creation with the divine light of the love of Christ. Jesus is the Light, and like Saint John the Baptist, we must ‘bear witness of the Light’ (Saint John 1.7). We are to epiphany Jesus to the world in which we live and to the people we encounter. Baptised, Confirmed, Eucharistic, fully-initiated and illuminated Christians are the epiphanies of Christ, conformed to His Image and made in His glorious likeness by grace. We are ultimate Epiphany of Christ. As filii in Filio, the sons in the Son, let us resolve to epiphany the Epiphany!

Please join us for the Epiphany Eucharistic Liturgy in which Our Lord once more epiphanies Himself for us and to us: the Holy Communion will be celebrated at Noon and 7pm on Monday 6^th January 2014.

May the Lord of glory, Jesus, the Splendour of the Father, bless you and all you love during this holy Epiphany season!