The Epiphany – an almost forgotten celebration in the West.

In Eastern Christianity and in Spanish speaking countries the Feast of the Epiphany is still celebrated on 6 January with more outstanding liturgies and dazzling church services than Christmas. 

It is only in recent years that the Epiphany was again included in the celebrations and seasons of some branches of the Western Church, including some of the Protestant churches.

Epiphany celebrates that with the visit of the Wise Men from the East, the Messiah was revealed to the Gentiles, while Christmas, the birthday, is celebrated as the day when Jewish believers, such as the shepherds, worshipped the new born King.

This is why  Gentiles in the East took ownership of a Gospel moment, the visit of the Magi, where they, as non-Jews, were enlightened and received the revelation of the coming of Christ to our world and our lives.

What makes the Eastern Feast important is the understanding that enlightenment about Jesus as Messiah and the revelation of his light and glory is only possible when our thinking and prayers go beyond the Christmas story!

The glory of the Son of God, as it was revealed to his followers through his miracles, parables and teachings should help us understand who the King is that came to reconcile both Jew and Gentile with God! 

And the radical, complete and final epiphany of the glory of Christ can only be understood when we consider the meaning of his eventual suffering, and his glorious resurrection and exultation.

An epiphany of who the Son of God really is, requires a new path in life for followers of the King that was born on Christmas day.  

In the end, God is the ultimate actor. God has moved ahead of the church to embrace the entire world.  Indeed it is God's initiative that sets the apostles of biblical times and the church of every century to the monumental enlightenment where we clearly see that the true Messiah is not only the Saviour of a few Jewish believers – but equally so, the Redeemer of the entire world.

The wise men from the east have no other message to tell, than the Gospel that we should embrace the Jewish Messiah as our own Christ, our Lord and our Saviour.