Reading With the People of God - #1Sample

Today is the day of Epiphany on the Christian calendar. It is a lesser-known holiday that falls on January 6th each year and is the last of the 12 Days of Christmas (the 12 days of Christmas begin with Christmas Day). Epiphany is a commemoration of the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus.

Why is this event so significant that it deserves a day for its commemoration?

Well let’s back up a couple of weeks to Christmas. Christmas is the day we commemorate the incarnation: God becoming human and dwelling among us (John 1 :14) . But if someone only knew about Christmas, they could ask: To what end did God become human? This is the question that Epiphany answers. An epiphany is a revelation, a revealing of something once hidden. Before the time of Christ, the God who created the heavens and the earth could rightly be called the God of the Jews in a special and exclusive sense (Exodus 19:5-6), but after the time of Christ, all nations and tribes and tongues have been welcomed into the family of God. The Wise Men were some of the very first people to worship Jesus, and they were Gentiles! It had been revealed to them that the child which they sought was worthy of their worship. It was a true revelation! This is why this seemingly unremarkable visit of the wise men is worthy of commemoration. The God, who was once hidden from them, revealed himself to them and they responded. If you are a Christian, you are also someone to whom God has revealed himself to and you responded. On this day, take some time to reflect on and celebrate how God has revealed himself to you then pray for the day when truly every tribe and tongue and nation will, like the Wise Men, worship Christ (Revelation 7:9-10).

Today’s Prayer of Illumination: Before we get into today’s reading, take a few moments to quiet your heart and listen to the Lord in silence (set a timer for 1-5 minutes and be still), pray this prayer of illumination at the end of silence before you start reading today’s Word:

Almighty God, in you are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Open the eyes of my heart that I may see the wonders of your Word; and give me grace that I may clearly understand and freely choose the way of your wisdom. Amen.