Epiphany of our Lord: Overwhelmed with Joy

Devotional for the week of January 6, 2025.

Epiphany means “a manifestation of a divine or supernatural being.” On Epiphany we give thanks to God that Jesus, king of the Jews, was born to become Savior of all. Salvation sounds like good news, doesn’t it? However, in today’s gospel reading we learn that Jesus’ nativity caused fear in King Herod and all of Jerusalem. Why? People oppose change for many reasons. They fear the loss of personal power or resources. They are reluctant to shift the way things have always been done. They are concerned about financial, personal, or societal costs. Any of these reactions might have been at work in the royal court.

It says something about the wise men, that they left everything when Jesus’ star rose in the East and were “overwhelmed with joy” (Matthew 2:10) upon finding Jesus and his mother. This is another possible response to change.

Although the wise travelers did not know everything about Jesus, they were open to being led by God, excited by new possibilities, and willing to pour out the treasures of their time, talent, and money for the opportunity to kneel at Jesus’ feet.

Today we are invited into an Epiphany experience! The Holy Spirit is out ahead of us, blowing through the neighborhood, revealing Jesus in words and deeds. How can we follow God into the world? Where might we catch sight of Jesus and partner with him in the work God is already doing? How can we worship outside the church building? And how can our enthusiasm, our overwhelming joy, ease the fear of others who are more uncertain about change?

Jesus’ incarnation was the greatest change to ever come into the world. In this season of Epiphany, how might you embrace the change necessary to bring the gospel to all of your neighbors for the sake of Christ?