EPIPHANY                                                                                YEAR A ISAIAH 60:1-6 EPHESIANS 3:1-12 MATTHEW 2:1-12 JANUARY 5, 6, 2008 It seems that in the church Christmas continues to hang around. The rest of the world has moved on to Valentine’s Day but we continue to think of Christmas. Today is actually the last time we celebrate the Christmas story at least in the context of the church calendar. We will move on in the liturgical year. We will move into the season of Epiphany and will have the Lord revealed to us in new and special ways. Next week we celebrate the baptism of our Lord and we move on through the season with the first weekend in February being the Transfiguration of our Lord. Even though our church calendar moves on through the year we never quite get away from the story of Christmas. We will always have the image of the Christ child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. We have the image of Mary and Joseph caring for the child Jesus and we remember the shepherds going to the place where Jesus was and they worshipped him. We move on but we must not let Christmas be just a one-time experience that we observe a couple of weeks each year. We might put the nativity scenes away and the Christmas trees on the curb but we must never put Jesus away in a box or in the closet. Christmas must live on in our hearts and in our lives. It must continue to live in everything we do because Jesus is our Lord and he is God’s gift of love to you. He is not just God’s gift one day of the year but Jesus is God’s gift every day of every year. Matthew 2:1, 2    In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at it’s rising, and have come to pay him homage.” The Magi came to Jerusalem looking for the one who had been born King of the Jews. When we read this part of the story we know something is going to happen. You and I know that Jesus is born in Bethlehem not in Jerusalem. We know that Herod is in Jerusalem and that he will not tolerate anyone else being king. Herod even killed his sons and other members of his family when he thought they might take over his throne. You and I know that he will not tolerate someone being born king of the Jews. Yet the Magi stopped in Jerusalem. Why not? Kings are born in palaces, in places of royalty. If any of our presidents’ wives were to have children you would expect they would live in Washington D.C. and in the White House. The Magi reasoned that the King of the Jews must be in Jerusalem. Matthew tells us that the Magi were following a star. The star would eventually lead to where Jesus was staying yet the Magi got off of the track. They obviously lost sight of the star. It is good for you and me to follow the signs God gives us. When we ask our Lord for guidance God gives it. When God is leading us on a certain path we need to stay on that path. Straying from God’s path usually means a detour in our ministry but it sometimes leads to disaster. The Lord has a direction for us and we must follow it. It is not always as visible as a star that leads to Bethlehem and the Christ child. Sometimes the sign by which God leads us is the opportunities the Lord has placed before us. The sign of God’s direction might be the people that are sent into our ministry. When we follow the stars that God places before us we will certainly find the Christ child. We will find the baby Jesus and we will know the truth that comes only from the Savior of the world. Matthew 2:10, 11 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Magi were overwhelmed with joy as they entered the place where Jesus was. He was no longer in the stable and in the manger. Mary and Joseph moved him to a house where they were staying. The star they lost track of was found again. The Magi once again discovered the sign they stopped following and it led them to the right place. Those that came from the East worshipped Jesus. The Magi were not Jews. They were not Hebrew people but were Gentiles that came from the East. Some experts say these Magi were from Babylon which is our Iran or Iraq . They bowed down and they worshipped the King of the Jews. They brought gifts befitting this King. These Gentile people came and they were the ones that were like ones that Jesus would eventually send the church to. As Jesus was about to ascend into heaven after his resurrection Jesus said these important words. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In the beginning of his life, Jesus was already attracting people of all nations. You and I can see ourselves in this story. We must see ourselves. We may not be kings or Magi but we also have gifts for the King of the Jews. You may not have brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh but you bring other gifts. You bring the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You bring gifts of love for all of God’s children. You share those in this place as you seek to enrich the life of the church. We also see ourselves as we bow down to pay him homage. What does it mean to pay someone homage. It means you show the greatest respect to that person. You honor him because you owe him so much. The Magi did not know that Jesus would save them from their sins. Maybe they didn’t even know they needed someone to save them from their sins. Yet they bowed down to him. They knew this king was someone special and someone they owed their entire life to. We bow down to Jesus because we owe our entire lives to him. We bring our gifts to him because he is the King of the Jews but also your king and mine. We give our lives to him because he gave his life that you and I would have the abundance of life on this earth and in heaven. There is so much more to this story that is not included in this text today. Herod wanted the Magi to bring word of Jesus so that he could pay him homage. We know that Herod had no intention of paying homage to Jesus but to kill him. We know that many babies died because of Herod’s rage and his intention to destroy the King of the Jews. There are many today that seek to destroy anything and anyone that seeks to worship the Lord. Unfortunately, this happens when people are afraid of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will do anything to destroy the teachings of the Lord, God’s children and Jesus himself if that were possible. What are they afraid of? Could it be that when you allow the Lord Jesus to shape your life things change? You suddenly see things in a different way. You see that Jesus calls you to a certain life and you must change and follow the Lord. You and I love the Lord. We share in the gift of salvation. We have heard many times these past several weeks "Do not be afraid!” I tell you today, “Do not be afraid!” Do not be afraid to worship the Lord your God. God is worthy of your praise. God is worthy of your worship. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Shepherds and wise men visited him. He wants to share his life with you. Look for the Lord Jesus in every part of your life. Look for him in the place you work or shop or go to school. Look for him in your heart because that is where he lives. Fall down before the Lord. Pay him homage and let him be your Savior and your King.  AMEN