https://app.dropwave.io/episode/0b61e0df-8e6c-4bb7-977a-4bd370c0d4c5/the-epiphany-of-our-lord-ad-2026.mp3

This morning we observe the Feast of Epiphany. It comes as the conclusion of the twelve-day season of Christmas. (Technically Christmas continues for two more days. So even though we’re celebrating Epiphany early this year, you can still wish people a Merry Christmas.)

The great mystery of the Christmas season is that God has come to us. “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). “He came to His own” (John 1:11). “the grace of God has appeared” (Titus 2:11). But now in the season of Epiphany we see how God makes His coming known to all. In this way, He brings us to Himself. We see this in today’s Gospel. God brings Magi a long distance from the east to Jesus, so that they could worship Him in true faith. God makes Himself known to them. He brings them to Himself. God also makes Himself known to everyone else in our Gospel, but not everyone receives Him. We’ll see this as we work through the text.

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold —” (Matthew 2:1). Behold: pay close attention to what follows. “Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem” (Matthew 2:1).

It’s odd that so many of our English translations call these men ‘wise.’ Because, at least in terms of Christian faith, these men are far from wise. According to the Scriptures, only those with true faith are wise. Those who reject God and His Word are called fools. The way the Bible defines wisdom shows these men from the east are fools.

The Greek term is ‘Magi.’ It’s the basis of our English word ‘magic’ or ‘magician.’ But they don’t perform card tricks or illusions for entertainment. It’s more accurate to think of them as sorcerers. They practiced dark arts and astrology. They would tell fortunes and try to predict the future. Some practiced necromancy — communication with the dead.

Theologically, we know all these practices are sinful according to the First and Second Commandments. The Magi aren’t getting their special knowledge from God. They gained their knowledge through demonic activity and instruction.

They also didn’t practice magic and dark arts for mere entertainment or to make money. In the Old Testament, we hear about them as political advisors to pagan kings like Nebuchadnezzar. They were the ones called upon to interpret his dreams. They had positions of great power.

This term is used elsewhere in the New Testament, too. In Acts chapter 8, we hear about a man called Simon who practices magic or sorcery. (In that text, Luke uses the verb form of the Greek term ‘magi.’) When Simon the Sorcerer becomes a Christian, he renounces all his magic.

Again, in Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas encounter a man named Bar-Jesus (or son of Jesus). He’s described as a magician (magi) and a “Jewish false prophet” (Acts 13:6). Saint Paul rebukes him sharply in this way: “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10).

So when we hear the Evangelist St. Matthew tell us in today’s Gospel that ‘Magi’ came from the east, we ought to pay attention. Matthew wants us to wonder why pagans who practice witchcraft, who are engaged in the occult — why men who worship demons and communicate with them are coming to Jerusalem, the City of God.

Now we hear their question: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). Their question raises even more questions for us. Why have these demon-worshipping pagans come to worship Jesus? How do they know that the King of the Jews was to be born? (It’s not like any powerful people knew who Mary and Joseph were — or who it was that she carried in her womb! Mary and Joseph are poor and unimportant and ignored.)

But we have more questions. How did news of this birth get all the way to the east? All the way to Persia? And why would they travel somewhere between five hundred to twelve hundred miles to go to Him? Such a trip would have taken months and cost a fortune!

The short answer is we don’t know. The longer answer is that there’s lots of speculation. Perhaps the Magi had access to the Old Testament from when Israel was captive in Babylon. Maybe it was from oral teachings of Daniel or Ezekiel. Possibly there were Jews who settled in Babylon and told them. Maybe the Magi received some kind of direct revelation. Or, perhaps the evil spirits these men worshipped told them to stay away and they wanted to find out what made the demons so afraid. But all of this is speculation. What we do know is there’s no rational reason for these men to be there. It’s not reasonable for them to come all this way.

But they arrive in Jerusalem. The Magi have gone to the capital city to seek the King. Where else would one go? They want to be told where to find the King of the Jews.

Grammatically, they are continually asking. That is, they get to Jerusalem and they just ask everyone they encounter “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). No one knows the answer. Kings don’t just appear. No one knew a queen was pregnant. But the question gets people talking.

Eventually King Herod hears the question. It seems as if he’s one of the last to find out. So that could be part of why Herod is troubled. Many other people knew about a King before he did. But Herod is especially troubled because he didn’t know about a possible threat to his crown. It’s his job to know if someone is threatening the kingdom. And somehow, he’s among the last to know?

Even more, he’s troubled because the title he had given himself was “the King of the Jews.” His title is ironic. Herod was a descendant of Esau, not Jacob. He was an Edomite, not a Jew. A few generations before, Herod’s ancestors had been conquered by the Jews. The church historian Josephus records that they were compelled to accept Judaism or be exiled. So Herod’s family became “Jews” by political coercion.

Herod’s father, through political skill, eventually became governor of Judea under Roman rule. In 40BC, the Roman Senate, at the urging of Mark Antony and Octavian, formally granted him the title “King of the Jews.” That title is interesting. It’s not just a political title, but a theological one. It’s not just about whatever king happens to be ruling over the Jews. In 2 Samuel 7, God promised that a descendant of King David would sit on David’s throne, forever.

But Herod is not a descendant of David. His formal title of “King of the Jews” was false. “Theologically, “King of the Jews” is a title for the Messiah, the Christ — the Savior. Herod had applied this title to himself, but now he discerns a threat to his title, and he is troubled. (So it is for all false kings when the true King shows up.)