January 6th
A day we will remember
Many of you no doubt read the title and subtitle of todays entry and your mind was taken to the day not too many years ago when childishness and foolishness ruled the day, and the Capital building of the United States was overtaken by a mob. While the actions of that day, and the resolve for them to never happen again is strong it’s the wrong January 6th.
Today, Januaray 6th is National Technology Day! Wrong, well I mean it is National Technology Day, but that is not the answer I am looking for. It’s not even the day we celebrate the “debut” of Pepé Le Pew, or even that it is national bean Day! Today marks the 12th day of Christmas - Epiphany Day!
Let’s face it, for many Christians, Epiphany slips quietly onto the calendar—tucked right after the bustle of Christmas and long before the purple of Lent. But for a good LCMS Lutheran, Epiphany isn’t a liturgical footnote. It’s a season that shines a spotlight on something we desperately need in our world today: the God who reveals Himself.
Epiphany is all about the unveiling of Jesus as the Savior, not just of Israel, but of the nations. The Magi kneel beside the taddler Jesus, and suddenly the promise to Abraham—“all nations will be blessed”—isn’t just a line in Genesis. It’s happening in real time. The Light of the world is shining for everyone.
This morning, as I write these words, it is cloudy and a bit foggy. I have heard it said more than a few times in the last few weeks, when the sun comes out, “Even when it’s cold, the day feels way better when the sun is shining.”
This is a true statement: “Even when the day is cold, confusing, lonely, or even filled with grief, the day is way better when the SON is shining.”
In a culture that often treats faith as a private hobby or a personal preference, Epiphany reminds us that Christianity is not built on human searching but on divine revealing. The magi did not go looking for a King on a whim, no, they saw the God of creation reveal himself in a bright and amazing astronomical event - The Star! God makes Himself known. He steps into our darkness. He calls the nations to Himself. And He still does it today through His Word and Sacraments.
For LCMS Lutherans—people shaped by a theology of grace alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone—Epiphany is a season that reinforces our deepest convictions. We don’t climb our way to God. He comes to us. He shows Himself. He shines His light into our sin, our confusion, our world, and our hearts.
And that means Epiphany isn’t just a story about wise men and a star. (although that is a cool event) It’s a reminder that the Church's mission continues. The Light still shines. The nations still need Christ. And God still delights to reveal His Son through the humble, ordinary means He’s given His Church.
So as the Christmas lights come down and the winter days stretch on, Epiphany invites us to keep our eyes open. The God who revealed Himself in Bethlehem is still revealing Himself today—through preaching, through Baptism, through the Supper, through the Gospel spoken into everyday lives.
The Light has come. And for us, that changes everything.
Happy Epiphany! <><Pastor Craig
PONDER THIS: How can you be Epiphany in your world - Revealing Christ to the nations?