Written by Mandy Wilkins
Epiphany. The startling reality of something absolutely out of this world, full of amazement and awe. An overwhelming feeling of recognition and divine understanding taking hold.
Epiphany is a word used to describe the visit of the Magi, the three Wise Men, to the young Christ child, not long after his miraculous birth. A time we celebrate on January 6th, just after the notable 12 days of Christmas.
How many of us have held a new baby in our arms, either as a new mother or father, and simply felt the stunning reality that this precious little life, this tiny squalling baby, this perfect little bundle of love, is really and truly ours? I will never forget the moment I held my firstborn. The world faded away. The fluorescent bright lights of the hospital room became non-existent. The background noise of doctor, nurses, my husband, it all waned into a background blur. It was simply me and this new life. This baby I had prayed for so long to hold in my waiting arms. He was sheer perfection. My heart, much like the grinch’s, grew three sizes that day. And has never stopped expanding, ever since I became that miracle baby’s mother, twelve and a half years ago.
Not to minimize the magic of a mother’s first birth, but how much more would Mary have felt, gazing into the precious, beloved face of her own first child, knowing full well he was also the chosen, God’s gift to the world, a savior that was sent to save every living soul from sin and welcome them into the paradise of eternity with God, the creator of this world? That was surely an overwhelming feeling of awe, an Epiphany, if ever there was one, from the beloved Mary we read about in scripture. Jesus’ earthly mother.
Epiphany is a season of celebration we recognize after Christmas. After the miraculous birth of Jesus took place. The three wise men, known as the Magi, visited the child they had heard about. They brought gifts and presented to Jesus’ parents at the end of their long journey. They gazed upon the face of a young child, a baby king, that was sent straight from the hand of God, through His Holy Spirit. The joy each Wise Man, king in their own right, must have felt, as the stark realization hit, that THIS is the chosen one, the Christ child, the Savior come to heal this very broken world and bridge the gap between a sinful humanity and God the Father’s perfect, all-encompassing love.
Epiphany.
It happened then, at Jesus’ birth. It happens now. In the heart of every Christian, when they come to know Jesus, not only as the miraculous baby born hundreds of years ago, but as a personal friend. A divine Savior for our current sin.
Do you remember the epiphany in your life? That only by the blood of Jesus can we grasp the grace of God’s design to be adopted sons and daughters of the King, Most High. The very moment you decided to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? The pure joy and peace you felt, upon knowing your sins have been forgiven and your place in Heaven is assured.
As we consider the realization the Magi discovered when they met the young Christ child, may we also realize, each and every day, the spirit of the most high, that dwells inside the heart of each soul belonging to Jesus.
From innocent babe, to human man walking the earth, to a man tortured and ridiculed, to the triumphant resurrection of Jesus, God’s very own son. As we celebrate this season of glorious Epiphany, may we know, deep within our hearts, that we have received the greatest gift of all time. A grace-filled, comfort-infused, all-encompassing relationship with Jesus, the Savior of the world, one human decision at a time.