Epiphany — A Season of Enlightenment
God created time and revealed himself in the time. Without time, we are unable to know God. As human beings, we have many special dates to celebrate important events, such as national day, birthday, and anniversary. As Christians, we, even more, need to live with wisdom and godliness, as it is recorded in the Psalm: “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (NKJV). In this way, not only does it show the significant parts of our lives but also identifies ourselves in the time. For this same reason, by using time wisely, churches can deliver valuable events — the story of Jesus Christ, to build up Christians’ spiritual lives. That is the purpose of applying church year in a church.
The church year centers in the life of Christ Jesus: the birth, suffering, resurrection, ascension, and return. By reenacting the story of salvation through different festivals and days throughout a year, Christians can shape biblical worship to please God and deepen their understanding of the great story of salvation. However, in most churches, only two to three feasts are emphasized in the church calendar, such as Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter. Yet Epiphany is little known among Christians because a large number of churches do not observe it.
By reenacting the story of salvation through different festivals and days throughout a year, Christians can shape biblical worship to please God and deepen their understanding of the great story of salvation.
Traditionally, the date for Epiphany starts on January 6 after Christmas. Literally, the word epiphany means “to cause to appear” or “to bring to light”. Biblically, Epiphany is a season to manifest the life and mission of Jesus Christ and emphasize that Jesus is the incarnated of God, a complete human, and a complete God. Spiritly, it is a time to make Jesus better known to Christians so that the ministry of Jesus’s life can become a model for Christians to follow for the glory of God. Practically, the church can pay attention to the work of mission and evangelism during this season to be the salt and light of the world.
After the Christmas holiday, churches should offer proper worship to manifest the glory of God by emphasizing the events associated with the ministry and teaching of Jesus. For example, the theme for the first Sunday of the Epiphany can focus on the time before Jesus beginning his ministries, such as the baptism of Jesus and Jesus fasting; the following Sunday could be the first sign — turning water into wine at Cana, and it ends with the event of the Transfiguration. All themes above manifest the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ showing the glory of his divinity as the Son of Man. In addition, the teachings of Jesus should be highlighted during the cycle of Epiphany, such as the Sermon on the Mount, the teachings of the law, adultery, wealth. By reading and telling the teachings of Jesus, we can further enlightened in wisdom.
All in all, the Christ event is the bread of the church and the gospel that Christians must share with others. In the process of reenacting God’s work through the salvation of Jesus Christ constantly, we proclaim our faith and receive rich spiritual food. Even though most churches just wait to celebrate the Easter after the busy season Christmas and few Christians pay attention to such a festival, the period of Epiphany plays a great significance to today’s Christians. During the period of Epiphany, not only can Christians learn about the life, deeds, and teachings of Jesus Christ, but also deepen Christians’ understanding of Jesus’ mission in this world and understand how He manifests God’s salvation and glory in this world.
