Epiphany

Learn what Epiphany is and its connection to the Magi and Christmas season!

January 3 we celebrated Epiphany. It's still Christmas! We celebrate Christmas season until next Sunday. What do we celebrate on Ephipany? What do you know about the epiphany already? Background Information The Epiphany is celebrated on the Sunday between January 2nd and 8th while the actual feast day occurs on January 6th (twelve days after Christmas). In many European countries the Epiphany, rather than Christmas (Feast of the Nativity), is the day of gift-giving.The Epiphany is in commemoration of the gifts of the Magi taken from Matthew 2:1-12.The story of the Visit of the Magi makes an important point about the role of the Messiah. Jesus is called “the newborn king of the Jews” by the magi who travel from the east. These men were not Jewish yet they paid homage to the King of the Jews.Matthew, who wrote to a Jewish audience, hoped to express the universal role of Christ in this story. These men were foreigners but they honored Jesus as their king. Herod, who is not an heir of King David and not the rightful King of the Jews, was threatened by this new king and attempted to kill him.This reveals another important theme of the Gospels: Jesus was not to become a political King of the Jews to dethrone Herod or even the Roman emperor. Instead, he ushered in a new kingdom that extended beyond political regimes. What does the Epiphany celebrate? The visit of the shepherds The visit of the Magi The presentation of Jesus in the temple Jesus being king What does the visit of the Magi teach us about Jesus as king? That Jesus is only a king for the Jews Jesus is a political king as well as a spiritual king Jesus is a universal king, He is for everyone Jesus came to dethrone the Emperor. The Magi were Jewish. True False Which Gospel tells us about the Magi's visit? Matthew Mark Luke John The meaning of the gifts Watch the video and answer the following questions. The Magi were kings. True False Myrrh was specifically used in burial cleansing baptism Fill in the blanks. Make sure to spell the words correctly or your answer will be marked wrong. The Magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. The gifts of the Magi tell us that Jesus is Messiah King God Messiah, king, and God What is one thing you learned today about Epiphany?