St Colmon Parish Church

Sunday 4th January 2026
Isaiah 60: 1-6
Matthew 2: 1-12
Hymns: As with gladness and Brightest and best
The Epiphany or Visit of the Magi

The term “Epiphany” refers to the manifestations of the Christ. In the visit of the magi, Jesus was revealed as or it became manifest that he was saviour to the gentile world. The magi came from the East and were without Jewish ideals to inspire them. Yet they went to great efforts to worship the King of the Jews. God revealed it to them that his son was to be born, and they followed the stars to lead them to Bethlehem. God can be at work in surprising places. Through faith they set out on a long and treacherous journey in order to pay homage to Gods king.

The Magi came from a tribe of the Persian Empire. They were men of learning that advised the King. They would be experts in science and Medicine as well as astronomy and astrology. When Jesus was born there was an unusual star to be seen in the sky over the Holy Land. The magi had followed the star on order to see him who was born King of the Jews. In recent media mention has been made of the Christmas Star and a formation which occurs every 400 years. One theory relates to the fact that the planets Jupiter and Saturn were in conjunction three times in 7.b.c. Tom Wright notes that “Since Jupiter was the “royal” or kingly planet, and Saturn was sometimes thought to represent the Jews, the conclusion was obvious: a new king of the Jews was about to be born”.

The magi went into Jerusalem to ask where the king had been born and Herod and all of Jerusalem were disturbed by their presence. So, Herod called together the Jewish leaders and asked where Gods king or the Messiah was to be born and they told him in Bethlehem. The star led the Magi the short distance from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and they were overjoyed to find the child and they fell down and worshipped him. These men through the eyes of faith were able to see who Jesus was and presented him with expensive gifts. It is tradition which links the magi or kings with the nativity. Their arrival could have been up to two years later. We remember that Herod ordered that all males 2 or under should be slaughtered. It is also tradition that speaks of 3 kings. There could have been many more but Matthew does mention three gifts that were given by the magi. These gifts no doubt helped the family to survive during their flight to Egypt.

The gifts that were offered are seen as being prophetic with regard to Jesus future role. Jesus was given gold a metal fit for a king. Jesus was to be worshipped as king of kings and lord of lords. Incense is considered to be a gift for a priest. Jesus in time was to minister on our behalf to God and was to offer himself as the one perfect sacrifice. He also now prays and intercedes for his people as high priest, representing us before God. Myrrh has been described as a gift for one who will die. Jesus was born into this world that we might be reconciled to God through his death upon the cross. Through faith we can be declared not guilty before God, because Jesus has taken our punishment upon himself.

The visit of the Magi reveals Jesus as Saviour of the world. And in these gifts, we see the love of God for the world as they speak to us of his work as Messiah. As we consider the visit of the Magi, we might ask ourselves how diligent we are in our faith and in seeking God. These magi were very determined and were in no way disappointed. May we also have hope as we recognise the truth that God can be at work in unexpected places. He is still at work today and can work in any situation to bring about his good purposes. May we abound in hope during 2026 and continue in our journey of faith.

Every blessing,
Rev`d Theo Corney