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Thomasius Epiphany
1 John 3:1-6 January 5, 2014
Dear Friends in Christ,
This morning we have come to the end of the season of Christmas and tomorrow we will
beginning a different but quite similar season of the Church Year, the season of Epiphany.
And the reason that I say it is both different and similar is that like Christmas, Epiphany is a
season that talks about the birth of Christ. Like Christmas, Epiphany is a season that
considers the work of God in sending His Son in the flesh to be our Savior and like Christmas,
the season of Epiphany is one that speaks of the salvation only Jesus can bring. In fact, the
season of Christmas and Epiphany are so much alike that often times this season of Epiphany
is referred to as “The Gentile’s Christmas.” There are even some Christian denominations
that will have all their Christmas festivities tomorrow, January 6th, instead of the more usual
December 25th celebration.
But even with all these similarities, there is a difference that we might very well call a
difference of intent. For the intent or purpose of the season of Christmas is to talk about the
fulfillment of God’s promise to send His Son into the world. The season of Christmas teaches
us of God’s great love for all mankind in that God sent His Son Jesus to be our substitute. He
was the one God sent to take our place in God’s wrath and punishment against sin. The
message of Christ is that that God is indeed faithful and true and He loves us so much that He
sent His Son to take our place.
But that is not the intent or focus of the season of Epiphany. For even as the name Epiphany
means to make known or to reveal what is hidden, the purpose and intent of Epiphany is to
reveal or make known the message of Christmas to all the world. Epiphany reminds us that
God wants everyone, not just the Jews, to hear of the gift of His Son and the blessed news of
everlasting life. Epiphany is a season that teaches us of God’s desire for all the world to hear of
His love and to be saved by His grace.
With this similar yet different focus of the Season of epiphany we find that the texts of
Epiphany really speak to the idea of sharing the message of Christ. Our Old Testament lesson
and our New Testament Epistle lesson for today follow this course by pointing out God’s
desire for everyone to know about Christ. As God speaks to His chosen people, the Jews, He
makes reference after reference that even the Gentiles need to hear of the coming Messiah.
And though there are many times that the title Gentiles is used in an almost derogatory way, a
way that makes them seem like second class citizens or people unworthy of God’s attention, it
is really a word that simply means nations. It was a term used to distinguish between those
who were Jews, descendants of Abraham, called by God to be set apart as the keepers of the
promise and all the other nations of the world, the nations not chosen by God as the keepers of
His promise. Though God did indeed set Israel apart from all the other nations as the people
from whom the Savior would come, it did not mean that God hated or even ignored the
Gentile nations. No, God wanted these people to hear of the message of the Savior just as He
did for the Jews, but it was God’s plan that the Jewish people, through their lives or worship
and their preaching of the Word, would bring that good news to others. The Gentiles were to
be saved through the work of God’s chosen people, the Jews.
But if you are at all familiar with the history of God’s chosen people, they were not very good
at carrying out the commands of God. As a stubborn and self-absorbed people, they pretty
much kept the message of salvation to themselves. They were not big on evangelism or mission
work and ignored all the Gentiles that needed the salvation which God was giving away free of
cost or effort. Instead of being a light that would show the Gentiles God’s path of salvation,
they hide the bright message of Christ and the eternal life only He could give.
Because of this, God made it clear that He was going to find a new people to be His chosen
ones. From the very nations that were shut out and left in darkness, God was going to bring
them the light of the Gospel and the salvation found nowhere else. He was going to choose
Gentiles to be the keepers of the Word of life. And starting with those in Asia Minor and
Macedonia and Europe, the Gospel spread from the Jews to all the Gentile nations so that
they, too, might be saved.
And this was part of God’s plan all along. He knew that the Jews would reject His commands
and even reject His Son. He knew that the Gentiles needed salvation even as did the Jews. He
knew all of this and made it clear in His Word that the Gentiles, people who were not
descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, could have the message of salvation. God
promised and fulfilled that we, yes, even you and I, might have the free gift of salvation.
And that is what we really find at the heart of the season of Epiphany. God has given us, the
Gentiles, the gift of life eternal. And like the Jews, we are to let that light of the Gospel shine in
all that we think and say and do. We are to be the new Israel. We are to be the chosen people
who bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Our encouragement this morning comes in a theme that says, “KNOW WE ARE CHILDREN
OF GOD.” I. WE ARE CHILDREN WHO KNOW CHRIST, II. WE ARE CHILDREN WHO
KNOW OBEDIENCE.
Now as we consider such a theme and the idea of us gentiles, the outsiders, being children of
God, we never want to think in terms of how we have earned or deserved such an honor. For
in the world in which we live, honor and glory are not things that are given out freely but they
are earned or bought. Soldiers who are decorated with the Medal of Honor or the bronze star
are not given these awards randomly or by chance. They show uncommon valor and
outstanding bravery to be given these high honors. Likewise those who rise to the top of the
world of sports are also awarded on merit and achievement. Even in the world of celebrities
there is recognition for being better than the rest, or maybe just the ability to buy the
influence that others cannot. But whether it is by bravery or athletic ability or wealth and
prosperity, the honors that men give are for achievements men have earned.
But note how John speaks of the honor of being given the status of being a child of God. He
doesn’t talk of earning it or achieving this lofty position. He does not say that it is earned by
years of hard work and devotion. Rather John says,“How great is the love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”
Now the use of the word “lavished” is one of those words in which the translator is taking a
little bit of poetic license in translating what the original Greek says. For the Greek word that
is used here is simply to word “to give.” We could simply translate this as, “How great is the
love the Father has given us.” To use the word lavish is to add a degree of importance. It is the
translator's way of pointing out that this gift is not only a gift, but it is a truly great and
wonderful gift.
And as we consider the idea of being raised from the status of sinners who deserve death and
damnation to the status of Children of God as a free gift, it really is no stretch to say God
lavished us with such a gift instead of just giving it to us. In fact there is really no end of words
that we could use to express the immensity and the greatness of this gift. There is nothing that
we could say that can fully express just how big a gift this really is. For no matter how many
offerings we might give, no matter how many church services we might attend, no amount of
prayers, no amount of good deeds could ever earn us that status of being Children of God. It is
a title and a position that God has truly lavished on us.
But it is a title, an honor, a gift that does have some work involved. But once again the work is
not ours, but God’s. For you see, God did not just hand out forgiveness of sin. He didn’t
simply decided that it was OK for some sinners to have eternal life and give them that free gift
of being Children of God. That would be like one of us sitting here this morning receiving the
Bronze Star “just because” or maybe getting an Oscar for no reason at all. Such things do not
happen with awards that are earned. And being a child of God is certainly something that
needs to be earned.
And the one who earned it was Christ. For as true and eternal God made flesh, Jesus did all
the things that God expects of His Children. He came into the world without sin. He lived a life
of perfect obedience to God’s word. He never hesitated to proclaim God’s message of
salvation. He always did what God asked of Him without hesitation or complaint. And it was
that perfect life that He gave to God on the altar of the cross so that God in turn might lavish
that perfect grace on us. It means that Christ won the award. It means that Jesus was the one
who deserved the honors and accolade, but we are the ones who got them. We are the ones
who received them as a gift of His love and grace.
And with such a lavish and undeserved gift, the message of Epiphany is that we would make
this new gift known to all we meet. We can make it known through the words we speak to
family and friends. We can make it known through the first fruit offerings that we give to the
church for the spread of the Gospel message. We can even make it known through the way we
act both in private and in public. For as we know of the gift that God has given to us, and as
we understand how blessed we are to know of the work of His Son for our salvation, we will
want to show our thanks to God in how we live.
John makes this point very clear as he says, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is
lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is
no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen
him or known him.” This state of lawlessness is what we are like from conception. Everyone
who ever draws a breath is lawless before God.
But as Children of God we are redeemed and renewed. Christ put our sins to death so that we
no longer need to sin but in Christ we can lead a life that avoids sin. This is one of the ways we
make Christ known to the world. WE don’t obey God because we have to or because we are
forced to. IT is not a matter of keeping the law to gain favor with God. Rather our obedience
to all of God’s laws, yes, and even the laws of those God has placed over us, like parents and
bosses and the government, show our love for Christ. It shows or makes known Christ to the
world around us. We become a living epiphany of God’s love for sinners.
Though this is certainly a hard thing for sinner like us, since we are now Children of God we
can live lives that reflect His Grace. We can live in ways that shows glory to Him who lived
and died that we might live. For it is only in Christ that we truly are Children of God. Amen.
In His Service,
Pastor Joseph R. Schlawin
Our Shepherd Ev. Lutheran Church
1515 W. 93rd Ave
Crown Point, IN 46307
219-663-5853