On January 6th the church celebrates Epiphany. Epiphany means manifestation or revelation, and looks at how Jesus was revealed as the worlds Savior. That begins with the revelation to the Wise Men through a star God sent to announce Him and to guide the Wise Men to Him.
This weekend we will be studying that revelation, both to the Wise Men and to us. We are studying hymn 718 in the Worship Supplement or 130 in The Lutheran Hymnal: O Jesus, King of Glory. This hymn was written by Lutheran Pastor, Martin Behm about two generations after Martin Luther.
The hymn recounts the Biblical account of the Wise Men, and connect them to us today.
There are several themes in this hymn that are worth paying attention to. First, note the emphasis on Jesus as King and the Kingdom that He opens to us. But Jesus is unlike and more than just any earthly King. The Wise Men came looking for "the King of the Jews" but knew that Jesus was also the King of all Kings. The gifts they brought reveal they understood He was a King (gold), that He was true God (frankincense) and that He would die (myrrh). We find this theme in all five verses which we will be studying.
The second theme revolves around the star. God used a star to reveal that the Savior had been born, but also used it to direct the Wise Men to the very place where Jesus was. Behm reveals that, like the Wise Men, God has revealed this truth to us as well. Not by a physical star or light in the sky, but by the light of His revealed Word. God's Word is given to reveal Jesus as King and Savior, and guide us to believe in Him, and worship Him as our Savior. Make use of that Star, just as the faithful Wise Men did!
The hymn includes a prayer to Jesus to guard, guide us in our lives, until we are finally called into that eternal Kingdom of glory, to be with our King of Glory for eternity.
Wise Men still seek Jesus, though His Word and Sacrament, and worship Him as King and Savior.
May the LORD bless your worship of Jesus the King of Glory, this weekend!
