Good morning, everyone! And a joyful, radiant EPIPHANY to you!

Is it over? Have we finally taken down the lights? Have we packed away the mystery with the ornaments? I hope not—because today, the story EXPLODES out of the stable! The Christmas gift isn’t just for shepherds, for Israel, for a chosen few. Today, God tears the wrapping paper off His plan and reveals it to the WHOLE WORLD!

We’ve seen the shepherds. We’ve heard the angels. We’ve met the Word-made-flesh. But today—oh, today—the scene changes. The star rises over Bethlehem… and it rises OVER BABYLON. Over Persia. Over the far-off lands of people who didn’t know the prophecies, who didn’t have the Torah, who were outside the covenant. And it calls them: “Come. See. Worship.”

Who are these mysterious travelers? They’re not kings—not yet. They’re SEEKERS. Astronomers. Maybe even pagan star-gazers. They’re the outsiders, the Gentiles, the “not-supposed-to-be-here.” And yet… God puts a star in their sky. He writes His invitation in a language they can understand—the stars they studied—and draws them across deserts, through dangers, straight to the feet of a toddler.

Why? Because Christmas was never meant to be a secret. It’s an EPIPHANY—a shining forth! A divine “AHA!” moment for all creation. The Greek word is epiphaneia—a manifestation, an appearance, a lightning bolt of revelation. And today, God flings open the doors of the house in Bethlehem and shouts to the nations: “LOOK! HERE HE IS!”

But friends, don’t just see the Magi on camels. See what God is screaming through their journey.

FIRST EPIPHANY: HIS LIGHT IS FOR EVERYONE.
That star didn’t shine only over the temple in Jerusalem. It shone in the pagan east. God’s first Christmas card to the Gentiles wasn’t a scroll of law—it was a STAR. A universal sign. A hope that even in your darkness, even when you’re far off, even when you’re searching in the wrong places… God will send a light to guide you home.

The religious experts in Jerusalem knew the prophecy: “The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.” They had the map! But they didn’t take one step to go and see. Meanwhile, the outsiders—with no scripture, no temple, no covenant—they followed the light they had, and it led them to the Light of the World.

Do you see it? God is not bound by our boundaries. His grace doesn’t respect our fences. The Light of Christ shines for the scholar and the seeker, the devout and the doubter, the insider and the immigrant. If you have eyes to see—even if all you see is a flicker—FOLLOW IT.

SECOND EPIPHANY: THE JOURNEY IS PART OF THE REVELATION.
God didn’t zap the Magi to Bethlehem. He led them. Star to Scripture. Scripture to Savior. There were detours—oh yes, even a deadly detour through Herod’s court. They had to ask questions, face danger, persevere through doubt. The star even VANISHED for a while in Jerusalem. But they kept seeking.

And when they finally found Him—not in a palace, but in a simple house; not in a crown, but in the arms of His mother—they did the only thing you can do when you meet God-in-flesh: THEY FELL DOWN AND WORSHIPED.

Then—and this is crucial—they opened their treasures. Gold for the King. Frankincense for the God. Myrrh… for the Suffering Savior. Even in their joy, the shadow of the cross was already there. They saw the whole picture: this Child is born to reign, to be worshiped… and to die.

But Friends, the journey didn’t end at the manger. They were WARNED IN A DREAM not to return to Herod. And they listened. They went home “by another way.” Here’s the truth: An encounter with Jesus always changes your direction. You cannot meet Him and go back the way you came. You will leave by another way—a new way, a redeemed way, a way of freedom.

THIRD EPIPHANY: YOU ARE PART OF THE STORY.
This is where it gets personal. The Feast of the Epiphany isn’t just about them—it’s about US. We are the Gentiles! We are the ones from afar, drawn by His light! That star was for you. That invitation is for you.

You are a TREASURE-BEARER. The Magi brought gold, frankincense, myrrh. What treasure do you bring? Your time? Your talents? Your brokenness? Your joy? Your very life? Lay it at His feet. It’s all acceptable to the King who became poor.

You are a LIGHT-REFLECTOR. That star didn’t stay in the sky. It now shines IN YOU. You are the epiphany—the showing-forth—of Christ to your world. To your office, your school, your family, your neighborhood. You bear the manifestation of God’s love in human flesh—just as He did.

You are a JOURNEYER. Still seeking. Still following. Sometimes with clear light, sometimes in patient trust. But you are never searching alone. The One you seek is already with you, leading you home—by another way, the way of the cross, the way of grace.

So today, Friends—on this Epiphany—don’t just put the decorations away. BECOME THE DECORATION. Shine with His light. Be the star that leads someone else to Jesus. Carry your treasures to Him, and then carry Him to the world.

The Magi saw a star and found a Savior.
The world is still searching in the darkness.
Maybe they’ll see His light… in your eyes.
Maybe they’ll find His way… by following you.
Maybe your home, your life, your heart will be the “house” where they encounter Christ.

You are not just a spectator of the epiphany.
You are part of it.
You are a living manifestation of “God with us.”

So go—go by another way.
Shine—with a light that is not your own.
Worship—with everything you are and have.
And reveal—to a waiting, watching world—
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

HAPPY EPIPHANY, EVERYONE! GO BE HIS LIGHT!