Epiphany, and the Courage to Follow

January 4, 2026 homily on Matthew 2:1-12 and John 1:1-18 by Pastor Galen for Epiphany Sunday

“He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.” – John 1:11-12

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

Have you ever met someone who was always looking for a “sign”? Maybe they were really into the Zodiac, or read their horoscope religiously. Maybe they were constantly on the lookout for a sign from God telling them whether they should or shouldn’t do something.

In my day-to-day work as the Director of Admissions for a seminary, I frequently encounter people who are searching for a sign about whether they should enroll in seminary. One student told me that he saw our table on the first day of his denomination’s conference but didn’t have the nerve to walk over and inquire. So he told God that if there was someone working at the table the next day, he would come over and talk to them. Sure enough, I was there the next day, and we had a conversation. He interpreted that as the sign he was looking for, and today he is enrolled as one of our students.

The Magi and the Star

The Magi, who were also called “wise men,” were deeply spiritual people who were always on the lookout for divine signs. They were astrologers and astronomers (the two were not distinct in the ancient world), skilled in interpreting celestial signs and blending what we would call science with divination to find meaning in the stars. They were often called upon by kings to serve as advisors when the king needed advice or when important decisions needed to be made. In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar summons the Magi and other wise men to interpret a troubling dream (Daniel 2:2).

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that after Jesus was born, some Magi came from the east searching for the child who had been born king of the Jews, saying that they had “observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage” (Matthew 2:2). These Magi must have been devoted observers of the night sky, not only to notice this unique star, but to correctly interpret its meaning and significance. Their careful attention and willingness to go to such great lengths to find and worship this new king is remarkable, especially when we consider that many of the religious leaders in Jesus’ own land failed to do the same. The chief priests and scribes whom King Herod consulted when the Magi inquired about the Messiah’s birthplace (Matthew 2:4) either failed to recognize the signs that the Messiah had been born, or failed to seek him out and worship him themselves.

The True Light

The Gospel of John offers a poetic retelling of the birth of Jesus Christ in which Jesus is described as the “true light, which enlightens everyone” (John 1:9). John tells us that Jesus “came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him” (John 1:11). Here, John is referencing the religious leaders—the chief priests and scribes—who should have recognized Jesus for who he was, if not as a baby, then at least later when John the Baptist testified about him.

After saying that his own did not receive him, John goes on to say something extraordinary: “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12).

We see here that becoming a child of God is not based on our family, or lineage, or cultural background, but receiving Jesus, and believing in his name. “To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”

Reading the Signs

I find it striking that it was the Magi from the east—outsiders, foreigners, people with unfamiliar spiritual practices—who recognized the significance of the star and went to such great lengths to find the One to whom it pointed. 

We often discount people like the Magi, especially those who are always looking for signs. And it’s true that many people look for signs in all the wrong places. But in this case, due to the Magi’s careful observance, and persistence in finding the truth, they got it right. They recognized a true sign of God’s activity, and they followed it all the way to Jesus.

That makes me wonder how many of us today are paying close enough attention to notice the signs of how God may be at work in the world around us. Evidence of God’s handiwork is everywhere, not only in the stars of the night sky, but in the beauty and majesty of creation, in the love shared between parents and children, in the creativity of artists and musicians, and even in advances in science, technology, and medicine. We often attribute these things solely to human ingenuity, but it is God who has given humanity the capacity to imagine, to create, to heal, and to discover. Do we recognize these as divine signs pointing toward a divine Creator, or do we dismiss them as mere coincidence?

The Magi took time to observe the world carefully, searching for evidence of the divine. And when they found a sign, they did not give up until they found the One to whom that sign pointed. There is much we can learn from them.

The Word of God

Of course, we are not limited to searching for truth in the natural world alone. We have something that most people throughout history did not have access to, and that many people in the world today still do not have: the written Word of God, available to us in our own native language. Most of us have several Bibles lying around our house, often collecting dust if we’re honest. And if we don’t have a print copy of the Bible, most of us have access to countless translations of the Bible on our phones and computers.

In the Bible, we encounter what people longed for thousands of years before the time of Christ—the knowledge of who God is, made accessible in a form we can comprehend.

The Gospel of John puts it this way: “The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). And later he adds, “No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (John 1:18).

None of us were alive when Jesus walked the earth. But we have the next best thing: the eyewitness testimonies of those who encountered him. We have an accurate and trustworthy record of God’s glory made visible to us in human form.

Prior to the time of Christ, people longed to understand God. God was incomprehensible, invisible to them. They had the Law, which showed them how to live, and they tried to use that to understand God’s will and God’s priorities. They had nature, and they used that to read the signs. And they had the oral tradition that had been passed down to them from generation to generation. 

But today we have something much better — we have the Gospels — eyewitness testimonies of those who walked and talked with Jesus — the Word of God made flesh. The Gospels record the accounts of Jesus’ life and teachings and ministries by people who were there when it happened, people who heard Jesus teach and even experienced his healing and deliverance firsthand. 

John summarizes this beautifully when he writes,

The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.…From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (John 1:14,16-18)

Jesus has revealed the heart of God to us. Through Jesus we can see and know God. Isn’t that amazing?

Not only that, but we also have the Holy Spirit, living inside of us, guiding us into all truth. After Jesus died and resurrected and ascended into Heaven, he did not leave us alone, to stumble through life trying to figure things out on our own. He gave us the Holy Spirit, also called “The Comforter” to be with us, to help us learn and comprehend and understand the truth. And this Holy Spirit is given to all who receive and believe in the name of Jesus. 

Application
And so this account of the Magi’s journey to find Jesus invites us to ask a simple but challenging question: Are we paying attention? Are we attentive enough to notice where God is revealing God’s self in our lives, in our world, and in the people around us? And when we do notice those signs—whether they come through scripture, prayer, creation, or unexpected people—are we willing to follow them, even when the journey requires effort, risk, or change?

Like the Magi, we are called not just to observe, but to respond. To move from noticing to seeking, from curiosity to commitment, from signs to worship. Epiphany reminds us that God is still revealing Christ to the world and that revelation often comes to those who are watching carefully and willing to go where God leads.

That is why it is especially fitting that on this first Sunday of the new year we traditionally pray the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer together. The Covenant Prayer is, at its heart, a response to God’s self-revelation. It is not a prayer for more signs or clearer directions, but a prayer of surrender and trust. When we pray, “Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will,” we are saying that we are ready to follow Christ wherever he leads, not just where it is comfortable or familiar.

Praying the Covenant Prayer is an Epiphany act. It is our way of saying that having seen the light of Christ, we are willing to order our lives around that light. It is a commitment to pay attention to God’s work in the world and to offer ourselves—our time, our gifts, our ambitions, and even our uncertainties—to God’s purposes in the year ahead.

Conclusion
The good news of Epiphany is that God desires to be known. God has not hidden God’s self from us, but has come to us in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth. 

May we be people who watch for God’s light, who recognize the signs of God’s presence, and who, like the Magi, follow that light all the way to Christ. And as we begin this new year, may our covenant with God be renewed, not just in words we pray, but in lives shaped by faith, trust, and obedient love.

Amen!

Questions for Personal Reflection in Reponse to Today’s Sermon:

1. What “signs” do I tend to trust most—scripture, prayer, circumstances, or my own assumptions?
2. Like the Magi, what would it look like for me to move from noticing God’s activity to actively seeking Christ?
3. When I pray the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer, which line feels most challenging or unsettling to me—and why?
4. What might it mean for me, at the beginning of this year, to truly surrender my plans, priorities, and ambitions to God?
5. How can I allow the Word made flesh—Jesus Christ—to shape not only what I believe, but how I live?