Matthew 2:1-12 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
Epiphany Sunday, January 4, 2026 “The Wise Men Saw the Light”
Silent night, holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth. That third stanza of a familiar Christmas hymn provides us with the theme of our service for Epiphany this morning. In a poetic way, keeping with the rhyme and meter of the hymn, this stanza suggests a special appearance unique to the Christ Child. It pictures a radiancy beaming out from his face. Hopefully we understand that is not a literal description. When the shepherds came searching for what the angel told them about on Christmas night, they weren’t looking for some otherworldly light shining off of a baby. They were looking for a newborn wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger. They were looking for the opposite of bright and shining. They were looking for simple and humble. The Wise Men, sometimes called Magi, were the same. They did not bow down to the baby Jesus because they saw something in his face. They bowed down because they knew something about him that was not visible or obvious. The light shining from Jesus was not literal and visible, but it was real and significant. This light had long been promised—we heard an example from Isaiah 60, and the opening sentences contained the same picture. This light had long been necessary. The world was filled with the darkness of sin. This light was shining in and through that great darkness. And by God’s grace the Wise Men saw the light. As we briefly recount their journey today, we’ll remind ourselves of the importance and value of that light. We’ll continue to ask God for the wisdom of those men that we, too, may see and appreciate the same light. The Wise Men first saw the light of a special star. There is a lot we might like to know about these men that we don’t. Where exactly did they come from? How many of them were there? How much did they truly understand? How long did their journey take? What we do know is that they saw a special star and recognized it as a special sign. It’s interesting that assumptions have led some people to think that they know more than they do. The three kings came to Jerusalem and then Bethlehem because they saw a unique lining up of heavenly bodies in the night sky. The Bible doesn’t say three. It doesn’t say kings. And it doesn’t describe a conjunction of planets or something like that, even though many claim that is what the “Christmas Star” was. The Bible describes a star that behaved in a unique way. These men followed the star when it rose. They saw it go ahead of them and come to the very place where the child was with his parents. Stars don’t do that. This was special. This was miraculous. No one needs to calculate what the night sky would have looked like some two thousand years ago. We simply need to stand in awe of one more miracle of God. When he wanted to show certain people a sign, he made it very clear to them. They saw the light of that special star. At times, we may miss these sorts of truly special things because we are looking for signs to guide us. When I have an important decision to make, I want God to give me special insight. How do I know what house or car to purchase? How do I know if the person I am dating is the right one? How do I know what job I should do or what city I should live in? I want God to weigh in on the question, give me some direct guidance, give me a sign. What God has done for you is shown you this special, miraculous sign that he shared with the Wise Men. You get to see it by faith. You get to learn about it and recognize that it was a special sign connected with the most important era of the history of the world, the life of the Son of God and Savior. He is what is so special. God wants you to make your decisions to honor him. He wants you to base your decisions on what he has given you, his direction and guidance and principles of Christian living. He doesn’t want you to demand what he does not give, special insight into a future that will
only be revealed when it arrives. He has given some signs about the future. He reminds us with evidences all around that Jesus is going to return, not as a tiny baby but as a righteous judge. He wants you to realize that the decisions you make are not the things that will make the biggest difference for you. What he has done is what changes your life and your eternity. Where do you go for guidance? Where do you go for light? Where do you find clarity when you might otherwise be confused? To the Word of God as he has revealed it in Scripture. Read it. Learn it. Know it. Apply it. That’s how the Wise Men saw the light on their journey, too. They had come to Jerusalem. That seemed the most natural place to look for a newborn King of the Jews. That was who they were looking for, so why not look in the capitol city of the Jews? King Herod didn’t like what he heard. When King Herod was worried about something, all the people were also worried about what he might do. In a strange way, though, Herod was the one who knew where to look. He asked the people who were experts in the Scripture. And they did know. The Messiah, the king of the Jews, would come from Bethlehem. The tiny town of David had been given this privilege. Micah had prophesied about it. If you were going to find him, Bethlehem was where you needed to go. The Wise Men saw the light of a specific Scripture. They got the answer from those who were familiar with the Scripture, and they went in the direction it told them. That’s what everyone should have done. Herod had the advisors. The experts knew the words. He didn’t go. They didn’t go. They didn’t believe. They stubbornly pursued their own interests and goals. Herod even set a trap. The Wise Men went to see what God had promised and what God had now delivered. To be truly wise is to be like them. Read the Word. Learn it. Apply it. Do what it says. Early January is a great time to evaluate and improve. Call it a new year’s resolution if you like. How is my church attendance? Could I attend more regularly and more faithfully? Would that glorify God and serve the people around me> What about Bible study? Gathering with others to learn more and speak about applications and answers is a great way to grow. If you’re not in the habit of Sunday morning Bible study, maybe now is a good time to add that to your schedule. What about offerings? Do I really think about what God says and follow through? What about serving others? Do I focus on that or just focus on what I want and prefer? God has plenty to say about all of these things. And what he says is he wants all people to see the light of a surprising Savior. That is where the long journey of the Wise Men ended. The prophecy pointed them in the proper direction. The star guided them precisely. They found the house and the family and the baby. They worshiped, bowed down, and gave rich gifts. Everything about the scene seems surprising. These Wise Men with so many resources bowed down and gave gifts to a tiny child. The King of the Jews was worshiped by Gentiles. All who truly understood what was happening saw in Jesus something that was not obvious or apparent or visible. He was the light of God’s love. He was the light of redeeming grace. He had come to rescue from sin. He had come as a sacrifice. He deserved the adoration of the Wise Men and so much more. He deserved worship from all the world, but so much of the world remained in darkness. Only the Wise Men saw the light. Thanks be to God that he has made us wise like them. He has allowed us to see the light of a special star, to see the light of specific Scriptures, and above all to see the light of our surprising Savior. He has called us out of darkness into this wonderful light. As our Christmas season draws to a close, I look forward to rejoicing with you throughout an Epiphany season in which we continue to see this light shine forth as the Savior of the world, as our Savior.
The Text: Matthew 2:1–12 (EHV) 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, when Herod was king, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, 2“Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4He gathered together all the people’s chief priests and experts in the law. He asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, because this was written through the prophet: 6You, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not least among the rulers of Judah: because
out of you will come a ruler, who will shepherd my people, Israel.” 7Then Herod secretly summoned the Wise Men and found out from them exactly when the star
had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report to me, so that I may also go and worship him.”
9After listening to the king, they went on their way. Then the star they had seen when it rose
went ahead of them, until it stood still over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with overwhelming joy. 11After they went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12Since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.