Epiphany, which means to show, is a season of light, when
Jesus Christ is shown to be the light of the world. During Epiphany, God
is made manifest (made obvious) through the flesh and blood presence of his son,
Jesus, on earth. The word epiphany is Greek for manifestation.
During the Season of Epiphany, we follow the Wise Men as they
follow the star to Bethlehem to find the Baby Jesus. We also follow the
disciples as they learn to follow Jesus. We answer the question, "What does
it mean to follow Jesus; what does it mean to go His way?"
The first celebration during Epiphany is the day of Epiphany
itself, which we at Messiah celebrate on January 6. That day, the festival of
light, celebrates the visit of the three Wise Men to the Baby Jesus in
Bethlehem. They may have come from the west, perhaps Iran, and followed a star
in the sky, which led them to Bethlehem.
The second celebration of Epiphany remembers that Jesus was shown
to Simeon in the temple in Jerusalem by his earthly parents, Mary and Joseph.
Simeon called Jesus "a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy
people Israel."
The theme of the first Sunday after the Epiphany is the Baptism of Our Lord. The purpose of the liturgical calendar is to relive the major events in Jesus’ life in real time. To fulfill the requirements of Leviticus 12:2-8, Mary had to present Jesus at the Temple and offer a sacrifice. According to Luke 2:22-24, she did just that.
The last Sunday in Epiphany is Transfiguration Day. Jesus was
revealed as God on earth in the Transfiguration,
when he was shown to be God to his disciples, as he was accompanied by
Moses and Elijah on the mountaintop.
The color of the paraments for the Day of Epiphany is white. The
color for the remaining days in the season is green.