FOR GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH...

FOR GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH

by Herbert B. Rosana, Ph.D. 

“By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16 (NASB)

Christmas is always has something to do with gift giving.  People are delighted with gifts.  And gift giving do teach us about certain values.  For one it gives us the opportunity to show gratitude, second it also teaches us to appreciate others, and third it helps us recognize our interdependence and need to communicate.

In olden times January 6 is always considered as the day of gift-giving.  This is the reason why we use the word epiphany which means manifestation, derived from the Greek word ephiphaneia and from the Latin, ephiphania.  We celebrate the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.  Through the feast of the magi, Christ was manifested as the gift of God to Israel and to the whole of Humankind.  Today the fulfillment of the promise given by God to Abraham and to his children was made manifest.  The magi bearing gifts, Gold, Myrrh, and frankincense.  This symbolizes the office of Christ, King (gold), Sacrificial Victim (Myrrh) and Priest (frankincense). 

The verse above (1 Timothy 3:16) summarizes the economy of salvation. For when Jesus Christ was born, taught, live, died and ascended into heaven, and into the summation of the entire paschal mystery, the whole world and the Universe as if in a cosmological way converge in the person of Christ – who was manifest in the flesh, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, and now is seated at the right hand of God, and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.  From a distance, the angels proclaimed the message, “Peace to all men of goodwill.”  For his incarnation was witnessed both by the good angels and the bad angels, the souls of the dead in Hades also witnessed the redeeming work of Christ, for when Jesus died he descended into the lower parts of the earth and proclaimed the gospel to the souls of the dead.  His message was preached among the nations.  A group of people believed his message, the ecclesia.  And we await the final coming.  Whether we are alive or dead we as believers are consumed by hope, we live by hope and we die in hope. That this same Christ whom we believed on will raise us back again to life, show us His mercy and bring us to everlasting life. 

What a great gift we have in Jesus Christ. – This is the whole meaning of the epiphany.  And in gratitude we say: “What shall I repay the Lord for all this things He has given me? I will take the cup of the Lord and bless His Name.”  What a wonderful gift we have in Jesus. Amen.