Epiphany Sunday (Matthew 2: 1-12)

Number of Readers: 6 (all men)

1             Christ has come.

2             The Old Testament prophecies did not limit the mission of the Savior only to the Jews.

3             Isaiah proclaims:

4             "He will be ‘a light to the nations.’"

5             And again;

6             "Kings shall see and arise … and they shall prostrate themselves."

1             The telling of Christ’s world mission is recorded in the first gospel.

all         Matthew 2:1 through 12

1             In the time of King Herod,

2             after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,

3             wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking:

4, 5, 6     "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?

5             For we observed his star at its rising,

6             and we have come to pay him homage."

1             When King Herod heard this, he was frightened,

2, 3         and all of Jerusalem was frightened with him.

2             And calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people,

1             he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

2             they told him,

2, 3         "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet:

3             ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

2             for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’"

3             Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.

2             Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,

1             "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."

3             When they had heard the king, they set out;

4, 5, 6     and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising,

2             until it stopped over the place where the child was.

1             When they saw that the star had stopped,

4, 5, 6     they were overwhelmed, – overwhelmed with joy!

3             On entering the house, they saw the Christ child with Mary, his mother.

4, 5, 6     They knelt down and worshipped him.

1             Then, opening their treasure chests,

4             they offered him gifts – gifts of gold,

2             (Gold. The gift for a King.)

4, 5          and gifts of frankincense,

3             (Frankincense. The gift for a priest.)

4, 5, 6     and gifts of myrrh.

all             (Myrrh. The gift for one who is to die.)

(Pause)

3 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod,

6 The wise men left for their own country by another road.