Epiphany is one of the major seasons in the church's liturgical calendar. It is a time of reflection on the revelation of Jesus. Following our celebration of the advent of Jesus, born to Mary on the first Christmas so long ago in Bethlehem, we take time to reflect on who this person is that we call Christ/Messiah.
Some Christians might suggest that it is already quite clear who Jesus is. Yes, the confession of Jesus as Lord and Saviour of humanity is central to the Christian faith; this is clear. But the question of Epiphany seeks to go deeper than mere propositional statements, however true they might be. Epiphany is a time to contemplate the revelation of God in Christ, a God shrouded in mystery, a God brought near and revealed in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
In the Gospel accounts we find this very question being asked wherever Jesus goes. St. Luke tells us of how Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves and calms the sea. Upon seeing this, those with him exclaim: "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?". Rumours abounded during Jesus' time regarding the answer to this very question. Some thought him to be John the Baptist returned from the dead, or Elijah, or another prophet of old. When Jesus asks his disciples pointedly, "who do you say that I am?", Matthew tells us that St. Peter responded thus: "You are the Christ, the son of the living God!". Truly this has been the Church's confession ever since. But it is interesting to see how for hundreds of years following his death and resurrection, the Church struggled to understand how this Jesus of Nazareth, whom she worshiped as God, could be both a man and God. Four centuries and four ecumenical (i.e. world-wide) councils later, she had finally come to understand how this could be so.
During the season of Epiphany (or Theophany for our Eastern brothers and sisters) we take on this challenge, we seek to answer the question of Jesus: 'who do you say that I am?'. This need not be the theological journey that the Church took in those early years. Instead, we travel the journey of the heart as it seeks the face of this God-man, as it seeks to understand and experience this Saviour. We travel this journey on our knees in prayer; we travel this journey on our feet as we go about our daily tasks; we travel this journey together as a people of faith worshiping the crucified Lord. Through the revelation of Jesus found in the proclamation of Scripture, in the reciting of creeds and confessions, and in the life of the Church meeting with Christ himself at the Eucharist feast, we learn anew each year who he is.
During this season we hear the voice of Jesus of Nazareth asking each of us, "who do you say that I am?".
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