In the Christian Church year today is recognized as the Sunday before Epiphany or Epiphany Sunday. What is Epiphany? The word epiphany actually means manifestation or a sudden revelation. Other words that give the essence of what epiphany means include illumination, discovery, realization or even perception. The understanding of the word over time has been the emphasis of a clear and often sudden insight or revelation of something or a sudden illumination of an idea or thought. In Christianity historically, Epiphany refers to the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus. Epiphany is recognised by most Christians on January 6th each year.
There is still scholarly debate as to whether Paul wrote this letter himself and even whether it was written to the believers in Ephesus or to a smattering of Christian believers around Ephesus. Most believe that Paul or someone who knew Paul’s thinking did write Ephesians and thus Ephesians falls into the category of one of the disputed letters of Paul.
Whatever the circumstances behind the writing of the letter to the Ephesians, the purpose for the letter was to highlight the fact that the Church is the body of Christ and therefore it emphasizes God’s plan to bring all believers together as one body with Christ as the head.
In our text for today, Paul is telling the Ephesians what the foundation of his ministry as a servant of Christ is. In doing so he highlights that through God’s grace, the mystery of Jesus Christ which was kept hidden from many before him was revealed to him. In writing about this mystery, Paul states that, “… through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (See Ephesians 3:6 NIV) This was Paul’s epiphany and this became the essence of his ministry. Everyone needs an epiphany. For Peter, his epiphany was on that house top at Joppa when he was told to rise, kill and eat. The subsequent conversion of Cornelius and his household was God’s proof to him that no one who accepted him would be turned away. The epiphany for both of these leaders of the new ‘Way’ was that Christ had not come just for the Jews but for all who would call on His name and believe that He was indeed the Son of God and Savior of the world.
There are two other things that Paul points out that are worthy of note. First, he makes mention that he himself was less than the least of all God’s people which was clearly harking back to his days as a violent persecutor of those who were followers of the new faith. In this light, Paul makes the point that it is the grace of God on him that has allowed him, who was such a violent persecutor to become a staunch advocate for the faith he once sought to destroy. Secondly, Paul also writes that it is the power of the Holy Spirit that has revealed this mystery of the gospel of Jesus to him and to all the other prophets and apostles before him. What must we take from this message today? What must be the source of our epiphany today?
First of all, the gospel of Jesus the Savior that was revealed to Paul and the apostles remains the same. Jesus came into the world as God’s revelation of himself to bring all people, and I emphasize ALL people, into a relationship with Him, the Almighty God. The gospel message is simply that by dying and being raised from the dead and living as victorious King, Jesus has made all who believe in him joint heirs with him as children of God. This is the mystery of the gospel of Christ that has now been revealed. This is the message that is the lifeblood of the Church, as the body of Christ.
In Paul’s day, it was still the understanding among the Jews as they had been taught through the Old Testament that they were God’s chosen people and as a result of this they believed that they alone would be welcomed into the kingdom of God. It was simply incredible for any Jew then to think that other people had the same access to God as they did. For this reason, the average Jew saw everyone else as outsiders who could not claim equal standing with them as God’s chosen people and as such did not even associate with Gentiles or anyone else who they regarded as outsiders. You can imagine the consternation among those Jews in Jerusalem who had become converts to the new ‘Way’ when they learned that Peter had gone into the house of a Gentile and shared with him. (See Acts 10) The gospel message then, as it is now, is one of inclusion. The Church therefore cannot be a source of alienation but of bringing people together. Our conversion by the Holy Spirit and the testimony we live out as Christians must be the evident proof that Christ’s saving work at Calvary was for all people irrespective of who they are, where they are from, and whatever their unique circumstances may be.
The only gospel the Church as the body of Christ has, is an inclusive gospel. If the Church by its words and actions emphasize exclusion in any form, then it fails in its substantive mission to bring all people into the Body of Christ.
Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles suffered badly from the fact that many Judaizers who stubbornly refused to accept that God’s redeeming work extended to Gentiles as well as Jews, followed him almost everywhere he went to sow confusion and detract from the gospel that he was bringing to the Gentile world. These Judaizers, as they were called, especially those in Jerusalem, felt strongly that new Gentile believers had to adhere to Jewish religious practices such as circumcision and the offering of sacrifices in order to be accepted as new members of the faith. Some quite simply could not believe nor accept that the Holy Spirit was converting Gentiles to the faith as well. In doing so, these Judaizers were becoming obstacles where Jesus’ death and resurrection brought freedom from the requirements of the Jewish law.
How often do we make denominational rites and practices become a hindrance and a deterrent to those who would want to come to know Jesus? People must come to know Jesus from their own context whether it be cultural or social. All that matters is that they come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior as we did, because Jesus died so that all may be saved.
Secondly, Paul points out that it is through the grace of God that the mystery of the Gospel was revealed to him. For Paul grace is everything. Paul was always a man implicitly aware of who he was before that Damascus Road experience. He was a man who always saw himself as the worst of sinners and therefore he was a man who was most grateful for God’s grace and mercy on him. This is what fueled his passion for the gospel, his awareness of how undeserving he was but was still chosen as God’s messenger to the Gentiles. If you are not aware of God’s grace in your life you can never be truly passionate about sharing God’s message of grace to all whom you meet. The more appreciative you are for what God has done for you, the more devoted and committed you will be to being God’s vessel wherever and however God chooses to use you. When we see how half-hearted and lukewarm many Christians are, we can only surmise that they have lost or perhaps never had an appreciation for what God has done for them. I pray to God that none of us in this building today or who are following the livestream have lost the appreciation, that profound sense of gratitude for what God has done for you. Many of us are alive today because God has saved us from something or has saved us for a purpose. There was a song we used to sing when I was in Jamaica with the following words, “Your grace and mercy have brought me through. I’m living this moment because of you.” I’m not sure who the writer is but the more crucial point to consider is, how do you show gratitude for God’s mercy and grace in your life today?
Thirdly, Paul also points out that it is the Holy Spirit that has revealed to the apostles and prophets before him and presumably to him as well, the mystery of Christ which is the gospel to all people. Paul was essentially saying here that this did not happen because of human deliberation or insight or brilliance. This revelation could have only come into being because the Spirit of God made it possible. The same thing happens when a sermon is preached or a testimony is given or God’s word is shared by any means. Not everyone will receive it. It will not touch every heart. But for those whom God’s Spirit has opened their hearts and their minds it will be a life changing word. Paul in essence is acknowledging that no matter how passionate and committed he was as a servant of God if the Spirit did not unveil this mystery to him, he could not have become the preacher to the Gentiles that he had become. It doesn’t matter how well I preach each Sunday or anytime I stand to deliver God’s word, these messages will mean virtually nothing unless God opens the hearts of persons to receive it. You may be able to say from an intellectual perspective what a good message it was, but the real question is whether it has pricked or even touched the surface of your heart.
Lastly, bearing in mind that the power of the Holy Spirit is what leads to conversion and the transformation of people, the real issue at hand for all of us who claim to know Christ is the extent to which we are allowing the Holy Spirit to use us as the Lord’s instruments to convert many who need Jesus right now. To what extent are we as believers so open to the Spirit of God that we are willing and ready agents of his transforming power in our world? We cannot of ourselves know how God wants to and can use all of us, we cannot see God’s purpose for each of us unless we are fully submitted to the will of God in our lives. Is it possible that we have as a church been losing contact with our power source because we have become too self-reliant? Have we got to the point where we no longer see the need to nurture the Holy Spirit in us? Whenever a body of believers begin to lose touch with their source of power then we begin to see things falter and all our plans and ideas come to nothing. As people of God here in this church and all Christians everywhere the word of Zechariah 4:6 remains relevant when it says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.” The reminder to all of us as repeated in St. John chapter 15 is that outside of God we can do nothing. Unless we remain connected or perhaps for some of us get connected to the eternal power source, the Holy Spirit of God then we cannot be God’s vessels for transforming people’s hearts and lives. This transformation is the gift of life that we can invite someone else to have at the start of this year. Are you so spiritually connected that God’s Spirit can use you to bring new life to someone else today?
Go from here friends with the reminder that the gospel of Jesus’ saving work is available for all people and with that in mind ask God to make your life be a testimony of God’s message of transformation and new life to all who God leads you to through this year and beyond. Amen.