During these dark days of winter when sunrise comes late, I rejoice to see the morning star rising in the east just before dawn. It is my habit to get up early and go to a favorite chair in the family room that faces east for my morning devotions. There, while “reading, marking, learning, and inwardly digesting” God’s Word and through this Word, shaping and forming my own prayer life, I glance up and see that morning star on the horizon, piercing the darkness before the sun rises. Some mornings, this light is clearly visible. On other mornings when there is thick cloud cover, the light is not visible. And yet, I know that whether I can see that morning star or not, it is still there. The steadfast constancy of this God-designed phenomenon is reassuring to me; it makes my heart glad.
As any astronomer will tell you, the morning star isn’t really a star at all. In fact, this is actually the planet Venus, appearing on the horizon before dawn. This point-of-fact doesn’t bother me; the effect is still the same. It reminds me of God’s gracious ordering of creation: “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good’” (Genesis 1:14-18). That steadfast constancy of what God originally designed continues to this very day. Living as we do in the midst of things that are so temporary and fleeting, surely this is a blessing beyond calculation.
In these dark days of the early new year, God’s people celebrate Jesus who is the Light of the world in the season of Epiphany. That word, Epiphany, comes from the Greek language (the original language of the New Testament) and means to manifest or show forth. The season of Epiphany begins on January 6 as we remember and give thanks for those first Gentile visitors who came to worship the Christ Child – the Wise Men. With their amazing and extravagant gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they honored him who was born King of Jews (Matthew 2:1-12 ESV - The Visit of the Wise Men - Now after - Bible Gateway). Jesus makes clear that he himself is both the Light of the world (John 8:12 ESV - I Am the Light of the World - Again - Bible Gateway) and the bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22:16 ESV - “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to - Bible Gateway). The Epiphany season celebrates the light and love of Jesus that is ever expanding into the darkest recesses of the world and of our lives. All of these things are brought to mind each morning that I am permitted to see the morning star rising in the east just before dawn. And I am moved to give thanks and praise to God who, through his beloved Son, Jesus, has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9 ESV - But you are a chosen race, a royal - Bible Gateway).
There is a beautiful Epiphany hymn that speaks to this image. It has been used by countless generations of Christians for hundreds of years, and still speaks to our hearts and minds today:
O Morning Star, how fair and bright!
You shine with God’s own truth and light,
Aglow with grace and mercy!
Of Jacob’s race, King David’s Son,
Our Lord and master, you have won
Our hearts to serve you only!
Lowly, holy!
Great and glorious,
All victorious,
Rich in blessing!
Rule and might o’er all possessing!
(Lutheran Book of Worship #76, stanza 1)
In Jesus, who is the Light of the world, as well as that bright and Morning Star, I pray that this will be a year of grace and blessing for you.