Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The text on which this morning's message is based comes from our Epistle lesson (Ephesians 3: 2-12) read earlier.

Today is Epiphany, which as I said earlier, is the earliest celebration of Christmas. While we don't really know what day Christ was actually born, the first Christians who began to celebrate Christ's birth did so on January 6. It was not until a few hundred years later that the churches in Italy and Western Europe begin celebrating December 25. Our Christian brothers and sisters in the Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches still celebrate Christ's birth today. For Christians of the Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Protestant confessions, we celebrate today, Epiphany, as a reminder of the Lord Jesus showing himself, not just to his parents and a few Jewish shepherds, but to the world. "Epiphany" comes from the word "to shine" and the picture is that of a light, of a star shining in the darkness, overcoming the darkness.

In the past two weeks we have been singing about light – about Jesus, the light of the world. In Bethlehem's dark streets "shineth the everlasting light." "Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace!… Light and life to all he brings." "Son of God, love's pure light… radiant beams from your holy face, Jesus Lord, at your birth." Today's Old Testament lesson proclaims, "Arise, shine, for your light has come." The Lord has appeared and the whole world should see the light of his coming. It's Epiphany!

Epiphany is actually a mission festival. The light is moving out. Our Gospel lesson is about the Wise Men, Magi, probably from Babylon in the east – The first Gentiles to come to worship the king of the Jews. The light of Christ came to dispel the darkness that covers the earth and ALL its peoples. Therefore, the light we enjoy here, the light that warms us in this place, the Light that is Jesus, has to get out.

We don't often notice it, but our building has walls. On a cold day like today, we are thankful for the walls. But walls do divide. They divide "us inside" from "those outside." The walls also have doors – there and there and there and there. Anyone can come through the doors; in fact we want them to come in. The walls simply hold up the roof and keep the rain and snow off us as we worship our Lord.

But from the outside, walls can look like a real barrier, a barrier to the light. People looking at our church wonder 'can they come in?' Will they be welcome? Will they fit in? What if they come inside and find they are still 'outsiders.' We on the inside have to realize that the walls can be barriers between us and those outside – even if those outside only think they are barriers.

That is why Paul wrote the message to the Ephesians that is our Epistle lesson. He tells them about the mystery that has now been revealed. This mystery was once known only to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Not even the angels knew of it. The devil had no clue of this mysterious plan. But now this plan has been revealed, partially to the Old Testament prophets, but then more fully to the New Testament prophets and apostles. Through them the mystery has been revealed to us – We have seen the light. The mystery is that the Gentiles, the outsiders in Paul's day, are heirs together with the Jews of Christ's inheritance. All in Christ are now God's Chosen People. "Outsiders" and "insiders are one body with Christ, are partakers together of his promises, are recipients of his strength. There is no division. The doors are open. Jesus opens the door to church and to heaven, and no one can shut it.

For us to get the full impact of Paul's words though, we need to remember that we are the outsiders in this text. Unless you were born genetically Jewish, you are a Gentile – Not the inheritors of the family promise, not the descendants of Abraham, not part of God's original holy people! But thanks be to God! The plan God fulfills in Jesus Christ gives us access to God's presence – free and confident access to the throne room of God – by trusting in what Jesus has accomplished for us.

The big surprise of Epiphany is that we the Gentiles are on the "inside" of the walls of God eternal plan of salvation. This plan was once a mystery, wrapped behind a veil, known only to God himself. It was Paul's great joy to unveil the mystery to us and our Gentile ancestors. Verse 6: "This mystery is 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." For those of us who were baptized as infants, for those who came to faith as older children or adults in this predominantly Christian country, it's easy for us to think of ourselves as always being "insiders." But we are really outsiders, like the Magi. But for us outsiders, Jesus was born, died and rose again. For us outsiders, He gives citizenship in heaven and eternal inheritance with the Father forever.

That was Paul's great message to us, the message God gave him to bring to people like us, outsiders like us. Paul didn't see the addition of outsiders like us as only a little epiphany, a small beam of light, but a great Epiphany, the reason for the glorious appearance and work of the coming of the Son of God.

All of us, Jew and Gentile, were born children of Adam and Eve, tied to sin, in rebellion against God and sentenced to die. Jesus came as a volunteer, willing to take on himself the form of his rebellious creatures, so that he could bring rebellion to an end.

He had no sins, no need for repentance. But he stood with us, for us who do. In the next 5 weeks of Epiphany we will hear more about how he lived and taught and healed and touched people. He let His light shined through the darkness of sin and disease and error and cross and death. Even on the cross, especially on the cross his light was shining as he died for the crimes of others, for outsiders, for us. He broke down the walls between us and heaven.

But we still, in our old nature, try to erect those walls again. We still try to hide our sin in the shadowy corners away from the light. We still try to keep God and his loving influence in our lives at a distance. We neglect His Word and the light it shines in our lives, and instead look for other means of fulfillment in life. But Paul tells the Ephesians later, in chapter 5 "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light… Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them… everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (verses 8, 11, 13-14). Let us wake up, repenting and turning to Him, daily through his Word, in family and private devotions. Let us wake up, even in the dark recesses of our lives – and see the light of Christ.

Let there be light here in the church, where we gather around the Word and gifts of Jesus Christ to his people. Let us, like Paul the least of God's people, proclaim to each other and our community the unsearchable riches of Christ. But that proclamation can sometimes be difficult. The world often doesn't understand the light.

I like to watch good baseball. I've even spent a little time as a baseball coach at the college and little league levels. I love throwing out a runner at first from deep shortstop. I love watching a crisp double-play. But I forget that not everyone knows, understands, or loves baseball. It really is a complicated game. I still remember coaching first base for Brittany's little league and telling her to run from first to second and then on to third.   As she rounded second, this little 6 y.o. girl, in her first game ever, looked back to me for guidance, and because of where the ball had been hit I knew she could run on to third. I yelled to her "keep going, keep running." She did. Straight. She didn't turn to run to third. She did what I told her. She kept going – into left field. I had forgotten that Brittany, who was learning to love the game, didn't yet grasp all its concepts. She thought that keep running meant keep running straight.   I then had to start yelling "No, No, I mean run that way, to third base."

We who are Christians need to remember that, like baseball, the language, the words of our Christian faith are sometimes foreign to those who do not hear God's Word regularly. Our language, our great language of words like "grace" and "redemption" through Christ may have to be simplified -- into God's love and ransom for us from death and the devil. We need not give up this rich language we love, any more than a softball player needs to quit talking about how much she loves doubleplays and stolen bases. But we will need to be aware that our rich Christian language that lights our lives may sometimes not be understood and put up walls to those who are still struggling to hear of and turn to Christ in their lives. We will need to expend time and energy to patiently teach them this language we know and love.

In the end, the walls between us and our unchurched neighbor are really no barriers at all. We are, both of us, sinners who need a Savior. The good news is, we have one and we know it. We can share it. Jesus has appeared to the Magi. Jesus has appeared to us. Jesus is here. Let there be light!

The grace, peace and shining light of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always. Amen.

Note: The concept and several of the paragraphs for this sermon come from a sermon by Rev. Bruce Cameron, published in Concordia Pulpit Resources, 1999, p. 60).