Session 7 · Matthew 2:1-12
Five glimpses of who Jesus is
Follow the signs toward the one they reveal.
Book reading: Epiphany: The magi; The baptism of Christ; The call of the disciples; Nathanael; The miracle at Cana
Read Matthew 2:1-12, noticing how the visitors respond as they seek the newborn king. Malcolm Guite’s Epiphany sonnets move through five moments of revelation: the Magi, Jesus’ baptism, the call of the disciples, Nathanael, and the wedding at Cana. Each offers a distinct way to see who Jesus is. Taken together, they invite you to consider not only what you know about Christ, but how you respond when he draws near.
The Magi are outsiders to Israel’s story, yet they recognize a sign and travel to worship Jesus. Their joy grows when they reach him. Their journey reminds us that God’s welcome is wider than we may expect, and that a good sign points beyond itself. The star guides them, but the child is the one they worship. Their gifts make their worship concrete. Ask where you might be welcomed into a story of faith that once seemed to belong to someone else.
At the Jordan, Jesus enters the water and is revealed as God’s beloved Son. In the sonnet’s focus, baptism points toward dying and rising with Christ. The disciples’ call brings another image: Jesus summons ordinary people to trust him and follow into deep waters. Nathanael’s story adds the gift of being fully known; Jesus sees him before their meeting. At Cana, the first sign turns water into wine, offering a picture of inward change and joy that comes through Jesus’ costly work. These are not interchangeable moments. They show inclusion, belovedness, calling, being known, and transformation.
The passage today gives us one of these Epiphany moments in detail. Herod hears of a rival king and is troubled; the Magi keep seeking. When they find Jesus, they bow and offer what they have brought. Their response is not merely interest in a remarkable sign. It is worship, followed by a changed route home when they are warned in a dream. Meeting Jesus redirects their steps.
As you read the five poems, let each scene ask something different of you. Where do you need to hear that you are welcomed? Where do you need to remember that you are known? Is there a call to follow, a change to receive, or joy to share? You do not need to manufacture a spiritual feeling. Bring your actual hopes and questions to Jesus, and let Scripture guide what you make of each scene.
Matthew’s account ends with the Magi going home by another way. Worship can change the direction of a life, sometimes through a major choice and sometimes through one next step. Which of these five glimpses meets you most clearly today?
Key idea
Epiphany reveals Jesus through welcome, belovedness, calling, personal knowledge, and transformation; each encounter invites a response.
Questions to consider
- Which of the five Epiphany moments—being included, loved, called, known, or given joy—do you most need today, and why?
- What next step might change direction because you have come to worship Jesus?
Journal prompt
Name the Epiphany moment that meets you today. Write what you hope Jesus will show you and one response you can make.
Practice
1. Spend 10 minutes with the five scenes named in today’s reading. Choose one—welcome, belovedness, calling, being known, or transformation—and write one concrete response you can take this week.