The little-known holiday, “Epiphany,” reminds us that the Wise Men came to Jesus after Christmastime. Rather than coming two weeks later, it was at least two years. How do we know? The Bible tells us (Matthew 2:1-2, 7, 16).
(Photo: Visit of the Wise Men from thebiblerevival.com. Public domain.)
Jesus was a toddler when the Magi showed up. How surprised they must have been to come to Joseph and Mary’s humble house in Bethlehem instead of a posh palace in Jerusalem ( it was a “house,” not a stable; check out Matthew 2:11).
Jesus wasn’t the king they expected.
Our Expectations of Jesus—A Personal Epiphany
Honestly, to those who knew Him, Jesus didn’t fit most expectations of a king. Each one had an epiphany of sorts:
- Jesus’ own family thought He was crazy.
- The religious leaders blamed Satan for Jesus’ miracles.
- And the wise magi? They didn’t come first to Bethlehem to look for Jesus. They headed to Jerusalem, to the place where kings were supposed to live.
Even those who walked in the footsteps of Jesus up and down the Holy Land—those He chose as His disciples—even these apostles stumbled over their expectations of who He should be.
We all do, in fact. (Talk about an epiphany!) Jesus never seems to be what we expect when we come to Him.
He is far greater.
Tell me what you think: How was Jesus different than what you expected? To leave a comment, just click here.
Like This Post? Get the Whole Book!
This post is adapted from Wayne’s book, Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus: A Journey Through the Lands and Lessons of Christ.
• Enjoy an engaging, inspiring, and humorous travelogue that mingles the life-changing truths of Jesus with a walking tour of the Holy Land.
• Experience the Holy Land through the sights, sounds, and tastes of this personal travelogue, and discover how these sacred places influenced the lessons Jesus taught.
You will discover lessons Jesus has for your life.