Holidays like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving are well-known. “Epiphany,” however, is a different story. (And it’s today.)

It’s not a day when we get a vacation, which means it gets less attention. But since it has something to do with our faith, what is it all about?

It’s a date which has become associated with the visit of the wise men to see Jesus: “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” (Matthew 2:10-11).

“Epiphany” means “manifestation.” It’s a day when Christians mark the manifestation (or appearing, or showing-forth) of Jesus to the gentiles—in other words, to all people, not just Jews.

The wise men famously gave gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Some people have suggested that each of the gifts were symbolic and represented an aspect of Jesus’ life. The gold, they say, represented his royalty, the frankincense his divinity, and the myrrh his sacrificial death. 

I’m not so sure about all that. But I do think that their visit compels us to ask a question of ourselves: What do each of us give to Jesus as an offering?

If the wise men (magi) were from Babylon (which they probably were), the trade route they would have taken would have been about 1300 kilometres. That’s a looooong trip! They would have come with a caravan, and perhaps even guards and servants. When they arrived, they gave the holy family expensive gifts as a gesture of respect.

We may not have gold, frankincense or myrrh. But we have time. We have talents. We have resources. We have energy.

What are you offering your King? 
How are you going to serve him? 
How are you going to express your gratitude? 

It will look different for different people. We have different talents. We have varying resources.

So, think about your situation. Think about who God has made you to be. Think about how he has positioned you in this chapter of your life.

What are you offering your King in 2026?

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Notes:

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.
-A version of this devotional first appeared in 2024.