Behold, the Lord, the Ruler has come!

So begins the Introit for the great Feast of Epiphany. What a joy to celebrate it today! In the Western Church, the Epiphany focuses on the star and the visit of the Magi; the Baptism of our Lord is celebrated usually the Sunday following Epiphany (in those who use post-Vatican II guidelines) or on the octave of Epiphany (in those parishes where the older tradition prevails).

Lutherans have never forgotten that the Baptism belongs to Epiphany, though, and that it is truly a great Theophany. In one of his sermons for the Baptism, Blessed Martin Luther speaks of the Baptism as the true "Drei Königs fest!" For at the Baptism of our Lord the heavenly Kings, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were manifested to all the world.

In the words of Luther's great Baptismal hymn:

There stood the Son of God in love, His grace to us extending
The Holy Spirit like a dove Upon the scene descending;
The triune God assuring us With promises compelling
That in our Baptism, He will thus Among us find a dwelling
To comfort and sustain us.
(LSB #406, st. 4)

"Through the Baptism in the Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin!" - Liturgy of Holy Baptism (LSB p. 269)

The sanctification of all water to reveal to us the Triune God - what a glory is our Lord's Baptism, what a glory is His manifestation by the star!

The star proclaims the King is here;
But Herod, why this senseless fear?
For He who offers heav'nly birth
Seeks not the treasures of the earth.

The eastern sages saw from far
And followed on His guiding star;
And, led by light, to Light they trod
And by their gifts confessed their God.

Within the Jordan's sacred flood
The heav'nly Lamb in meekness stood
That He, of whom no sin was known,
Might cleanse His people from their own.

For this His glad epiphany,
All glory, Jesus, be to Thee,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore. Amen.
(LSB #399, st. 1,2,3,5)