Epiphany brings the Christmas season to a close and reminds us that Christmas never really ends – for it anticipates the spread of the Gospel to every corner of the world.

The declaration of God’s people at the time of the Incarnation should leave us in no doubt about who Jesus was. He was the long awaited Prophet, Priest, and King promised throughout the pages of the Old Testament.

If we understand the Gospel, then we won’t be able to help celebrating at some point and in some way. If we have grasped what Christ has done for us, then we cannot help but feast. In particular, if we understand what happened in the Incarnation, then we won’t be able to help holding a festival at some point. It is this lesson that the observers of the Incarnation and the participants in all the events teach us.

Waiting upon the Lord means not only waiting for Him to fulfill His promises in His time but also in His way. What Matthew teaches us is that God’s ways are often unconventional and shocking to polite people – but always gloriously consonant with the promises themselves.

We are typically bored as we come to the genealogies in the Word of God. But this illustrates our shortcomings more than those of the text. For the genealogies at the very least should remind us of the generations of men and women who have been called to wait upon the Lord to fulfill His promises.

As the season of Advent begins it is fitting to ask if it is permissible to celebrate extra-biblical feasts. The Scriptures, after all, mention nothing about the celebration of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, etc. Should this move us to avoid such festivals or should we raucously join in the fun?