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January 6, 2026 Feast of the Epiphany “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6) Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Lord has shown forth his glory: O come, let us adore him.
The Apostle John’s Gospel opens with these words: “In him [Jesus, the Word of God] was life, and the life was the light of men…the true light, which gives light to everyone…was in the world…to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God…No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (John 1:4, 9a, 12, 18)
The Apostle John proclaims that Jesus who is “...Light from Light, true God from true God…” has come into the world revealing the true God and bringing everlasting life through his own saving life, death, and resurrection. In this Epiphany season, we celebrate the revelation of life through the Light Who is revealed to all peoples to the ends of the earth throughout all the ages. What joy there is when that Light breaks through the darkness of our sinful lives and we find the Anointed One who reveals himself to us.
Eureka! Perhaps that exclamation conjures up for you, as it does for me, the image of a sweaty, mud-smeared prospector painstakingly panning for gold who finds a huge nugget and shouts with joy at the discovery. The closest I ever came to shouting “Eureka” was the day I stepped out of my car to fill it with gas at SAM’s club and found a $100 bill lying on the ground near the pump! (I did wait for a while to see if anyone came back to lay claim to it, but no one did.) About now you might be wondering why I interjected “Eureka” into the Gospel’s proclamation of the Light and the celebration of the spreading of that Light to the ends of earth this Epiphany season. Actually, I’m not the one who interjected it, the Apostle John did. He goes on to describe what happened when Jesus’ true identity was made manifest through the witness of John the Baptist.
As Jesus walks by John the Baptizer who is standing with two of his disciples, the Baptizer testifies, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (36) and they (one of whom is Andrew) begin to follow Jesus. Notice what happens in the next several verses after this revelation of Jesus the Savior.
“...[Andrew] found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ …He brought him to Jesus…The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’...Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found …Jesus of Nazareth’...Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’” (John 1:41, 43, 45-46, emphasis added)
The word “found” in the original Greek in each instance above is some form of verb “euriskei” which is the root of eureka! Each disciple who encounters and believes in Jesus goes looking to find another whom he might also bring to joyfully encounter Jesus. Notice the intentionality of seeking others and the invitation extended to them to come and see Jesus.
What might make us shout “Eureka” (or something like that) in 2026? What will we be intentionally seeking? Where will we invest our time, energy, prayer, and financial resources? There may be numerous answers to these questions based on individual circumstances. Yet, I hope that one answer might be true for all of us. As followers of Jesus, those who have tasted the saving goodness of God, may we shout “Eureka” as God works through us to seek, find, and invite others to meet Jesus?
Beloved, this Epiphany season and throughout 2026 will you join me in prayer that we might intentionally seek to bring others to Jesus, intercede for opportunities for Gospel conversations with those whom we seek, and warmly invite them to joyfully receive his saving grace?
Please pray with me:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his Salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Your servant for Jesus’ sake, +MarkBishop Mark
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