Questions & Answers

Here are some comments from Christian Worship: Manual  (NPH, 1993):

The origins of the feasts of Christmas (December 25) and Epiphany (January 6) are elusive. The word epiphany comes from the Greek and means “appearance,” referring to the appearance of Christ as the Savior (see Titus 3:4). It is almost certainly the older of the two festivals, with the written traces of an Epiphany celebration from Clement of Alexandria at the end of the second century. Other eastern writers confirm the identification of January 6th as the birth date of Jesus. At the same time in various regions of the east the coming of the Magi, the baptism of Christ, and his first miracle at Cana were celebrated on this day. As with the date for Christmas, various explanations have been advanced as to why January 6th was chosen as the Festival of the Epiphany. ...

In the Western church, the Festival of the Epiphany was adopted as the day on which to recall the coming of the Magi to worship the infant King. The twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany came to be known as “the twelve days of Christmas.”

Planning Christian Worship excerpt:
 
The readings during the Epiphany season carry forward the emphasis in the readings for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the theme of Jesus revealing himself to us as God and Savior. At the same time the readings present us with a real conundrum. The conundrum is that he hides the manifestations of his deity, so that his glory remains a secret and a mystery, even while he is revealing it. All the riddles are present in the readings for the Feast of the Epiphany. The theme present in all of the Epiphany readings is: He shows his hidden glory to those he calls. You may notice that in many of the Epiphany season readings appropriation is much easier than application. There is a good reason for that: In Christmas and Epiphany our attention is on getting to know Jesus, who he is and how he works; thus there is not so much emphasis on our response beyond the response of faith, which itself is always seen as his work and not ours.
 
From Proclaim: A Guide for Planning Liturgy and Music (CPH)
 
Not even so rich a feast as Christmas prepares the worshiper for the opulence of Epiphany. At first glance, Epiphany may seem simple and direct: the Magi offer their worship and sacrifices to the Child born on Christmas. But Epiphany is much more.
 
Epiphany is about Christ's birth; it is the nativity celebration of the East.
 
Epiphany is about the Magi, the coming of the Gentiles, as the prophets had proclaimed, to offer gifts as a sign of the end of the division of humankind and the acknowledgment by the nations of Israel's God.
 
Epiphany is about the Baptism of our Lord. Jesus is the true Israelite who crosses the waters of Jordan, conquers the ancient serpent, readies for the baptism of His death and resurrection, is identified as the Lamb of God, declared God's Son and Servant, and anointed by the Holy Spirit with kingly gifts.
 
Epiphany is about Cana, its water turned into wine in anticipation of the wine of the new covenant, the espousal of Christ to the Church, and the eschatological wedding of the Lamb.
 
All this is a part of the history and meaning of the festival. Epiphany is a celebration fit for an Eastern monarch. Everything is in abundance, and a new surprise is hidden behind every veil. Orderly western minds have separated these themes and fixed them to Christmas Day, Epiphany Day, the First Sunday after Epiphany (Baptism of Our Lord), and the Second Sunday after Epiphany (Cana in Series C). Yet, they remain permanent and essential aspects of the festival itself. The historical events we celebrate are the rays of God's glory in history within which He reconciles Himself to us and us to Him. The Light of the world has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen on us. God's Light bathes the feast and drives away all darkness. The festival, indeed, has been called the Feast of Light.
 
The word "Epiphany" refers to the appearance of a god among mortals. The same word was adapted to describe the visit in state of a king to a favored city. He was greeted with pomp. Days were spent in feasting and revelry, all at the king's expense. He granted generous gifts and gave tokens of his favor. All this was his "epiphany." The epiphany of Jesus is the Lord's gracious appearance to His people with signs and wonders and favors given at His own expense.
 
The season of Epiphany opens with the splendor of the festival on January 6. The ancient character of Epiphany Day and the significant role it plays in presenting the Biblical keys to an understanding of Christ's person and work should encourage every congregation to celebrate the festival on January 6 even when it falls on a weekday. If the festival is not celebrated, it remains merely something after which Sundays are counted. (Where sufficient reasons exist for not keeping the festival on January 6, a congregation may consider celebrating it on the Second Sunday after Christmas.)
 
The First Sunday after Epiphany is the Festival of The Baptism of Our Lord. As for Epiphany Day itself, the color for the Baptism is white. We see Christ rise out of the waters of Jordan and the Spirit anoint Him, and we hear the Voice from heaven declare Jesus to be the Beloved Son….
 
The same Voice and words heard at the Baptism of our Lord close the season on the last Sunday after the Epiphany, Transfiguration. On that day Jesus is bathed in the heavenly light proclaimed on Epiphany. Indeed, Jesus is revealed to be the glory of God. Appropriately on this day the color is again white.