Christmas Questions: Devotion
Matthew 2:1-12
Rev. Brian Bill
12/14/08
[Pick up one of the wise men from the Nativity Scene]
Good morning. My name is Gaspar. I’m one of the wise guys you just heard about from Matthew 2. I understand that you’re in the middle of a sermon series called, “Christmas Questions.” I decided to show up here today because I wanted to clear up some confusion and answer some of your questions.
Let me start by giving you a quiz to see how well you know the Christmas story.
Q: How many wise men came to see Jesus?
A: The Bible doesn’t say. There were a bunch of us that made up a caravan of travelers. Most believe there were three because we gave three gifts but do you really think we made a 900 mile journey by ourselves?
Q: Who were they?
A: We were stargazers but we were more than that. Back then, we used to help people figure out their purpose by looking at the skies to determine answers to the great questions of life – questions like: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? We were highly educated scholars who were trained in medicine, history, religion, prophecy and astronomy. We thought deeply about life so in that respect I guess we were wise guys. One of our jobs was to advise the king and to interpret various events and activities.
I’m not one to brag but because of our combined knowledge we had become the most powerful group of advisors in the Babylonian empire. It had been said that no one had been crowned king without our approval. As such, we weren’t the “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” but we were what could be called, Kingmakers.
Q: Where did the wise men meet Jesus?
A: We found Jesus in a house, not in a stable or manger. If you don’t believe me, check out Matthew 2:11: “On coming to the house…” This kind of messes up your nativity scenes that show us at the stable, doesn’t it?
Let me tell you my story. I was raised in the area you know now as Iraq. I loved to study and learn and was always asking questions. One of my favorite things to do was to stay up late into the night and just gaze at the stars in the sky. I got to the point where I could close my eyes and point my finger in the sky and name the star or planet without even looking. I never got tired of doing this. One night when I was much older I was laying flat on my back after a long day and I noticed a brand new star in the sky. This had to be a mistake. I consulted the constellation charts and realized that this bright light had never been recorded. I kept the discovery to myself at first because I wanted to see if it would appear again. Sure enough, it showed up every night and I was determined to discover what it meant.
But then I noticed something even stranger. The star seemed to be moving, changing position against the constellations. I ran to find my fellow astrologers, excited to tell them the news. But they had already seen it. We then debated about what it meant as we did some complicated calculations. Most of us came to the conclusion that this star signaled the birth of a new king somewhere to the west of us. It was not uncommon for the birth of a ruler to be associated with bright lights in the sky. I can’t adequately explain how much I was drawn to this star. Others seemed to forget about it after awhile but I was fixated on this star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright…sorry, I almost broke out into song there. I was determined to get up and follow it, no matter where it led me.
Something was tugging at me but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I decided to look into some of our historical archives and then I remembered! Centuries earlier our country had attacked the nation of Judah and brought back some of their best and brightest. Among them was a man named Daniel who was an amazing individual. He had the ability to not only interpret dreams – he even told Nebuchadnezzar what his dream was about. I then searched the Jewish Scriptures and found Daniel 1:17 which referred to Daniel and his friends as the original “wise men.” My relatives, who were also considered wise men, could not interpret the king’s dream and were in danger of being executed. Daniel saved the day when he told the king not only what he had dreamt, but what it meant.
I remember hearing that Daniel often talked about a coming king, or as Daniel 9:25 says, “The Anointed One, the ruler…” I then started flipping through the pages of the Jewish Scripture and came across some more passages. We researched and revered these scrolls.
* Numbers 24:17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Could this star in the sky be the star that would come out of Jacob?
* Psalm 72:10-11: “The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.” I knew then what I had to do.
* I later found Isaiah 60:3: “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” We weren’t really kings but this bright light was pointing to a newborn king. We could no longer delay!
That night I checked the star again and it appeared to be saying, “Hurry up and follow me. I’ll lead you to the One you’ve been looking for.” I somehow knew that my life would be incomplete if I did not meet this king in person. This was our opportunity to be kingmakers in another country! I started gathering some gold and some other valuable gifts and spread the word among my fellow wise men that we needed to go see this king. I was pleasantly surprised that several hundred were willing to join me on the journey.
Our adrenaline was pretty elevated at the beginning but then things got difficult when we realized that we could only travel at night. The path was not clear and it got cold and there were dangerous animals lurking in the darkness. Some nights the clouds obscured the star and we couldn’t move forward. Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it? Some of you have set out on a journey to discover Christ, only to be met with doubts and difficulties. Waiting is not easy, especially during the day when the sun made the sand so hot we could barely stand it. Other times I confess that I lost confidence. Was I chasing a phantom twinkling star that had no significance? If this star was pointing to a great king, why was the terrain so terrible? Did it have to be so hard to find what we were looking for?
Nothing seemed easy anymore and several wanted to turn back and go home. It was especially challenging when we met fellow travelers who made fun of us for chasing a star while leaving our good jobs and our families behind. There were times when I didn’t really feel like one of the “wise men” because frankly, our journey seemed to be foolish. It was really tough when people wondered why we wanted to see a king in another country. What possible difference would this newborn king make in our lives? My fellow travelers were tired and many wanted to go back home so they could make money consulting the constellation charts and advising our own king.
But we pressed on because the star never stopped shining or moving. After many months, we finally arrived in the capital city of Israel, a backward and primitive land that was under Roman rule. There was just one problem. No one was celebrating the birth of a king. Everyone looked like they were just going abut their normal tasks. We realized then that we were lost. As you know, this happens to us men sometimes. We have had to put up with wise cracks about the wise men for centuries. Some have suggested that the story would have been so much better had it been wise women who made the trip because they would have asked for directions, made it to Bethlehem on time, helped with the delivery, cleaned up the stable, made a decent meal and brought more useful gifts!
In any case, our large delegation must have had a huge impact because King Herod was willing to see us. We were really excited and assumed that this newborn king may be the son of King Herod. When we were face-to-face with him we asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” We expected Herod to be happy with our question. Instead he was greatly disturbed because the Roman senate had named him “King of the Jews.” Actually, he was extremely agitated and started shaking violently. We were real nervous because we had heard about what Herod did when he was mad.
He had held tightly to the reins of power for years and brutally removed anyone who got in his way. Over the years he killed many people: his brother-in-law, his mother-in-law, two of his sons, and even his wife. He murdered out of spite and he killed to stay in power. I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t too happy to hear that someone was “born king of the Jews.”
Herod then hastily called together a meeting of all the religious leaders and teachers of the law and asked them to let him know what the Bible says about the Savior’s birth. Specifically, he wanted to know where the Messiah was to be born. These religious experts didn’t hesitate or even need to pull out their commentaries. They knew what the prophet Micah had written seven hundred years earlier: “In Bethlehem in Judea…”
Now that Herod knew where the birth took place he wanted to figure out when it happened so he called a secret meeting with us. He seemed crazed and screamed at us, wanting to know the exact time the star had first appeared to us. When we told him, he got out his calendar and then told us to “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.” Who did he think we were? We could tell he had no interest in worshipping Him; instead Herod wanted to wipe Him out. There was no way we were going back to him. Incidentally, there’s still a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to worship today. Many people who say they are into worship are really centered on themselves.
We quickly left the palace and when we got to the outskirts of Jerusalem we saw the star again! We were really pumped because we were so close. We were in a hurry now because Bethlehem was only five miles away. The star guided us and it stopped right over the place where the child was. Let me pause right here to point out something else that will mess up your Christmas cards. The Bible got it right in Matthew 2:11 when it called Jesus a “child.” This is the word for a toddler – he was no longer a newborn.
For a moment, we doubted that we had found the great king. Sure, the star was shining brightly over the house but everything else didn’t seem right. There was no sign of royalty, no wealth, and no trumpets blaring. And yet, we were drawn to the child because He seemed to radiate even more than the star. The mother told us the story about the baby’s conception and birth. Her husband spoke about the shepherds and the angels and how they had worshipped Jesus when he was born. Joseph also explained that the name “Jesus” was given to Him because He would save people from their sins.
Then, without a word spoken between us, we bowed down and fell flat on the floor in worship. This doesn’t show up in your English Bibles, but in the original Matthew captured it well: “Having fallen, they prostrated themselves before Him.” We had never seen a king like this before! He was young but He commanded our adoration. Before we gave what we had in our hands, we first gave our hearts to Jesus. We were wealthy and we were wise and we bowed down and worshipped and then we gave our gifts to Him. Friend, God wants your presence before He wants your presents; He desires your person and then your possessions. We considered Jesus so worthy that we had to give Him things of worth. Have you ever surrendered yourself and submitted yourself to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ the King? If not, do so today! Those who are wise will worship Him.
The gifts we brought were very expensive – it would have been more than enough to participate in “pay to play” and buy a seat in the Senate! Oh, and if you want to hear more about the deep symbolism of our gifts you’ll need to come back on Christmas Eve at 6:00 p.m.
Realizing that he has been tricked by us wise guys, Herod wigs out. All the worst instincts of a lifetime of cruelty now come to the surface. He’s now furious and did something worthy of Hitler or Stalin or Saddam Hussein. He ordered the cold-blooded murder of all males less than two years of age. Herod the Great had become the Butcher of Bethlehem. He was perhaps the ultimate oxymoron in history. Rich in what most of us consider valuable, he was totally bankrupt as a human being. He was addicted to power, obsessed with possessions, focused on prestige, and filled with paranoia.
There’s a better way to live than that. After we left the land of Israel we had a long time to think through what we learned. I shared these thoughts with one of your pastors and he’ll now pass along seven choices you can make this Christmas.
Christmas Choices
1. Respond to how God is trying to reach you. Friend, don’t be surprised at what God will use to get your attention. God is infinitely creative in the ways He breaks through to people who seem to be so far from Him. He can use a star, a book, a conversation, a television show, a song, or even a chance comment. If God can reach the Wise Men, he can reach anybody. The bright star served as a travel guide for this group of Christmas seekers. It was God’s gift of direction as it pointed them to the King of Christmas. Those who search diligently for Christ will eventually find Him. Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart and I will be found by you...”
I can look back in my life to when I first became interested in spiritual realities. I distinctly remember how lost I felt and how confused I was. Thankfully, God provided a travel guide for me who helped lead me to Christ. That star was my college roommate. Many of you have had that same experience. God had someone cross your path -- somebody at work, your neighbor, your parents, your grandparents, or a friend. Someone whose light was bright, whose love was real, and whose faith was so compelling that you found yourself wanting what they had.
Others of you are still wandering in spiritual circles and feel like you’re not making much headway. Maybe you feel just as spiritually detached as you did last Christmas. Chances are good that God has already put a spiritual star in your life somewhere. If you were to scan your relationships you probably already know someone whose spiritual light burns pretty bright. Maybe their faith has caught your attention more than once.
Some of you know exactly who it is but you haven’t wanted to follow what they’ve been saying and the direction they’ve been pointing. It’s not easy to listen to a star who might also be your spouse, is it? It’s not easy to follow a parent, either. Or, maybe God is trying to get your attention through your own child, or a neighbor, or a friend, or through the ministry of this church. Don’t forget to consult the Scriptures if you’re just going in circles. God’s Word will point you to the living Word.
2. Determine to go, not just know. Dean Ridder spoke at our Christmas leadership breakfast this past Tuesday at Baby Bulls and he made the point that the religious leaders, who should have known better, missed Christmas because they were not willing to journey to Bethlehem. I don’t know why it is but those of us who are religious are often also the most indifferent. It’s not enough to know; we must also go. The wise guys made a long journey to find Jesus, putting feet to their faith. They could have just continued to stare into the constellations but they made a commitment to go. Are you seeking the Savior or are you just sitting? Wise men and women still seek Him.
Once there were three frogs on a log. One of them decides to jump off. How many are left? Two? No. There’s still three because all the one did was decide to jump – but he never made the leap! Are you still on the log this morning? If so, it’s time to jump off so that you can bow down to the One who can change your life.
3. Believe and receive King Jesus. The ultimate Christmas question is this: “Where is the one born King?” The first question asked in the Old Testament is from God himself in Genesis 3:9: “Where are you?” We’ve been hiding from Him ever since but thankfully God has come looking for us and has sent His son to be our Savior. Have you found the one who is born king? Are you still stuck on the discovery path? Or has doubt tripped you up? Ultimately you and I must get to the part of our journey where we live lives of total devotion to Him.
We must move from the cradle to the cross of Christ. It’s not enough to just have warm fuzzies this time of the year. Did you know that only 40 out of 3,773 verses in the four Gospels center on the birth of Jesus? The other 99% focuses on why He was born – to live and then to die as our sin substitute. I can tell you this. If you sincerely want to discover Jesus and you’re willing to deal with your doubts, your destination will lead to devotion. Here’s the deal. Some will believe and receive while others will neglect and reject. What are you going to do?
4. Participate in taking the gospel to the globe. In Matthew’s account, he gives more space to the journey of the wise men from a distant land than he does to the actual birth of Jesus. This shows us once again that God’s heart is for all people, not just for one geographic group. We must continue to focus on the nations because the message of Christmas is “good news of great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10).
Our daughter Emily is a student at Moody Bible Institute and is taking a class this semester called, “Messianic Prophecy.” This week her professor taught on Isaiah 49:6: “…I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” He told the students that God’s plan of salvation is so amazing and so huge that it could never be limited to just one nation. The Messiah is a light to all people – that’s why we’re here today. And that’s why we give over 10% of our church budget to support 18 different missionaries.
5. Expect Christmas conflict. Some of you understand all about conflict during Christmas time. We’re going to address some of this in our outreach services next Sunday as we help our guests discover that being “home for Christmas” is actually a deep longing to find our true home.
Our culture is also filled with conflict during Christmas. Did you hear about the sign that an atheist organization put up alongside a Nativity scene in Olympia, Washington earlier this month? It read in part: “There are no gods, no devil, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds” (see www.cnn.com). This should not surprise us.
At its heart, Christmas is a spiritual power encounter because darkness and light came together as never before. Not since the Garden of Eden had Satan marshaled his forces like he did to attack Immanuel. We see this in Herod’s determination to exterminate all boys under the age of two in an effort to kill the Christ child. I’m not sure I fully grasp Revelation 12:17 but I catch enough to know that Satan is intent on wiping out believers: “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Since Satan couldn’t murder Immanuel as an infant he is out to assassinate the offspring of Eve. And he often launches his attacks stealthily.
6. Refuse to go back to the old route. Matthew 2:12 says that we wise men “returned to their country by another route.” Once we meet Jesus, our lives will never be the same. We can’t go back to where we were because God now has a different route for us to take. When you bow before Jesus you cannot go back the way you came because God wants to take you in a new direction.
7. Worship through how you live and how you give. As we’ve said before, worship is defined in the Bible as the surrender of our very lives to Christ (see Romans 12:1-2) and is demonstrated by how we live and how we give. [Pick up wise men and have them bow down]
We’re going to conclude this morning by watching a video called “Four Words.” But I want us to do more than watch; I want us to worship. You can stay seated but I’d like you to take your hands and form a fist. Now I want you to slowly open your hands to show that you are surrendered to the Savior and then place your hands palms up on your lap as a way to say you are ready to go in a new direction.
Closing Video: “Four Words”
