Wise Men Finds the Truth about Jesus Christ
Matthew 2:1-12
(Christmas Series)
Matthew 2.1-12 (RSV) reads as follows: 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6 And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.’" 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8 and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
A. Not All People Are Wise.
In Matthew 2.1-12, there are three kinds of people with different kinds of reactions regarding the birth of Jesus and which also show that not all people are wise.
1. The Power-Hungry Politicians. King Herod represents this group. In fact, King Herod is afraid and angry about the truth that there is a King greater than he is. It is commonly known that political power means power, prestige and wealth; with these things are propaganda, hypocrisy and lies. However, Christianity proclaims that the best politicians are those who can face the truth about Jesus Christ and those who can live comfortably with the truth. They are those who believe that the ultimate power belongs to God and that they are just stewards of God. King Herod the Great was not one who acknowledged God’s prerogatives and sovereignty. Even today there are few politicians who acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and yet they, too, celebrate Christmas. Of course, for other reasons!
2. The Religious People. The chief priests and the scribes represent the second group of people in our text. They are the perceived authority in the knowledge about God. However, religious people, even in the history of Christianity, had the records of mishandling the truth of God. Many false cults had arisen as a consequence. This is the case of the religious leaders of Judaism during the time of our Lord Jesus Christ. Either they had become so at ease with their positions or they had become so distorted in their perception of the truth. These people were caught unaware with the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ though they know something about it. This shows that knowledge about God is not enough, it is to be coupled with commitment.
3. The Believers. The third group of people is the wise men who can be called the true believers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? They came to Jerusalem to worship Jesus – the Messiah that was born. They said: "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him".
B. What are the characteristics of the wise men that led them to find the truth about Jesus?
From our passage there are at least three characteristics of the wise men that led them to find the truth about Jesus.
1. Wise men believe that there is an ultimate truth – truth about God. They did not yet know about Jesus Christ but they believe in God. Secularism has taught many people in our generation today that there is no ultimate truth – all truth is relative. However, wise men believe that there is God. There are many reasons to believe that there is God. Actually, in Asia, the question is not whether there is God or not, but which God is the true God! With regards to the wise men in our passage, they must have heard of Israel’s hope through the Jews and might have become convert to Judaism or at least sympathetic to the Jewish belief. Hence, their conception about the Messiah was based on their knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures and beliefs.
2. Wise men seek the truth about God.
a. The wise men in our passage were given a very vague knowledge on how to find the truth about God. They said: “For we have seen his star in the East”. Too little is told us to allow us to decide what sort of a star it was and why they linked it with the birth of the Messiah.
b. These wise men were called Magi – they gave counsel to the kings and leaders of Persia. They were also acknowledged as holy men. Some said they were 12, others 3 (Melchor, Caspar and Balthasar) – who also were kings.
c. The wise men do not know where Jesus was born so that they asked those who are supposed to know, namely the people in Jerusalem. Then, they found out that Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus!
d. These wise men really sought the truth – spending their time and resources.
3. Wise men are convinced of the truth when they found it.
a. There are two things that convinced them that they finally arrived at the truth.
(1) The witness of the Scriptures. In fact, the Bible is the highest authority we have if we want to know about God and His relationships with us. “For so it is written by the prophet: 6 And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.” (cf. Micah 5.2; Matthew 2:5-6).
(2) The witness of the Star. The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. God also uses circumstances and miracles to reveal His will and workings in our lives. However, our own circumstances and personal experiences of miracles are with God to us which should not be used for all as a sort of doctrine or model.
b. These wise men showed their conviction for the truth when they worshipped the Messiah. What is worship? This mean “kneeling” before someone whom you acknowledge is greater or more powerful than you. Only God should be kneeled down and worshipped. Our worship of God is in spirit (true from our heart) and in truth (according to God’s word). Cf. John 4.24.
c. When they saw the truth they worshipped Jesus.
Conclusion:
Wise men find the truth about Jesus Christ. Did you already found Jesus Christ? If so, continue to worship Him. In the case of the wise men in our passage “they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Offer to him your life, your strength. Serve Him joyfully. Always grow in your knowledge of Him. Give whatever things you can give for the Lord.
If you still did not know the truth about Jesus Christ, why? May be you are thinking that Jesus Christ is not true; may be you already thought about Jesus but fails to seek the truth about Jesus Christ; or, may be you already thought of Jesus and sought truths about him but you failed to act on the proofs. The Bible declares: “"At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6.2).
