(Christmas Sermon) Another Way Home: When Finding Christ Changes Everything

(Christmas Sermon) Another Way Home: When Finding Christ Changes Everything

Good morning, church family! As we gather here the Sunday after Christmas, many of you are probably still feeling the warmth of Christmas morning - the joy of family, the excitement of beautifully wrapped presents, the peace of celebrating our Savior's birth. But now what? All of the decorations will soon come down, the guests will have gone home, and we're left wondering - what comes next?

This morning, I want us to look at some folks who went on a journey and had that same question two thousand years ago. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 through 12, or it will be displayed on the wall behind me.

Mat 2:1-12 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, [2] "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw 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] Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. [5] They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: [6] 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'" [7] Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. [8] And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." [9] After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. [11] After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [12] And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Point 1: The Journey Begins

These wise men - these Magi - began a journey that would change everything about their lives. They saw a star, and they knew this was no ordinary celestial event. This was a sign pointing to something - someone - extraordinary. And think about this, they knew who it pointed to because they asked Mat 2:2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

Think about what it took for them to begin this journey. They left behind their comfortable lives, their familiar surroundings, their daily routines. They packed up provisions for what they knew would be a long, dangerous journey across desert lands. They faced uncertainty at every turn - Would they find what they were looking for? Was this star really leading them to a king? Would their journey be worth the cost?

But here's what strikes me most about these wise men: they were willing to seek. In our world today, we're surrounded by people who have stopped seeking. They've settled for the familiar, the comfortable, the predictable. But genuine spiritual hunger - the kind that leads to transformation - always begins with a willingness to seek, even when we don't have all the answers.

The wise men teach us that seeking God requires both faith and action. They didn't just observe the star from their rooftops - they followed it. They didn't just discuss its meaning in their scholarly circles - they packed their camels and started walking. True seeking always involves movement, always requires us to leave our comfort zones.

Point 2: The Encounter That Changes Everything

Let's look again at verse 11: Mat 2:11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

After months of travel, after following that star across hundreds of miles, after asking directions in Jerusalem and being pointed toward Bethlehem, they finally arrived. And what did they find? Not a palace. Not a throne room. Not armies or royal guards. They found a young child with his mother in a simple house.