Christmas Characters #4 - The Wise Men - 9th December 2007 pm
Matthew 2:1-12
From our earliest memories of the Christmas story, we have heard of the “Magi” (Wise Men) who came to visit Christ, but what do we really know about them? Where did they come from? Why were they interested in a King born in Palestine? Who were they? There is a great deal of myth & mystery about them.
The word for wise men in the Greek is magos and it means magician, oriental scientist - the name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers.
Theses Wise Men Were: Magi, not magicians; Astronomers, not astrologers; Scientists, not wizards. They were probably Religious Philosophers from Persia who had become familiar with Jewish prophecies through contact with the writings of Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezra and other Jews scattered throughout the east. They must have been familiar with Scripture.
Maybe they were looking for someone who would bring world peace and in their search for answers read God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 22:18 In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
Maybe they had read Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the govern-ment shall be upon His shoulder. and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
They may have read from the books of the law in Numbers 24:17 I shall see him but not now. I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. Revelation 22:16 says Jesus is the bright and morning star.
They may have also read Isaiah 60:3 And the gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Although these magi were gentiles, the fulfilment of God’s promise to the Prophets and to Abraham greatly interested them.
One legend says that these men were kings, another says that they represented the three races of mankind: the Japhetic, the Hamitic and the Semitic. According to another tradition the names of the magi were Casper, Melchoir and Balthazar.
Regardless of how many they were, who they were, where they lived or what they were called, the important thing is what they did. They followed the star that would guide them to the Messiah. I wonder what they expected to find at the end of the star?
Verses 11 – They came to the house…. Joseph has moved his family from the temporary dwelling place where Christ was born to a house – it would not have been much of a house considering how poor the family was..
What if you follow a star and end up in a shack?
What happens when you’ve been following a star and it leads you to a place you just were not expecting? What happens when all of a sudden, after thinking that something grand and glorious would be at the other end, you end up at a poor run down house? And there, instead of a palace and a king on a throne, you find a child. It is nothing like you expected, how do you react?
Were the wise men disappointed when they finally ended up in Bethlehem? We know that they were expecting a mansion or a royal court Verse 1-2. They stop at Herod’s palace, in the main city Jerusalem, to find out about this star and the child who was to be born.
Every one of us has had a time in our lives when we’ve followed a star. Everything looked so promising, but we were to find out at the end that we were in a shack.
I don’t know how many times I had been passed over for promotion in work. I had attended all the right courses, had done all the right things, had the right experience and qualifications but the job would always go to someone else. Looking back now I realise that I was following a star and had ended up in a shack. Have you ever been there?
The wonderful thing about the Christmas story of the wise men is what they do when they arrive at the house. Through their actions they teach us three things. Wise men throughout the ages have done these three things when they come to a shack – to a place or situation that isn’t exactly what they were expecting.
I. When Wise Men Find A Shack, They Look for God
Verse 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:
The wise men have just come from the splendours of Herod’s palace at Jerusalem. They stood before king Herod in all his regalia. Now they find themselves at a shack in Bethlehem and before them is a child, how do they react?
When a wise man is handed a difficult situation, he does not panic about the problem, he holds steady and says, “God is somewhere in this shack of life and there’s something I can learn from this.” Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
The amazing thing about the Bible is the fact that when we are told about a character, nothing is hidden from us, we are told about them warts and all.
Joseph – sold into slavery. Lied to by his brothers – falsely accused in Potiphar’s house – forgotten about in prison – Prime Minister – Joseph saw God in the Shack of life.
Paul was in prison, he writes to the church at Philippi, telling them to cheer up. When he came to the shack in his life he was able to see God. Php 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. [18] For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
The problem you have is if a Christian can only see God in the good that comes their way. “It must be from God because everything good is happening.” If you are truly walking with the Lord in such sweet fellowship and you are being led by Him you will see Him even in the Bad situations of your life.
Here’s the point. You may be walking into a shack period in your life. You’ve been following that star, and it looks so good. Then all of a sudden you say, “Is this it?” Remember, wise men have the ability to see God in the Shacks of their lives
II. When Wise Men Find A Shack, They Offer Their Best to God
Verse 11b and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Wise men also give their best when they come to a Shack. But that isn’t our first though, that isn’t the natural thing for us to do is it? Our temptation often times is to hold back. Instead of offering Gold, and Frankincense, and myrrh in the shack of life we are often tempted to refuse to give anything, let alone our best.
Everyday we should look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, “Am I giving my very best in the situation I am in?”
When the wise men arrived at the house , they didn’t hold anything back. They didn’t say to one another, let’s just keep the gold and give the rest of these gifts to Herod. This is just a child in a shabby looking house, we don’t need to give Him all this expensive stuff.
FW Boreham made an interesting suggestion in his story “The Lost Chronicles of Suffi-Abbas”
One of the three wise men felt sure that what the world needed was a King, one who could rule the nations with authority and power, put down unrighteousness, and bring prosperity and peace to mankind. So, certain that the star would lead them to a King, he brought a royal present, a gift of gold.
The second wise man, knowing that the world’s ideas of God were warped, thought that God needed to come down here in human form and show the world what He was really like. So, wanting God to be manifest in the flesh, he brought frankincense, a gift for deity since incense is used for worship.
The third hoped that the star would lead them to s Saviour. This wise man knew that the world was a sinful place, sadly in need of One who would take on Himself the weight and guilt of the sins of mankind and atone for them. So, convinced that such a great Saviour must also be a great sufferer, he brought myrrh, a gift for one destined to die since the spice was used to embalm the bodies of the dead.
They came to Bethlehem and when the star had led them to a child in a woman’s arms; all three were at first overwhelmed with chagrin and dismay. Then they heard Mary sing the song recorded by Luke: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour (1:46-47)
“The Lord!” cried the first wise man. “Then I have found my King!” And he presented his gift of gold.
“In God!” exclaimed the second wise man. “Then I have found my God!” And he presented his gift of frankincense.
“My Saviour!” chorused the third wise man. “Then I have found my Saviour!” And he presented his gift of myrrh.
They did not hold back. They gave their best. You may say I have nothing to give, oh but you do. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
How many times have you held back? How many times do we let our testimony slip? (Mum & Dad… Cowbridge)
Wise men give their very best and then some
Wise men forgive people and then some
Wise men walk the extra mile and then some
Whether it’s in church, at work, at school, at home or in the community, the mark of a Christian is that he will walk the second mile and turn the other cheek. A wise man (woman) gives the extra effort, all for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
III. When Wise Men Find A Shack, They Change Directions
Verse 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Have you ever had a shack experience that changed your direction in life? I have.
You follow the star that the world has to offer and one day it brings you to the stable where Christ was born – you leave a different person. It changes your life completely.
Then as you grow as a Christian, often times God will bring to a shack to get your attention, so that he can change the direction you are going in.
Do we realise the importance of this Babe that was born?
When the wise men found the house they also found the baby – that’s what Christmas is all about – God’s baby boy, born in a stable, and He changed the world forever.
Conclusion
When we come to the shacks in our lives, let us be wise and remember to look for God. Let’s bring Him the best we have to offer. Let’s allow Him to change the direction of our lives, enabling us to become the Christians He wants us to be.
