A Christmas Agenda
Matthew 2:1-12
Intro: What do we really know about the wise men? Not much when you examine the scripture. Where did they come from? We know they came from the east and they came from a long way away, but we don’t really know where they came from. Some say they may have come from Persia or Yemen, some say Babylon along with other theories and guesses.
-How many of them were there and what kind of men were they? Again, we don’t know. In the second century, a church father named Tertullian suggested that these men were kings because the Old Testament had predicted that kings would come to worship him (Isaiah 60; Psalm 72; 68:29). He also concluded that there were three kings based on the number of gifts mentioned, gold, frankincense and myrrh. So in nearly every nativity scene, you see three kings or wise men. But the Bible doesn’t tell us who they were or how many of them came.
-In the sixth century, someone came up with names for the alleged 3 kings: Melchior, Baltazar and Gaspar. Plays and scripts have been written ascribing these names to them, but no one really knows what their names were.
-We don’t even really know that they were wise. In the original manuscripts they are called the “magi” from an ancient Persian/Iranian word, “magus” which was used to describe some people who acted in very strange ways, were stargazers, and dressed very strangely. The Latin word is “magi” from which we get words like “magician.”
-So we don’t know who they were, where they came from or even how many of them there were. Why not? Why doesn’t Matthew tell us any of this information? Possibly much of this detail is left out so that the full emphasis may be placed on the one thing that is central to this story, namely their statement, “we have come to worship.” That’s the main point of this particular story as Matthew tells it to us. “We have come to worship.” And as we look at what Matthew tells us about these men, it appears that they really were wise men.
-The Christmas Agenda: We have come to worship the Messiah, Jesus, the One whose mission was to save people from their sins. That intention is paramount.
-What would compel this group of wise men to journey from far away to seek out Jesus? Why would they inconvenience themselves and go to such great lengths simply to give gifts and to worship One so small and helpless? Somehow they got a glimpse of the same good news that the shepherds heard about, only a bit earlier. Two thousand years later, their lives present a challenge to us today. Will we be wise men and women?
-Here is the main thought of the message today: Wise men have one life pursuit: to worship the Savior.
Let’s read the text and see what characteristics are worthy of imitation in these wise men.
I. Wise Men Seek the Savior
-It’s possible that these magi were descendants of the ten tribes of Israel that remained in Babylon after the time of Daniel. Many of the Jews did not return to their homeland but rather chose to remain behind in Babylon. There they were assimilated into the culture and may have adopted some of the religious practices of the pagans. So these magi may not have been very orthodox in their faith, but still, they were looking for the coming Messiah. They took literally the statement from Numbers 24.17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” And so they searched the skies for hundreds of years looking for a sign that the Messiah had come. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced and came seeking the one who was born king of the Jews.
-We don’t know exactly how far they traveled, but it is likely that they came from a few hundred to 1000 miles away. Imagine traveling that far on the back of a camel. It was a long and difficult trip across the desert. Give these men credit. They really wanted to come and find out about Jesus. They were serious seekers.
-Contrast them with the chief priests and teachers of the law. They were not the least bit interested. They weren’t concerned about the star. And they wouldn’t travel 6 short miles down the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to check out what was happening. They knew the right answers. They just weren’t willing to make the effort to see if what they had heard was true.
-Here’s a little background about Matthew’s writing. Matthew is writing this gospel to Jewish people who are living away from Israel. His purpose is to convince them that Jesus is the Christ predicted in the Old Testament. That’s why he makes so many references to it. And what he is saying to these people to whom he is writing is that they should be like the magi, not like the Jewish religious leaders. Wise men still seek him. Check him out. Do whatever it takes to discover the reality that Jesus really was born King of the Jews.
-Wise men and women still seek him. What about you? These men teach us that perfect theology is not required to come to the conclusion that Jesus is God’s son who came to earth for you. Don’t miss this. The Apostle John says that Jesus came to his own but his own did not receive him. Literally, he is saying that Jesus came into this world that he had specially prepared for himself. He came into the world he had created, walked the land he made and came to the people he had chosen as his special people. And he was rejected. But then John says that to as many as received him he gave the right to be his sons and daughters.
-Are you seeking for something to fill the void in your life this morning? Let me suggest to you that there are a lot of ways to fill that feeling of emptiness. But there’s only one way to fill it in a way that will last. That’s to realize that the emptiness is caused by being distant from God. God sent Jesus to fill that void. He came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life, died for our sins and rose from the dead. He offers forgiveness and fulfill-ment. If we want to respond to what God offers us, we must first realize that we have sinned against him. Ask him to forgive you for your sins and be the leader of your life. Your life will never be the same and you will be on the road to being a wise man.
-Many of you have already made that commitment. But it’s important that we continue to seek him, to know him each day and to know his word.
II. Wise Men Worship the Savior
-These men had one come all this way with one purpose in mind. That purpose was to worship the one who was born king of the Jews. They came to worship the Son of God. They did it with confidence. They did it with the certainty of hope. Look at some of the language. “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.” They didn’t just set out for a leisurely ride in the desert, show up in Jerusalem and say, “we heard something was going on in this area. What’s happening? We saw some bright stars and thought maybe they meant something. What do you think?” No. They were definite and they were certain. “Where is he? We have come to worship him.”
-What is the agenda of your life? What are you trying to accomplish? What is it you seek? What do you want out of life? Is your life all about worship, or is there a completely different agenda in your heart? Maybe you desire to worship and you don’t even know it! You just know that you are looking for answers and heard you might find them in a church, where you can find a lot of nice people. Some of those church people claim to have found real love, peace, and even joy. Deep within you is there a desire to worship the One whose loving and creative mind thought you up and then gave you life?
-It doesn’t take a whole lot of wisdom to realize that life is a whole lot bigger than we are! If the meaning of life lies in the collective ambitions of man, then life is little more than an amusement park (a few good rides, endless ways to lose your money, standing in line most of the time, and getting really tired at the end until you just want to go home). That might hit a little too close to home, but listen! Life is so much more than what we want to get out of it! Life was a gift to us, but we were designed with the need and desire to give back from the depths of who we are. That is what worship is all about – returning love for love. It was out of His love that God made us and remakes us. It is out of the love He put in us that we respond with worship to Him.
-Wise men still worship the Messiah, the One who was born king of the Jews - the One who is the ruler of the universe. Lastly,
III. Wise Men Give Up their Treasure
-They brought with them expensive gifts, gifts fit for a king. They brought gold, a gift of wealth for royalty, frankincense, a gift for a man living a hard working life (or possibly to symbolize a priest), and myrrh, a gift suited for one’s burial. Did they appreciate the significance of their gifts? We don’t know. But we do know that they brought gifts, expensive gifts, because they knew they were going to worship a king.
-King David refused to worship with someone else’s treasure. He wanted to give God his very best. “King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing” 1 Chronicles 21:24
-Let me clarify here that I am not talking about money necessarily. God has gifted us with many things. Each of you have amazing gifts and abilities that God had planned for you long before you were born. Some of you are thinkers who help us rightly divide the word of truth, and some of you are feelers who are so good at showing tenderness and compassion to those who are hurting. Some of you are creative with lots of dazzling ideas, and some of you are action-oriented – “Let’s get this thing done!” Some of you not only pray, but are true intercessors who are called by God to pray for specific needs until something happens (PUSH- Pray Until Something Happens). A few of you are gifted at business and making money. Everything you touch seems to turn to gold, but you are generous with it if there is a good cause. Others of you are good managers of the little you have, but you are always willing to share it with others. Some of you are always the life of the party and you are just plain fun to be around. Some discern God’s will with remarkable clarity and declare it with boldness. Some can teach well, lead well, organize well, serve well, encourage well, and so on.
-God is the giver of all these amazing gifts – treasures that attest to the goodness and creativity of the One who made you. And just as the wise men came all the way from the east to lay their treasures at the feet of the King, so must we lay all of our treasures at the feet of Jesus.
-God doesn’t need your money, but He does want your heart! And Jesus said that your heart follows your treasure. (Matthew 6:20-21 “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.)
-One way we store up treasure in heaven is through generosity, and I commend you all for helping with the Christmas Food Boxes and for providing meals for people you may not even know, and for so many other generous things you do. But another way we can put our treasures in heaven is to offer all of our abilities, our hopes, ambitions, and dreams to Jesus. That doesn’t mean you don’t use your abilities but the difference is that you use them for Him, not only for yourself. Wise men give up their treasures – anything that is valuable to them, every relationship, every freedom, right, and privilege, every possession belongs to the King of Kings. And when we give all that we have and all that we are up to Him, He gives it back to us and tells us to use it to help people. Use it to make a difference around you.
Conclusion: Wise men & women seek Him, and when they find Him they worship Him. Wise men & women give their treasures to Him. Are you living wisely? What is your life agenda? Are you living a life of worship? Worship is so much more than attending church and singing songs. You can attend church and still not worship. Worship is the aroma of your entire life as you love, obey, submit, forgive, show mercy, have patience, be content, do the right thing, apologize, make amends, and so on. Worship is being the man or woman God has called you to be.
-Bishop J. C. Ryle referred to these wise men with these words: “We read of no greater faith than this in all the Bible. It is a faith that deserves to be placed side by side with that of the penitent thief. The thief saw one dying the death of a malefactor and yet prayed to him and called him ‘Lord.’ The wise men saw a newborn babe on the lap of a poor woman, and yet they worshipped him and confessed that he was the Christ.”
-The magi really were wise men. And today, wise men still seek him. Wise men still worship him. And wise men still give their treasures to Him. My prayer for us is that we will be a community of wise men and women, seeking him, worshipping him, and giving ourselves to Him every moment of every day.
Portions of sermon adapted and/or borrowed from Ronald Horgan, sermoncentral.com
