What Does It Take to See Jesus?
Christmas Series 2011
Part 2 – We Need the Heart of the Wise Men
One of the greatest statements in recent years concerning the appearance of the Wise Men in the story of the Birth of the Christ Child is this: “Wise Men Still Seek Him”.
Psalms 111:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever."
What could be wiser to understand the One who made everything out of nothing and to know the One who created the very life that we life?
What more worthy study could we make than to know the Word that our Creator has given us that we may come to know the very heart, mind and thoughts of God and get a clear picture of his nature?
What wisdom of this world could compare to the One who is the source of all that wisdom; for God’s ways are on a much grander and more righteous scale?
Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Just to know Him more; to be nearer to the Lord with each passing day; and as Paul said in Philippians 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…"
That must be the ultimate goal of every human being; to know our Great God to the very best of our ability. In order to gain that knowledge a number of things must be within our hearts.
As we examine the hearts of the Wise Men who came to see Jesus, let us take note of what was in their hearts, for it is those very same things that we must have within us if we are to see Jesus!
Picking up the story of the birth of Jesus in Matthew chapter 2 we see where the Wise Men enter the scene.
Matthew 2:1, "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,"
Why are these men called “Three Kings”, or “Wise Men”, or in other places, “Magi”; and where did they come from?
According to the most accepted studies, these probably from an area which is now in either Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia or Yemen. Although they are often called the 'Three Kings', the Bible does not say how many there were, or that they were kings. One theory is that they might have been Kings of the Yemen, since during this time the Kings of Yemen were Jews. Three is only a guess because they brought with them three gifts: but there could have been less than three or many more than three. However many there were of them, they probably would have had a lot servants with them, and would probably have traveled in a fairly large caravan as an entourage.
They were certainly men of great learning. The word “Magi”, which is often used to describe them, comes from the Greek word 'magos' (where the english word 'magic' comes from). This word, Magos , finds its own roots in the language of the Persians and comes from the old Persian word 'Magupati'. This was the title given to priests in a sect of the ancient Persian religions such as Zoroastrianism. Today we would called them astrologers. Back then astronomy and astrology were part of the same general scientific study. The magi would have followed the patterns of the stars religiously. They would have also probably been very wealthy men and were held in high esteem in their own society and even by people who weren't from their country or religion.
They had seen an unusual new star in the sky, and knew, from their studies, that it told of the birth of a special king. No one really knows what the new star is the sky was, and there are many theories including comets, supernovas, a conjunction of planets or something supernatural!
How could they have predicted the coming of a new king in Israel from the appearance of this special star in the sky?
These men, being scientists, astronomers and maybe even of Jewish descent were very familiar with the Old Testament writings of the Hebrews. Among those writings were those of King David who wrote most of the Psalms. If we look at the 19th Psalms we can see where they would have gained some of their knowledge of what God was doing in the earth.
Psalms 19:1-2, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge."
Psalms 19:3, "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard."
Psalms 19:4, "Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,"
Psalms 19:5, "Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race."
There is a study that I attempted to complete several years ago called, “The Gospel in the Stars”. In that study, if some of you were here then, you will remember that God created all of the stars in the heavens; and every constellation is part of a story. The story that is told in the stars, that pass over your head every year, are placed in an order that tells the entire story of Jesus Christ, including his coming as King and as Savior.
Though much of that study has been obscured through the ages, in the study of Astrology and the Signs of the Zodiac, which are based on occultism; the original meaning in still there for those who will search it out.
Satan perverted the message that God placed in the Heavens to let all men know of the coming of the Lord and the salvation of man. The clues are there. The stars are still in place. The constellations are still in their proper order, and the story is ever visible to those who seek the truth.
One thing that we need to understand is that these wise men had a heart that was always searching for truth; searching for knowledge and they were dedicated to finding the meaning in all of the signs of the heavens. Unlike many of the scientists of the modern era, their quest for wisdom and understanding did not exclude the fact that God was still the Creator, therefore when signs did appear and new discoveries were made; they were always related back to God’s infinite wisdom and accepted Word, instead of trying to disprove the very existence of God.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that, "…without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The Heart that will see Jesus must be a heart filled with faith, believing that there is a God and that God rewards those who seek him. These wise men not only believed in the existence of an Almighty God, but they were ever searching for his signs and wonders in the heavens.
Something else that we must see that these wise men had was a heart that forced them to act upon what they had learned. What good would it have done for them to see the signs of the coming of a new king in Israel and then not decide to take their journey to find that king and worship him? They had a heart of filled with living, active and inspiring faith; a heart that would not let them sit still when faced with such an earth-changing event.
Many in our world today will see all of the signs of the coming of the King of Kings, but it has little or no long term affect on their lives. Movies are made every year with enough truth in them to let men know that we coming down to the end of all things. Mankind senses that the end is near. Newspapers and TV News broadcasts cannot help but bring these signs before us every day. There are signs in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and there is no excuse for the wise men of today to not follow those signs and see Jesus’ working in the earth. The only problem is that so many don’t have that living, believing faith that God is there. Most of the world looks that all that is happening and just shrugs it off as nothing more than natural phenomenon. Without a heart filled with living faith and belief that God is, and rewards those that seek him; we can never hope to see Jesus!
These wise men were wise enough to seek out the Christ Child. They followed their heart and it led them into the region around Judea and into the presence of King Herod in their search.
Matthew 2:2, "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."
Another thing that we must see in their heart that helped these wise men to see Jesus was that they had determined to come and pay homage to the new king that had been born. I’m not sure that they fully understood that Jesus was the Son of God, but they did know that this child, born under this star, was someone very great and very special, and that his presence demanded their attention.
The chances are that they really didn’t understand much at all. The sign that they had seen was that there was a new king born; and in their zeal to know all things, and to have the freedom to continue their searching, they had to make sure that every new leader in the region was given due honor. Their form of worship was to bring gifts, bow before the new king and pledge their allegiance, acknowledging his authority.
It just so happened that in their effort to maintain an excellent relationship with the rulers of the nations, they were given the outstanding opportunity to see the very Son of God as a young child and to give him the gifts that would symbolize the whole purpose for which Jesus had come.
Because of their willingness to worship; they were able to see Jesus! Let us know that if we are to see Jesus rightly, we must also worship him; and we must worship him in spirit and in truth, pledging our all to him; giving him ourselves as a living sacrifice. The Lord desires a people who will worship him freely and he desires to allow those who will worship him to know him as their Lord, Savior and King.
The next thing that we must see about the heart of these wise men is that they were quick to testify of what they had seen and heard.
Revelation 12:11 speaks of the way that we are made overcomers and it is by, "…the blood of the Lamb, and …the word of their testimony…" They were called in to give a testimony of their purpose in coming to Judea.
Matthew 2:7, "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared."
If we are to see Jesus, we must be willing to step out into this world of doubters and unbelievers, and testify of what we have seen and heard. Then will we see Jesus!
Matthew 2:8, "And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also."
Matthew 2:9, "When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was."
They listened to the words of men, but they didn’t let those words stop them from going where they were determined to go. Wise men will allow nothing to stop them from finding the truth and finally getting to the point where Jesus is. Surely this world, and the powers of darkness, will do everything possible to keep us from seeing Jesus; but the sovereign power and will of God is that all men should come to know him and see him as he is; and God will move Heaven and earth to allow those who seek him earnestly to see him! Only those who are determined and committed fully will ever truly see Jesus!
Matthew 2:10, "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."
The heart of the wise men was a heart of joy and finding that God was still leading them. They were very glad to know that God was there all the time. There is joy in knowing that God cares and that he is leading us, and watching over us; always giving us direction that we may come to the place where we see Jesus!
Matthew 2:11, "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."
The heart of the wise men was a giving heart; not only expecting to be blessed; but prepared to be a blessing in return. They had no doubt brought their gifts for this new king from their own homes. No one would offer a king a gift that was not very costly and valuable. They offered him their very best. Because they were willing to give; they were given the opportunity to see Jesus.
God expects us to give Jesus our all; to give him not only the first fruits of our lives; but all of our lives. We are to be a fully committed living sacrifice. That’s the kind of heart that will see Jesus as he is.
Legends, or traditional stories, are often told about these wise men. In some of these stories, the wise men are even identified with a name that has been given to them. How did this come about, and how are they named and described?
One is named Gaspar, who has brown hair and a brown beard (or no beard!) and wears a green cloak and a gold crown with green jewels on it. He is supposed to be the King of Sheba. Gaspar represents the Frankincense brought to Jesus.
Frankincense has been one of the world's most treasured commodities since the beginning of written history. At its peak its value rivaled that of gold, the rarest silks, and the most precious of gems. It begins as a milky-white resin produced by a scrubby, unlikely looking tree called a Boswellia; thus the color green for the plant from which it grew. Frankincense is used for healing wounds, aroma therapy and as anointing oil.
It only comes from the tree after the tree is wounded, thus signifying that the great salvation that Jesus would bring forth would only come after he was wounded upon the tree. While the process of the crucifixion was terrible indeed; the product of that great suffering was a sweet aroma to the heart and soul, thus we see why the green jewels are placed upon the gold crown. Jesus is crowned with the glory of Heaven, but also has received that crown due to the great price he paid on the cross and the riches of his grace that is now extended to us all.
The second wise man was given the name Melchior, who has long white hair and a white beard and wears a gold cloak. He is the King of Arabia. Melchior represents the Gold brought to Jesus.
Of course gold represents the Glory of God and the fact that Jesus is eternal God; and was born as the very Son of God, holy and righteous; the most glorious gift of Heaven to all mankind. The white hair and beard is to symbolize that Jesus is also Ancient of Days, eternal God in human form. His gold cloak represents the fact that he never lost his place as very God; and yet he is today cloaked in all power in Heaven and in earth and is awarded a place of honor above all others.
The third wise man was named Balthazar, who has black skin and a black beard (or no beard!) and wears a purple cloak. He is the King of Tarse and Egypt. Balthazar represents the gift of Myrrh that was brought to Jesus.
Myrrh was used in the embalming or anointing of the dead, and it came to represent mortality, suffering, and sorrow. The Israelites used perfumed ointments of myrrh in their funeral preparations to postpone the decay and alleviate the odors of the deceased. Although less than one pound was normally used in Israelite funeral preparations, Nicodemus brought "a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds" to prepare Jesus's body for burial (John 19:39). This was to show his respect for Christ.
The blackness of Balthazzar’s face and beard are to represent the great sorrow and death that Jesus would suffer for all mankind, as he presented his gift of burial ointments, but the purple cloak is to symbolize that Jesus would never lose his power and authority and would rise again as King of Kings.
When the Wise Men found Jesus and Mary, they would have been living in a normal house in Bethlehem, because by this time Jesus would have been between one and two years old. Showing them come to the stable in our plays is good for appearance sake and to include their great contribution to the story of the birth of Jesus, but it just didn’t happen that way. They found Jesus, Joseph and Mary, more than likely back at Nazareth around the carpenter shop, and there they gave their gifts to him, and worshipped the Christ child.
Finally the heart of the wise men was to protect the truth and keep the plan of God in operation in every way they could. They were defenders of the faith. We must also have this kind of heart; a heart that is ever preaching the truth; defending the truth of God’s Word against every attack of the enemy; and always working to bring about the will of God in our lives. This is the kind of heart that will see Jesus.
Matthew 2:12, "And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."
The wise men did not go back into the enemy’s camp, but went another way so that they might find favor with God. Let us ever remember that we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world and to abstain from every appearance of evil. That’s absolutely necessary if we are to see Jesus.
The final point in the heart of the wise men that I would like to bring out is that they had a heart that was pliable and willing to listen to the leading of the Spirit. They were quick to hear; and quick to obey the Lord. They were stuck in their own ways, determined to do things they way they wanted to. When God spoke; they heard and they obeyed.
So, do you have the heart of the wise men?
1) A heart that is searching for Truth
2) A heart that Believes in the existence of God and that he rewards those who seek Him
3) A heart that acts upon what it believes
4) A heart that is determined to worship the Lord
5) A heart that is willing to testify of the Lord
6) A heart that is filled with Joy because of the presence of God
7) A heart that is giving and desires to be a blessing
8) A heart that will be faithful to Christ, defending the faith, and holding onto Truth
9) A heart that desires God’s will and obeys God’s directions
All of these traits of the wise men are needed in our own hearts if we ever truly expect to see Jesus.
