Christmas: Cast of Characters (4)
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 12/23/2012
I’d like to welcome all of you to Blooming Grove and wish you all a Merry Christmas. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or life-long member, we’re glad you’re here and honored that you chose to make Blooming Grove a part of your Christmas celebration this year.
If you’re just joining us, we’ve spent the month of December getting to know the colorful cast of characters associated with the birth of Christ. The story of Christmas is wrapped around people—real life people. Common people whose lives are marked by unexpected surprises, unusual signs, and unbelievable stories. And in the midst of them all… hovering over them all… is the writer and director of it all. God.
We’ve seen how God chose Mary, a humble Hebrew girl, to be the mother of his own Son. How he spoke to Joseph, a confused carpenter, encouraging him to take Mary as his wife. How he sent the angels to announce the birth of the Savior to unassuming shepherds keeping watch over their sheep in the fields nearby. There’s just one more group of cast members in the Nativity story that we’ve yet to see—the Magi, the Wise Men from the east. The Magi come cloaked in magic and mystery.
We normally think of there being three of them, though the Bible never says that. There may have been a dozen or more for all we know. And we don’t really know if the Magi arrived the actual day that Jesus was born or not. In fact, in prior centuries Christians use to celebrate the day of the Magi’s visit twelve days after Christmas, on January 6—thus the 12 Days of Christmas. Regardless of when they arrived, however, these Wise Men have played an unforgettable role in the story of Christmas.
Although I did hear someone suggest that Jesus would have been better off if it had been Wise Women instead of Wise Men—they would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts from Baby’s-R-Us, like diapers, wipes, and formula. But that’s an entirely different story.
The actual story of the Magi’s visit is told in Matthew 2. And, as with Mary, Joseph and the rest of this cast of characters, I believe we can find our own story in theirs. The Wise Men’s story begins with their pursuit.
• THE MAGI’S PURSUIT
Holiday time is often highway time. Ever since the Magi packed their bags for Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus has caused people to hit the road. Interestingly, the Christmas trips we take have a lot in common with theirs. We don’t have stars leading the way, but we might need a nightlight on the way to bathroom. We don’t sit at Kings’ tables during our travels, but grandma’s cooking might be a feast fit for one. And we don’t ride on camels, but six hours in a minivan with four kids might make some moms with they had one. But while our travels usually involve family and friends, the Magi’s journey was all about Jesus.
The Bible says, “When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, ‘Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him’” (Matthew 2:1-2 NCV).
These wise men pursued a star, shining in the night, from as far away as Persia, Arabia or India. Their journey may have been weeks or even months long. And I don’t know exactly how God got their attention—whether they saw an angel, read the prophecies, or simply studied the stars—but somehow they learned about the birth of Jesus and they dropped everything to find him, to pursue that star.
Christmas is all about that pursuit—the journey of faithful people trudging through the desert to find their Savior. And people today are still seeking Him, although they don’t always know where to look. For the wise men, the journey ended with the baby in the manger. But for all of us today, that’s where the journey begins.
These Magi didn’t grow up in the church. They never prayed with their parents before bedtime—at least not to this God. They never went to Sunday school. They never memorized any Bible verses. Chances are they didn’t know Genesis from Job. But at some point they saw the light—and they choose to pursue it. When they did, they found Jesus. God promises the same to us.
The Bible tells us, “God’s purpose was for the nations to seek after him and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us” (Acts 17:27 NLT). God created each one of us so that we would seek him and pursue him the way these Magi did, but we don’t travel nearly as far as they did. If we’ll simply reach out for him, we’ll find Jesus just like they did.
So the first scene in the Magi’s story is this pursuit. The second scene is the Magi’s praise.
• THE MAGI’S PRAISE
This was the real purpose behind their pursuit. Remember, when they came into Jerusalem, they asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2 NLT).
And when they finally found Jesus, that’s just what they did. The Bible says, “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11 NLT).
This is what Christmas is really all about.
They came to worship Jesus. I hope that’s why you came too.
I know that Christmas is a time for family and friends. It’s a time for giving and receiving gifts. It’s a time for trimming trees and decorating the house. We sing carols and watch classic Christmas movies. But in the midst of all that—let’s never forget that Christmas is about the birth of our Savior. It’s a celebration of Jesus. It’s a time to praise him, to glorify him, to focus on him and worship him for all that he is and all that he’s done.
Depending on your church background, worship may mean different things to you. You may think of church services with singing, praying, and listening to a sermon. Or you may think of ceremonies, candles, and communion. Worship can included these elements, but worship is far more than these simple expressions. Worship doesn’t start and stop with a prayer or a song. It can’t be contained within a brick build for an hour on Sunday morning. Worship is the expression of our hearts in response to all that God is and says and does. It’s a mixture of joy, reverence and wonder evoked by an awareness of God’s greatness, goodness, and grace! It’s the awestruck feeling that comes from realizing that an uncontested, incomparable God of infinite might and glory and power and wonder stepped down from his throne in heaven into the arms of teenage girl, in the presence of a carpenter, on the floor of a stable—so that he could draw near to us.
On the first Christmas, the Magi came to worship Jesus.
Let’s follow in their footsteps this Christmas.
So the Magi’s first scene is about their pursuit, the second about their praise, and the final scene in the Wise Men’s story is about their presents.
• THE MAGI’S PRESENTS
Presents! Ask any kid and they’ll tell you, the best part of Christmas is the presents. And as commercialized and greedy as it may sound, that’s not entirely wrong. The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas can be traced back to the gifts given to the baby Jesus by these Magi. After finding the house where Mary and Joseph were staying, the Bible says, “Then they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11 GWT).
Gold, we’re familiar with but I doubt frankincense and myrrh are on very many Christmas wish lists. It reminds me of three small boys who were in a Christmas play at church. They were playing the three wise men and they were to give their gifts to baby Jesus. The first boy stepped forward, held out the gift in his hands and said, “Gold.” The second boy stepped forward, held out his gift and said, “Myrrh.” The third boy stepped forward, held out his gift and said, “Frank sent this.”
Actually, each of these gifts was meaningful. Gold was the traditional gift for Kings. Frankincense was an expensive type of incense used by priests and sages. And Myrrh was an anointing oil often used to prepare someone for burial. Gold for the King of Kings. Frankincense for the Great High Priest. And myrrh because beyond the manger awaited the cross.
Ever since the Magi’s visit Christmas has been a time of giving.
Do you have all your Christmas shopping done yet? I hope so.
You don’t want to be like the lady who waited until the last minute to send her Christmas cards. She rushed into a store and bought the last package of cards on the shelf without really looking at them. She rushed home, signed and addressed 47 of them without really looking at them. On Christmas Day when things had quieted down somewhat she found the leftover cards and finally read the message inside the card. Much to her dismay, it read: “This card is just to say—A little gift is on the way.” Suddenly, she realized that 47 of her friends were expecting a gift from her!
This year, just like every year, millions of people, both children and adults, will open millions of gifts. Some won’t fit. Some will be the wrong color. Many will be returned or exchanged. But there’s one gift that meets everyone’s need, one gift that will never wear out, never break or need repairing. A gift that is appropriate for a small child, or a teenager, or an adult, or a senior citizen. Boy or girl, man or woman, it makes no difference. The presents the Magi brought—gold, incense and spices—were wonderfully extravagant treasures. But the gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is the baby lying in the manger.
Christmas without Christ is like a beautifully wrapped box that’s empty inside.
As you give and receive gifts this Christmas, let it be a reminder that—two thousand years ago on a silent and holy night, in the little town of Bethlehem—Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all… he gave us himself.
Conclusion:
I think that these Wise Men understood the true meaning of Christmas, perhaps better than anyone else in this whole cast of characters. The Magi’s pursuit reminds us that God longs for us to look for him; he’ll even light the way. The Magi’s praise reminds us that Jesus is the reason for the season. He alone is worthy of worship. The Magi’s presents remind us not only that it’s better to give than to receive, but that the great gift ever given—the one we all need—is Jesus.
But the story isn’t over because the end of the Nativity story is really just the beginning of the greatest story ever told. And it’s a story that God has personally invited you to be a part of.
Invitation:
As you celebrate Christmas this week with your loved ones, please remember that God wants more than for you to simply see the Christmas story or even to share it; he invites you to be a part of it—to become part of his cast of characters! If there’s any way I can help you with that please let me know as we stand and sing.
