NOTE:
This is a manuscript, and not a transcript of this message. The actual presentation of the message differed from the manuscript through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is possible, and even likely that there is material in this manuscript that was not included in the live presentation and that there was additional material in the live presentation that is not included in this manuscript.
ENGAGE
Most of you have probably seen this meme which ponders what would have happened had there been three wise women rather than three wise men.
[Show meme]
Or perhaps you’ve seen this more recent one.
[Show meme]
Of all the people associated with the birth of Jesus, there is little doubt that the wise men, or more accurately the magi, are the most misunderstood. But at the same time, the truths that we can glean from their encounter with Jesus demonstrates a truth that is actually very clear.
TENSION
This morning we’ll finish our Christmas series titled ”The Christmas Dilemma” by looking at the account of the magi In Matthew chapter 2. And in that account we’re going to find that they dealt with the same dilemma that every one of us face in our lives – the dilemma of “another way”. Like us, these magi had their own plans for their lives, but then they met Jesus and that encounter brought them face to face with another way. And that required them to make a choice. Were they going to follow their own plans or would they choose another way – one that was presented to them by God?
That is a choice that all of us are faced with as well – both in terms of the overall direction of our lives as well as in the moment-by-moment decisions that we make every day. So let’s see what we can learn from these magi about how to handle the dilemma of another way.
TRUTH
I’m going to approach this message a little differently this morning. Because there is so much misinformation about these magi, I’m going to begin with some important background information before we read the passage this morning.
A lot of what we believe about the magi is based on our Christmas traditions rather than on the Bible and what we can know historically.
For instance, the song “We Three Kings of Orient Are”, which we will be singing tomorrow night by the way, contains a lot of misleading information just in the first line of the song:
• It’s very unlikely that there were only three of them
• They weren’t kings
• And they probably weren’t from the Orient, at least not what we would consider the Orient to be today.
And pretty much every nativity set we see today has the three magi worshiping the baby Jesus in the manger, often right beside the shepherds, while their camels wait just outside the stable. However, as we’ll see from this morning’s passage, the magi didn’t arrive while Jesus was still lying in a manger and the shepherds had long returned to their fields by the time they arrived. So if you’re going to put up a nativity set and include the magi, you need to at least make sure they are on the other side of the room.
So who were these men? You’ll notice that I have been referring to them as magi, not as kings or even as wise men. If you’re using the ESV translation, you’ll see there is a footnote that indicates that the term “wise men” is actually the Greek word magi (or more accurately magoi), which describes a known group of people within the Medio-Persian culture. Interestingly they held a position within that culture that had a lot of striking parallels to the function the Levites served within the commonwealth of Israel.
In the Bible, we first meet this group in the book of Daniel. When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has a dream, he calls in his “wise men”, which includes those who are identified as magicians in most of our English translations. But in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word that is used there is the same word magoi that we find in Matthew.
After Daniel interprets the dream, he is put in charge of these magi and he remains in that position even after the Medes and Persians conquer Babylon. And knowing what we know about Daniel, it’s hard to imagine that he didn’t continually teach these men about his God and about the prophecies of a future king who would come to save his people.
These magi were a combination of astronomers, who studied the science of the stars and other celestial bodies, and astrologers, who tried to assign mystic powers to their movements. And they rose to a place of tremendous power and influence in the Medio-Persian culture. Their teaching became know as “the laws of the Medes and the Persians”, a phrase that is used in both Daniel and Esther. They eventually came to be considered as “kingmakers” since any prospective Persian king had to first master their scientific and religious knowledge and practices and be approved by the magi before taking the throne. Even at the time of Jesus’ birth they still maintained that kind of influence in the region of Parthia, which was at the eastern border of the Roman Empire in what is modern day Iran.
Their travel from that area to Jerusalem would have been much different than the traditional picture of three turban wearing men riding camels. As Persian dignitaries they would have likely travelled in a large caravan, riding on Persian steeds. And they would have been accompanied by servants and a large division of soldiers to protect them.
So with that background in mind, let’s read our passage.
[Read Matthew 2:1-12]
[Verses 1-3]
Although King Herod was raised, at least nominally, as a Jew, and had overseen the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, he was actually an Idumean, the Greek term for the Edomites. He had previously served as the governor in the region of Galilee and earned favor with the Romans by putting down a rebellion there. Having proven himself to be an asset to Rome, he was given the title “King of Judea” by the Roman Senate in 40 BC and began his rule there several years later.
While in power, he developed a well-deserved reputation for being ruthless in his attempts to retain that power, even murdering his own family members on several occasions.
It’s hard to imagine that three guys on camels arriving in Jerusalem would have garnered a whole lot of attention, but a large travel party like the one that would have been accompanying the magi was another story. Word that these kingmakers had arrived in Jerusalem would have reached Herod very quickly. And when he found out they were there to recognize a new king, it is no wonder that both he and the entire city were troubled, given his track record of doing whatever was needed to hold on to power.
[Verses 4-6]
Herod , who knew enough about the Jewish Scriptures to know of the birth of a Messiah king, but not enough to know where he would be born, convened a meeting of the Jewish religious leaders. When he enquired about where the Christ was to be born, the religious leaders quoted the prophecy of Micah to reveal that he would be born in Bethlehem.
Although it is not the main point I want to make today, let me just note that this is one of the most heart breaking events in the entire Bible for me. These religious leaders, who have been waiting for the Messiah all their lives, get information that He may have just been born in the town of Bethlehem, only 6 miles away, and yet they don’t even go check it out to see if that is true. Instead, they leave that up to a group of Gentile stargazers from a foreign land.
[verses 7-8]
Armed with the information he has just received from the religious leaders, Herod calls the magi to his palace for a secret meeting. He gets some more information from them about when the star appeared and then he sends them on a mission to find the child and then report back to him so that he could go worship the child, too. I have to believe that these magi would have been pretty skeptical about Herod’s claim that he just wanted to go worship Jesus. They certainly knew of his reputation for doing anything he needed to do in order to maintain his power. And the fact that he had insisted on meeting with them in secret had to be a red flag, too.
[verses 9-11]
A lot of theories have been raised over the years about exactly what the magi saw in the sky that led them to Jesus. Some have suggested that it was a conjunction of 2 or 3 planets or a comet. Some have speculated that it was the same glory of God that the shepherds saw when the angels appeared to them. The fact is that we just don’t know for sure how God led them to Jesus, but however He did it, the magi found Jesus.
We know that this is now some time after the birth of Jesus because he and Mary are now in a house. And the word that is translated “child” in verses 9 and 11 is a different Greek word that is translated “baby” in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus that we read last week. Based on the fact that Herod later orders the murder of all children two years old and under, we know that probably the oldest Jesus could have been at this point. And since that Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt right after this, it would have to be some time after Jesus was taken to the Temple to be dedicated to the Lord, which would have been 40 days after his birth, as recorded in Luke’s gospel account.
When they came into the house, the magi worshiped Jesus and presented him with costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, This is probably where the idea that there were only three magi comes from, but the text never says that there were only three. It just identifies the three different gifts that were given.
[Verse 12]
After they worshiped Jesus, the magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. And that is where they experienced their dilemma. Were they going to follow their original plan and go back and report to Herod, or were they going to follow another way that was presented to them by God in a dream? And at the end of verse 12 we read that “they departed to their own country by another way”.
On the surface that sounds like they just chose to take a different route back home, but I’m pretty sure that Matthew has something more than that in mind here. In his gospel account Matthew often uses that same word translated “way” here to describe a way of life. Probably the best example of that is in this passage from the Sermon on the Mount:
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
(Matthew 7:13–14 ESV)
And it is the same word that Jesus uses when He speaks these familiar words to His disciples shortly before His crucifixion:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6 ESV)
While it is true that the magi did take a different physical route back to their homes, I think it is also true that their encounter with Jesus had caused them to consider and choose a different way of life as well.
APPLICATION
In this account of the magi, we learn that…
HOW TO CHOOSE THE “HIGH WAY”
1. Search the Scriptures
It’s kind of mind-blowing to me to see that these magi chose to make the long arduous journey from their home all the way to Bethlehem with the express purpose of worshiping someone they identified as the “king of the Jews”. There is no indication at all that these men were Jewish themselves. But they obviously knew enough about the Jewish Scriptures to know that there was going to be a Jewish king who would be born and become the savior for His people. As I mentioned earlier, the most likely explanation for their familiarity with those Scriptures was that Daniel had consistently taught them to the magi and that information had been passed down over the several centuries since then.
Today, learning about the “high way” is actually much easier for us than it was for those magi. We not only also have the New Testament, which wasn’t even written yet, but we also have the benefit of being able to have our very own copy of the Bible, something that wasn’t possible until the invention of the printing press over 1,500 years after these events occurred.
And yet, in a country where 87% of all households own a Bible and the average household has three, more than half of Americans have read little or none of the Bible. And even among those who have read the Bible less than a quarter have a systematic plan for reading it each day.
But since that is the primary place where we find instruction about how to live according to the “high way”, it is crucial that we are reading the Bible daily in a systematic manner. And that is why we keep stressing the importance of doing that over and over again and why we will continue to do that here at TFC.
2. Count the cost
Because our view of the magi has been influenced by our own human traditions, I don’t think we have any idea just how costly of a trip this was for the magi. It wasn’t like they just got on a jet and took a short flight to Jerusalem and then took an Uber another 5 miles to Bethlehem.
Just gathering the supplies to support a large caravan for a trip of several hundred miles would have been a monumental undertaking. Then add on top of that the cost in terms of time. The round trip would have required several months at a minimum and some commentators estimate it could have taken up to a year.
But visiting Jesus was such a high priority for these magi that they were willing to incur the cost, both in terms of financial resources and time.
During His ministry here on earth, large crowds often followed Jesus. But when Jesus began to speak to them about the cost of being His disciple like He did in Luke 14 or John 6, most of those people chose to no longer follow Him.
There is always a cost associated with taking the high way. Sometimes it means we will lose relationships with family and friends. Sometimes it means we will endure ridicule and even persecution. Sometimes it means that we will have to make significant changes in our lives that will be costly in terms of our time, talents and treasure. But one thing I can assure you is that whatever that cost might be in your life, it is well worth it to choose the high way rather than my way.
3. Make Jesus my source of joy
Once the magi left Herod and headed toward Bethlehem, the star they had seen earlier, whatever it was, appeared to them once again and led them to where Jesus was. And when they knew they were on the right track, Matthew writes that they “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Even in our English translations we get the idea that their joy was over the top.
Like us, those magi could have tried to find their joy in a lot of other people or things. They could have tried to find joy in their material possessions because they were probably pretty well off financially. They could have tried to find joy in their knowledge and learning. They could have tried to find joy in their position as valued advisors to the king and their influence in the process of picking political leaders. But instead they found their greatest joy in being in the presence of Jesus.
Do you find that same kind of joy in Jesus? Or are you looking for your joy elsewhere, in people or position or possessions that can’t possibly provide you with long term joy?
4. Worship
As I mentioned earlier, these magi set out with the express intent of worshiping Jesus. And even though He was still only a baby, the very moment those magi were in the presence of Jesus, they worshiped Him. Not only did they bow down before Him in a position of reverence, but they also presented them with their treasures.
Most of you are probably like me and have heard sermons or read about the significance of the gifts that were presented here – gold for a king, frankincense for a priest and myrrh that foreshadowed Jesus’ death. And those are probably appropriate observations. But I think what is even more important is that these gifts were the very best that the magi had to offer. They were costly, sacrificial gifts that demonstrated Jesus’ worth to them.
Choosing the high way still requires worship that includes reverence for Jesus as well as a willingness to give Him our very best rather than just our leftovers. It requires, like we talked about last week, becoming those living sacrifices who don’t just worship once a week on Sunday mornings, but who worship Jesus every day in all that we do by offering to Him the very best of our time, talent, and treasure.
5. Obey God
Once they had worshiped Jesus, the magi were faced with one more important decision. Herod had ordered them to come back and let him know where he could find Jesus. But God had warned them in a dream not to do that. Again, like we’ve talked about frequently in this series, it seems like it would be much easier to obey God if we got a message from an angel or at least, like the magi, in a dream. But the decision wasn’t as easy for the magi as it might look to us.
We know from what we read later in the chapter that Herod was furious when he found out he had been tricked by the magi. And though we are not told explicitly that he did so, it isn’t hard to imagine that he sent out some of his troops to look for them. And given that he was willing to order the execution of all the male babies in Bethlehem two years old and younger, it’s a pretty good assumption he would have had no problem killing those magi, too.
Choosing to take the high way rather than my way often brings difficulty into our lives. While it may not put our life in danger, like it did for the magi, at least in this country, as we talked about earlier there are always costs associated with following Jesus. But the good news is that the long term benefits always outweigh those short term costs.
INSPIRATION
In a sense that was true for Jesus, too. He came into this world as a little baby, born to an unwed teenage mother. But like the magi, he also returned home another way. That way included living a completely sinless life in the midst of a world that is full of sin. It included poverty and ridicule and persecution. And it included death on a Roman cross to pay the penalty for the sins of others, including all of us. And fortunately, it also included a resurrection that proved His power over sin and death.
ACTION
And so this morning every one of us here must make a decision about which way we are going to choose. Will I choose my own way because I think that I have more control over my life if I make that choice? Will I choose my own way because it’s more comfortable? Will I choose my own way because it’s the easiest?
Or will I instead choose to take another way – the high way? Will I yield the control of my life over to Jesus, trusting that He knows what I need better than I do? Will I choose to endure the difficulties that come with that choice, knowing that lasting joy can be found only in Jesus? Will I choose to worship Jesus every moment of every day by offering my life up to Him in obedience?
Which way do you choose?
