WHAT CAUSED THE WISE MEN TO ‘LEAVE-IT-ALL?’
Mt. 2:1-11
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR:
1. A lady was sitting in traffic. A man was standing nearby holding a sign asking for money. She rolled down her window and said, “Sir, I’m going to give you this dollar, not because you deserve it, but because it makes me happy.”
2. He said, “Mam, if that’s the case, why don’t you give me $20 and thoroughly enjoy yourself?”
B. ILLUS. People Pay to Get Lost on Vacation
1. The Black Tomato Travel Agency discovered a new niche in Travel in 2017 after co-founder Tom Marchan came up with the concept of incorporating “Survivor” elements into vacations.
2. They are now offering a “Get Lost” service as the ultimate trip for anyone looking to get away from it all. You are deposited in the middle of nowhere with only a backpack, a GPS tracker, and a toothbrush.
3. Travelers are then tasked with the daunting job of navigating their way back to civilization—a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience for those hoping to embrace their inner nomad. [Ed Caesar, “The New Luxury Vacation: Being Dumped in the Middle of Nowhere,” The New Yorker (11-22-21).]
4. This morning’s Scripture passage tells of a similar journey made by several godly men in the East.
C. TEXT: Matt. 2:1-11
1 During the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
D. TITLE: “WHAT CAUSED THE WISE MEN TO ‘LEAVE-IT-ALL?’”
I. WHAT WOULD WE DO/RISK?
A. WHAT WOULD WE DO IN THEIR PLACE?
1. If you saw a “new star” appear in the sky, WHAT would YOU do? Probably say, “Isn’t that nice!” But if you were an astronomer, you’d say, “What the heck? Am I the only one seeing this? Where’d this come from all-of-a-sudden?”
2. But these men not only THOUGHT about it, but they must have PRAYED about it. I believe they got a REVELATION FROM GOD. This star was a SIGN from God of the birth of the Hebrew Messiah-King foretold in the Old Testament; “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth” Num. 24:17.
3. They could see the direction the star shown in. It didn’t move across the sky like other stars, but remained stationary over Palestine like a satellite! God’s Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts that this wasn’t a small event, but a cataclysmic, history-altering event about to unfold! And God wanted them involved.
B. HOW DID THEY RESPOND? WILLING TO...
1. RISK THEIR JOBS, REPUTATIONS. Their educated colleagues in science probably thought they’d lost their minds. Imagine the Newspaper Headlines, "Three Astronomers Abandon their Observatory to Follow a Strange Star." But these men thought Christ was more important than their reputations. Do we?
2. RISK LOSS OF FRIENDS & FAMILY. Friends asked, "What about your business, your work? Will you let it fail by your absence?" "Who will look after your wives and families?" These men had to count the cost: they might never return to kiss their wives and children! God had called them to obey Him and they must go, regardless of the costs.
3. RISKED THEIR LIVES & SAFETY. Their journey was difficult. Scholars believe they came from the region of Persia – a 1,000 mile journey. They faced hostile tribes, broad rivers, trackless deserts. They had to travel by night and rest by day. They might be killed or captured and sold as slaves. But they were willing!
4. THEY PERSEVERED IN THEIR SEARCH...even when the star disappeared! Even when Herod showed hostility – his eyes flashed and his anger flared. Even when the Chief Priests were unbelieving and didn’t bother to accompany them to Bethlehem.
II. THE HEART OF THE WISE MEN
But something DROVE these men on to forsake all; it was their experience in the secret place with God, where God prompted them to follow the star!
A. THESE MEN WERE SEEKERS OF GOD. The tale-tell marks of a seeker were on these men.
1. THEY HAD A HEART TO KNOW THE LORD. God says, “Then I will GIVE THEM A HEART TO KNOW ME, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart” Jer. 24:7. The Wise Men made knowing Jesus a higher priority than any other thing in their lives. My question to US is, “Do WE have a heart to know the Lord?” Job said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread” (23:12). Do we treasure God like that?
2. THEY KNEW WHAT GOD WAS DOING. When we get in God’s presence, God reveals what He’s doing. “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” Amos 3:7. Get in the place of prayer and God will reveal the future to you!
3. THEY WANTED TO PLEASE GOD. Paul said that we need to “find out what pleases the Lord” (Eph. 5:10) and do it! He told the Colossians (1:10) to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every respect.” The Wise Men found out what pleased God.
4. THEY WERE WORSHIPERS. God “inhabits the praises” of His people (Ps. 22:3). The reason the Wise Men were the only Gentiles that came to baby Jesus was that they were seekers. THESE MEN SOUGHT GOD MORE THAN ALL OTHERS OF THEIR GENERATION! And they played a critical part in the will of God for Christ – their gifts financed the trip to Egypt Joseph & Mary & Jesus had to make beginning that night. THINK OF THE EXACT TIMING OF THEIR COMING TO SAVE JESUS FROM HEROD?!
B. THEIR FAITH IS SEEN IN THEIR GIFTS
1. THE GIFT OF GOLD REFLECTED THEIR FAITH JESUS WAS KING. Gold is ASSOCIATED WITH ROYALTY. In 1 Kgs 10, the Queen of Sheba brought King Solomon great quantities of gold.
2. THE GIFT OF FRANKINCENSE DECLARES JESUS’ DEITY. Frankincense was burned as incense in the Temple (Exodus 30:34-35). It was unlawful for any human to receive this incense for themselves.
3. THE GIFT OF MYRRH. Myrrh is a fragrant spice used as a PERFUME and is the main spice used to prepare bodies FOR BURIAL (John 19:39-40). Exodus 30 tells us that liquid myrrh was a MAIN INGREDIENT IN ANOINTING OIL FOR THE PREPARATION OF PRIESTS, the instruments, the altar, and the Temple itself before sacrifices could be made. The word Messiah means “Anointed One.”
4. Wow! What a powerful truth: Jesus is King, High Priest, Deity, Suffers & Dies, and is the Anointed Messiah. All these truths are captured in the 3 gifts of the Wise Men!
III. QUES.: ARE WE TRUE SEEKERS LIKE THEM?
A. THE QUALITIES OF A TRUE SEEKER
1. First, there’s an UNDIVIDED OBJECTIVE in the seeker’s mind. God says, “You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart” Jer. 29:13. You must want Jesus more than you want anything else in the entire world. People will climb a wall to catch a foul ball at a game, but find any excuse to miss church. Revival will happen when nothing deters you from worship.
2. There must be NO RESERVATIONS made in this search for Christ. The Wise held nothing back. “Give me Christ, or else I die.” David said, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after.”
3. HALF-HEARTED SEEKING WON’T SUCCEED.
a. If a man or woman holds back one area of their lives from submission to Jesus, it will drag down the whole person.
b. Imagine a small BIRD as it takes off to fly into the open air, but it’s not free. Why? Its wings are loose -- but on examination, you find its right foot has a string tied to it [tied to a cage]. The whole bird is bound, because one foot is held by a single thread! So it is with people who keep back one area of their lives from God; it hinders them from REALLY seeking God.
B. LIFE OFTEN REQUIRES 100% COMMITMENT
1. He who would be saved from a burning building or ship must be resolved to escape.
2. When finding a wife, trying to make money, chasing your favorite hobbies – we give 100% dedication. Should Jesus get less?
3. After being so passionate for the cause of sin in our former lives, will we now be lukewarm and indifferent about seeking God? God says, “You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind and with ALL your strength!”
C. SEEING JESUS WILL CHANGE YOU!
1. There is a new invention – a pair of glasses that have the ability to allow color-blind people to see color when they wear these glasses. There are videos that show a family member giving their loved ones these glasses.
2. When they receive them – it doesn’t matter if it’s an 8-year old or a 50-year old – they all have the same response: they all break down into tears. Why? Because they are seeing color for the first time in their life.
3. When you see how these people respond to seeing color, it reminds us of what it’s like to see Jesus for the first time. Spiritually, we’ll never see anything more beautiful than the resurrected Savior, who died for our sins and gives us eternal life.
4. May we see the Beauty of Jesus again! It will touch you & change you! We need to always keep Jesus in our sights & before our eyes!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: THE MISSING PUZZLE PIECE
1. A giant puzzle cluttered up Jack Harris's dining table for almost eight years. Nevertheless, the 86-year-old was determined to finish his five-foot long, 5,000-piece jigsaw. And when he thought he’d finally completed it, he stood back to admire his work, only to find one piece was missing.
2. Mr. Harris has searched his home for the missing piece in vain; he believes one of their two dogs swallowed it.
3. The monster jigsaw depicts James Tissot's painting, “The Return of the Prodigal Son” - a design no longer made by manufacturers, Jumbo Games. But after reading about Mr. Harris's plight in the British tabloid, The Daily Mail, the company found the original design and made a copy of the missing piece. They mailed the missing piece to the ecstatic Mr. Harris!
4. Jumbo Games said, “We’re also sending Mr. Harris a load of new puzzles – although, at only 1,000 pieces, they’re slightly smaller.” [Piece at last! Jigsaw fan, 86, finishes 5ft puzzle after SEVEN years DailyMail.com May 19, 2010]
B. THE CALL
1. ARE YOU MISSING A PIECE IN YOUR LIFE? We can have 4,999 pieces and still have an incomplete puzzle!
2. Have you seen the Beauty of Jesus? Of His love for you? His suffering for you? That if you were the only one, He still would die for you?
3. How many want to become more diligent seekers like the Wise Men? How many would be honest and admit you have some areas in your life you need to surrender to Jesus?
4. PRAYER.
