(Christmas Sermon) Another Way Home: When Finding Christ Changes Everything
Good morning, church family! As we gather here the Sunday after Christmas, many of you are probably still feeling the warmth of Christmas morning - the joy of family, the excitement of beautifully wrapped presents, the peace of celebrating our Savior's birth. But now what? All of the decorations will soon come down, the guests will have gone home, and we're left wondering - what comes next?
This morning, I want us to look at some folks who went on a journey and had that same question two thousand years ago. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 through 12, or it will be displayed on the wall behind me.
Mat 2:1-12 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, [2] "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." [3] When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. [4] Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. [5] They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: [6] 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'" [7] Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. [8] And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." [9] After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. [11] After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [12] And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
Point 1: The Journey Begins
These wise men - these Magi - began a journey that would change everything about their lives. They saw a star, and they knew this was no ordinary celestial event. This was a sign pointing to something - someone - extraordinary. And think about this, they knew who it pointed to because they asked Mat 2:2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."
Think about what it took for them to begin this journey. They left behind their comfortable lives, their familiar surroundings, their daily routines. They packed up provisions for what they knew would be a long, dangerous journey across desert lands. They faced uncertainty at every turn - Would they find what they were looking for? Was this star really leading them to a king? Would their journey be worth the cost?
But here's what strikes me most about these wise men: they were willing to seek. In our world today, we're surrounded by people who have stopped seeking. They've settled for the familiar, the comfortable, the predictable. But genuine spiritual hunger - the kind that leads to transformation - always begins with a willingness to seek, even when we don't have all the answers.
The wise men teach us that seeking God requires both faith and action. They didn't just observe the star from their rooftops - they followed it. They didn't just discuss its meaning in their scholarly circles - they packed their camels and started walking. True seeking always involves movement, always requires us to leave our comfort zones.
Point 2: The Encounter That Changes Everything
Let's look again at verse 11: Mat 2:11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
After months of travel, after following that star across hundreds of miles, after asking directions in Jerusalem and being pointed toward Bethlehem, they finally arrived. And what did they find? Not a palace. Not a throne room. Not armies or royal guards. They found a young child with his mother in a simple house.
But something extraordinary happened in that moment. These learned men, these scholars who had studied the stars and understood the movements of heaven, immediately recognized they were in the presence of royalty - not earthly royalty, but divine royalty. The scripture says they “… fell to the ground and worshiped Him.” This wasn't a casual bow or a polite nod. The Greek word here means they prostrated themselves completely. These dignified men threw themselves face-down on the ground before a toddler. Why? Because when you truly encounter Christ, you recognize immediately who He is. You don't debate it, you don't analyze it, you don't wait for more evidence - you worship.
And notice what they did next - they opened their treasures. Gold for a King of kings, frankincense for a great high priest, myrrh for the one who would die for the sins of the world. These weren't random gifts picked up at the last minute. They didn’t stop by an Allsups to grab something off the shelf. These were costly, meaningful offerings that revealed they understood something profound about this child's identity and destiny.
When we truly encounter Christ, it always costs us something. Not because God needs our gifts, but because genuine worship requires us to give our best, our most precious, our most valuable. The wise men didn't give Jesus their leftover coins - they gave him their treasures. How many of us have had a genuine encounter with Christ, but we're still holding back our treasures? We'll give Him our Sunday mornings, but not our Monday through Saturday. We'll give Him our words, but not our wallets. We'll give Him our prayers, but not our priorities. The wise men teach us that true worship holds nothing back.
Point 3: The Warning That Protects
Now watch what happens next in verse 12: Mat 2:12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
After their encounter with Christ, God spoke to them directly. He warned them about Herod's evil intentions and gave them clear direction about what to do next. This wasn't just practical guidance - this was divine protection for those who had genuinely worshipped the King.
Here's a beautiful truth: when we truly find Christ, God begins to guide our steps in ways we never experienced before. The wise men had successfully navigated hundreds of miles following a star, but now God was speaking to them in dreams, giving them personal, specific direction.
This divine warning reveals something important about the Christian life. It reveals to us that following Christ doesn't mean we'll never face danger or opposition. In fact, the opposite is often true. Herod represents all the forces in this world that oppose Christ and those who follow Him. But God protects His own. He warns us when we're heading toward spiritual danger. He redirects our paths when we need to avoid the schemes of the enemy.
Now, I’ve said that God protects His own, but I really should qualify that statement because bad things happen to Christians all the time, don’t they? These wise men were warned to go home another way in order to protect them and the Christ child from harm. But there are many times when believers fall at the hands of unbelievers. Look at all the Christians that are brutally murdered in our world today. Or think of those who died horrible and brutal deaths throughout the early history of the church. Friends, God does protect His own, but there are times when His will and His purpose are at odds with our wants and desires. There are many times when what we want just doesn’t jive with God’s purpose
Think about your own life. How many times has God warned you away from a relationship that would have harmed your faith? How many times has He closed a door that you thought you wanted to walk through, only to realize later it would have led to destruction? How many times has He spoken to your heart through His Word, through prayer, through the counsel of godly friends, redirecting your steps? The wise men were sensitive to God's voice. They didn't argue with the dream or demand more evidence. They didn't say, "But we promised Herod we'd come back with information." They simply obeyed.
Friends, when God speaks, obedience is always the right response. One of the clearest signs that someone has truly encountered Christ is when they become sensitive to God's voice and are quick to obey His direction. Before their encounter with Jesus, these men were following a star. After their encounter, they were following the voice of God Himself, and because of that, they found…
Point 4: The New Path Home
And here we come to the heart of our message this morning: Mat 2:12b …the magi left for their own country by another way.
Ten simple words that contain a profound truth about what happens when we genuinely encounter Christ. They went home, but they didn't go back the same way they came. Physically, yes, they took a different route to avoid Herod. But spiritually, this represents something much deeper.
When you truly meet Jesus Christ, you can never go back to living the way you lived before. The wise men couldn't return to their old lives unchanged. They had seen the King of Kings. They had worshipped the Son of God. They had received direct communication from the Almighty. How could they possibly go back to their old ways of thinking, their old priorities, their old patterns of living?
This is what genuine conversion looks like. It's not just adding Jesus to your life - it's allowing Jesus to transform your life. It's not just believing certain facts about Christ - it's being so changed by your encounter with Him that you simply cannot live the same way anymore.
The apostle Paul understood this when he wrote in 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Paul himself was a perfect example - he was traveling one way on the road to Damascus, to persecute Christians, and after his encounter with Christ, he went home "another way" - as a follower of the very Jesus he had been opposing.
Some of you here this morning have had that kind of encounter with Christ. You know exactly what I'm talking about. There was a before and an after in your life. There was a moment, a season, an experience where you met Jesus, and everything changed. You went home another way.
Maybe some of you are wondering if you've ever really had that kind of encounter. Maybe you've been around Christianity all your life, but you're not sure you've ever experienced the kind of transformation that makes going back impossible. Let me tell you - it's never too late to have that encounter. Christ is still revealing Himself to seeking hearts today and pointing us to…
Point 5: Our Own Journey Forward
As we leave Christmas behind and step into a new year, the question for each of us is this: What "other way" is Christ calling us to take in our daily lives? For some of you, going home "another way" might mean changing how you handle your finances. Maybe God is calling you to be more generous, more faithful in your giving, more trusting in His provision instead of your own accumulation.
For others, it might mean changing how you treat your family. Maybe your encounter with Christ is calling you to be more patient with your spouse, more intentional with your children, more honoring toward your parents. Perhaps God is calling you to go home "another way" in your work life. Maybe it's time to stop cutting corners, stop participating in office gossip, start being a light in a dark workplace. Or maybe the "other way" God is calling you to involves your relationships. Maybe it's time to forgive someone who hurt you, to reconcile with someone you've been avoiding, to reach out to someone who needs to hear about the Christ you've encountered.
The wise men's journey teaches us that seeking Christ is not a one-time event - it's a lifestyle. I don’t believe they sought Him until they found Him and then stopped seeking. No, I think it’s entirely possible that their encounter with Christ launched them into a lifetime of following His guidance, listening for His voice, obeying His direction.
As we begin this new year, let me challenge you: Are you still seeking? Are you still following? Are you still willing to go home "another way" when Christ calls you to change direction? Maybe this morning, you realize you've never had that life-changing encounter with Christ. You've heard about Him, you've celebrated His birth, but you've never personally met Him as your Lord and Savior.
Today can be the beginning of your journey. Today you can start seeking Him with all your heart, and I promise you - when you find Him, everything will change. Or maybe you did encounter Christ years ago, but somewhere along the way, you stopped going "another way." You drifted back toward your old patterns, your old priorities, your old path. The beautiful thing about our God is that He's always ready to redirect us, always ready to show us a new way forward.
Let's pray together, and as we do, ask God to show you what "other way" He's calling you to take as you leave this place and go into the new year ahead. I’m going to close in prayer now, and then we’ll sing a closing song. This altar area is open for you to spend time in prayer in your desire to renew your efforts in seeking, following, and obeying the Lord.
Father, thank You for the example of the wise men who sought You with all their hearts and found You. Thank You that when we truly encounter Your Son Jesus Christ, we are never the same. Help us to be people who are always seeking, always listening for Your voice, always willing to go home another way when You call us to change direction. Show us this morning what new path You want us to take in the year ahead. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
