THE WISDOM OF THE WISEMEN
Text: Matthew 2:1-3; 7-12
Introduction-
I would like to speak today on the subject-
"The Wisdom of the Wisemen." They were wise,
very wise, indeed! Will we be wise this Christ-
mas? We will, if we do what the wise men did.
First, let’s consider some background information.
Just who were the wise men? The Bible states sim-
ply that they were from the East.
-it does not tell us how many there were
early traditions say 12-14
Later, the number was limited to 3 to correspond
to the 3 gifts they gave the Christ child
-it does not tell us where they were from
Some say they were from Chaldea, or Arabia, or
Babylonia. The view which gained the most accep-
tance was that they were from Persia.
-it does not tell us their occupation
were they astrologers and magicians?
were they priests or kings?(song-We 3 Kings)
We simply do not know for certain. What we do
know about them was that they were wise. What
evidences do we have that they were wise?
I. FIRST OF ALL, THEY WERE WISE BECAUSE THEY
FOLLOWED THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LORD GOD.
Somehow, God spoke to them in their language, and
revealed to them that a Great One was being born.
Historians tell us that there was a hunger and
expectation in that day and time for a Messiah,
and that it was commonly held that this coming
King, or kings, would originate in the Holy Land
of Israel.
God wanted them to be involved in this great event.
They were captivated and challenged by the appear-
ance of a supernatural, heavenly star, that shone
with splendor and majesty. They determined to
seek this coming one.
Later, when they arrived in Jerusalem and appeared
before Herod the Great, they followed the direction
of the Lord as revealed in His Holy Word, and sought
out the Savior in Bethlehem of Judea, as predicted
by the prophet Micah.(5:2)
Matthew 2:9-"...the star, which they saw in the
east, went before them, till it came and stood over
where the young child was."
There was something special about that star. It
re-appeared to them, and led them to the very spot
where the Christ was to be found.
Will we be wise, and let God lead us to Jesus this
Christmas? Without God’s help, none of us could
ever find Him. He must point the way. He will,
because He loves us, and wants us to be saved.
Notice also that when they arrived it says that
they found the young child and his mother. Jesus
may have been up to 2 yrs. old at the time. The
picture of the wise men at the manger probably
just isn’t correct. That’s why Herod had all the
children 2 and under slain. It had been calculated
what His approximate age was. Because of an error
in the calenders of that day and the one we present-
ly use, some 5-7 years may be missing. That’s
why we say Jesus was probably born sometime between
5-7 B.C..
The star was of God’s making. It may have been
through some natural occurance, such as the con-
junction of two planets, or a comet, or falling
star, or, a unique creation of God for this spec-
ial occasion. Whatever happened, God did it.
II. THE WISE MEN WERE ALSO WISE BECAUSE THEY SOUGHT
JESUS FOR THE RIGHT REASON.
They were not seeking Him to benefit themselves
financially, or to earn fame. They wanted to
worship Him, and adore Him as King of the World
and Universe.
Friends, are you seeking Jesus for the right reason,
or do you seek Him for your own benefit?
We miss the meaning of Christmas if we seek Him
wrongly. Like Herod, who really did not desire to
worship him, but really wanted to murder him, we
condemn ourselves if we follow Him for the wrong
reasons.
III. Thirdly, THE WISE MEN WERE WISE BECAUSE THEY
GAVE JESUS THE VERY BEST THAT THEY HAD.
Matthew 2:11-"And when they were come into the
house...And when they had opened their treasurers,
they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankin-
cense, and myrrh."
It is important to note that they first gave them-
selves before they gave their gifts. They had come
from far, because they earnestly desired Him.
Conclusion-Will we be wise this Christmas? We
will if we will follow the leadership of the Lord
and His Word, if we seek Him for the right reasons,
and if we give Him the best we have to give.
*Note for ministers-
See William Barclay’s Daily Bible Study series for
some excellent background material, such as the
names of the 3 wise men, according to tradition,
etc. He also has some very interesting material
on King Herod you may want to include in this
message, as well as the symbolic meanings of the
gifts they presented the Christ-child.(Matt.2)
Also see the International Standard Encyclopedia
under the heading Magi.
