Christmas, have you felt the on rush of it? It’s been coming for a long time now, and here it is December! Our calendars are quickly being filled with parties to go to and bonus’ to think of, as well as presents to buy, places to go and people to see and food to prepare!
This “Christmas” stuff is enough to drive a person crazy!
Sermon Spice Video: “A Brief History of Christmas”
I love the thought in the video … “Shush! This is stressing me out! I think I’m going crazy! Why are we doing this?
Why do we make Christmas time crazier than any other time in our lives? I don’t see anyone getting crazy over “turkey day” like they do over Christmas. Why?
Today I want to begin a series of messages, “The Christmas Crazies!” that will hopefully draw us out of the craziness long enough to take a more “sane” look Christmas and what it is really all about.
So let’s begin with those wise guys called the magi. Did the Magi Do Magic?
Matthew 2:1-2 NIV After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, 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 in the east and have come to worship him."
Matthew 2:9-11 NIV After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east 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 and of incense and of myrrh.
Have you thought about the magi yet this Christmas season? These men come around every year at Christmas time. We hear about them in sermons, plays, and songs. Who were these who traveled from a far to see the Christ child?
A lot of “speculation” and “supposing” sometimes filled with “superstition” is told concerning the Magi … after all it is where we get our word “magic.”
Some believe these men were … magicians in a traveling side show called “The Eastern Extravaganza of Really Neat Magic Tricks!” And they went from town to town pulling quarters out of people’s ears and sawing them in half. Of course I am kidding … they didn’t saw people in half … they quartered them! Hey I told you these messages were called “The Christmas Crazies!” so bear with me because there really is a point to this message.
Serious though, by the 6th century the magi of Matthew 2, had been and identified as kings from the orient (We three kings of orient are) and given names … Balthasar, King of Arabia; Melchior, King of Persia; and Gasper, (friendly ghost? No!) King of India.
Early Christian legends tell of twelve wise men living in the East. Their special treasure was a scroll written by Seth, the son of Adam. On this scroll were written prophecies concerning the Messiah of the Jews and the star which would appear at His birth. This group of wise men devoted themselves to watching for the Messiah’s star. From generation to generation, every month, these twelve wise men would ascend into a mountain cave and spend three days purifying themselves in its fountains, searching for the star, and praying to be led to the Messiah. As each man died, his son or other close relative took his place.
About the year 6 B.C., the long awaited star appeared. It shone brightly in the shape of a beautiful boy child with a cross glowing behind him. The star-child announced, "The King of the Jews is born in Judea. Go quickly to worship him." (ChristStory Christmas Symbols)
This is nothing more than a fabricated story such as the “Lord of the Potter Rings of Narnia.” (Most won’t catch it).
The speculations of magical entreat go on and on as to who the “magi” were. But maybe more than asking “who” the magi were, we should ask, “why” the “magi?”
Naturally … fulfillment of prophecy … some suggest, Isaiah 60:1-7 speaks of kings coming to "the brightness of your rising" (vs.3) and gifts of "gold and frankincense" (vs.6). And there are other scriptures such as Psalm 72:10 … prophesy of the magi.
But rather than holding to some Christmas production script might read … magi enter … these men who ever they were reveal for us for more than just a bit of Christmas magic but truths are “obvious”, but truths that have become “oblivious” to many.
1. Magi Reveal: Christmas is a Journey
Mt 2:1b … Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
Some debate where they came from (east? west?), but there is no debate that Christmas requires each of us to journey in order to find its true meaning.
Will Christmas journey into the depths of our hearts? The magi journeyed beyond the dictates of their hearts and minds. They followed the guidance of God by way of the star.
Some wonder about the star asking if it were nothing more than astrological happening God had prepared or had coincidently used to guide the magi. Now is not the time to debate, but let’s know that if God can manifest Himself in past times a pillar of fire & smoke, and if He put all the stars in place and named them, He would have no trouble creating a special star to shine at His Son’s birth. Too simple you say, then you are being led by something other than what the “magi” were being led by.
You see they followed not their own intuitions, but those beyond themselves, that God had given them. The scriptures say these “magi” rejoiced at the re-appearance of the star.
Do you and I rejoice at God’s leading of our lives?
Let us journey beyond the presents, pressures, and parties, as well as ourselves to find the real reason of Christmas.
2. Magi Reveal: Christmas is for the Asking
Mt 2:2a and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?
The Magi arrived “asking” the whereabouts of the new born King, revealing the intents of their hearts … to worship Him.
Where is Jesus in Christmas this year? Where is the whereabouts of this One who came to be the Savior of our lives? Where will we find Him?
The BIG question at Christmas time is, “What do you want for Christmas?” So, what are you asking for this Christmas? Our lists are long of things we think we need. Many a face will be longer when they don’t get what they want.
And if we get everything what we have asked for. Then what? What will our lives be full of … ourselves?
Every Christmas there is a “spirit of Herod” (selfishness) that prevails in many a heart … even more so than Scrooge! Herod asked, but it was for himself.
There is always the danger of making Christmas about myself rather than the One who has been born for me.
Christmas asks of the whereabouts of Christ in your life.
3. Magi Reveal: Christmas is about Worship
Mt 2:11 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 and of incense and of myrrh.
Worship is a powerful expression of where the heart is.
The magi in bowing down placed the worth of the Christ (Messiah) higher than themselves. That’s real worship … putting greater “worth” on God and His Son, the salvation of the world.
The truth is, “worship” is not about songs and sermons, though they can be useful to bring each of us to a point of placing greater worth on Christ. Worship is about Him, Christ, God’s Son our Savior.
In their worship … they gave of themselves. Today,many see worship as more “getting” than “giving.” We walk away from our worship services of “songs & sermons” and say, “I didn’t get anything out of that.” When in reality it is not about getting, but giving myself to the One I put greater worth on and in, than all of me and all my stuff.
And most definitely Christmas is to many more about getting than giving.
The apostle Paul quotes Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
A young boy in Wal-Mart excitedly showed me a pocket full of change and some wadded up dollar bills he was planning to use to buy Christmas gifts for others. That’s the real expression of Christmas … giving!
The “magi” opened their “treasures” and gave them (all they had) to the new born King, our Savior. Jesus, the once babe in the manger, warns us about the treasures (Mt 6:21) that can captivate and hold our hearts hostage. Where our treasure is, there is where we will find not only what we treasure, but what we give ourselves to.
Christmas reveals the heart of God … giving His own Son.
• Will we worship Him this Christmas season?
• Will we give of ourselves as an act of seeing Christ as greater worth than ourselves?
• Will we live in the heart of God who loved and gave?
Conclusion:
Did the Magi do magic? No, but they did journey, ask for and worship the Christ.
Will we this season not get caught up in “The Christmas Crazies” and journey beyond ourselves asking for Christ, so that we might worship Him?
O come let us adore Him … O come let us adore Him … O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord
Amen!
This sermon was preached by Robert AuBuchon at First Baptist Church of Camdenton, MO in 2005. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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