Wise Men And Wise Women Still Seek Him / Rise Up And Follow The Star

For those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are 4 readings of Scripture prior to the Message: Today's assigned readings are: Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 84; Ephesians 1:3-19 and Mathew 2:1-13

Let us pray...... O' Heavenly Father we thank-you for the gift of your son. Help us to place commitment ...to our conviction... Help us to place feet ...to our faith. To be as the Magi ... the wise men...... and to rise up ...and follow the star. To rise up ...and follow your son. And it is in his name... the strong name of Jesus ... that we pray. (Pause)

A family was driving into Fredericksburg, Virginia, ... for a Christmas season get-together.

As they passed by the Anglican church... there was a manger scene in the yard, ... The youngest boy asked his mother...... what is that?

"Honey...That is Mary, Joseph, ......and the Baby Jesus, is lying ... in the manger,".

A few blocks further on ... they passed the Methodist church, ...where a scene was depicting ......the journey ... of the Wise Men.

"Who are they?" ...the young boy asked.

"Those are the Wise Men, ...they are looking for the Baby Jesus."

"Well, they're not all that wise" ... the young boy replied, ..."they won't find him there.

He's down the street... at That Anglican church." (Pause)

The annual observance ...of the birth of our Savior... is almost over.

Epiphany, ...is commemorated Today January 7th ... and it ends the liturgical celebration, ...... of the "Twelve Days of Christmas."

No gifts of turtle doves, ...French hens or a partridge in a pear tree; ...

Rather we celebrate ... the biblical gifts...... of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

When you look at a manger scene ...... what do you normally see?

There is Mary and Joseph, ...and the baby Jesus.

And ... Gathered around the manger, ... you see ... cows and sheep ... and shepherds.

But who else is usually standing near the manger ... ......the Wise men.

But when the wise men arrive, ...where do the scriptures state that Mary and Joseph are living? (Matthew 2:11)

That's right... Joseph ... Mary and Jesus... are in ... a HOUSE

BIBLE "On entering the house, ... they saw the child with Mary his mother, ......and they knelt down and paid him homage..." END Matthew 2:11

From other information that we find in the Gospel of Matthew... it appears ...that Jesus must have been a toddler ...when the Wise men came to offer... their gifts.

Possibility ... He was a two-year-old. ...Clearly...He was no longer lying in the manger.

They have found a house to live in, ... and Joseph most likely ... has set up shop ...as a local carpenter ... in the town of Bethlehem.

1 ½ to 2 ½ years have probably transpired since the birth.... of the Christ Child.

The shepherds came ... some time ago...... and the scriptures are silent ...as to anyone else coming to visit... since his birth.

Now enter the Wise Men.

Some scholars speculate it might have taken these Wise men up to 4 months to make the journey to Jerusalem.

Not including their time of preparation.

And theirs was not a "safe" journey.

Much of the way ... would have been unprotected.

Thieves and robbers plagued many of the roads ......and forced merchants and commoners ... to travel in large caravans, ... for safety.

But these ......were neither commoners nor merchants.

These were prominent men.

It has been speculated that "at a minimum ... they would have brought with them a full military escort along with their servants.

The total party ......could have amounted to more than 300 people."

That would have explained the stir they caused ...when they rode into Jerusalem.

To have 300 people ......walk into Jerusalem ... a caravan of obvious importance ... would have caught the attention ... of the entire city.

And the fact that these wise men ......had no trouble gaining an audience with King Herod... gives us an in-sight...that these were men of prominence and of power.

So, ... we are clearly looking at more than just 3 guys out for a ride ...on their camels.

This was a large band of men ......who had traveled a great distance ...over dangerous roads.

Just to prepare for their journey ... would have taken months.

That is why most scholars believe these wise men ......did not arrive ......for approximately 2 years after Jesus birth.

Many legends have grown up around the story of these Wise men, ...... one of which ... is that they were... " 3 kings."

The idea of Three Kings ... was to correspond ... to the 3 gifts ... that were given to the Christ child... one gift ... from each King.

The truth is ... We really do not know how many there were ... or who they are.