Wise Men Still Seek Him
Christmas Message
By Rev. George Miller
Why is this Wednesday so different from every other Wednesday in 2013? We are meeting to honor someone's birthday. When it is the Prime Minister's birthday do we meet and celebrate like this? In the USA we have President's Day, which is a public holiday of sorts to honor the birthdays of all our presidents. But I have a hard time remembering this exact date and it comes and goes without much recognition except the banks, post offices and public offices are closed. Some of the presidents accomplished great things, but their birthday comes and goes without much fanfare. Yet Jesus has impacted the world so that even non-Christians today are celebrating the day of His birth.
Even the most popular calendar in the world refers to Jesus' birth. You don't hear it much anymore but we use to say eg for AD 2013 "In the Year of Our Lord, 2013".
We really don't know when Jesus was born, but we are fairly certain it was not in December, since the shepherds were in the fields and December in Israel is winter and cold. Every year in the Commonwealth countries we celebrate the Queen's birthday. Even though we know the date of her birth we don't celebrate on the exact day, or even the same month. (At least not in the Solomon Islands.)
There is a poem written nearly 100 years ago.
One solitary life ... This is copyrighted poem but you can find it a lot of places on-line including the URL address below. http://www.holybible.com/resources/poems/ps.php?sid=47 Dr James Allan © 1926.
Some people of the world spend the holidays drinking. Many will be celebrating with giving of presents. Many, especially in the Western world, will emphasize father Christmas, Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas, and the children all go to bed on Christmas eve believing that in the morning if they have been good during the year that Father Christmas will deliver presents for them.
Title of Sermon: I have titled this sermon, "Wise Men Still Seek Him"
Text: Matt 2:1-12 (NKJV)
1. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen 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 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.' "
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
I. Wise men saw His star:
We refer to these as three men. We really do not know the number but only that they brought 3 different gifts. Tradition even gives us their names: Casper, Melchior, and Beltazzar or something like that. Tradition tells us that one was a black man, one was an Asian, and one was a European. We're not sure if that is correct. But we are certain that these men were searching the sky and examining the stars for signs. God appeared to these men through the stars. Why? Because, that was what they understood. If God wanted to come to me with instruction, He wouldn't use the stars. Why? Because I would miss it. I wouldn't understand what the star meant. God uses a method of communicating with people that is understood by the person receiving the message.
II. The wise men obeyed the star
They followed the star. They came to see this King of the Jews. They felt a King would be born in the palace. Maybe they thought King Herod had a son and so they came to visit this prince. They obeyed the Lord. These magi were from the east. We do not know exactly where they were from but one thing we know for sure is that they were not Jewish. Up to this time salvation was for the Jews. This story shows us that God sent his son for every race, every people, every tribe, and every color. Jesus came for all of us.
The wise men were important people to be able to see King Herod. King Herod knew about the promised messiah. His advisors even knew where he was to be born. They knew the scriptures. The messiah was very near to them. Instead of accepting him and worshipping him they tried to kill him.
III. Other wise men in the scriptures who followed Jesus.
10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding
Prov 9:10 (NIV)
If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom to follow the Lord is to be wise. So those who obey the Lord are wise. Those who disobey are then foolish. We should not play around with the Lord.
The Shepherds were wise too:
They were not in the same class as the magi. Shepherds are considered poor and without much education. The news came to them, but in a different way. They received the news in the way that they understood it. The angels came. Why did the angels come to these particular shepherds? I don't know how many hundreds of shepherd may have been out in the fields that night. The angels appeared to these. They must have been ready. Maybe they were talking about this or thinking about the coming Messiah. Maybe they were faithful so that God knew He could trust them to go and find the Messiah. We don't know what happened to their sheep. Did one shepherd stay back, or what? They obeyed and left their sheep to see the messiah.
He did not look like a King that night. He was lying in a feed box from where the cows and horses ate hay. They obeyed. They were the first messengers of the Good News.
The Scripture says: 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:17-18 (NKJV)
Simeon and Anna were wise and recognized him:
The messiah was now revealed to the Rich Magi, the poor shepherd, and the priests and workers in the church. How many priest lived in Jesus day? I don't know but the news came to Simeon. Simeon had a promise from God that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. I don't know how long he had been waiting for the promise to be fulfilled, possibly for many years. Now here he was a very old man, but he did not give up. What was different from this baby to all the thousands of children he had held? Simeon was so close to God that when Mary and Joseph came in carrying their 7 day old son, Simeon knew from the witness of the spirit in his heart that this is He.
Many in the Bible followed him:
There were the disciples. The women traveled with him and helped him. Even Jesus' mother and brothers were his followers. They were all spiritually wise.
IV. Wise Men still seek him today.
Today 2000 years after Jesus' birth those who are wise still seek Jesus. Most of us have never seen an angel that we know of. Wise men respond to the message. Many people have gods today.
Money is a big god. Money is good. Jesus came to the wealthy and they gave him generously of their wealth.
Position is a god to many, even position within the church. Announcement of Jesus came to the palace but they rejected him. But the shepherds of low position accepted the message. They had nothing to give. Jesus wants nothing but you and your life. He wants your all. The King had his chance.
Conclusion: This Jesus born over 2000 years ago, is the "real deal". He is still the Messiah, Immanuel (God with us), the great "I Am", the "Bread of Life", the "Living Water", the "Solid Rock", the "Great Physician", the "Resurrected Lord", the one who came to, "Baptize with the Holy Spirit and Fire", the one who sent the counselor, the "Prince of Peace", the "miracle worker", the "Good Shepherd", the "Gate of the Sheepfold" and many other scriptural metaphors are used to describe this Jesus, whom we serve and honor on the 25th of December. Wise men today still search after this Jesus, and when they find Him and are in a living relationship with him, oh there is nothing NOTHING al all that compares. If your life is a mess and out of control try JESUS, for He is always there to comfort and sustain.
Merry Christmas
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