Wise Men Still Seek Him

INTRODUCTION (Title Slide) Merry Christmas! My name is David Sorn, and I’m the Lead Pastor here. I don’t know if you drive around with your family and look at Christmas lights, but when I was a kid, we did this a couple of times. And I have this memory of being a young kid…maybe 6 or so…and I was riding in the back seat of our family’s red Ford Taurus. And I was staring intently out the window, up at the sky…for minutes on end. And finally, my mom looked back and said, “David, what are you looking at?!” And I said, “I’m looking for the Christmas Star! Doesn’t it come out every Christmas?” I was totally convinced that every December 25th, the Christmas star made an appearance for all to see. THE PASSAGE This afternoon we’re going to read about that star in the Bible, and I’d love for every person to follow along with me. Matthew 2:1 12 Page 657 Now, while we read, I want you to look carefully at the details of this story about the Wise Men and the Star. Because how we THINK this story goes is quite different than how it actually goes. And that’s because all of today’s Christmas songs and Christmas movies have added a lot of things that aren’t in the original Biblical history And I want you to see if you can catch the differences. (Matthew 2:1 12) – 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 when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose 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, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Title Slide) Okay, so we see that the wise men, who are also called Magi came from the East to see Jesus. But who are these guys? Magi, were priests in ancient Persia (think like modern day Iran and Iraq) But they were so much more than priests…in fact, they were typically the leading experts in wisdom Thus, they’re often called…wise men But they’re not Kings, so sorry to ruin “We 3 Kings of Orient Are” Notice that it also doesn’t say there were THREE of them either. Often people guess 3 because there were 3 gifts given. But it’s not like baby Jesus had a “one gift per wise man” rule It’s actually a lot more likely that there were way more than 3 Because 3 super wealthy and powerful guys carrying a bunch of gold across the desert in those days, is not very likely scenario. One clue in the text is that is says in verse 3 that, “All of Jerusalem was disturbed” regarding their coming. Now, if it’s 3 random dudes coming into town, that’s probably not going to happen. But many scholars think there was a greater chance that they came in a party of 50 than 3. And a group of 50 traveling foreigners with their guards and servants, would’ve got the attention of the city. And I know I just destroyed your entire nativity scene because you’re thinking, “Now I gotta order 50 wise men?!” We also know from history Magi were leading experts in religion, science, and astrology, which explains why they might have noticed this star. And what was this star? Some say that there was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that year. Others say there was a supernova, or a comet. But I think the most likely answer is that this is a miraculous appearing of a light, or something resembling a star…especially because of the end of verse 9 Take a look if you still have it open. It says that the star “stopped over the place where the child was” That’s not a normal star. I can’t look up and say, “Huh, looks like the North Star is right over my house in Blaine right now!” But even if it was a supernatural light, how would they know to follow it? Well, many scholars theorize that the Magi would have had knowledge of a coming Jewish Messiah through the influence of the prophet Daniel. See, about 550 years before Jesus, Daniel was a famous Jew who was in exile in Babylon (which later became Persia…where the wise men most likely came from) And we’re told in the book of Daniel in the Bible that this happened: (Daniel 2:48) – NIV Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. And while Daniel was in charge of the Wise Men (the Magi), he certainly would have shared His Scriptures with them. They might even have studied Numbers 24:17, which says: (Numbers 24:17b) – NIV A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. And while Daniel lived in the East, he also wrote many of his prophecies about the timing of the birth of Christ…thus giving the Magi the knowledge to know WHEN to be waiting for this birth…and this sign. Pretty amazing! FOLLOW EVEN IF IT’S UNCLEAR AT FIRST But perhaps the most amazing thing to me is what the wise men do with the information they have. And that is that they seek God. They seek the truth. And I want you to think deeply about this today. When God sends you a star…sends you a sign…what do you do with it? WHEN GOD SENDS YOU A STAR #1: Follow even if it’s unclear at first This is easier said than done. Put yourself in the Magi’s sandals… If you’re in ancient Persia. And you’ve been taught the prophecies about the Messiah passed down by other Magi. And you believe that a new star may symbolize the birth of a king. What happens when you actually see a new star? You’d think, “Well, I don’t actually have THAT much to go on!” “And is that star really related to that prophecy?” “Maybe………it’s a bit unclear.” It was still a massive leap of faith to pack up everything and go! But despite it being still unclear, they went! And for some of you in this room, God has sent you a star. And you have this feeling that God’s trying to get your attention, but it’s not a lot to go on right now. And that’s often how it works. God doesn’t write your name in the sky…he wants us to start in faith. Maybe there have been a number of moments in your life lately that have felt like coincidences, but listen maybe they’re not. Maybe God is trying to get your attention. Maybe you’ve been thinking about God more and more, and then a friend randomly invited you here today. Maybe lately, your thoughts have just been turning (maybe even surprisingly to God). Like, you’re just looking out at the beauty of the world, and you think, “How could this all just have gotten here?) Those moments are God calling out to your mind…or to your heart. And hear me, in those moments…wise women…and wise men…still seek Him...still today. Because if God is real, and eternity is real, and you’re going to live beyond this life…perhaps forever… A wise person is the type of person that will begin to seek out the truth Even if, like the original wise men, it still feels a little unclear when you start the journey. FOLLOW EVEN IF IT’S HARD Let me give you another piece of advice for when God sends you a star…and He’s trying to get your attention. WHEN GOD SENDS YOU A STAR #1: Follow even if it’s unclear at first #2: Follow even if it’s hard If you think about it, it wasn’t just that the wise men didn’t have all of the facts when they set out on their journey. It’s that they were willing to set out on a hard journey. This isn’t like taking a nice flight down to the beach in Florida. Their journey from Persia is going to take them a long time. Let me explain, but I must warn you, by doing so, I’m going to have to mess up your nativity scene again. Because Matthew chapter 2 tells us that the Wise Men didn’t actually come at Jesus’ birth…they weren’t even at the manger scene at the stable…so those 50 wise men you just added to your Amazon cart…delete them. Verse 7 implies that the wise men LEFT home at the time the star appeared…when Jesus was born. Or look at verse 11: “On coming to the HOUSE…they saw the CHILD” This is not a stable scene with an infant. And actually, if you keep reading this chapter, verse 16 tells us that King Herod, (who history tells us was a homicidal maniac) went and had all the boys of Bethlehem that were 2 and under, killed… …in attempt to ensure Jesus could never become King. Now, thankfully Jesus’ family escaped, but the fact that Herod killed every boy 2 and under tells us that the Wise Men didn’t come at Jesus’ birth And it also tells us how long their journey would have been (if they left home at his birth)! They were willing to go, to seek God out, even if it was hard. (Title Slide) And I think that stops a lot of us from seeking God…the fact that it’s hard. Many people feel that to follow Jesus, to actually do what He says, would be hard. For starters, what would people say about us if we did that? I didn’t grow up in a Christian household, and when I started to get interested in God at 18, I remember going into my room and locking my door so no one would see me reading the Bible. And I remember thinking, “Am I really going to go from making fun of Christians in my classes…to becoming one?” Was I ready to do that? Others of us say, “Well if I became a follow of Jesus, I’d probably have to give up x or y or z if I’m going to really walk with Him” Yeah, you might. God calls you to a holy life…because like a Good Father, He knows what’s best for you…and wants you to walk on that path. And Jesus tells us that what you gain in return (in walking with Him, and in eternal life in heaven) is hundred times better than anything you’ll give up. And that’s why wise women, and wise men…still seek Him…still today. And listen, the best things in life are hard. You know this. Many of you went to school for a long time, and it was hard. But you did because you knew you could benefit from it. Or you worked hard at starting a business, or a job, or a relationship… Wise people don’t judge the worth of something based on whether it’s hard or not. They judge its worth based on its truth…and based on its reward And no reward is greater than eternal life. FOLLOW EVEN IF ITS NOT HARD And let me give you one more piece of advice, and this one is going to feel counterintuitive. WHEN GOD SENDS YOU A STAR #1: Follow even if it’s unclear at first #2: Follow even if it’s hard #3: Follow even if it’s not hard The Bible is amazing book…and it’s so rich with meaning. And one of the great contrasts of this story is the fact that the Wise Men embarked on this journey with not a lot of information….and they had to journey for 6 12 months through difficult terrain… …all in contrast to the religious leaders in Jerusalem who had ALL of the information, and didn’t do anything with it. This was verses 4 and 5. These religious leaders in Jerusalem know that the Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem. Do you know how far away Bethlehem is from Jerusalem? 6 miles! That’s it! 6 miles! Probably a 2 to 3 hour walk. Now, knowing that, you’d think, that these people would say to the Magi, “WHOA! You saw a star! And the Messiah is born! And it’s just 2 hours away?! Let’s go! Let me get my family! Let’s go!” And yet…shockingly…none of them go. Why? Because for them, it was just a lifeless religion. Just information that never moved from their head to their heart. And I think that’s true of a lot of people in America. I mean, most Americans know something (at least intellectually/factually) about Jesus. And maybe even believe that He is God’s Son. But it tends to just sort of stop there….and that information doesn’t move us any further. We stay in Jerusalem. Never proceeding to Bethlehem to actually seek Him out. Why? There are a million different reasons. One of them is that we’re so familiar with the story here in America that we stopped thinking about how amazing it is. My friend, Mark Warder, was just telling me the other day about an outreach he was serving at with Pulse in Costa Rica. In the evening, they were going to be sharing about Jesus at this outdoor venue, but it just poured all day. And there were wondering if anyone would even show up. And yet 50,000 Costa Ricans came, and stood there, in the rain, getting drenched…just wanting to the know the message about “the God who loves & forgives” Sometimes we can get so close to something that we don’t see how beautiful it is. It reminds me of that old Nicolas Cage Christmas movie “The Family Man” Cage is a lonely bachelor who is consumed with his work, but then sort of like Charles Dicken’s Christmas carol… …Cage is miraculously is transported to a different possible version of his life where he wakes up the next day married (with 2 kids) to the girl who got away 13 years ago. And one night, he’s just staring at her, and thinking about how beautiful she is. And she looks back at him and says, “How can you do that? How can you look at me like you haven’t seen me every day for the past 13 years?” And like the religious leaders in Jerusalem, here in America, I think we are so close to this message of Jesus, that we’re not looking with fresh eyes anymore. And seeing how beautiful this message really is. GOSPEL (Title Slide) And so would you look at this message again with me? With fresh eyes? If there’s even a chance that this is true…and eternity in heaven or hell is at stake, wisdom says we’ve got to seek what the truth is on this. You don’t want to die and meet God, and have God say, “You were so close. The answer to your salvation was right there…it was that proverbial 6 miles away…and you didn’t seek.” If you KNEW the Messiah was only 6 miles away (like in Coon Rapids), would you go? If you KNEW there were answers in this book, would you read it for yourself? By the way, if you never have read it, I want you to take the Bible you’re holding with you today. It’s our Christmas gift to you. And start with reading the rest of this book of Matthew. But come, look closely at the story again. This is a God who loves you. He sent Jesus on Christmas so He could grow up and be your Savior. Jesus offered you that salvation by dying on the cross for our sins. Because God is holy, and just, we all deserve his justice for our sins…the things we’ve done wrong. And yet God is also love, so He sent His own son Jesus to take that punishment for you. And the way to get right with God, to have peace with God, to know God…is to believe Jesus died for you. That’s how you open the gift of eternal life in heaven. And that’s how you can start having a relationship with the God who will walk alongside of you, and change your life. And so if there is anyone here today where God has already been leading you up to this moment, or maybe been working like crazy in your heart even this afternoon. And you’re ready to say, for the first time, “I believe! I’m seeking you out and I want to follow you and be forgiven,” …let me give you an opportunity to do that right now. Let’s just have everyone, just for a minute, close your eyes and bow your head. I want to give you an opportunity to receive Jesus in as your Savior If you need to make this decision for the first time today…to tell Jesus that you need His forgiveness for your sins…to make Him the leader of your life…to believe He died in your place for your sins In just a minute, I’m going to ask you to raise your hand. No one’s going to be looking at you, that’s why we had everyone close their eyes. But by raising your hand, your saying, “I believe. I want this.” But sometimes in life, we just need that moment…that line in the sand moment. To say, “God I believe. I receive you in!” And if you need to do that today, and I bet you already know it on your heart and you can feel it inside right now… If you need to tell God for the first time today that you do believe, and you want to follow Him and be forgiven. Then I invite you to raise your hand where you are right now (and keep standing). The Bible tells us that in this moment we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths. Repeat after me Dear God I confess to you, that I have sinned against you. But God I believe, that you sent your Son Jesus, to take my place And God I thank you, for forgiving my sins. And now I commit, to following you, with my life. (NEXT STEPS) Hey, if you made that decision today, we’ll give you some next steps at the end of the service for what to do next, but for now, let’s worship our amazing Savior!