Series: Draw Close to God Through Repentance

Title: Wise Men Still Seek Him

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

Today is the feast of the Epiphany, January 6^th.

Throughout the church year, we have seven principle feast days. Each one is vitally important in the Christian life.

The two most prominent feast days are Christmas and Easter:

Christmas reminds us of the Incarnation – Jesus becoming flesh and dwelling among us, born to be our Savior.

Easter reminds us of Jesus’ resurrection – Jesus conquering death and Satan. Through trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can have eternal life.

Ascension Day is 40 days after Easter, reminding us that Jesus not only rose from the dead, but "ascended into heaven," returning to his rightful place "at the right hand of [God] the Father [Almighty]" (Nicene Creed).

Pentecost is ten days later, 50 days after Easter. Pentecost reminds us of our need for the person and power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life.

Trinity Sunday is the Sunday following Pentecost. Trinity Sunday reminds us that God is one God, but three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Balanced mature Christians make room in their lives for:

The transcendence and holiness of God the Father.

The personal saving work of Jesus.

The guidance and gifting of the Holy Spirit.

All Saints’ Day is on November 1^st, the day after All Hallows’ Eve. All Saints Day reminds us that we are part of a much much larger church:

Millions of faithful believers throughout the world, many who are suffering for their faith this morning.

Billions, who throughout the ages, have died and gone to heaven, what the Epistle to the Hebrews calls the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1).

Today is the feast of the Epiphany. It is always on January 6^th, immediately following the 12 days of the Christmas season.

The feast of the Epiphany reminds us that God continually desires to reveal Himself to those who do not know Him.

God desires to give them an "epiphany," a revelation of Himself.

Today’s reading from Matthew chapter two, shows us that:

Some people are desperately open to God revealing himself to them.

While others are desperately closed to God’s revelation.

 

What about you?

Are you desperately open to God’s revelation?

Or are you religious, but closed to God’s revelation?

 

Please turn to our reading from Matthew two, beginning at verse one.

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ²and 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 2:1-2 (NIV)

We don’t know exactly when the Magi arrived. Most movies, Christmas cards, and manger scenes show the magi arriving on the night of Jesus’ birth, along with the shepherds.

The Bible simply says they arrived after Jesus’ birth. They could have arrived that night, or they could have arrived as much as two years later. Why two years? Because when Herod tried to kill the baby Jesus, he killed all the boys two years old and younger. Jesus could have been a toddler when they arrived.

When the Magi arrived, they assumed everyone is Israel already knew about the newborn Messiah. They matter-of-factly 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."

I imagine they were astonished and appalled that none of the leaders of Israel knew that the Messiah had been born.

The Magi were mostly likely scholars from Persia, modern day Iran, who had come into contact with the Hebrew Scriptures in Babylon.

Six-hundred years earlier, when God raised up King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire to bring judgment against Jerusalem, tens of thousands of Jews were exiled to Babylon.

The Jews took their most valued possession – the Scrolls of Holy Scripture.

The prophet Daniel was among them.

After God gave Daniel the interpretation of the King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams, he became a leading wise man in the king’s court.

It’s very likely that Daniel left copies of the Holy Scriptures in the Babylonian library.

In the Book of Daniel, Daniel predicted the coming of the Messiah. Chapter nine, verse 24 says:

24"Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

Daniel 9:24 (NIV)

This clearly speaks of the coming Messiah.

When would it happen?

In seventy sevens: Seventy times seven is 490; 490 years.

Assuming this refers to the decree of Cyrus in 457 BC, then the Messiah would finish his work in 33 A.D., the year Jesus died on the cross.

The Magi had diligently studied the Scriptures Daniel had left behind.

They knew where the Messiah would be born – Bethlehem.

They knew roughly when the Messiah would be born.

When they saw the brilliant star in the east, they discerned that this was the sign of the Messiah.

In ancient times – a strange happening in the heavens – a comet, a nova, or a meteor, were commonly seen as a sign of the fall of a king and the rising of new one.

When they saw that brilliant star leading them to Israel, they knew that the Messiah had come.

The Magi were desperately open to God’s revelation.

They diligently searched the Scriptures.

They were willing to leave behind family and friends to find the Messiah.

They dedicated a huge portion of their time to finding Jesus.

The journey from Babylon to Bethlehem was roughly 1600 miles – a three month journey. The round trip took them half a year.

http://www.magijourney.com/annual.html

They were willing to face many dangers to find Jesus, for:

They journeyed "through Deserts [and] over [rugged] mountains..."

They journeyed through different hostile lands. They could have easily been robbed or killed.

They gave of their wealth to find Jesus:

They gave up a half a year’s wages to find Jesus.

They had traveling expenses.

They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The Magi were desperately open to God’s revelation.

Even though they were not counted among the children of Israel, God’s chosen people:

They were more open to God’s revelation than the typical lackadaisical Jew.

They were more open to God’s revelation than many casual Christians today.

The Magi were more like what DeGarmo and Key describe in their song Casual Christian.

...I don't wanna be a casual Christian

...I don't wanna live a lukewarm life

...But I wanna light up the night with an everlasting light

I don't wanna live the casual Christian life

http://www.christianmusicweb.com/songs/degarmo_and_key/casual_christian.txt

The Magi were truly wise men.

Today, wise men still seek Him, to the point of being desperately open to God’s revelation.

Today, wise women still seek Him, to the point of being desperately open to God’s revelation.

They diligently search the Scriptures.

They are willing to leave behind family and friends to find Jesus.

They dedicate a huge portion of their time to find Jesus.

They are willing to face many dangers to find Jesus.

They give of their wealth to find Jesus.

Our reading from Matthew chapter one clearly contrasts the wise Magi, who were desperately open to God’s revelation,

To King Herod who was desperately closed to God’ revelation.

Verse three tells us:

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
Matthew 2:3 (NIV)

When Herod heard that the Magi confidently knew of the Messiah’s birth, he was disturbed, he was troubled, he was agitated!

He was not receptive to the Messiah. He was not receptive to Jesus.

How did he respond to the Good News of the Messiah’ birth? Verse four:

4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.
Matthew 2:4 (NIV)

He wanted to know the Scriptures, not to draw close to God, but to remove him, to kill Him.

In verse eight, he told the Magi,

"Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

Matthew 2:8 (NIV)

Nothing could be further from the truth. He had no intention of worshipping Jesus.

 

God warned the Magi not to return to Herod. In verse 16 Herod’s true colors are revealed:

16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
Matthew 2:16 (NIV)

Herod was religious, but he was desperately closed to God’s revelation, to the point of being hostile toward God.

 

Herod was known as Herod the Great, not because he was a great guy, but because of his great building projects.

He built the Herodium, the third largest place fortress in the world.

He fortified Masada, making it almost impenetrable.

He built the magnificent port at Caesarea, able to hold 300 ships.

He expanded and enhanced the temple in Jerusalem, making it comparable in grandeur to the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.

Herod was a great builder, a great benefactor, a great wielder of worldly power, but he was not great in the sight of God.

He was desperately closed to God’s revelation.

Today, people are either like the Magi or like Herod.

They are either desperately open to God’s revelation or they are desperately closed to God’s revelation.

What about you?

Are you desperately open to God’s revelation?

 

Throughout this new year, I challenge you to intentionally – more and more – be like the Persian Magi:

Diligently search the Scriptures.

Willing leave behind family and friends (who are hostile to your faith) to draw close to Jesus.

Dedicate a huge portion of your time to draw close to Jesus.

Willing face many dangers to draw close to Jesus.

Give of your wealth to draw close to Jesus.

 

Remember, wise men and wise women, still seek Him.