Matthew 2:1–12
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, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him.”
After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (ESV)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have led us to Christ through the light of Your Holy Word, the guiding star, so that we might seek His glory and worship Him. We pray that the light of Your Word continue to enlighten our hearts that we may know and remain in Your true wisdom. Amen.
Wise Men Still Seek Him
In Christ Jesus, the Light of the World, dear fellow redeemed!
Can you imagine not knowing about God? Can you imagine a world without him? Can you imagine life without the peace of forgiveness and the comfort of the life to come? What a horrible nightmare that would be!
We just celebrated Christmas, where we remember and thank our heavenly Father for the perfect gift of his dear Son, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, so that he could humble himself under the law, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He came down from heaven for us men and for our salvation so that through his perfect obedience, suffering, and payment for our sins on the cross, we could have peace with God and paradise restored. He rose triumphant from the grave so that all those who believe in him shall not die, but live.
If it were not for Epiphany, we wouldn’t know any of this. Today we are observing the festival of Epiphany, which is normally celebrated on January 6th. Epiphany, which means manifestation, refers to how Jesus manifested or revealed his glory to the Gentiles as we see in the coming of the wise men. Jesus wasn’t just the Savior of the Jews. He was the Savior of the world—including you. This is why Epiphany is sometimes referred to as Christmas for the Gentiles.
I. Where do we find him?
There are a lot of questions regarding who these wise men or magi were. The Greek word for magi is where we get the word magician. But these men were not magicians. They were scholars. They were some of the most highly educated men of their day. They would have studied many things, including constellations. Some wonder if they were priests who descended from the prophet Balaam who foretold, “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Others suggest that these magi came from the region of Babylon and had perhaps been handed down the prophecies of Daniel, who at one time was the chief governor over all the wise men in Babylon (Daniel 2:48). What we do know is that they came from the east seeing a star that had indicated to them the birth of the Hebrew King.
This account is truly amazing. A star appeared to these wise men, guiding them to where the Christ child lay. God then warned them in a dream! When was the last time a star guided you to Christ? Has God ever spoken to you in a dream?
Today, people might be a little envious of what these magi experienced. These were after all great miracles. Yet, today, there are many who claim to have received messages from God, dreams, and other forms of communication. Pastors claim to receive messages from God, politicians claim divine intervention leading them to certain positions, and every day folks claim that God leads them in different directions.
But this account proves the important truth that if we want to find Christ, we don’t need a dream from God or a whisper in our ear. What we need is the Word of God which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. If you want to find Jesus, go to where he can be found—the holy Bible. It is true that God miraculously provided a star for the Magi to follow. But before the star led them to the infant Jesus they were directed to the Holy Scriptures. The star led them to Jerusalem. But the baby Jesus wasn’t there. If the star was leading them to the newborn King of the Jews, why did it lead them to Jerusalem when the Child was not there? There are no coincidences in Scripture. God guided them to Jerusalem so that they might be directed to the Holy Scriptures.
This is an important lesson for us to know! Can God send stars or signs? Can he speak through dreams and visions? God can do what he pleases. He is God. But pay attention to how God chooses to communicate with us. He directs us to his written Word—the Bible. The wise men only found Jesus because they listened to the Word of the prophet Micah: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel’”
Dreams are confusing. Signs are difficult to unravel and can be misleading. But the Word of God is clear, especially, when it comes to the matters of our salvation. The Word of God is reliable. The eternal God would be born in the lowly city of Bethlehem of Judea, David’s city. God said it through the prophet so it must be. When God says it, it is settled.
Martin Luther commented: “Here we ask why Christ did not lead these magi up to Bethlehem with the star, but instead permitted his birth, which was now known, to be searched for in Scripture. He did this to teach us to cling to Scripture and not to follow our own presumptuous ideas or any human teaching. For it was not his desire to give us his Scripture in vain. It is in Scripture and nowhere else, that he permits himself to be found. He who despises Scripture and sets it aside, will never find him” (LW 52:172).
If you want to find Christ, you know where to go. Don’t wait for a dream or some sign. Go to his word! Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32). The Apostle Peter writes, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (II Peter 1:19–21).
The magi were wise because they followed the Word. Bethlehem wasn’t where one would expect a king, but that’s what Scripture foretold. So, they listened. They went to worship this newborn King.
II. How do we worship him?
Yet, as our Gospel lesson illustrates, there are different ways people respond to the Word of God. The high priests and scribes knew their Bibles. When Herod asked where the Messiah would be born, they knew. He would be born in Bethlehem. But their knowledge of God’s Word and promises were superficial because they lacked faith. They knew where Christ could be found but they did not have the faith to act on the Word they heard. Their hearts weren’t moved by the Word of God. They did not love God or believe in him. They were conflicted because what Scripture said and what they wanted it to say didn’t match. It didn’t seem right to them that the king should be born in Bethlehem rather than Jerusalem, or that these foreigners should be more aware of the King’s coming than the Jews. This is sadly how many respond to the word today. They learn it, take lessons on it, but they don’t trust it and act upon it. The Bible calls them pretenders or hypocrites. They don’t agree with the Word. They fear what others might think if they rely on the Word alone, trust it and follow it. They are more concerned about what others think, than what about God thinks of them. They do not worship Christ but instead seek the approval of others.
Herod serves as another example. He didn’t care about being religious or learning of God for any other purpose than to serve his own interests. Herod cared about serving himself, not God. He was interested in Scripture only when it helped him. It was politically advantageous to appear religious. He knew religion was important to the Jews and so he learned about it and supported it to obtain their good will. Herod was a calloused hypocrite. As soon as he thought Christ was a threat to his throne, he was troubled. This is how many treat Christianity today. If it benefits them, they claim to follow it. But as soon as it conflicts with their own interests their opinions and beliefs change like the wind. They are opposed to anyone who truly holds to the Word of God, trust it, and live according to it. When they feel threatened, they destroy Christ’s religion, his authority and his church. Their desire is to please themselves, not God.
Then we see the wise men. They illustrate for us the right way to hear God’s Word. There wasn’t anything special about them, but God worked faith in them. They were moved to hear God’s Word so that they could find and worship Christ, as we should as well. When they saw the sign of the star their human wisdom led them to determine that something great was happening in the world. Yet, their human wisdom wasn’t enough. So, they sought true wisdom, light, and knowledge from the word of God. It was through the Word that they were led to Jesus. This is the kind of hearing that pleases God. It is for us to use God’s Word to seek Jesus and worship him for his mercy. It is to hear it and act on it, and to treat his Word as true and clear. The Word isn’t meant to make us unsure or troubled like the scribes and chief priests. Nor does God want us to think Christ and his Word is a threat to our own plans, happiness, and lifestyle like King Herod. God wants his believers to find his Word clear and comforting, a great light which brings true knowledge and wisdom.
Through the Word, the wise men found Jesus. They feel down and worshipped him. The presented gifts that were fit for a king. The gold tells us that he would be a king; the frankincense, which was burnt at prayer time, tells us that he is God; and the myrrh, used for embalming, tells us that he would die for our sin.
The Lord has given you his Word today so that you might find him. So that you might know that this Child born of Mary is the only begotten Son of God who came to save you. He loves you. Jesus gave his life for you on the cross and rose victorious on the third day so that heaven could be your eternal home. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God—including you. But you “are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption of Christ Jesus… received by faith.”
May God help us be wise hearers of his Word so that we might be led to Christ. If Christ is in our hearts and homes, then we will have happy hearts and homes. May he be the object of our worship in this new year and always. Amen.