Advent: The Magi- A Journey From Afar

Sermon: FCC Afton 12-18-2022 The Magi: A Journey from Afar Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 Intro: Play the "Christmas According to Kids" video. Two weeks ago, we began our examination of the Advent season with the account of the Shepherds and a look at why God purposefully chose to use Shepherds to be the first evangelists- to be the first to experience relationship with Him and to be the first to share the Good News of salvation. This week, we are going to examine the story of the Magi and their journey to find the Savior. The journey of the Wise Men is one of obedience and surrender- in their journey we see a reflection of the journey of obedience that you must take to surrender our lives to the Messiah, as well as an invitation to come, like these men did, to worship this worthy King. The story of the Magi is one of gentile scholars going out of their way to celebrate and honor the Messiah of a foreign religion and the Creator-God. We're going to examine their journey and what their journey of obedience can teach us about our own journeys today. Read Matthew 2:1-12: Pray here! There are a lot of details about the Wise Men that we simply cannot know, but we can be sure of their place in this search for the Savior. Let's start by looking at some of the things that we cannot know and some things that tradition has gotten incorrect. -We do not know exactly when the Magi came, but we do know that it was some time after the birth of Christ and after the shepherds have long returned to their flocks. We know that Mary and Joseph, though still in Bethlehem, are now living in a house and not a stable. And the Bible very purposefully calls Jesus a child, an infant or toddler, rather than a baby, at the arrival of the Wise Men. A lot of times, we see the Nativity scene with both Wise Men and shepherds, but that is incorrect. Shepherds first, then wise men later. -We do not know the number of wise men who came to visit the infant Jesus. Common tradition, of course, places the number of Wise Men at three because of the three separate types of gifts brought to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh- the assumption being one gift, one giver. Early church tradition, however, held the number to be between nine and twelve, along with a caravan of gifts to celebrate the new King. I think the latter is closer to the truth, for two reasons: one, it seems unlikely that there would have been only three men wise and wealthy enough to be a part of the "Wise Man" club, watching and waiting for the sign of the coming Messiah and who were also willing to make the trek to Israel; two, we know that Mary and Joseph were able to live off of the gifts given during their years of exile in Egypt- Joseph may have been able to find work, but nations generally frowned upon refugees taking their jobs, so refugees were generally beggars unless they were independently wealthy enough to not work. -We do not know where the Magi came from. Common tradition refers to the Wise Men as "Three Kings from the Orient," with the implication being that these men were from somewhere in the Far East: India or China. But when we begin to examine the New Testament Greek, we find that the description is more aptly translated: "Magi from the East." Maybe not a huge distinction, but an important one. Rather than kings from the Orient, these Magi were "learned men," priests from Eastern Persia- or Modern-day Turkey, not the Far East. These would have been well educated in medicine, philosophy, religion, astronomy, as well as in the magics of divination, or reading signs. The Persian Magi were credited with higher religious and intellectual attainments than other scholars of their day. The Magi were pagan, not Jewish; this is not a small detail to overlook- in no way did they follow Yahweh. But they would have been acquainted with Hebrew prophecy, including the expectation of a star foretelling the coming Messiah, because of the large Jewish populations of Babylon and Persia after the Jewish exile. -We do not know what the star was or when it appeared. These men saw the star, saw the sign of the Messiah, and knowing the prophecy of the coming Messiah out of Numbers 24:17 "A star will come from Jacob; a scholar will arise from Israel," they drop everything to follow. Somewhere around what we call year 0, the planets Jupiter, the "King's Planet," Saturn, and Mars would have met each other in the Zodiac sign called the "Fish." The King's Planet under the Sign of the Fish would have signified that a divine, cosmic ruler was about to appear and create a significant culmination in human history. These three "stars" coming together would have presented a bright, semi-unified superstar that would have been easy to see in the night sky and would have come into conjunction repeatedly on their journey. -Another possibility is a comet, specifically a blood-red comet so bright that it could be seen in the daytime. Such signs were considered heralds of important changes in state and governmental affairs, especially by the Romans and the Persians. Whatever the case, these men saw the star, understood its meaning, and set off on a grand journey. Main Idea: Here's what we do know with certainty: God calling these Magi to meet the infant Jesus was not an accident- God brought them to meet Jesus for a purpose. They responded to God's call- and they brought gifts with them when they came. God brought gentile scholars to perform the same worship and adoration as Jewish shepherds! Jewish shepherds, we can understand- maybe a weird choice, but they are at least followers of Yahweh. But Persian Magi? But as we examine God's fingerprints on this journey of obedience, we see a foreshadowing of the universal outreach of the Messiah and fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 60- "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you. For look, darkness covers the earth and total darkness all its peoples; but the Lord will shine over you and His glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of Your radiance." This Messiah would be for everyone- not just the religious elites and not just for the Jews. God called even followers of eastern mysticism to come and worship, to give up their lives and surrender to Him and the Magi leave their lives behind and begin searching for the Savior. -The journey that these men went on was not an easy one. The shepherds just had to travel a few miles. The Magi, on the other hand, had to respond to God's call with a purpose. Their journey would have taken weeks and crossed 600 miles, all while following a star likely only visible at night. The amazing part of the story of the Magi is not that God used them; the amazing part is that the Magi listened and followed, that they responded when God called. The Magi's part in the Advent story is just as intriguing as the story of the shepherds responding to God's call. Theirs is also one of obedience and surrender; the Magi follow God's direction without any powerful inciting moment like the shepherds do- no angel appearing to give them a direct message from God. No, the Magi simply possessed an intellectual understanding of an ancient Hebrew prophecy. They have no command to "go find a baby." They had a basic knowledge of the obscure beliefs of their former slaves- beliefs that foretold the appearance of a Savior and King. They have no investment in the process; rather, there is a curiosity that causes them to watch for the signs from a God that is not their own for another people's Messiah. But God uses this willingness to honor and glorify His Son. Question: When God gives you a journey to follow, will you be ready? Will you have the faith to see it through? Quote: [William Cary was a shoemaker in London when one day he heard of the millions of people in India who had not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and believed God's call to "Go unto all the world and make disciples." He volunteered to go to India but was told "Young man, sit down. When God wants to convert the heathens, He will do it without your help." Cary went anyway- supporting himself. For seven years, he worked without a single convert- but by the end of his life, he saw hundreds of churches founded and thousands of converts. He was a man of faith; today, he is known as the "Father of Modern Missions."] -William Cary followed the journey that God had set him on. He was faithful in it and God was faithful, too. God offers you the opportunity to walk in obedience and surrender. And whether His plan is for a short journey like the shepherds or a long one like the Wise Men, He has something where He wants you to follow, someplace where He wants to use you! Will you be faithful in the journey? [Share: story about going to Mexico, stopping at the rest stop in Texas and being bombarded by attacks trying to get me to turn around and go back to Kansas.] Had I not been faithful in seeing God's plan through, it's highly unlikely that I would be standing before you, preaching to you today. Did the road from there to here involve some painful moments? Of course. But it has also had a ton of powerful moments that I have been blessed to be part of. -This Christian journey is not for those who are not surrendered, who are not willing to set out and be faithful in the journey He has for them to travel. The journey of surrender is not one for the faint of heart! Are you prepared for it? -1 Peter 3:15 - "Always be prepared to make a defense for the hope that is in you." -Matthew 24:44 - "You must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you don't expect." Question: What are you sacrificing in following God? What gifts are you bringing to come worship this King? -What gifts are you bringing to celebrate this King? What do you have to give? Are you bringing your life and laying it at His feet? Or your leftovers? How are you worshiping the King? Does your worship fall flat as you give your leftovers? Or does it glorify Him as you surrender the very bests that you have to offer? -The Magi brought gifts with which to worship the King; they brought the best gifts, not just whatever they had laying around. They brought Frankincense: a fragrant resin that was burned as incense, foreshadowing Jesus' place as High Priest on our behalf. They brought Gold: a royal gift, signifying Jesus' Kingship. And they brought Myrrh: an expensive and much-esteemed, aromatic resin used in perfumes, anointing oils, medicines, and embalming, foreshadowing His death on our behalf. -Worship involves sacrifice. Are you giving the best parts of your life to this King? 2 Chronicles 9:1, 9 - "The Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were never such spices as those the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon." Are you sacrificing, giving of yourself - to the point where someone could say "There were never such gifts as ________ gave to Jesus!" I want my life to culminate with people able to say, like they say about Mother Theresa or William Cary: 'There was never such a life lived for Jesus like this one!' Quote: "Jesus came into the world to live for men, and, in the end, to die for men. He came to give for men His life and His death. Gold for a King, frankincense for a priest, myrrh for one who was to die- these were the gifts of the Wise Men, and, even at the cradle of Christ, they foretold that He was to be the true King, the perfect High Priest, and in the end the supreme Savior of men." (William Barclay) God is calling out to you. He calls, "Do you have room for me in your life? Will you surrender your life to me? Will you follow where I lead you? Will you give me the best parts of your life?" Jesus has given everything for you; will you return to Him your best? Closing: Our King calls out for you to do two things today: to surrender your life to Him, both to His grace in salvation and to His plan, to turn the driver's seat over to Him, and then for you to spend the rest of your life, however long He allows to stay here on this earth, pouring yourself out in worship to Him!