Characters of Christmas: Wise Men
Characters of Christmas • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “ ‘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.’ ”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
8 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.”
9 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.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11 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.
12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Recognized Salvation
Recognized Salvation
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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
After the birth of Jesus
The wise men recognize something incredible
they embark on a glorious journey
They journey towards a star
Unlike the calling of the shepherds
there is something different in this story
It does not say that the Magi heard a voice
it does not say a host of angels pointed the way
instead they saw a start
The Magi would have been familiar with this teaching
That a Messiah would come
He would be the King of the Jews
Seeing this star and recognizing the prophecies of old
The wise men embark towards Jerusalem
This would be the obvious place of birth
beings that Jesus was the King of the Jews and this was the capitol
But instead they would arrive in Jerusalem
with no indication of a king
Thus they ask a divine question
where is the King of the Jews?
We have seen his star and have come to worship Him!
What a powerful message
remember these kings were not close by
they were from distant countries
they would have been traveling for quite sometime
and after all of that they end up in the wrong place
What a powerful testament to the diligence of the Magi
They were devoted to a king who was not even theirs
yet they chased Him down
they sought Him out!
They get redirected by another prophecy that they are told
Realized Prophecy
Realized Prophecy
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “ ‘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.’ ”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
8 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.”
Herod realizes the trouble
Herod wants no one to overthrow him
he seeks them out
he finds were Christ is to be born
He seeks instruction from his priests and scribes
they give vital informaiton
Instead of being a viscious lion
He becomes a gentle purring kitten
He soothes and acts friendly with the wise men
He tries to deceive the wise men
Giving them a pursual of worship
instead wanting to find and kill this supposed king
Herod was attempting to manipulate his authority
In all of this the Lord provides the place of Jesus
The wise men learn of their quest from the prophecy
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
They are to go to Bethlehem
the place of the Saviors birth
This would be the place with their destination
A destination that would be filled with worship and praise!
Reverential Worship
Reverential Worship
9 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.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11 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.
12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The wise men receive their star once again
This star could have been around a while or come and go
It could have moved from time to time
We do not know exactly
What we do know is that the star pointed to the Savior of the World
God in the flesh
Jesus Christ
They approach the house
In reverential worhsip
The men did not come all that way to chastize
they came to glorify
They brought gold
understanding that Mary and Joseph might not have had a lot of money
they brought Frankincense symbolizing the kingship and priesthood of Jesus
They brought Myrrh symbolizing the coming death of the Savior
