An Unfamiliar Christmas part 1

INTRO

Turn to Matthew 2

Intro to a new series about unfamiliar Christmas stories, the ones we skip or we know but maybe we have sanitized a little too much. They actually can be filled with hope, joy, and peace too.

Review of what has happened so far in the story.

Mary and Joseph story-How crazy must this have been?

On and off relationship, travel because of corrupt government, having a baby with no family around. Living in an unknown town and raising your first baby there. Everything about this is unfamiliar, for Mary and Joseph.

God has been doing this redemption plan for a loooooong time. And what is crazy, as we will see in the story, the way God brings hope to His people. Through prophets, through His Law, through Miracles, and as we will see today, He is still being faithful through some strange means.

BODY

2 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.

Unfamiliar Facts about the Wise Men

There most likely were between 12-50 Wisemen

I’m sorry to burst your nativity bubble but there were not just three. Yes, there were three gifts, but that does not mean there were three of them. The whole city knew when they showed up because they had such a large crowd and they may have brought these gifts as a collective gift especially considering the price of the gifts.

2. Wise men were astrologers, magicians, and from the the east, in Persia.

a. They were from the area of Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, which was then taken over by the Medes or Persia. So these guys, because of some faithful jews, heard about a prophecy concerning an anointed one that, when he arrived, would be seen in the cosmos, referring to Numbers 24:17.

b. Why is this important to know, this would have been offensive for the readers of Mathew. He was writing to a jewish audience, some may have been Christian, other, may have been on the fence. he is saying that the star worshipping, gentile nation, sorercers are the ones that are coming into Jerusalem to find the king of the jews!? That is offensive! Not only to the jews, but to Herod too, because look what they say!

C. How offensive this must have been for hot tempered Herod.

D. What does Herod do? He calls in the pastors, theologians and church folks.

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.’ ”

A. It was a well know messianic prophecy.

B. A familiar Bible verse, but being brought to attention by an unfamiliar source.

C. Isn’t that weird that they knew this, the wise men were say, he is here, yet they did nothing about it???

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.

A. How can we not point out the obvious, how strange would this must have been?

B. So once again, this would have been offensive to Jews reading this that gentile, start worshippers, were the ones bowing down to this messiah child.

C. This story, in the unfamiliar lens, which I would say contextually it is, is uncomfortable, and yet beautiful story of Christmas. That the point of all of this is worship, despite how strange this story is.

So if the point of Christmas is worship, then how do we worship Jesus in an unfamiliar Christmas?

CONCLUSION

A. Maybe you are facing an unfamiliar Christmas this year and you are wondering, how do I actually have hope, peace and joy during this time? I think we have three examples seen in the wise men, and King Herod and the Scribes of what to do and what not to do.

Worship is what can take an unfamiliar Christmas and make it familiar again. It realigns us to what Christmas it all about. So how do we do that?

How to Worship Jesus during an unfamiliar Christmas.

See that God is passionate to speak to His people.

I wish we had all day to talk about this but to recap how God has pursued mankind since the beginning. From Adam and Eve to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Moses, through Judges, the good kings, the bad kings, Exile, return from exile. And here we have a God who could have given up and stopped pursuing his people, but not only speaks again, but sends himself as the Word made flesh.

He even sends a supernatural star to help star worshipping heathens come to know him. God wants to be with his people. God wants you to be with Him. That’s why he is Emmanuel, God with us. Even in the chaos, the craziness we wants to be with you.

He Rewards Those Who Seek Him

These wise men took a big risk to pack everything up, travel 900 miles pursuing a star. This was not something that usually happened with magi, they would just stay in their little offices looking at the stars. But this star was different.

Hebrews 11:6 says,

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

C. If you are experiencing an unfamiliar Christmas and want to continue to worship God in this unfamiliar time, seek Him. Read his Word, turn on some worship music, Go look at the stars and see His beauty. The heavens declare the glory of God. Just make sure it leads you to worship!

3. Don’t let scripture become boring

a. It blows my mind that Bethlehem is 6-8 miles away from Jerusalem and, as far as we know, none of the scribes and Pharisees went with these wise men. They knew the scriptures, memorized them and yet did nothing about them. Which means they were 8 miles away from the Son of God, and did not worship him. This is a sharp warning for us church folk isn’t it? James tells us this in James 1:22-24 where it says,

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

B. Don’t let the word be a back burner option. Don’t let obedience to the Word be a second choice thing. Let it get deep within you so that you are quick to worship the Word of God who has come for us.

4. Worship the Lord through action

a. Two examples here of worship, one bad and one good. The good is the wise men who did two things to show worship

They brought gifts and they bowed down in adoration. They didn’t do that for the king. They did it for the true king.

The bad example of “worship” was Herod when he said he wanted to worship, but didn’t move his butt to go the 8 short miles to Bethlehem. He was full of intention but no action.

We have an opportunity to worship the Lord through our actions today but also throughout this Christmas season.

Communion today is an action of response to worship God for all that he has done.

Are there ways you can give gifts to others, not just presents, but the joy, hope, and peace that we have in understanding that God is with us even in the hardest times?

Communion instructions.