The Wise Seek Jesus

Introduction

Who will be making New Year’s resolutions?

I typically don’t, but I am making a number of goals this year.

One such goal is to use my time more wisely. I find that I spend way too much time focusing on the urgent things over the important things...

I also tend to get distracted by the multitude of shining things around me every second of every day...

But putting that goal together made me think about wisdom in general.

There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom.

Charles Spurgeon: “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”

Isaac Asimov: “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster then society gathers wisdom.”

Miles Kington: “Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”

Elbert Hubbard: “Every man is a [dang] fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.”

Tradition tells of men who came to see Jesus when He was a young boy that we often call the “wise men.”

Let’s see what Matthew’s Gospel tells us about them that would cause so many generations of Christians to call these guys wise men and if there is anything we can learn from their example.

Body: Matthew 2:1-12

Verses 1-2

Who were the “wise men”?

Melchior, Balthasar & Gaspar?

Wise men in Greek is μαγοι or the Latin equivalent magi.

They were astronomers or, more likely astrologers.

Bible says nothing about them being kings, or even that there were three of them!

They were likely from a Bedouin tribe in Arabia who were stargazers.

They were certainly from the east of the Jordan River.

They probably read various different earthly prophecies in the stars.

They had wealth, illustrated in the gifts they brought with them.

Matthew doesn’t say much else about them, focusing his attention on what they did.

Key concept: The important piece here is not who was seeking, but whom they were seeking!

What was their mission?

To worship the one born “king of the Jews”.

They read the stars and decided that the Messiah was going to be born.

Interesting note: Notice that God uses a language familiar to these men to draw them to the place where Jesus was.

Astrology is certainly not something we should rely on for answers, and God is not endorsing it here.

Yet, as so often happens, God uses man’s weaknesses to get them to where they need to be. In this case, what really mattered is that they would come to worship him!

They realized that they needed to come to worship him.

These men were not Jews, they were certainly Gentiles.

Yet, in spite of this, God not only welcomes them, but sends a sign to get them!

Important point: We see right from the start that Gentiles as well as Jews are included in God’s redemptive plan.

This is especially stunning in Matthew’s Gospel, since his is the gospel to the Jews.

Likely, he’s showing them what Jesus revealed to his disciples: that God’s plans were bigger than theirs.

So the magi come with exciting news that the Messiah-King was born. Everyone was excited, right?

Verses 3-6

Herod the Great, a power hungry, mad despot!

Herod’s character was well summed up by Josephus when he said that Herod was capable, crafty and cruel.

Herod had his brother-in-law, mother-in-law, first wife, and two of his sons killed. All because he saw them as a threat to his rule.

Caesar Augustus: “It’s better to be a pig in Herod’s house than a member of his family.”

Herod was troubled by this threat to his rule, but why all Jerusalem with him?

Because Jerusalem knew first hand that when Herod was upset, people died.

So Herod gathers together the Jewish Supreme Court, if you will, to ask where the Messiah was to be born.

Their answer is from Micah 5:2.

Now I would think that these religious people would want to go check things out for themselves. But they don’t! Why?

As we see throughout Jesus ministry, their religion had become about tradition and not intimate fellowship of God.

It’s a reminder that knowledge about the Bible and God is never enough. It is far more important that our heart is right.

So Herod comes up with a crafty plan…

Verses 7-8

A truism I’m found throughout my years of ministry: Beware of secret meetings!

Herod’s tries to convince them that he has good motives, but his evil plans are not missed!

We will soon see that the magi put themselves at risk…

Sometimes we too have to put ourselves at great risk so God’s will can be done!

Verses 9-10

God provides heavenly light of some sort to show the exact location they are to go.

Don’t try to answer this with natural phenomenon…It’s a miracle of God!

They realize their journey had not been in vain.

Can you imagine the anticipation!

Kids on Christmas morning…

What joy they had when they finally found the Messiah.

For those here who have found the Savior know this kind of joy.

Verse 11

Why does it say they entered the house?

Jesus was no longer a little baby. This happened some time after the birth (up to two years after, in fact) though we have no idea when.

Additionally, Jesus was likely born in a house.

No he wasn’t! He was born in a stable!!!

Well, not really. Middle Eastern peasant homes had a place where the animals were kept inside. Jesus was born where the animals stayed, probably like many peasant children of the day.

Their homes we simple, not complex like ours today.

Joseph and Mary are living there, because it was likely that life in Nazareth had become difficult with the scandal of her out of marriage child.

Look at their response:

They fall down and worship him.

Not only in worship of Jesus appropriate, it is right!

Don’t lose sight of the importance of this in Matthew’s Gospel…he setting up the importance of Christ Jesus right from the start.

They give their very best.

Their gifts were gifts fit for a king.

They gave their very best!

Verse 12

Consider this: no one who has met Christ returns the same way!

So What?

What are the challenges we should take home? What can we learn from these wise men?

The wise seek Jesus.

What do I mean by “seek Jesus”?

Seeking Jesus daily must become more important in our lives!

Not simply for the lost; my focus in more on those of us who know and love Him.

A.W. Tozer: “To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love…”

Means:

Constantly seeking His will in the Bible and conforming our life to His will...

Looking to love like He loves, especially when it is hard...

Sharing His love with other people, because He commanded it...

The wise worship Jesus.

The Christian life is about worshipping Jesus and giving him our very best.

These pagan Gentiles do something that so many of us fail to do:

Truly worship Him, unhindered by fear and social barriers.

Bring Him their very best, even at personal sacrifice.

This passage is challenging to me, because I wonder if many of us (myself included) have become more like those in Herod’s court and less like the wise men ?

It’s easy to do. When our faith becomes more about religious practices, our public image, and/or maintaining a façade of holiness, we are in danger of this.

So let’s commit, together, this coming year to become more like the wise men: willing to seek Jesus daily and worshiping Him and bringing Him our best!