Chrismas and the Impossible Dream
Notes
Transcript
Some Background
Some Background
The world during the time of Jesus birth was actually quite advanced in many areas: 1) Quite literate with schools in every town and mandated education for all children over 6 2) Within the Roman Empire safe and well maintained travel, 3) Many advances in sciences, philosophy, architecture, mathematics
The world during the time of Jesus birth was actually quite advanced in many areas: 1) Quite literate with schools in every town and mandated education for all children over 6 2) Within the Roman Empire safe and well maintained travel, 3) Many advances in sciences, philosophy, architecture, mathematics
Now about the “Wise Men”. What do we know about them. 1) From the east. 2) We assume there were three because of the three gifts mentioned. 3) They were students of astronomy. 4) They were probably somehow involved in politics because they were in search of a new king. 5)They were interpreters of dreams, because of their insight to “go back by a different way.”
Now about the “Wise Men”. What do we know about them. 1) From the east. 2) We assume there were three because of the three gifts mentioned. 3) They were students of astronomy. 4) They were probably somehow involved in politics because they were in search of a new king. 5)They were interpreters of dreams, because of their insight to “go back by a different way.”
Read Matthew 1:1-2
Read Matthew 1:1-2
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
What could have possibly driven these “wise men”, on this strange mission? Why would they invest so much time, money and energy to find a new king of the Jews?
What could have possibly driven these “wise men”, on this strange mission? Why would they invest so much time, money and energy to find a new king of the Jews?
Maybe they wanted to win favor with this new king or get in on the ground floor of his empire.
Maybe they wanted to win favor with this new king or get in on the ground floor of his empire.
If that was the case then the King of the Jews would not have been a great choice.
If that was the case then the King of the Jews would not have been a great choice.
Back in the days of David, Solomon, Hezekiah that would have been the goal
Back in the days of David, Solomon, Hezekiah that would have been the goal
By the time a Jesus, the Jewish nation hadn’t been a viable power for nearly six centuries.
By the time a Jesus, the Jewish nation hadn’t been a viable power for nearly six centuries.
But during Jesus time, they were just a small cog in the huger Roman machine. Travel to see a new Caesar maybe but a king of the Jews seemed an exercise in the trivial.
But during Jesus time, they were just a small cog in the huger Roman machine. Travel to see a new Caesar maybe but a king of the Jews seemed an exercise in the trivial.
Possibly it was a spiritual longing
Possibly it was a spiritual longing
Moral throughout the world at that time was very low. There was an intense spiritual longing but also aching despair. There are writings indicating that people believed there was no hope and the world was perishing, reaching its end. There was also a huge gap in the haves and the have nots.
Moral throughout the world at that time was very low. There was an intense spiritual longing but also aching despair. There are writings indicating that people believed there was no hope and the world was perishing, reaching its end. There was also a huge gap in the haves and the have nots.
Or could it be that there was a new kind of “wisdom” the wise me needed to find?
Or could it be that there was a new kind of “wisdom” the wise me needed to find?
Perhaps as they read such passages as Isaiah 61:1 they pondered that nothing they had seen in all of their advisory roles as statesmen to kings painted that kind of picture. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”
Perhaps as they read such passages as Isaiah 61:1 they pondered that nothing they had seen in all of their advisory roles as statesmen to kings painted that kind of picture. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”
And perhaps with that realization came a longing and with that longing, a reaching out after a god they had never known.
And perhaps with that realization came a longing and with that longing, a reaching out after a god they had never known.
And what about when they reached the end of the journey? We have to wonder what these wise men felt about seeing their destination with a peasant family in a very modest dwelling.
And what about when they reached the end of the journey? We have to wonder what these wise men felt about seeing their destination with a peasant family in a very modest dwelling.
And then there is the gifts; gold makes sense, but frankincense and Myrrh, it seems there a a lot of things this family could use besides those.
And then there is the gifts; gold makes sense, but frankincense and Myrrh, it seems there a a lot of things this family could use besides those.
True this story raises a lot of questions, but just maybe it is because we are looking at these men with the wrong definition of wise.
True this story raises a lot of questions, but just maybe it is because we are looking at these men with the wrong definition of wise.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:18-19
Read 1 Corinthians 3:18-19
Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
“He traps the wise
in the snare of their own cleverness.”
Also there is the statement by Blaise Pascal, one of the great scholars and Christians of the 17th century; “The heart has its reasons which reasons know nothing of.”
Also there is the statement by Blaise Pascal, one of the great scholars and Christians of the 17th century; “The heart has its reasons which reasons know nothing of.”
When you think of all those who faced martyrdom for their beliefs; all those missionaries who year after year labored tirelessly without any apparent converts; all of those who have continued to loving spouse, child, sibling or friend when everything demonstrated that person didn’t deserve it fit well in that famous words by David Wasserman, “ dreamed the impossible dream.” makes us realize that wise is not so easy to define.
When you think of all those who faced martyrdom for their beliefs; all those missionaries who year after year labored tirelessly without any apparent converts; all of those who have continued to loving spouse, child, sibling or friend when everything demonstrated that person didn’t deserve it fit well in that famous words by David Wasserman, “ dreamed the impossible dream.” makes us realize that wise is not so easy to define.
These wise men are telling us 20+centuries later to follow irrational decisions or fly in the face of reason. Instead I believe they are demonstrating that wisdom and logic should be also humble and obedient to God. The three wise men should compel us to rethink our definition of wise. They should make us want to be be wise the way the wise me were.
These wise men are telling us 20+centuries later to follow irrational decisions or fly in the face of reason. Instead I believe they are demonstrating that wisdom and logic should be also humble and obedient to God. The three wise men should compel us to rethink our definition of wise. They should make us want to be be wise the way the wise me were.
