Experience the Nativity Story: The Hope of the Wise Men
Experience the Nativity Story
The Hope of the Wise Men
Hope for the Journey…
1. We find hope on the right path
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
Matt 2:1-2 NIV
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jer 29:13 NIV
2. We experience hope in the right person
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Matt 2:9-11a NIV
“She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
Matt 1:21 NIV
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12 NIV
3. We convey hope with the right presents
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matt 2:11-12 NIV
Intro:
I have enjoyed this series: Experiencing the Nativity Story…
We’ve looked at some the characters of the Christmas story…and learned some valuable lessons for our lives.
We’ve looked at Joseph: from his life we see courage
We’ve looked at Mary: from her life we see faith
Today we want to take a look at the Wise Men…
The Wise Men have always been the mysterious characters in the Christmas story.
There is a lot we don’t know about them.
We don’t know:
· exactly where they came from
· don’t know exactly how many wise men came
· we don’t know exactly when they arrived
But we do know some things about them:
· We do know they weren’t women.
How?
If they would have been wise women:
· They would have stopped and asked for directions
· They would have arrived on time
· They would have helped deliver the baby
· Cleaned the stable
· Made a casserole
· And brought baby gifts!
We also know:
· They did not arrive at the stable
· Instead they found Jesus in a house probably close to 2 years after his birth
And another thing we know about the wise men, was that after a long search: They found Jesus and worshiped Him.
And we know they were on a journey marked by hope!!
Someone has said, “We can live forty days without food, eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope.”
We need hope…
Hope: a confident or certain expectation
Not a hope-so-hope; a know-so-hope!!
ILLUSTRATION
Fall 2001 Survey Says Many Despair
According to a Fall 2001 national poll taken by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research: Only one in five report they often feel hopeful about the future; seven in ten reported such feelings in a comparable 1990 national survey.
Some of you came here this morning needing hope because of:
· Family situations
· Financial situations
· Job situations
· Etc
Good news from Rom 15:4; it says,
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Rom 15:4 NIV
The Bible was written to give us hope.
And in Matt 2 we look back some 2000 years and find a journey of hope…a journey of the Wise Men.
What can we learn from their example about hope?
Hope for the Journey…
1. We find hope on the right path
Let’s look at Matt 2:1-2,
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
Matt 2:1-2 NIV
What we find here is the arrival of the Wise Men/Magi from the East.
They wanted to find the King of the Jews they had heard about.
We don’t know where they came from or how many there were.
Tradition says they were men of high position….astrologers/astronomers from Persia, near the site of ancient Babylon.
How did they know that the star represented the Messiah?
(1) They could have been Jews who remained in Babylon after the exile and knew the Old Testament predictions of the Messiah’s coming.
(2) They may have been eastern astrologers who studied ancient manuscripts from around the world.
Because of the Jewish exile centuries earlier, they would have had copies of the Old Testament in their land.
Possibly they were familiar with OT prophecies concerning the Messiah’s arrival.
Perhaps they knew of Balaam’s prediction that a Star would come out of Jacob (Num. 24:17) and connected this with the prophecy of seventy weeks which foretold the time of Christ’s first coming (Dan. 9:24, 25).
(3) They may have had a special message from God directing them to the Messiah.
The Magi said they saw Jesus’ star. Balaam referred to a coming “star. . . out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17).
Some say this star may have been a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars in 6 B.C., and others offer other explanations.
But couldn’t God, who created the heavens, have created a special star to signal the arrival of his Son?
Whatever the nature of the star, these Magi traveled thousands of miles searching for a king, and they found him.
Regardless of whether God used an existing astronomical phenomenon or created one for the occasion, its function on behalf of the Magi was supernatural in that it announced the birth of the King.
However He did it, God used the star to signal to the Magi that the King had been born.
The hope of the Magi was strong enough to compel them to undertake a costly and difficult journey to find Him.
Their journey may have covered 1,000 miles and taken four to five months.
God’s path no matter how long or how hard is the right path and it will always leads to Jesus
Some of you are looking for hope and you’ve been looking for some time…
It seems hopeless…
Good news, God’s word says in
Jer 29:13:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jer 29:13 NIV
You say,“Yea, but I don’t have a star or a sign…”
You have something better than a sign of a star; you are holding it in your hand…you have God’s Word.
While the star was unique to the Magi, God’s Word is available to guide every one of us.
The Bible was written by God to guide us into a relationship with Him and to guide us as we live in relationship with Him.
Ps 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
Ps 119:105 NIV
One thing that the Bible clearly declares is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the hope of all people.
He forgives our sins and grants eternal life to all who believe in Him.
In Jn 14:6 Jesus said,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 NIV
Maybe you are on the wrong path?
What do you do if you know you are going the wrong way in a car?
You turn around; you change directions.
Some of you need to change directions…and turn to Christ…He is where hope is found!!!
That brings us to the second lesson we learn from the Wise Men about hope:
Hope for the Journey…
1. We find hope on the right path
2. We experience hope in the right person
Let’s pick up the story in Matt 2:9-11,
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Matt 2:9-11a NIV
Having been told by Herod that the child was to be born in Bethlehem, the wise men went their way.
Once again the star appeared to them as they traveled toward Bethlehem.
Then, the star stopped over the place where the child was.
Matthew does not tell us what the star looked like, how it moved, or how the wise men found the child from the movement and stopping of the star.
But Matthew made his point that God had purposely sent this star to guide these men to his Son!!
V.11 says
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
The Magi did not find Jesus until some months after he was born and found him in a house not the stable.
A clue to this fact is that Herod asked the Wise Men when they had first seen the star and then sent his soldiers to kill every Jewish boy under the age of two years.
This doesn’t mean that Jesus was two years old but that Herod allowed enough room for error to be certain that he killed this challenger to his throne.
Nativity Scenes usually include the Wise Men around the manger because they present a synopsis of the whole Christmas story.
The makers of the movie The Nativity Story chose to portray the Wise Men at the manger for the same reason – they wanted to keep viewers focused on the beauty of the whole birth narrative.
The most important truth is the Wise Men found Jesus and worshipped Him.
Have you?
The story line in Matt 2 suggests you have 3 choices when it comes to Jesus.
1. You can oppose Him as King…like Herod.
Herod was a cruel and crafty man who permitted no one, not even his own family, to interfere with his rule or prevent the satisfying of his evil desires.
A ruthless murderer, he had his own wife and her two brothers slain because he suspected them of treason.
He was married at least nine times in order to fulfill his lusts and strengthen his political ties.
It is no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title “King of the Jews.”
2. You can ignore Him as King…like religious leaders.
These priests knew the Scriptures and pointed others to the Saviour, but they would not go to worship Him themselves!
They quoted Micah 5:2 but did not obey it.
They were five miles from the very Son of God, yet they did not go to see Him!
3. You can seek Jesus and worship Him like the Wise Men.
The Wise Men found Jesus and worshipped Him!!!
We find hope in Jesus!!
The Angel said to Joseph in Matt 1:21:
“She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
Matt 1:21 NIV
Peter in Acts 4:12 said…
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12 NIV
(from New International Version)
Some of you have lost hope along the way because you put your hope in someone or something and they let you down…
Maybe it was a parent, a partner, a pastor…it will happen
Put your hope in God…
He will never let you down.
They say there are no certainties in life…
You can mark it down…God will never let you down
David says…
Ps 42:5-6
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
Are downcast? Are you disturbed within?
Put your hope in God!!!
Have you?
Hope for the Journey…
1. We find hope on the right path
2. We experience hope in the right person
3. We convey hope with the right presents
Look at Matt 2:11-12,
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matt 2:11-12 NIV
This one of the best pictures of worship as the Wise Men bring their gifts to Jesus.
Don’t miss the symbolism behind the gifts.
· Gold is the gift for a king, and Jesus is the King of Kings.
With this gift they were saying we want you to rule over us!
· Frankincense is the gift for a priest.
Frankincense was an expensive fragrance used in O.T. worship.
It was sprinkled on offerings in the Temple.
The Wise Men brought Frankincense to honor Jesus as their High Priest.
Hebrews says that Jesus is our high priest.
They were saying we want you to represent us!
· Myrrh is the gift for a dead man; it was used as embalming fluid.
They came to celebrate the birth of the King—and yet they brought a gift associated death!
Why?
Because the gift of Myrrh foreshadowed the suffering and death of Jesus.
They brought Myrrh to honor their dying Savior.
They were saying, we want you to redeem us!
Jesus came into the world to die for our sins.
The Nativity Story captures this picture of worship!!
Let’s watch it…
Video clip…"Hope of the Magi"
What a beautiful picture of worship!!
You may not have the treasure of the Wise Men to give to Jesus, but you do have something just as valuable: yourself.
That's the gift he most wants to receive from you.
As the old Christmas hymn says...
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man I would do my part.
Yet, what I can I give him, give my heart.
This Christmas, come to Jesus and like the Wise Men realize that He is everything you have been searching for…Jesus is the fulfillment of hope
There's a saying I've heard repeated over the years during this season: Wise men still seek him.
That's what getting Christmas really comes down to: Seeking Jesus, Finding Him and worshipping Him.
When you do your life will never be the same!!
The wise men were divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and so they obediently returned to their homes by another route.
No one who meets Christ with a sincere heart ever returns the same way…v.12
True encounter with Him transforms all of life.
Concl:
ILLUSTRATION
Billy Graham Confident of Final Destination
In January 2000, leaders of Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon.
Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's disease.
But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you."
So he agreed.
After wonderful things were said about him, Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said,
"I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century.
Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of each passenger.
When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket.
He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his other pocket.
It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it.
Then he looked in the seat by him. He couldn't find it.
The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.' Einstein nodded appreciatively.
"The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets.
As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.
The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry. I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'
Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.'"
Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit.
My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious.
So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion.
You know what that occasion is?
This is the suit in which I'll be buried.
But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing.
I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, I also know where I'm going."
"Do you know Who Are You, and Where Are You Going?"
I hope your journey in life is a journey of hope!!!
My prayer for you is Rom 15:13…
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 15:13 NIV
BBC…The treasures they brought spoke volumes. Gold is a symbol of deity and glory; it speaks of the shining perfection of His divine Person. Frankincense is an ointment or perfume; it suggests the fragrance of the life of sinless perfection. Myrrh is a bitter herb; it presages the sufferings He would endure in bearing the sins of the world. The bringing of gifts by Gentiles is reminiscent of the language of Isaiah 60:6. Isaiah predicted that Gentiles would come to the Messiah with gifts, but mentioned only gold and frankincense: “... they shall bring gold and incense. And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.” Why was myrrh omitted? Because Isaiah was speaking of Christ’s second advent—His coming in power and great glory. There will be no myrrh then because He will not suffer then. But in Matthew the myrrh is included because His first coming is in view. In Matthew we have the sufferings of Christ; in this passage of Isaiah, the glories that shall follow.
SMAY…3. Come Bearing Gifts.
Much has been made of the symbolism behind the gifts. Gold is the gift for a king, and Jesus is the King of Kings. Frankincense is the gift for a priest, and Hebrews says that Jesus is our high priest. Myrrh is the gift for a dead man; it was used as embalming fluid. Jesus came into the world to die for our sins.
In reality, the gifts probably served a much more practical use for Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Shortly after the magi left, Joseph was warned in a dream to take his wife and child and flee to Egypt, because Herod was seeking to kill him. The gifts most likely paid their travel expenses and living expenses while they were away: Gold could easily be converted to cash, frankincense and myrrh could easily be carried on a journey and sold in an Egyptian marketplace.
The Magi shared their treasure with Jesus. Not only that, they spent as much as two years on the journey to find him. It could be said that that, in itself, was part of their gift.
There's a story about a missionary school teacher in Africa who had been teaching her students about Christmas, and told them how we give gifts to one another at Christmas time. A few days later one of her students brought her a gift--a beautiful sea shell. She asked him where he got it and he said, "I walked to the beach and picked it out for you." The school was several miles from the ocean, so she knew it had been a long walk for him. She said, "You shouldn't have gone so far to get a gift for me." The student said, "The long walk was part of the gift."
You may not have the treasure of the Eastern King to give to Jesus, but you do something just as valuable: yourself. That's the gift he most wants to receive from you. As the old Christmas hymn says...
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man I would do my part.
Yet, what I can I give him, give my heart.
This Christmas, come to Jesus bearing gifts. Yes, I hope that you will give generously of your resources so that others won't have to do without. Even more than that, I hope that you will give him yourself fully to him -- your time, your talent, your treasure -- as only the King of Kings deserves.
CONCLUSION
There's a saying I've heard repeated over the years during this season: Wise men still seek him. That's what getting Christmas really comes down to: Seeking him, seeking Jesus. This is why I encourage you to le the symbols of Christmas lead you to Christ, just like the star led the magi. It's why I encourage you to put Jesus at the center of your Christmas celebration, taking time to worship and adore him. And it's why I encourage you to come to him with gifts -- not just your money, but your time, and yourself. Give him all of you this holiday season, and you will truly discover Christmas.
ILLUSTRATION
Woman Finds Acceptance at Church Send to printer
Topics: Acceptance; Accepting Christ; Body of Christ; Church; Evangelism; Hope; Love; Suicide
Filters: Everyday Disciples; Stories; Women
References: John 13:34-35, Romans 12:10, Romans 13:8, Ephesians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Peter 1:22
Tone: Commend
Gloria S. was ready to take her life. Years of drug abuse, failed relationships, and multiple rejections had taken their toll. Prepared with countless prescription drugs she saved for the purpose, Gloria turned on the television to keep her neighbors from hearing.
The channel was tuned in to a Billy Graham crusade. At the bottom of the screen was a telephone number for anyone needing help. Gloria called the number before she took the pills.
The counselor recognized the seriousness of Gloria's situation. She directed Gloria to a nearby Wesleyan church were someone would be able to help her.
Gloria decided to put off her suicide and attend the church the next day, Sunday. Just before the worship service began, Gloria met the pastor. "Billy Graham sent me," she told him.
Sometime later, Gloria was able to give this testimony.
Billy Graham saved me from killing myself, but my church showed me how to be saved from my sins. The love of the people was incredible. I never knew someone as dirty as me could ever receive love again. The people accepted me just as I was. I have seen Jesus. He is in the faces of all these people who love me.
Thom S. Rainer, Surprising Insights From the Unchurched, (Zondervan, 2001) p. 166
ILLUSTRATION
Ronald Reagan's Vulnerability Send to printer
Topics: Death; Disease; Honesty; Hope; Sickness; Suffering; Vulnerability; Weakness
Filters: Famous People; Pop Culture; Stories
References: Psalms 90:9-10, 2 Corinthians 4:7
Tone: Commend
On November 5, 1994, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, wrote a letter to his fellow citizens from his home near Santa Barbara. In it he acknowledged that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Instead of feigning strength, the former President was honest and vulnerable. In his weakness, he reached out to others. He wrote:
My Fellow Americans,
I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease. Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we should make this news known in a public way.
In the past Nancy suffered from breast cancer, and I had my cancer surgeries. We found through our open disclosures we were able to raise public awareness. We were happy that as a result many more people underwent testing. They were treated in early stages and able to return to normal, healthy lives.
So now, we feel it is important to share it with you. In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it.
At the moment I feel just fine. I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this earth doing the things I have always done. I will continue to share life's journey with my beloved Nancy and my family. I plan to enjoy the great outdoors and stay in touch with my friends and supporters.
Unfortunately, as Alzheimer's Disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience. When the time comes I am confident that with your help she will face it with faith and courage.
In closing let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.
I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead. Thank you, my friends. My God always bless you.
Sincerely, Ronald Reagan
Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, An American Hero (DK Publishing), pp. 264-65; submitted by Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois
During Coach Valvano's last public speech, he said seven simple words that will stay with me a lifetime. "Don't give up, don't ever give up."
“"Don't give up, don't ever give up."”
Jim Valvano
I know, I gotta go, I gotta go, and I got one last thing and I said it before, and I'm gonna say it again: Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.
I thank you and God bless you all.
Isa 55:6
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Isa 55:6 NIV
Luke 11:9-10
9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10 NIV
(from New International Version)
Nativity serm…God was the source of the hope of the Magi. He guided them by His Word and by His star.
Don’t put your hope in possessions…Paul says
1 Tim 6:17
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
(from New International Version)
Weirsbe…The magi were seeking the King, but Herod was afraid of the King and wanted to destroy Him. This was Herod the Great, called king by the Roman senate because of the influence of Mark Antony. Herod was a cruel and crafty man who permitted no one, not even his own family, to interfere with his rule or prevent the satisfying of his evil desires. A ruthless murderer, he had his own wife and her two brothers slain because he suspected them of treason. He was married at least nine times in order to fulfill his lusts and strengthen his political ties.
It is no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title “King of the Jews.” But there was another reason. Herod was not a full-blooded Jew; he was actually an Idumaean, a descendant of Esau. This is a picture of the old struggle between Esau and Jacob that began even before the boys were born (Gen. 25:19–34). It is the spiritual versus the carnal, the godly versus the worldly.
The magi were seeking the King; Herod was opposing the King; and the Jewish priests were ignoring the King. These priests knew the Scriptures and pointed others to the Saviour, but they would not go to worship Him themselves! They quoted Micah 5:2 but did not obey it. They were five miles from the very Son of God, yet they did not go to see Him! The Gentiles sought and found Him, but the Jews did not.
Wiersbe, W. W. 1996, c1989. The Bible exposition commentary. "
BBC…2:1, 2 It is easy to be confused about the chronology of the events surrounding Christ’s birth. While verse 1 may appear to indicate that Herod tried to kill Jesus during Mary and Joseph’s stay in the stable at Bethlehem, the combined evidence points to a time one or two years later. Matthew says in verse 11 that the wise men saw Jesus in a house. The order by Herod to execute all male children under two years old (v. 16) also is an indication of the passage of an unspecified period of time since the royal birth.
Herod the Great was a descendant of Esau and, therefore, a traditional enemy of the Jews. He was a convert to Judaism, but his conversion was perhaps politically motivated. It was toward the close of his reign that wise men from the East came in search of the King of the Jews. These men might have been pagan priests whose ritual centered around the elements of nature. Because of their knowledge and predictive powers, they were often chosen as counselors to kings. We do not know where they lived in the East, how many there were, nor how long their journey lasted.
It was the star in the East that somehow made them aware of the birth of a King, whom they came to worship. Possibly they were familiar with OT prophecies concerning the Messiah’s arrival. Perhaps they knew of Balaam’s prediction that a Star would come out of Jacob (Num. 24:17) and connected this with the prophecy of seventy weeks which foretold the time of Christ’s first coming (Dan. 9:24, 25). But it seems more probable that the knowledge was communicated to them supernaturally. Various scientific explanations have been offered to account for the star. Some say, for instance, that it was a conjunction of planets. But the course of this star was highly irregular; it went before the wise men, leading them from Jerusalem to the house where Jesus was living (v. 9). Then it stopped. In fact, it was so unusual that it can only be accounted for as a miracle.
SMAY….Astronomers tell us that for a period of time around the birth of Christ, there was in fact a star which shone brightly in the Eastern sky. That star was there for everyone to see. The Jews could have seen it. The Pharisees and Sadducees could have seen it. Herod could have seen it. Anyone who looked into the sky could see this magnificent star shining brightly, yet only the Magi followed the star in order to find Jesus.
It is important for us to examine who the Magi were. We sing "We Three Kings of Orient Are," but the Magi weren't really kings. They were priests--wise men, holy men, seekers of spiritual truth--and as they sought God's truth, God revealed Himself to them. God led the wise men to the Messiah, because that's what He does: God reveals himself to those who are looking for Him. And the amazing thing about this story is that the Wise Men are not Jewish--yet God led them to the Messiah. By this God is telling the world that Jesus is not just the King of the Jews, but He is the Savior of all of humankind. It doesn't matter if you're Jew or Gentile; it doesn't matter if you're black or white; it doesn't matter if your rich or poor, male or female, smart or "intellectually challenged"--none of this matters. This story teaches us that God will reveal Himself to anyone who seeks Him.
...When you search for me, you find me; if you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Nativity serm…God Used A Supernatural Star To Start The Magi On Their Journey
Show Film Clip Scene 5
The School of The Magi
Regardless of whether God used an existing astronomical phenomenon or created one for the occasion, its function on behalf of the Magi was supernatural in that it announced the birth of the King.
We are not sure how they put the star together with the birth of Jesus. Perhaps in the readings of the Greek Old Testament they came to the prophecy of Balaam and to that cryptic reference in Numbers 24:17: “I shall se him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
The star may easily have been a supernatural creation of God. The whole narrative of the birth of Jesus is accompanied by supernatural phenomena such as the appearance of angels. Or it may have been a natural phenomenon that others had seen but had not associated it with the birth of the Messiah.
Contrary to the way it is usually portrayed, the star did not lead them by moving ahead of them across the sky.
I do not believe they followed the star on the journey – that is not what the text says. The star appeared in the east and then disappeared. It reappeared later when they were searching exactly where to find Jesus.
Dr Hugh Ross, an astronomer, suggests that the star may have been a phenomenon called a recurring nova. This is a star that undergoes several explosions, emitting bursts of brightness several times over a period of months or years.
However He did it, God used the star to signal to the Magi that the King had been born. The hope of the Magi was strong enough to compel them to undertake a costly and difficult journey to find Him. Their journey may have covered 1,000 miles and taken four to five months.