A Message from the Maji: No Easy Roads

A MESSAGE FROM THE MAGI: NO EASY ROADS Spring Valley Mennonite; December 30, 2018; Matthew 2:1-12; Numbers 24:17 As we complete our Christmas series, we cannot leave out the visit of the Magi. Next Sunday evening, we will gather in an Epiphany service. In the traditional church calendar, this service is remembering the visit of the Wise Men, or the Magi. Scripture tells us that the Maji came at least 40 days after the birth of Jesus. We know this because immediately after the visit of the Wise Men, Joseph was warned in a dream to immediately flee Bethlehem to escape the wrath of Herod. Scripture tells us that 40 days after the birth, Joseph and Mary were in the Jerusalem temple dedicating Jesus. While there is much speculation and imagination surrounding the Wise Men, there is really very little specific biblical information given about the particular Wise Men who worshipped the young child that first Christmas. The Magi mysteriously appear on the scene led by an equally mysterious star; they find the Christ Child, worship Him and give gifts, then mysteriously disappear into the desert, never to be mentioned again. No wonder their visit sparks the imagination! If the truth be known, much of what we believe about the Wise Men comes from Christmas cards or Christmas carols. We sing “We three kings of Orient are…” There are three possible errors in that first line: first, they were not kings, but Magi; secondly, even though there were three gifts, that doesn’t necessarily mean there were three Magi, and thirdly, if the “Orient” refers to the far East (China or India), the Magi most likely came from the Near East, from the area of the world we know today as Iran. Yet, like the angelic messengers, is not their message more important than who they were? What is the message the Magi leave with us today? Turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 2. Follow along as I read the first 12 verses. I. WHO WERE THE MAGI? The message of the Magi is understood best when we learn who these mysterious men were. As we learn about them, the Magi become even more exciting than all our speculation. We find the Magi mentioned in various places in Scripture. Move with me to the courts of Babylon in the days of Daniel. The Jews are living in exile, far from their native land. Because of their persistent rejection of God in favor of idols, God allowed them to be carried into captivity in Babylon. Daniel was one of these young captive Hebrew teenagers who were chosen to be groomed for the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel chapter 2 we find Daniel in the midst of a life-threatening situation. The King had a dream and demanded that his “wise men or Magi” recount for him both the dream and give the interpretation. If they could not do this, they were to forfeit their lives. Because Daniel was numbered with the Magi, his life was in grave danger. We remember how Daniel recounted and interpreted the King’s dream, consequently rising in power and influence to be the leader of the Magi (Daniel 2:48: Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and the CHIEF PREFECT over all the wise men of Babylon.) Ancient literature tells us that the Magi were a religious group in the region of the Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Parthian Empires. Their influence preceded, then spanned the Babylonian and Persian empires, then continued into the Parthian Empire which developed out of the Eastern portion of the Greek Empire. After Alexander the Great’s death, the Greek Empire was split among four of his generals. The Roman Empire that followed consolidated all of the Greek territory EXCEPT the eastern portions, modern Iran, Iraq and points east. It was the Parthians who consolidated the Eastern portion of the Greek Empire and became a great military rival of the Romans. The Magi continued as a force in the Parthian Empire until the Muslim invasions forced a group to flee to India where their religion is still practiced today among a group known as the Parsees. Isolated members of this Magi cast were also scattered throughout the Roman Empire. In the book of Acts we find accounts of two possible encounters with those who practiced the mystical arts: the first was one encountered by Philip the evangelist in Samaria. This “magician” tried to buy the power associated with the Holy Spirit. In all likelihood, this man was associated with the cast of the magi. Paul had a run in with a Jewish false prophet on the island of Cyprus a magician named Elymas. This Elymas could also have been associated with the Magi of the first century. So we see that the Magi were a force in the affairs of the middle East for a long period of history. There is a further bit of historical information which will further explain why Herod was so upset with the appearance of the Magi, along with all Jerusalem. During the period right before the birth of Christ, the Magi had become very powerful in the Parthian Empire, comprising the upper house of the ruling counsel of Parthia. Among their other responsibilities, the Magi had the absolute power to select the Kings of Parthia. It was therefore a group of Parthian King-makers who entered Jerusalem in the latter days of the reign of Herod. Couple this with the fact that Palestine had been the scene of many battles between the Parthians and the Romans. The Parthians had forged an alliance with a group of Jewish rebels around 40 B.C., and it was an Idumian military leader who conquered the Jewish stronghold at Jerusalem in 37 B.C. The Idumian leader’s name? Herod! He was rewarded with the rulership of Palestine under the Romans for his efforts. This was the King Herod who was so troubled by the appearance of the Parthian Magi who came looking for the new King of the Jews! Knowing this background, and who the Magi were, why did they come? II. WHY DID THE MAGI COME? Matthew tells us that the Magi came seeking the King of the Jews, for they had seen His star in the East. How did they know about a star, and why did they associate it with the birth of a Jewish King? This is one of the most exciting parts of the story of the Wise Men! Turn back to Numbers 24, verse 17. (READ) We read here of the prophesy of a ruler who would come to power sometime in the future of Israel. He would somehow be associated with a star. Understand that the Magi were astronomers and astrologers. They were students of the heavens. It would have meant something when a new light appeared in the night sky. By the way, who gave this prophesy recorded in the book of Numbers? It was a man named Balaam. (He is best remembered as having a talking donkey!) Balaam lived on the west bank of the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia—in what would later become the land of Babylon. He was a soothsayer, a caster of spells, a practitioner of “magic”—I believe Balaam was an early member of the Magi! No doubt the Magi-prophet Daniel pointed out this prophesy to his fellow Magi. Remember it was Daniel who gave a timetable for the birth of the Messiah in Daniel 9. He recorded a period of 70 weeks of years which would encompass the plan of God regarding Messiah the Prince, the Lord Jesus Christ. Sixty-nine weeks of years would go by until Messiah the Prince would be “cut off” or be killed. This Messiah would be born sometime before this date. I believe the Magi had passed down this prophesy of Daniel, and when the star appeared in the East, they put the two prophesies together—a star with the birth of the Messiah—and they headed West to visit the New King of the Jews. What a demonstration of how God sets up and works His grand plan for the ages! III. THE LESSON OF THE MAGI FOR US All that is background for the message God would have for us today. There are many thoughts which could be developed: For instance, in the Christmas story there is the contrast of rich and poor—Magi and shepherds—who worshipped Jesus: He is a Savior for all men. The Gospel of Matthew begins with Gentile Magi worshipping Jesus and ends with the Great Commission which sends the Gospel messengers out to the whole world. We could also look at how God protected and provided for baby Jesus and His family in their exile in Egypt through the wealth of Gentiles, the gifts of the Magi. We could talk about God’s sovereignty over nature and how He led the Magi through a method they would understand. But the message of the Magi which I choose to develop this morning relates to the journey taken by the Magi as they made their way to Bethlehem. It was not an easy road which was taken by the Magi. Travel in those days was not easy; their path to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem lay mostly outside of the Roman Empire with its good roads and protection from robbers. Their long journey would have included periods of both freezing cold and terrific heat; travel would have not been a vacation. The provisions for such a long trip, perhaps as long as a thousand miles—such a trip would have been extremely expensive. We picture a few lonely figures traveling across the desert sands; in reality because of the extreme danger, the Magi were most likely accompanied by a large group of armed warriors traveling with them. It must have taken great faith to set out on such a journey, great faith in the somewhat obscure writings of Hebrew prophets. We must admire their courage and persistence in following that star for the long months and perhaps years it took them to make preparation and travel from their home to Palestine. Some have looked at the interaction between the wise men and Herod, and Herod’s resulting slaughter of the babies in Bethlehem, and concluded that the Magi might have been traveling for as long as two years! Just like we ignore their difficulties and romanticize the journey of the Magi that first Christmas, I believe many are guilty of romanticizing the road of life we each would take in following after Jesus. Have we somehow have gotten the idea that our lives are to be like scenes of a Christmas card, calm and serene and filled with only beauty and light? Do we think God has promised us smooth roads, pleasant experiences, perpetual springtime, and protection from the dangers of the world? Some think that following Jesus should require little effort. Just as this was not true for the Magi as they stepped out in faith, so it is not true for us. Experiencing the fullness of God’s blessings for we believers requires some of the most difficult choices in life. Jesus spoke of the challenges of His pathways and following Him in Matthew 10:37-39: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.” It is not an easy road that we are called to walk. It may take a significant commitment of our wealth, as it did for the Magi, Following Jesus will certainly mean standing up against the opinions and ways of the majority. It may lead us down increasingly dangerous and perilous roads: are we willing to risk all to be able to bow before Jesus and worship Him? But also notice the reward of the Magi: they came into the house where the young child was, and they were moved to kneel down and worship him and present him with gifts. Have you ever wondered how the Magi felt when the star came and rested over a house in Bethlehem? Scripture tells us they were filled with great joy. That is the reward of truly finding and worshipping the Savior. Is your life filled with great joy? Think of how the wise men must have been puzzled over what they saw as they entered the house: an ordinary baby with two very ordinary parents. A peasant family, with no outward sign of greatness. Yet they recognized that this was the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and they fell down and worshipped Him. God doesn’t always package His gifts in the brightest and most noticeable wrappings. Often God’s best gifts come in the wrappings of sufferings or hardship, as did His gift to the Maji. Jesus was God in a plain brown wrapper. The Magi found the answer to their quest somewhat different from what they expected: God’s will for our lives is often like that. Have you ever tried to put qualifications on God’s plan for your life? I remember when I joined the staff of Campus Crusade and was waiting to hear where I had been assigned. I had agreed that I would serve wherever the organization most needed me, but I told the Lord that I would go to any place except a large city with a lot of smog. It is said that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans! I was assigned to the Los Angeles area. And—it was the very best place I could have been assigned. I met Alice there in Southern California. The message from the Magi for us today is this: there is no easy road to Bethlehem. There is no easy road for those who would follow the light of the world. We are promised hardship, misunderstanding--possibly even persecution, BUT with blessings unimaginable. Among all the celebrations of this time of the year do not miss one of God’s greatest gifts He would hold out to you: the blessedness and joy that comes from a consecrated life. One of the amazing things about the Lord is that we can always grow in our faith. We should never think we have reached a place where we stop seeking a deeper commitment to Him. We stand on the brink of a new year: are you desiring to develop a closer relationship with Jesus? He stands waiting to grant you this desire—we just need to choose to follow. Wise men still seek Him! Like the Magi, who took the difficult road to Bethlehem, we can anticipate that there will be obstacles in our paths to this closer relationship. But just as the star guided the Magi, the Lord Jesus will guide you through the rough and challenging places. As the Magi kept their eyes on the star, we are to keep our eyes on Jesus, the “Author and finisher of our faith”.