The Glory of Christmas--Wiseman

Introduction

Share about Brianna’s card—3 Wise Men??

Christmas is always an odd experience for me. I simultaneously celebrate new joys and experiences while being pulled back into old memories. I don’t know if you enjoyed a careful Christmas with family or a lonely Christmas by yourself. But I know one of the hardest things about Christmas is finding your place in it.

Where do you fit in the story of Christmas? I don’t mean how does your Christmas experience stack up to the latest hallmark movie you’ve watched. I don’t mean are you the cook or the present wrapper. I mean, in the middle of this glory-filled story of Christmas, where do you belong?

Tony the wiseman thought he knew it all. And if you’ve ever met someone like that you may often think to yourself, “You don’t really know as much as you think you do.” Yet, if there was one thing Tony knew, it was his place in the Christmas story.

I love what C.S. Lewis wrote.

“The only thing that can dwell in the presence of God is humility.” -C.S. Lewis

The central character that lends his name to the entire Christmas season is Jesus the Christ. He is the centerpiece of the whole story. Everything revolves around Him.

Christmas is not about the wisemen and it’s not about you and me no matter how wise we are. It’s so tempting to live as if Christmas and life are all about us.

We get caught up in this idea of how we think Christmas should go and get upset if things don’t go like we think they should.

We get offended if we are made to wait, our package is delayed or we don’t get heard.

We live in a world full of offense, left and right we are finding ways to get offended or be offended, we are so quick.

Perhaps the greatest gift of Christmas is a chance to reframe our focus in life. We are given a chance to see what’s really important.

Jesus was born as a savior to the whole world. God chose to become incarnate and become like you and I to save us. He became like us to give us a way to have a right relationship with Him.

Wisdom is knowing that we are not meant to take center stage in the story of Christmas.

Think about it. The center of every Nativity scened is the baby Jesus in the manger. Mary, Joesph, shepherds, and the wisemen.....hovering angels, sheep, and more are all arrayed around the baby in the manger. No one has a manger with everyone surrounding the wisemen.

And if you want to be really accurate the wisemen shouldn’t even be in the manger scened around the baby, they showed up a couple years later. But this is a tangent, the point is the star of the Christmas story is the baby Jesus.

Think about it Christmas is not about santa or Scrooge or the Grinch trying to steal something. Christmas is about Jesus. we get to enjoy these fun stories at Christmas time and enjoy thesee movies but Christmas first and foremost is about Jesus.

The wisemen knew this and lived this in the story of Christmas that we have.

Matthew reminds us of this.

Matthew 2:1–2 ESV

1 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.”

Matthew 2:9–11 ESV

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.

The wise men bow down to Jesus in worship giving gifts to him these gifts include gold, frankincense, an myrrh these were priceless gifts in the ancient world. It wasn't the other way around the story of Christmas is not about a whole bunch of people besides Jesus getting gifts. The story of Christmas is about Jesus being honored, recognized, he is worshipped with gifts ... really good gifts . :) the Wiseman didn't regift white elephant gifts or throw away party prizes no they bought their very best to Jesus they knew their place in the story ... They knew that it was his story and they were simply recognizing him

you know the wise man probably had all sorts of knowledge they were probably recognized for their comprehension for their wisdom and broad knowledge on all sorts of things . The wise men in our play Tony he knew lots of useless things. But Tony also knew his place in the story . He knew that the story of Christmas was about the baby Jesus.

You know sometimes we get this out of order in our lives throughout the rest of the year. We think we deserve to be served we think we deserve to have our priorities go first we get frustrated when things don't go our way we can become impatient we've become entitled and focus on serving our needs rather than serving Jesus. The Christmas story should allow us to stop and remember that we should approach life like Jesus did

Remember what Paul wrote to the Philippians

Philippians 2:3–11 ESV

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It is a beautiful thing to remember what the wise men did at the beginning of Jesus life. the truth is they did what everyone will do at some time period no matter what we believe about Jesus right now every knee will bow before Jesus. Everyone will worship Jesus when we realized the wise thing to do is to imitate the wise men by bowing early and often things will go well for us now and in eternity.

You know, as we continue to wrap up the Christmas season may we look for ways to humble ourselves before God . May we move off center stage and on to the side or background while we get others closer to seeing the one at the center of the story. may we serve Jesus by serving others. May we find ourselves on our knees and offering gifts rather than wanting others to bow their lives to us.

If you see

Side Story, Ashley and I were insanely blessed to be able to visit with both sides of our family This Christmas. We created many good memories. But you know what the hardest part of our trip was? It was the moment when I got so caught up in what I wanted to happen that I was rude or impatient. It was when I felt personally offended by something or wanted my own way. But when I focused on my family , when I focused on my extended family, when I focused on Jesus the holiday was so much more enjoyable.

Part of the Christmas story is reminding us of the greatest story.

remember what John wrote

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This verse doesn't say that God gave you or I to the world. We were never intended to be God's gift to the world explanation point he gave Jesus. It should take all the pressure off of us to perform or try to be someone that God never intended us to be. God gave his son Jesus as the world's greatest gift. Our greatest blessing is to spend ourselves appreciating and giving thanks for that gift.

A wise person recognizes that he or she does not need to take center spotlight in God's story. Enjoy the glory of Christmas celebrating Jesus. Don't become offended easily these Holidays. But give glory to God and point others to Jesus. May we find ourselves spending more quiet time with Jesus. May we find ourselves being quick to let go of offenses because we realize the Holidays are not about us being in some magical hallmark movie. Christmas is about Jesus. Shoot, the new year is about celebrating a new year that God has given us.

Conclusion

As we wrap up Christmas and head into one more holiday celebrating the new year I encourage you to keep your focus on Jesus. Let him be the center of the Christmas story. Let him be the center of your story. The more you and I take our eyes off ourselves and put them on Jesus we will experience the life he wants to give us.