A Message from the Magi--No Easy Roads

A MESSAGE FROM THE MAGI: NO EASY ROADS Spring Valley Mennonite; December 27, 2020; Matthew 2:1-12; Daniel 2:13; Numbers 24:15-17, 22:5 Have you heard the story of the 4th Wise Man? It is a delightful story about Artaban, a Magi who also saw the star but did not travel with the other Magi making the trip. It is a delightful and inspiring tale written over 100 years ago by Henry Van Dyke, a Presbyterian minister from New York City. There is a wonderful moral lesson in the book, but like so many other things regarding the Wise Men, the story itself is product of speculation and imagination. There really is very little specific biblical information given about those particular Magi who worshipped the young child born in Bethlehem. The Wise men, or Magi, as they were called in their day, mysteriously appear on the scene led by an equally mysterious star; they find the Christ Child, worship Him and give Him gifts, then they disappear into the mists of history. No wonder their visit sparks the imagination! We humans are very good at "filling in the blanks" when we don't have the full picture. The majority of our ideas about the Magi come from songs or Christmas cards, if truth be known! We sing, "We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts, we traverse afar." To demonstrate what I'm saying, let me point out three possible errors in that first line: First, they were not kings, but Magi; secondly, even though there were three categories of gifts, we cannot definitely say there were only three men; and thirdly, if by "Orient" we mean the far east, these Magi were rather from the near east, in all likelihood, from the area of the world we know today as Iran. Yet, like the angelic messengers, although fascinating in themselves, it is the message from their journey and mission which is more important than the men themselves. What message do these mysterious characters leave us today? Turn in your Bibles to the first 12 verses of Matthew chapter 2, and we will read the story; beginning in verse 1... I. WHO WERE THE MAGI? Any message from the Magi is understood best when we learn who these mysterious men were. As we study, 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. God blessed these young men so that, as Daniel 1:22 states, "As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better that all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm." But in 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 (2:13). 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: 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. Daniel became the leader of the Magi. Keep this fact in mind as we continue. Ancient literature informs us that the Magi were a religious group in the region of Mesopotamia during 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. It was the Parthians who consolidated the Eastern portion of the Greek Empire and became a great military rival of the Romans; in one significant battle the Parthians killed over 20,000 Roman soldiers. The Magi continued as a force in the Parthian Empire until the Empire fell to the Muslim invasions in the 7th century. A group containing Magi fled to India where their religion of Zoroastrianism is still practiced today among a group known as the Parsees. In the first Century, isolated members of this Magi cast could even be found scattered throughout the Roman Empire. In the book of Acts we find accounts of two 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. Likely 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 be 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 thousands of years. 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 century preceding 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; Palestine being a buffer state between the Roman and the Parthian Empires. Now listen to this: Around 40 B.C., the Parthians had forged an alliance with a group of Jewish rebels and it was an Idumian military leader who conquered the Jewish rebel 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 to Jerusalem? I. 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 about a Jewish ruler who would come to power in Israel sometime in the future. 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 of necessity need to have been born sometime before this date. Obviously, these prophesies of Balaam and Daniel had been passed down through generations of Magi, 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! II. THE LESSON OF THE MAGI FOR US All this is background for the message God would have for us today. There are many thoughts which could be developed: For instance, 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 the infant Jesus and His family in Egypt through the gifts of the Magi, the wealth of Gentiles. We could talk about God's sovereignty over nature and how He led the Magi through a star, the medium 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 outside of the Roman Empire with its good roads and protection from robbers. The provisions for 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; they most likely followed the path taken first by Abraham and then by the Jewish exiles both going and returning from Babylon, a distance of over 1000 miles. 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 prophesy for the long weeks and perhaps months 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 planning and travel of the Magi might have taken 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 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 be easy and 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. 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 continue to faithfully follow Christ and worship Him? None of us can predict what 2021 will hold for us personally or for our congregation, but this coming year and those following might prove even more challenging for people of faith than ever before. But also notice the reward of the Magi: they came into the house where the young child was, and they bowed down and worshipped him, presenting him with gifts. Have you ever wondered how the Magi felt when the star came and rested, not over a palace, but over a humble house in Bethlehem? Yet Scripture tells us they were filled with great joy. That is the reward of truly finding and worshipping the Savior. Joy should always accompany our worship of the Lord Jesus. Think of how the wise men must have been puzzled over what they saw as they entered into the house: an ordinary baby with two very ordinary parents. A humble family, with no outward sign of greatness. Yet they recognized that this was the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and they worshipped Him. God doesn't always package His gifts in the brightest and most noticeable covers. 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. 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, both now and especially throughout eternity. Although our Christmas and New Year's celebrations are somewhat muted this year, there still is the danger of missing 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 reach 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! 2