Magi: The Song of Hope

A visit from a strange caravan...

Matthew 2:1-12 shares the beloved story of the Wise Men. Like other Christmas pieces, this mysterious group are prone to folklore like there were three of them since there were three gifts. We don’t know much of the details, but they once again assure us of God’s plan, and they emphasize the great HOPE that we have in Jesus.

Still their example leaves us plenty to learn from.

-The Wise men regularly observed the universe around them, waiting and watching for God to speak.

(God speaks to those who have time to hear)

-The Wise men got moving in spite of not knowing all of the details

(These men stepped out in faith)

-The Wise men laid their treasures at Jesus’ feet because they understood who He was.

(These men presented what they had: Time, Talent, and Treasure)

Matthew 2:1–4 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.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

Matthew 2:5–8 ESV

5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

Matthew 2:9–12 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. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Who were these wise men?

These men were gentiles.

It’s notable once again that God will reveal himself to those who are seeking him. The religious establishment weren’t informed— or weren’t interested in looking. Our first receivers of this good news were the shepherds, and now these outsiders are added to that prestigious list!

These men were scholars who studied medicine, philosophy and natural science

What did they actually see in the sky?

Modern scholars now believe that there were any number of unusual celestial happenings in the sky around that time that would have alerted these men— whose occupation it was to observe the night sky!

Haley’s comet, the “great conjunction” of Saturn and Jupiter, were possibly visible.

Another possible incident is the rising of the star “Mesori” or “Sirius”. It is recorded that this star shone extremely brightly during this time period. Between 5-1 BC.

Regardless of what it was exactly— William Barclay captured the thought quite well:

“The stars pursue their unvarying courses; they represent the order in the universe. If then there appeared some brilliant body, if the unvarying order in the heavens was broken, it did indeed look as if God was breaking into his own order, and announcing some special thing”— William Barclay

Verses 3-8 King Herod or King Jesus?

The star leads the Magi to Judea.

King Herod is extremely disturbed. He called the scribes and chief priests. Bethlehem is the prophecy.

The Magi don’t mince words here with anyone-- especially Herod. You notice that they didn’t even think it was him!~ “where is the one who is born King of the Jews”… They know it wasn’t him!

One cannot miss the contrast here between King Herod and King Jesus--

Herod: A king of the world

Jesus: the King of Heaven

Herod is a king whose power is originated by Rome an oppressive, dominate kingdom-- he’s keeping his power by cruelty, force and manipulation, he’s filled with fear and suspicion…

King Jesus’ reign is rooted in God’s love, and established through vulnerability, care and compassion-- and his reign will be eternal, (living inside us) and he will live a life on earth marked by his sacrificial love, even to his death on a cross. He will overcome death by his resurrection, and will be the way the truth and the life for all who believe!

They didn’t bow in the presence of King Herod-- for there is no hope in the kingdom of this world-- nor is there this “great joy” in the presence of the worlds leaders.

They sought King Jesus with all their hearts and resources. (Wise men and women today still do!)

Verses 9-12 Gifts for a King

And when the star leads them to the exact place...

They bowed low in the presence of probably the then toddler Jesus. They gave him gifts that really weren’t age appropriate-- but his parents would come to know what they were for.

This little guy hadn’t done any miracles, he hadn’t raised the dead, or died on a cross, he hadn’t been resurrected yet-- But Their pilgrimage was completed. They were able to worship the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, foretold so long ago. They were in his presence, and they left changed forever by this “great hope” moment. They present him with three specific gifts:

Gold is the gift fit for a King

In those days, it was inappropriate to approach a king without a gift. Gold is the king of the metals, so its a perfect gift for the King of men! It was extremely valuable, and would eventually pay for travelling expenses to and from Egypt!

Frankincense is a gift fit for a Priest

The basic function of a priest is to open the way the way to God for men. The Latin word for priest is “pontifax”— which means “bridge-builder”. That is exactly what Jesus was! He opened the way to God. He made a way for us to be in the presence of God forever!

Myrrh is a gift for one who is going to die

Myrrh was used to embalm bodies and prepare them for burial. Jesus came into the world ultimately to die for the sins of that world.

Holman Hunt painted a picture he titled the “Shadow of Death”.

It depicts Jesus as a young man prior to his ministry, working as a carpenter. He is shown stretching his arms after sawing wood. The shadow of his outstretched arms falls on a wooden spar on which carpentry tools hang, creating a "shadow of death" prefiguring the crucifixion. His mother Mary is depicted from behind, gazing up at the shadow, having been looking into a box in which she has kept the gifts given by the Magi.

Wrap up:

Do you realize that we, in our day here after the Resurrection and the impartation of the Holy Spirit-- we live in the presence of God Almighty, through the blood shed sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit-- we are the TEMPLE of God today--If we can fathom that, we have the opportunity to worship Him, and LIVE IN A STATE OF GREAT Hope. No matter our circumstance, our challenge, or even unto our death-- we are loved by the King, carrying His Glory.

We too have three gifts that I would want us to present to Jesus: In the same spirit as these wise men did:

We too can give our gifts to the Lord Jesus:

Time is the gift of our service

Talent is the gift of our skill

Treasure is the gift of our security

Presenting our Time, Talent and Treasure to the Lord Jesus. He surely doesn’t need us, but He can use our service, our skill and our security in ways we cannot imagine! If we will listen carefully, and trust him fully.

Romans 15:13 ESV

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

After the first of the year, on Wednesday nights, we are going to give all the adults and youth the opportunity to explore and study the unique ways God has gifted you. We will spend the 8 or so weeks of Wednesday night class time in not only some evaluation and exploration, but also then you will be given the chance to get into smaller groups of 4 — for discussion, processing, and support. We want you to grow in your gifts, and use them for God’s glory! I’m looking forward to leading that — along with the Elders— for all of us to consider how we can better plug into where God is working!

Lets pray.