Meaning Of The Magi
Sermon
THE WORD IS NEAR YOU
Sermons For The Church
Some Christians in the world finished celebrating Christmas in January. For some of our brothers, January 6 is the high point of the Christmas season because that day is called Epiphany. Epiphany means "manifestation" and January 6 was the date the early church settled on as the time the wise men arrived in Bethlehem from the east. Jesus has come, and now the significance of his coming begins to be made clear. Jesus' life becomes "manifest." Twelfth Night, the evening before Epiphany, became in the early Church a time of merry-making which marked the end of the Christmas season. A cake was prepared and eaten each of the twelve days of Christmas -- from December 25 until January 6. The Twelfth Cake was an ornamental cake, containing a bean or a coin. Whoever got the bean or the coin became the "King" of the festivities. You've heard of "King" cakes at Mardi Gras, and this is the same concept.
The Wise Men, or Magi as they are called, came to find the Christ child. In our church Christmas pageants we usually have them around the manger with the shepherds and angels and Mary and Joseph. But this clearly did not happen. Look at verse 11: "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary ..." They were already in a house, and not in the cattle stall. We do not know exactly how long after the birth the Magi came. It could have been a couple of weeks, or even a year. We simply do not know, but it does not matter. What does matter is that they came.
Epiphany means "manifestation." If we listen closely to the story of the Magi, we will find out what was manifest, or made clear.
I. The Coming Of The Magi Pointed Out God's Open Hand
Have you ever felt like an outsider looking in? Have you ever felt left out, or ignored, or intentionally suppressed? Maybe it was at school where you felt you just weren't one of the "in," group, or perhaps at work where you feel that everyone else is getting recognition and promotions while you get left behind. If you have ever felt this way, then you know how many people of the world felt before the coming of Christ. Think about it. Ancient Israel had been called by God to be a blessing to the whole world by telling everyone about the goodness of God. They were to be a "Light to the Nations." But what happened? The Jews had begun to see themselves as special in their own right, as chosen for blessing rather than as chosen for witness. If the Jews had a monopoly on God, what was everyone to do? There was a tension between the "haves" and the "have nots."
This tension is the background of Matthew 2. The Jews, the "haves," put in an appearance here. They were the ones with the Law, the prophets, the supposed blessing of God. But they were not watching for the coming of the Messiah. Look at verses 4 and 5. The chief priests and teachers of the law knew about the prophecy of Micah about Bethlehem. But the implication is that they were not watching, and that they did not care. That is not so hard to understand, is it? Every one of you owns the most significant book ever written -- the Bible. Yet how many of you read it this week? I do not mean glanced at it enough to allow you to put a check on your Sunday school envelope. I mean really read this old book with the view toward getting something significant out of it? If you can plod along week after week with never a thought of the Scriptures, why can't we see how the people in Palestine twenty centuries ago did virtually the same thing? They grew dull in their diligence and apathetic in their apprehension of truth. The "haves," the ones who were God's chosen, were not on their spiritual guard.
On the other hand, the Magi from the east also make an appearance in this passage. The significance is found in their place of origin and their nationality. They were from non-Jewish lands and of a non-Hebrew nationality. Here were the "have nots," the Gentiles, who were searching for the Messiah. Verse 10 says, "When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." They had seen his star and they wanted to know who he was so they could worship him. People who might not have been expected to come or to care were the very ones who showed up on the doorstep of God's nursery and asked, "Can we rock the baby?"
Do you see what that means? In Christ, God had displayed his open hand to all men and women. Do you know why people shake hands as a sign of greeting? An open hand is a gesture that neither person has a weapon. The hand is open and the person can be trusted. The Magi came to find the Messiah and discovered that God was ready to shake hands with the whole world. God was ready to say, "I have no weapon, no hidden threat, no out-of-sight danger. All I have is my son, a baby in Bethlehem, who will call all men and women to me."
This is pure and simple gospel -- essential good news! God declares his love for us. He promises a cure for our deepest malady, our sin. He states his open acceptance of us. Do you know this acceptance in your own life? It is not too late to find it, you know.
The Magi came to worship the Christ child. It was and is a manifestation of God's open hand. But there is more.
II. The Magi Also Show Humankind's Open Heart
When we sing, "We Three Kings," we might not be accurate. The Magi were learned men, perhaps primitive scientists and astrologers, but probably not kings. What they were is of less importance than what they did. What they did was have an open heart toward God.
You see, they made their pilgrimage for a purpose. They wanted to worship the one they felt was God-in-person, the Messiah. In so doing they displayed an open heart toward God. That was actually the first gift they had for the Christ child -- a recognition of the insurmountable worth of God's son. This is where all genuine religious devotion begins -- in the heart of one who looks up to God and says, "I need you and I choose you." This recognition was the result of waiting and watching, of longing and yearning, of hoping and praying. These Magi had long been on the lookout for the special occurrence which would forever change human life.
There is a key for our faith, too. A general law of the universe is that you usually get what you want, and you find what you are searching for. Thomas Edison wanted to make a new kind of light, so he began experimenting with different kinds of filaments. Thousands of failures later he finally hit upon that right combination of materials and environment to enable his light to work. Madam Curie wanted to learn the mysteries of a newly discovered substance called radium. She and her husband kept working and experimenting until they unlocked the secrets of that luminous mystery.
People who keep trying and working and thinking, regardless of the field, usually succeed. This is true in any field: science, sports, religion, or anything else. When you have a passion for life, a zest for living, an inner force that pushes you ahead, you can achieve your dreams. This is one thing the Magi teach us. They had an open heart toward God that gave them a determination to find the Messiah no matter what. Their journey was by way of express camel, not the most pleasant of treks. No one subsidized the trip. They paid for it themselves. No one gave them a map. They followed the star and their own inner compass. The major thing they had was a recognition that something had happened and whatever it was, they were determined to find out what it was.
That determination judges us. You and I often lack it. We want everything delivered to us on the proverbial silver platter. We have all sorts of things, but seem to lack one thing -- a passionate, open heart toward God. Mark's Gospel tells of a rich young man who came to Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered him, "One thing you lack. Go sell all you have and give the money to the poor and come follow me." What did that young fellow lack? It was this -- a passionate, open heart toward God!
The Magi brought gifts to Christ. There were three gifts, and that gave rise to the speculation that there must have been three wise men. Later legends even assigned names to the men -- Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold was a gift fit for a king. This king had no credentials, no throne, no large group, no army, no crown, nothing by way of worldly goods except a father and mother who wanted every good thing for their little son. But the Magi gave gold as their recognition that here was one worthy of the best. What do you suppose Jesus did with that gold? I'm sure he used it later to support his aging mother. Remember that Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven ..." (Matthew 6:19). What have you given to God lately which is befitting his kingship over your life?
Frankincense was a kind of perfume, an incense which was used in Jewish worship as an offering to God. It was a symbol that the Magi were wise indeed because they recognized that in the baby Jesus, God was somehow involved. What sweet offering have you lifted to God lately which speaks of his Lordship?
Myrrh was a resin substance which had several uses but was best known as an embalming spice. What a strange gift to give. Would someone go to a baby shower and give a coffin? But that, too, was a fitting offering for the Christ child. His life was not to be lived for himself alone, but was to be offered to God as a sacrifice for the many. From the beginning, then, his life was reckoned as belonging to God. What gift have you given to God lately which underscores the dedication of your life to him?
The Wise Men sought the Messiah to offer gifts because they found themselves rich toward God. They recognized that God had an open hand toward men. This also made them have an open heart toward God, as well as toward other people. When we consider the Magi, we find ourselves on a pilgrimage, too.
Have you seen any special stars lately?
The Wise Men, or Magi as they are called, came to find the Christ child. In our church Christmas pageants we usually have them around the manger with the shepherds and angels and Mary and Joseph. But this clearly did not happen. Look at verse 11: "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary ..." They were already in a house, and not in the cattle stall. We do not know exactly how long after the birth the Magi came. It could have been a couple of weeks, or even a year. We simply do not know, but it does not matter. What does matter is that they came.
Epiphany means "manifestation." If we listen closely to the story of the Magi, we will find out what was manifest, or made clear.
I. The Coming Of The Magi Pointed Out God's Open Hand
Have you ever felt like an outsider looking in? Have you ever felt left out, or ignored, or intentionally suppressed? Maybe it was at school where you felt you just weren't one of the "in," group, or perhaps at work where you feel that everyone else is getting recognition and promotions while you get left behind. If you have ever felt this way, then you know how many people of the world felt before the coming of Christ. Think about it. Ancient Israel had been called by God to be a blessing to the whole world by telling everyone about the goodness of God. They were to be a "Light to the Nations." But what happened? The Jews had begun to see themselves as special in their own right, as chosen for blessing rather than as chosen for witness. If the Jews had a monopoly on God, what was everyone to do? There was a tension between the "haves" and the "have nots."
This tension is the background of Matthew 2. The Jews, the "haves," put in an appearance here. They were the ones with the Law, the prophets, the supposed blessing of God. But they were not watching for the coming of the Messiah. Look at verses 4 and 5. The chief priests and teachers of the law knew about the prophecy of Micah about Bethlehem. But the implication is that they were not watching, and that they did not care. That is not so hard to understand, is it? Every one of you owns the most significant book ever written -- the Bible. Yet how many of you read it this week? I do not mean glanced at it enough to allow you to put a check on your Sunday school envelope. I mean really read this old book with the view toward getting something significant out of it? If you can plod along week after week with never a thought of the Scriptures, why can't we see how the people in Palestine twenty centuries ago did virtually the same thing? They grew dull in their diligence and apathetic in their apprehension of truth. The "haves," the ones who were God's chosen, were not on their spiritual guard.
On the other hand, the Magi from the east also make an appearance in this passage. The significance is found in their place of origin and their nationality. They were from non-Jewish lands and of a non-Hebrew nationality. Here were the "have nots," the Gentiles, who were searching for the Messiah. Verse 10 says, "When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." They had seen his star and they wanted to know who he was so they could worship him. People who might not have been expected to come or to care were the very ones who showed up on the doorstep of God's nursery and asked, "Can we rock the baby?"
Do you see what that means? In Christ, God had displayed his open hand to all men and women. Do you know why people shake hands as a sign of greeting? An open hand is a gesture that neither person has a weapon. The hand is open and the person can be trusted. The Magi came to find the Messiah and discovered that God was ready to shake hands with the whole world. God was ready to say, "I have no weapon, no hidden threat, no out-of-sight danger. All I have is my son, a baby in Bethlehem, who will call all men and women to me."
This is pure and simple gospel -- essential good news! God declares his love for us. He promises a cure for our deepest malady, our sin. He states his open acceptance of us. Do you know this acceptance in your own life? It is not too late to find it, you know.
The Magi came to worship the Christ child. It was and is a manifestation of God's open hand. But there is more.
II. The Magi Also Show Humankind's Open Heart
When we sing, "We Three Kings," we might not be accurate. The Magi were learned men, perhaps primitive scientists and astrologers, but probably not kings. What they were is of less importance than what they did. What they did was have an open heart toward God.
You see, they made their pilgrimage for a purpose. They wanted to worship the one they felt was God-in-person, the Messiah. In so doing they displayed an open heart toward God. That was actually the first gift they had for the Christ child -- a recognition of the insurmountable worth of God's son. This is where all genuine religious devotion begins -- in the heart of one who looks up to God and says, "I need you and I choose you." This recognition was the result of waiting and watching, of longing and yearning, of hoping and praying. These Magi had long been on the lookout for the special occurrence which would forever change human life.
There is a key for our faith, too. A general law of the universe is that you usually get what you want, and you find what you are searching for. Thomas Edison wanted to make a new kind of light, so he began experimenting with different kinds of filaments. Thousands of failures later he finally hit upon that right combination of materials and environment to enable his light to work. Madam Curie wanted to learn the mysteries of a newly discovered substance called radium. She and her husband kept working and experimenting until they unlocked the secrets of that luminous mystery.
People who keep trying and working and thinking, regardless of the field, usually succeed. This is true in any field: science, sports, religion, or anything else. When you have a passion for life, a zest for living, an inner force that pushes you ahead, you can achieve your dreams. This is one thing the Magi teach us. They had an open heart toward God that gave them a determination to find the Messiah no matter what. Their journey was by way of express camel, not the most pleasant of treks. No one subsidized the trip. They paid for it themselves. No one gave them a map. They followed the star and their own inner compass. The major thing they had was a recognition that something had happened and whatever it was, they were determined to find out what it was.
That determination judges us. You and I often lack it. We want everything delivered to us on the proverbial silver platter. We have all sorts of things, but seem to lack one thing -- a passionate, open heart toward God. Mark's Gospel tells of a rich young man who came to Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered him, "One thing you lack. Go sell all you have and give the money to the poor and come follow me." What did that young fellow lack? It was this -- a passionate, open heart toward God!
The Magi brought gifts to Christ. There were three gifts, and that gave rise to the speculation that there must have been three wise men. Later legends even assigned names to the men -- Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold was a gift fit for a king. This king had no credentials, no throne, no large group, no army, no crown, nothing by way of worldly goods except a father and mother who wanted every good thing for their little son. But the Magi gave gold as their recognition that here was one worthy of the best. What do you suppose Jesus did with that gold? I'm sure he used it later to support his aging mother. Remember that Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven ..." (Matthew 6:19). What have you given to God lately which is befitting his kingship over your life?
Frankincense was a kind of perfume, an incense which was used in Jewish worship as an offering to God. It was a symbol that the Magi were wise indeed because they recognized that in the baby Jesus, God was somehow involved. What sweet offering have you lifted to God lately which speaks of his Lordship?
Myrrh was a resin substance which had several uses but was best known as an embalming spice. What a strange gift to give. Would someone go to a baby shower and give a coffin? But that, too, was a fitting offering for the Christ child. His life was not to be lived for himself alone, but was to be offered to God as a sacrifice for the many. From the beginning, then, his life was reckoned as belonging to God. What gift have you given to God lately which underscores the dedication of your life to him?
The Wise Men sought the Messiah to offer gifts because they found themselves rich toward God. They recognized that God had an open hand toward men. This also made them have an open heart toward God, as well as toward other people. When we consider the Magi, we find ourselves on a pilgrimage, too.
Have you seen any special stars lately?
