Matthew 2:1-2 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, saying,
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star
in the East and have come to worship Him.”
This last Sunday, Pastor
Obie preached a sermon message on the famous “Wise Men” of Christmas. Pastor
began by explaining and clearing up three misconceptions about these wise men.
First, they did not find Jesus in a manger. They arrive much later, after His
birth. Matthew 2:11 plainly states: when they had come into the
house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and
worshiped Him. Joseph and Mary were now living in a house and Jesus was now a young
child. Secondly, there were not just three wise men. The number three has been
attributed to the three gifts given, but this was actually a large caravan of
dignitaries, servants and supplies from the Parthian Empire (formerly Babylon).
Third, They were not kings, but Magi – an elite and powerful class of
government officials that were kingmakers and studied the stars. They learned
of the promised Messiah (the coming king of the Jews) from Daniel. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had elevated God's
servant Daniel to the ranks of the great in Babylon. He
made Daniel a ruler, an official of great power over his
kingdom. This promotion made Daniel the chief or
lord over all the other wise men (magi) of Babylon. The Magi learned
of the messianic prophesies, including the star as a sign of the Messiah’s
arrival, from Daniel.
Luke 2:9 And behold,
an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were greatly afraid.
Pastor Obie then gave us two
lessons from the Star of Bethlehem. (1) See the star. The Wise Men were aware, looking
for and saw the “His” star. They recognized the sign of the Star of Bethlehem. Romans 1:19-20 tells us, “what may be known of God is manifest in
[mankind], for God has shown it to them. For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power
and Godhead.” Creator God is working all around us to lead us to Him
through Jesus. It is not coincidence, but Divine Providence at work in the
world and in our lives. See it.
Philippians 2:14-15 “Do
all things without complaining and disputing, that you may
become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst
of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in
the world.”
(2) Seek the star. Jesus is
the star. Seeking and following the star requires mindful and organized actions
and sacrifice. Worthy is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,
so make it a priority to seek Jesus. Greater commitments in life cost because
our life demonstrates God. To follow the Lord means to do what the Lord wants
us to do. Shine your light of Christ and show God’s love. Become like the star,
leading to Jesus, who changes lives.
Let’s continue Pastor Obie’s
message on the Greatest gift in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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