Matthew 2 verses 1 – 12
I want us to think about these men who came to seek after the Lord Jesus, the wise men as make way to Jerusalem then to Bethlehem then into the little home were Mary was. Many things we do not know about these men – only that they were coming from the east. There is a great debate who they were. Some say they were eastern astrologers who made their livelihood from the stars. Others say they were Jewish descendants – they had been carried away to Babylon and many did not return under Cyrus’ reign. We don’t know exactly who they were. We don’t know how many there were in number. There is much said about them here that we need to look at the reason they have come to Bethlehem.
They came with heartfelt conviction for truth. That is why they were there. That is why we read about them in the word of God. They came in search of Jesus Christ. They came to the counsellors of Herod and asked “where is he that is born king of the Jews.” What a conviction they had in their hearts. It was only stirred by God himself. God had placed the star in the sky and that star told these men that a king was born and they must go in search of him. The moment they set off to find this king went with one errand – to search for Jesus Christ. God had given them a glimpse better than anything else in their lives. Only thing in their minds was that they might find Christ the king, the Messiah. Isn’t that a wonderful way to come into God’s house? That the only thing in our hearts and minds is Christ - that we might find him. Have you come with that great conviction today? To set our hearts on fire for Christ? In Acts 17 Paul made his way into the city of Athens. It was a city of learning and culture, a deeply religious city. The people had a tremendous faith. Everyone had their own faith. Paul noticed as he travelled around the city it was given over to idolatry. As Paul searched through that city he found many altars there. It was a sign of their religion. The gods they were sacrificing to were ones made up in their own minds. Paul says it was a religious city but the people still had a conviction there was something more. They had a hunger, a void, emptiness. Paul found an altar with the inscription “to the unknown god.” Paul says I found these people are so superstitious, they are so religious, worshipped every deity but just in case there was one they had never heard of they raised an altar to this one they had never heard of. Paul says let me tell you about this God, the God of heaven who created the heaven and the earth, put the fishes in the sea, the birds in the sky, took an handful of clay and out of it made man, then breathed into him to make him a living soul. He loves us with an everlasting love. This is the God of heaven who gave his son on the cross of Calvary that he might reconcile a lost mankind. That every person would be reconciled back to God and might have a home in heaven. This is the God I want to tell you about. This is the God you worship ignorantly. There are many today for whom the God of heaven is still an unknown God, an unknown Saviour. The wise men came with conviction to find Christ. Let’s not be content with outward religion, intent until we find him the author and finisher of our faith. When Paul had pointed out this altar to the unknown god he said forget about them. Acts 17 verse 27 “seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” Jesus is only a prayer away, he waits for you to invite him into your heart and take away your sins.
They came convinced of his presence. They left their homes and families keen to know the truth, hungry to know the truth, convicted they would find the one they were searching for. That is still true today. If these men were Jews coming down from Babylon they would no doubt have had access to all the ancient transcripts of the word of God. Watching and waiting then one day saw the star. Maybe as they looked up at the star something stirred in their minds. That is what God sometimes does – stirs us through incidents, brings us back to the truth of his word. As these men discussed this star with each other found in their records nothing of this star. Maybe they talked about it to each other then someone came up with the idea “lets get back to the word of God.” When they went back to the book of Numbers and the prophet Balaam they read “I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but now nigh that shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”(Numbers 24 verse 17) Balaam was looking for the Messiah to come, a king, the prince of glory. As men looked at these stars found the truth though God’s word. God sets the example about what we need to do more – study the truth for ourselves. Convicted of the presence of God. Nothing would hold them back. Now going in search of the Lord. Not content until they found and worshipped him. When the angels came down to the hillside and the shepherds they told them about what was happening in Bethlehem. The shepherds thought of what they had heard. Then it says “they came with haste.” (Luke 2 verse 16) They wanted to find him, to rejoice in his presence. That is what you need today. A desire to come into God’s house – “where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18 verse 20) Let’s not be content with outward appearance. Convinced they would find the Messiah, realised in their heart that God was born, wanted to find it for real. We do become familiar with hymns, prayers, outward appearance but to get through to God is a different matter. We need to start to get through to God. Jeremiah 29 verse 13 “ye shall seek me and find me when ye search for me with all your heart.” The wise men left everything to go in search of the Lord. We have to do the same. Think of Jacob when he deceived his father and brother. After that he had to leave his home and go to his uncles house. When on the move to that home he stopped one night for a rest. He made up his bed then he lay down and fell fast asleep. He had a dream in which he could see a ladder going all the way from heaven to earth then God spoke to him in the stillness of the night. Next morning he was getting ready to move and he realised that something had happened to him. “Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not.” (Genesis 28 verse 16) He missed out on the presence of God. Wouldn’t that be awful – to come into God’s house and miss his presence? Maybe begin to think of all he had done to his father and brother, blocked out the presence of God. Maybe began to think of tomorrow. So many things going through his mind. God was in this place and I knew it not. God is in many a situation that we fail to realise. He is in the disappointments. God was in it and I didn’t know it. Wouldn’t it be awful to come into the house of God and go away never knowing his presence in our lives? Paul said to Corinthian church they were to meet together, to come around the Lord’s table, in breaking the bread it reminded them of the body broken for them, the cup reminded them of the blood shed for their sins. Paul says it is possible to live for the present rather than for the God of heaven as a result of partaking in these emblems. As the disciples battled on the sea of Galilee with all the waves battering the boat they felt on their own but the Lord saw them. We maybe are rowing against the tide at this very time. Maybe feel no-one else knows or cares. There is one today who does care and does understand. The wise men were determined to find his presence. Why did they come? Came soul desiring – “we are come to worship him” (verse 2). They never knew their visit would be recorded for generations to come. Didn’t realise that we might be sitting reading about them, thinking about them now so many years later. They came to worship the Lord. Just because you have come into his house to worship him, to feel his presence, maybe countless others will be blessed as a result of what you have done in coming to God’s house. They came to worship not to impress others. Verse 11 “and worshipped him”. Notice what they did. Mary didn’t have a wonderful role in bringing the Lord into the world. They worshipped the baby not her. They opened their treasures. Today are we giving him what is rightfully his? They didn’t come to get but to give to the Lord. Can we say to the Lord “take what I give this morning and use it for the blessing of others?” Will we give our time, tithes, finances, so much to the Lord? Will we ask him to take them and use them for his glory?
Their coming brought a great controversy. Herod was disturbed, his religious order was disturbed as a result. If we come through with God there will be many who will be disturbed as a result. One person - that is all it takes. God asks us to open our treasures to him today. The example they left – how they went away was totally different. Are we living convicted that Christ is here? Is the cause of our coming to worship the Lord?
They came with heartfelt conviction for truth. That is why they were there. That is why we read about them in the word of God. They came in search of Jesus Christ. They came to the counsellors of Herod and asked “where is he that is born king of the Jews.” What a conviction they had in their hearts. It was only stirred by God himself. God had placed the star in the sky and that star told these men that a king was born and they must go in search of him. The moment they set off to find this king went with one errand – to search for Jesus Christ. God had given them a glimpse better than anything else in their lives. Only thing in their minds was that they might find Christ the king, the Messiah. Isn’t that a wonderful way to come into God’s house? That the only thing in our hearts and minds is Christ - that we might find him. Have you come with that great conviction today? To set our hearts on fire for Christ? In Acts 17 Paul made his way into the city of Athens. It was a city of learning and culture, a deeply religious city. The people had a tremendous faith. Everyone had their own faith. Paul noticed as he travelled around the city it was given over to idolatry. As Paul searched through that city he found many altars there. It was a sign of their religion. The gods they were sacrificing to were ones made up in their own minds. Paul says it was a religious city but the people still had a conviction there was something more. They had a hunger, a void, emptiness. Paul found an altar with the inscription “to the unknown god.” Paul says I found these people are so superstitious, they are so religious, worshipped every deity but just in case there was one they had never heard of they raised an altar to this one they had never heard of. Paul says let me tell you about this God, the God of heaven who created the heaven and the earth, put the fishes in the sea, the birds in the sky, took an handful of clay and out of it made man, then breathed into him to make him a living soul. He loves us with an everlasting love. This is the God of heaven who gave his son on the cross of Calvary that he might reconcile a lost mankind. That every person would be reconciled back to God and might have a home in heaven. This is the God I want to tell you about. This is the God you worship ignorantly. There are many today for whom the God of heaven is still an unknown God, an unknown Saviour. The wise men came with conviction to find Christ. Let’s not be content with outward religion, intent until we find him the author and finisher of our faith. When Paul had pointed out this altar to the unknown god he said forget about them. Acts 17 verse 27 “seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he be not far from every one of us.” Jesus is only a prayer away, he waits for you to invite him into your heart and take away your sins.
They came convinced of his presence. They left their homes and families keen to know the truth, hungry to know the truth, convicted they would find the one they were searching for. That is still true today. If these men were Jews coming down from Babylon they would no doubt have had access to all the ancient transcripts of the word of God. Watching and waiting then one day saw the star. Maybe as they looked up at the star something stirred in their minds. That is what God sometimes does – stirs us through incidents, brings us back to the truth of his word. As these men discussed this star with each other found in their records nothing of this star. Maybe they talked about it to each other then someone came up with the idea “lets get back to the word of God.” When they went back to the book of Numbers and the prophet Balaam they read “I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but now nigh that shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”(Numbers 24 verse 17) Balaam was looking for the Messiah to come, a king, the prince of glory. As men looked at these stars found the truth though God’s word. God sets the example about what we need to do more – study the truth for ourselves. Convicted of the presence of God. Nothing would hold them back. Now going in search of the Lord. Not content until they found and worshipped him. When the angels came down to the hillside and the shepherds they told them about what was happening in Bethlehem. The shepherds thought of what they had heard. Then it says “they came with haste.” (Luke 2 verse 16) They wanted to find him, to rejoice in his presence. That is what you need today. A desire to come into God’s house – “where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18 verse 20) Let’s not be content with outward appearance. Convinced they would find the Messiah, realised in their heart that God was born, wanted to find it for real. We do become familiar with hymns, prayers, outward appearance but to get through to God is a different matter. We need to start to get through to God. Jeremiah 29 verse 13 “ye shall seek me and find me when ye search for me with all your heart.” The wise men left everything to go in search of the Lord. We have to do the same. Think of Jacob when he deceived his father and brother. After that he had to leave his home and go to his uncles house. When on the move to that home he stopped one night for a rest. He made up his bed then he lay down and fell fast asleep. He had a dream in which he could see a ladder going all the way from heaven to earth then God spoke to him in the stillness of the night. Next morning he was getting ready to move and he realised that something had happened to him. “Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not.” (Genesis 28 verse 16) He missed out on the presence of God. Wouldn’t that be awful – to come into God’s house and miss his presence? Maybe begin to think of all he had done to his father and brother, blocked out the presence of God. Maybe began to think of tomorrow. So many things going through his mind. God was in this place and I knew it not. God is in many a situation that we fail to realise. He is in the disappointments. God was in it and I didn’t know it. Wouldn’t it be awful to come into the house of God and go away never knowing his presence in our lives? Paul said to Corinthian church they were to meet together, to come around the Lord’s table, in breaking the bread it reminded them of the body broken for them, the cup reminded them of the blood shed for their sins. Paul says it is possible to live for the present rather than for the God of heaven as a result of partaking in these emblems. As the disciples battled on the sea of Galilee with all the waves battering the boat they felt on their own but the Lord saw them. We maybe are rowing against the tide at this very time. Maybe feel no-one else knows or cares. There is one today who does care and does understand. The wise men were determined to find his presence. Why did they come? Came soul desiring – “we are come to worship him” (verse 2). They never knew their visit would be recorded for generations to come. Didn’t realise that we might be sitting reading about them, thinking about them now so many years later. They came to worship the Lord. Just because you have come into his house to worship him, to feel his presence, maybe countless others will be blessed as a result of what you have done in coming to God’s house. They came to worship not to impress others. Verse 11 “and worshipped him”. Notice what they did. Mary didn’t have a wonderful role in bringing the Lord into the world. They worshipped the baby not her. They opened their treasures. Today are we giving him what is rightfully his? They didn’t come to get but to give to the Lord. Can we say to the Lord “take what I give this morning and use it for the blessing of others?” Will we give our time, tithes, finances, so much to the Lord? Will we ask him to take them and use them for his glory?
Their coming brought a great controversy. Herod was disturbed, his religious order was disturbed as a result. If we come through with God there will be many who will be disturbed as a result. One person - that is all it takes. God asks us to open our treasures to him today. The example they left – how they went away was totally different. Are we living convicted that Christ is here? Is the cause of our coming to worship the Lord?
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