These men of the East, these Magi, are still a mystery. The Gospels do not say that there were three. There may have been two – there may have been a dozen. The traditional listing of three men comes from a story composed hundreds of years later. But more and more, scholars believe that the wise men of the East were members of a group of philosophers, theologians, and scientists from Babylon that were descended from the Jews of the Exile, perhaps even from Daniel and his friends who lived in Babylon a half-millennium earlier. Others believe that they may have been from Persia (modern Iran) or even from the part of India that today is known as Pakistan.
Whoever they were, they certainly planned their journey well. An overland journey from the East would have taken months, if not years. This group of men left with good preparations. Let’s see what they did. Let's see how we can learn from them.
First of all, they apparently left home when the star appeared. They must have expected this star – and there are clues in the Book of Daniel which allow a calculation of when the star might appear, so they could have been prepared. Reading between the lines of Matthew’s account, we see that the star must have appeared up to two years before the Magi arrived to visit the Holy Family in Bethlehem. Judging from Herod’s reaction, when he sent his soldiers to kill all male children under two years of age, the Magi told Herod that the star had appeared about somewhat less than two years earlier.
Please note that there is nothing in the Bible which says that the Magi appeared on Christmas Night, or even the same year that the child was born. We know that Jesus was circumcised 8 days after his birth, and then taken to the Temple about 40 days after his birth. We know that the family then returned to Nazareth, but came back to Jerusalem each year for the feasts. Since Bethlehem is about six miles from Jerusalem, the family could have been staying with friends or relatives during one of these feasts when the Magi arrived, especially since the text tells us that the Magi came into the “house” where Mary and the child were.
But this is less important than the other preparations that the Magi made for their journey.
Their second preparation was to study the scriptures carefully. This was probably the reason that they left home in the first place, having read Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” The Magi undoubtedly brought these scriptures with them on their journey so they could refer to them time and again. The desert caravan trails have little for entertainment – reading and re-reading scriptures would have been their daily and nightly habits.
And their third preparation was in their choice of gifts. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The first two are mentioned in Isaiah 60:6 as being brought from Sheba to the Messiah.
Gold was a gift that you brought a king. With gold, a king could hire soldiers, outfit an army, and buy food for that army. With gold, the Magi were saying that the child would be a king.
Frankincense was a gift you brought to a high priest, who would burn it to a god. Incense was burnt in almost every temple of ancient times. It was costly, found only in the dried sap and resin of certain trees that grow on the Indian Ocean coast of what is today Oman and Yemen, the land of the Queen of Sheba. The incense was burnt and a sweet fragrance wafted up to heaven. Incense was a gift only appropriate for a god or a high priest who made intercession for people to God. With frankincense, the Magi were saying that the child would be a high priest.
Myrrh was a special gift. This embalming spice was used by the morticians of ancient times to coat the bodies of the dead, to cover the odors of death. Myrrh was also seen as an offering that was given to the supernatural beings that took the dead spirit of a dead person to their final resting place in heaven or in the underworld. Myrrh was the gift given to the One who had power over death. With myrrh, the Magi were saying that the child was a god. And since the Magi were Jewish scholars, they were saying that the child was THE GOD, Yahweh, the great I AM THAT I AM who had led the people of Israel out of Egypt, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the Jewish Scriptures.
And so, the Magi were well prepared. They may not have been sure whether the Messiah of Israel would be a king, a priest, or a god, but they were prepared. They were ready to meet Messiah, the Savior, the Christ.
And when they met the child Jesus and Mary, they bowed down and worshiped Him and presented all three of their gifts, for they recognized that Jesus would indeed become the King of all the earth, that Jesus was not only the high priest, but God Himself on earth, and that Jesus holds power over death.
Echoes of the Past
But God had intervened even here. Echoes of the past resound throughout this episode.In 1 Kings 10, a special ruler from the East, the Queen of Sheba, had come to meet Solomon, the King of Israel. She brought gold and spices. The depth of Solomon’s wisdom astounded her. These Magi were so astounded by the Babe, they worshiped Him, the new King of the Jews. They were echoing the journey of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon. A Jewish reader of the time would have recognized in Matthew’s story the reflections of this journey from Sheba to Solomon, and would have recognized the wisdom that would be found in the Child.
And as mentioned in Isaiah 39, King Hezekiah, a good, but prideful king of Judea at the time of Isaiah, had shown Babylonian representatives his stores of gold and spices, treasures that inspired them to return a few years later to defeat and plunder Jerusalem, taking away the gold and spices to Babylon, where a few years later Daniel would observe the King of Babylon and his friends drinking from golden cups looted from Solomon’s Temple. On this night, the Magi returned some of the loot to Bethlehem, to the city of David, to the rightful king of Israel, the infant Jesus. God’s justice had prevailed. Bethlehem and Jerusalem were regaining their rightful place in the world. And it was because of the Child who had been born.
At this point, I’d like you to think a bit about Mary and Joseph. Joseph isn’t recorded as being present during the visit. Perhaps he was working; perhaps he was making a sacrifice or prayer at the Temple a few miles away in Jerusalem. But he wasn’t there that day.
Mary’s memory of the visit of the angel Gabriel had probably slipped to the back of her mind. Events – even extraordinary events – tend to do that as the ordinary cares of life take over our days. For example, when I call your attention to it, you remember when you first encountered Jesus, when you first made a commitment of faith. But most days, you forget about it.
Mary had spent months feeding and tending to the needs of the child. She probably spent many hours just looking at him, playing with him, and cleaning, cooking, and doing all those things which ordinary mothers do. And then comes a knock at the door and someone tells her: “There are several wealthy-looking men here to see your child.” Would she have been startled – or frightened?
And then they met her and the child and they worshiped her child as God. It must have all come rushing back, the memories of the angel, the stories Joseph had told her of his dreams, the time spent with Elizabeth, the long ride to Bethlehem when she was very, very pregnant, and the visit of the shepherds that night in the stable and their report of angels when she was so-o-o-o exhausted. And the wonder came back. After all, her child WAS fathered by the Holy Spirit and so was divine, godly.
And now, they were opening chests and presenting the chests to Him and to her. Gold, more gold than she had ever thought could exist. Sticks and beads of frankincense, a wonderful smell filled the room. And the dark myrrh, ominous in its smell that reminded her of the funerals she’d attended. And the talk of the strangers, in a strange accent, telling her that she held the Savior of Israel in her hands, the Son of God. It must have been overwhelming. What would you have done?
The strangers leave. A while later, Joseph comes home. “I’m home, Mary! Anything interesting happen while I was out?”
And she tries to explain. She shows him the presents, she tries to explain what they said, how they looked, who they were. He asks many questions. And she stayed awake long into the night, thinking about the visit and what it meant.
Have you traveled a distance in your life looking for someone or something you could worship? Have you tried different philosophies, different religions, different ways of living? Perhaps you have and didn’t realize it.
Have you tried finding happiness by earning money, trying to find happiness in your job, in your spouse, in your home, in your hobbies? Have you tried to find happiness in chemicals, in movies, in the newest toys, in books, in sports, in children, in the people you’ve dated? Have you tried collecting things, reading about far away places, about ancient ideas? Can't it be fairly said that you worship that which you spend your time on, your focus upon, your creativity for? But all these things ultimately don't bring happiness, do they? Who shall we worship?
The Magi traveled a very long way to find the One that they could worship. But they planned for a successful journey before they began. They started early, traveling on camels to speed their journey; they studied the writings of wise men, reading scripture; and they brought gifts. Perhaps you already have found Jesus, the One that you can worship. You have found Him – but are you truly ready to worship Him?
Planning for Success
Consider these lessons of the Magi. Plan for a successful journey in your life.Start early. As soon as you see Jesus – or now, if you’ve already seen Jesus, start walking closer to Him. Don’t gaze at Him from a distance of thousands of miles. Do what you can to speed your journey. Find your camel - a Bible study, a way to work in a mission, a ministry. Move from outside the church to the entrance of the church to the back of the church, then to the front of the church to get closer to Jesus.
Spend plenty of time studying the scriptures, the collection of writings we call the Bible. It is through the scriptures that we get to know the character of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. That is how we will know when we are getting close to Jesus – by comparing our spiritual position with the Holy Persons we find described in the Bible. The more scripture we read, the more we get to know God, Christ, and Holy Spirit, in the same way that watching years of a television series helps us to understand the leading characters on the series, such as why Jethro Gibbs of NCIS is so strait-laced, why Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory is so weird, why Tom Barnaby of Midsummer Murders doesn’t like to eat at home, why Andy never trusts Barney with more than one bullet. Reading scripture helps us understand just how much God loves us, as well as what God wants from us. If these stories from the Old Testament are new to you, you might want to begin with the Book of Joshua.
The third lesson of the Magi is to bring gifts. You have gifts with you. Some of you have the gift of teaching. Some of you have the gift of organizing. Some have the gift of music, or of the other arts. Some can write, some can administer, some are carpenters or electricians, some have the gift of being able to listen and respond in wisdom, some have the gift of generosity, the ability to give generously to the support of the church and individuals, and some have the gift of being able to discern good from evil. Bring these gifts. The Body of Christ can use all gifts – offer your gifts to Jesus.
The Magi brought five gifts that night.
Five?
Yes, five gifts.
Just as the Magi did when they brought their gold, you should be looking for a righteous king, a king who will fight battles for you, battles against sin in your life, someone to give your allegiance to, someone you can trust as a leader, someone you can trust to care about you and to do the right thing – all the time. We cannot always trust our earthly leaders, but we can trust Jesus as our king, the king to whom we owe allegiance and trust. Bring that Jesus the King your allegiance and trust in his leadership and guidance.Just as the Magi did with their frankincense, you should be looking for a high priest, who can make things right between yourself and the Creator of the Universe because He loves you, who can help you understand the way the Universe was designed to operate and to help you get in a proper relationship with that Creator. For it is only in following the rules of the Universe – both physical and spiritual – that we can live at peace in the Universe. Jesus is that high priest. Bring that Jesus the High Priest your sacrifices which show your love.
Just as the Magi did with their gift of myrrh, you should be looking for someone who can help you navigate the waters of death when it comes, for none of us mortals leaves this world alive. We need help when we die, so that we will live eternally in a land with our good King – otherwise we may wander for eternity, no better off than we have been in this life. Jesus tells us that He holds the keys to life and death. Myrrh is the gift of faith given to Jesus. He claimed to be God walking upon the earth while He taught – and His resurrection proved this. Bring God the Son, Jesus the Christ your faith that He has the power to help us even through the passage from this life to the next.
And just as the Magi did, bring your fourth gift and leave it at Jesus’ feet. That is the gift of worship, which is the gift of complete trust. The Magi bowed to demonstrate that this small child, this little baby, was more powerful and wise than they were, the “wise men of the East”. Bow down before Jesus, accepting that there are things you cannot do without His help. Have you ever noticed that only a handful of people come to the altar rail, even in times when it is safe? - yet they are those very people who are known among us as the more godly, the wise, our leaders in the faith? Perhaps they come to the altar because they have truly begun to worship Jesus. And here is a secret – the more you worship, the more you CAN worship. Worship Jesus as the One who can do all things, the One who will not break your trust, the One who is God walking upon the earth.
The fifth Gift that the Magi brought was an indirect gift. They gave the gift to Jesus, but they gave the gift through Mary. The fifth gift they brought was the gift of assurance. Their very presence assured Mary that her journey was not alone. Their very presence and worship assured Mary that she was sane, wonderfully sane in her wondrous encounter with the angel Gabriel. The very presence of the three solid gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were something that she could go to, anytime, whenever she was beginning to wonder if the miraculous events in her life were real, she could go and open up the three chests and see the gold, smell the frankincense, and touch the myrrh. And because of that assurance that Mary had, she was able over the coming years and decades to properly raise the Son of God, to KNOW that He was special, to teach Him all she knew of the ways of God and mankind.
We have all had times when we felt God was speaking directly to us, but we questioned this because our culture denies the very existence of a God that cares about us individually. If we hear the voice of God, our culture tells us we need therapy, while the Bible tells us we have been blessed. And so we need to assure one another, helping each other to know when the voice of God is real – and when we truly need professional help.
This past Christmas morning, the Nashville police received a 911 call about “shots fired” in the old downtown area. A half dozen policemen rushed to the area, to find an RV, a “mini-Winnie” as they are called, playing music and stopping from time to time to announce that the RV contained a bomb and it was going to explode in a few minutes. It would count down a bit and then begin playing music again.
Officer James Wells began knocking on doors and urging people to leave immediately. He walked back to his car and pulled it a bit farther from the RV to keep it safe. He then began to walk toward the RV. And Wells said he suddenly heard “the voice of God” telling him to turn around and check on another officer, Amanda Topping, who was by herself. He said, “It felt like I only took three steps” and the music stopped. The NPR report tells the rest…
"I just see orange," Wells recalled. "And then I hear a loud boom. And as I'm stumbling — 'cuz it rocked me that hard — I start stumbling, I just tell myself to stay on your feet, stay alive."
He credits his survival to the voice of God in his head. "That's what saved my life," Wells said. "That's what got me to see my kids and my wife on Christmas. 'Good to see you' has a completely different meaning to me now."
You can bring that fifth Gift of assurance to someone else. Today. You can reach out to someone else and tell them – “I also believe”. You can listen to another person tell of God’s miracles and you can tell them, “I believe you. Let me tell you my God-story.”
Assurance. That’s the fifth gift that the Magi brought Mary. And assurance was the Christmas present that the Holy Spirit brought Officer Wells last week. Assurance is the gift that you bring and you receive when you share God-stories with your fellow Christians. Assurance was what John Wesley, the founder of Methodism received when he heard Martin Luther’s Preface to the Book of Romans read on Aldersgate Street in London one evening.
Gold. frankincense, myrrh, worship, assurance. Five gifts. Gold for leadership and guidance. Frankincense for intercession with God, myrrh for faith in resurrection, worship for absolute trust, assurance for our sanity.
And together, you both can tell the skeptic what you have seen and experienced, and show them the gold in your lives where your King has fought for you, the gold that is called the “defeat of sin”, the frankincense in your lives where your High Priest has intervened for you, the frankincense that is called “love”, and the myrrh in your lives which your Christ will use to defeat death for you, the myrrh that is called “faith”. Show the worship that expresses your complete trust, and the assurance that puts your sanity on the solid rock of Christ.
Jesus left those gifts that He was given with us when He returned to the Father. The sin-fighting gold that the Magi brought still circulates among us – perhaps some of it is in a piece of jewelry you wear, perhaps a wedding band? The smell of the frankincense, much diluted, still blows in the love of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Wind of God. The myrrh still helps people transfer from this life into the next life through faith. The worship has grown to many millions of people, and the assurance has provided the stability required to walk into the future despite those who challenge our beliefs and facts.
And as you grow in the Lord, be prepared to give the gifts of leadership, intercession, faith, worship, and assurance to others, that they might also know and bow before the Babe of Bethlehem, the King of Kings of this world, Jesus the Christ.
Prayer
Let us pray:God of the Universe, teach us to speak on Your behalf. Give us the people to speak to, the words to say, and fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we may speak with gentleness and grace, leading people to Your Son, Jesus, sharing His guidance, praying to Him, looking expectantly to eternal life, worshiping our God, and being assured of the Truth. This we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Jesus left us another two other gifts. He left us the gifts of bread – which is his broken body – and of wine – which is his shed blood. These gifts are available to all who would accept them – the gift of your King’s protection, the gift of your High Priest’s love, the gift of your God’s faith and eternal life – the gift of physical and spirit food, the gift of physical and spiritual drink. Will you accept these gifts from your King, your high Priest, your God?
Song: We Three Kings
Benediction
May the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit shine upon you. And may you be the hands and voice of Jesus in this world as you go forth to do good and speak the Gospel. Be blessed each day! Amen.Closing Song: Star of Bethlehem
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