Today we will look at the unknown story of the three Wise Men who went to worship Jesus, and the lessons we learn from this story.
We will look at the events that took place through the Gospel of Matthew, where the central point is our worship of the Lord.
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When God became man and the presence of the Lord came to earth, people started appearing to worship Him, because they wanted to be in His presence. So the three Wise Men did:
" Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came Wise Men from the east to Jerusalem," (Matthew 2:1)
The Wise Men visited Him after He was born, not before, and they probably came from Persia. They went first to Jerusalem, and then to Bethlehem.
" Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." (Matthew 2:2)
They didn't know where He was. I'll talk about the star later.
" When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." (Matthew 2:3)
" And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born." (Matthew 2:4)
" And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet," (Matthew 2:5)
" And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel." (Matthew 2:6)
This passage refers to the prophecy of Micah 5:2.
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" Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared." (Matthew 2:7)
Herod called them secretly, because we know that he wanted to kill Jesus, but I believe that he wanted to kill them also, so that there would be no witnesses. Also, the Wise Men came after Jesus' birth, not before. I will show you this later,
" And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also." (Matthew 2:8)
Herod asked them to find the little child, not the infant, and of course he was lying to them that he wanted to beg.
" When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was." (Matthew 2:9)
Here with the star, we see a supernatural phenomenon. The Lord used this phenomenon to guide them. From verses 8-21, Jesus is referred to as a child 9 times, in 14 verses.
" When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." (Matthew 2:10)
" And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)
The Wise Men came to the house and not to the stable.
" And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way." (Matthew 2:12)
There is a treasure of revelations here! We know that the wise men came to worship Jesus.
As I said at the beginning, the central point of today's message is worship. This Christmas story teaches us three very basic things about our worship of the Lord:
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--1. EXPECTATION
The three wise men came to Jesus with an expectation that when they entered the presence of the Great King, something would happen.
Think about this- The journey these wise men made was very long.
From Saveh in Persia, where they are believed to have started, to Bethlehem, along the typical trade routes of the time, was about 2000 km. Caravans usually covered about 30 km. per day. Doing the math, this shows a journey of about 2 months. 2 months to go, and 2 months to return = 4 months of total travel.
Also see some facts about the origins of the three wise men:
They were from the East. They were not Jews, and as the word suggests, they were literally magicians. They practiced magic and astrology, like all magicians of the time. But these particular men were probably godly people, and I will show you why.
First, look at what we read in Daniel:
" Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king." (Daniel 2:2)
We are all born with a need to seek the supernatural. This is also true for those who are not Christians, which is why in many cultures there are witch doctors, mediums, astrologers and horoscopes, because people have this desire for the supernatural.
The king of Moab used Balaam to curse the people of Israel. Balaam was a magician, he cast spells and cursed people. Many theologians believe that Balaam is the father of magicians, and when he came to curse the people of Israel, God stopped him, and Balaam, instead of cursing them, ended up blessing them.
Did you know that Balaam was the first to prophesy about the star of Bethlehem? And it is very likely that the three wise men learned about this star from Balaam:
" I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there 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 24:17)
The Moabites are considered descendants of Moab, son of Lot, and were the inhabitants of the country bounded on the north by Ammon, on the west by the Dead Sea, and on the south by Edom.
Moab was conquered by the Persians, so when the magicians study their history, they go back to Balaam, and what do they see?
From the probable founder of their organization, they see that the God of Israel not only prevents him from cursing Israel, but compels him to bless them. They also see the prophecy that Balaam gave about a star.
Remember also Esther. Persia had conquered the people of Israel and because of the treachery of Haman, a Persian official, there was going to be a complete
genocide of the people of Israel. But God defended them through Mordecai and Queen Esther.
So when the Persians study their history, they discover that once again the God of Israel saved His people.
When Daniel and the people of Israel were enslaved by the Babylonians, Persia came and conquered them. The Persian astrologers and magicians that we read in Daniel 2:2 could not interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, but one Jew could. And that same Jew was saved from the lions’ den (during the reign of Darius). And three other Jews, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, were saved from the fiery furnace that King Nebuchadnezzar had thrown upon them.
So when the Persians read their history, they see
repeatedly the God of the Jews saving His people. And they go back even further, to a prophecy about a star that would point to the coming Messiah (Numbers 24:17).
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---- DANIEL'S 70 WEEKS ----
Now look at a prophecy of Daniel. God's word is awesome! Daniel prophesies that the Messiah will come in 483 years.
" Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." (Daniel 9:25)
Jesus was born 453 years later. Of course there is no mistake in Daniel's prophecy. If we do the math 7+62 weeks = 69 weeks X 7 = 483 - 30 = 453, because Jesus began His ministry when He was 30 years old.
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When the three wise men find Jesus, He must be over 12 months old, because when Herod did his calculations, he comanded all boys 2 years old and under to be killed. This is why I previously emphasized that Jesus is referred to in Matthew as a child and not an infant.
This also means that the three wise men were not in the stable at Jesus' birth, but found Him later:
" And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him ..." (Matthew 2:11)
Consider that the story of this Messiah has been around for centuries, and these Persian Magi traveled 2000 kilometers to come into His presence, to worship Him and bow down to Him!
And I ask everyone: If these Magi made such an effort to be in His presence, how much more so would we, who do not have to make such a long journey?
The Magi knew this and were looking forward to it. All of us should have this excitement and anticipation in our hearts when it comes to entering the presence of the Lord, especially when it is done in fellowship with brothers:
" For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)
--2. EXPRESSIVE WORSHIP
" When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." (Matthew 2:10)
" And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)
I would like us to pay attention to the words Matthew uses in his description. He does not say that they simply rejoiced, but that
" ...they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." (Matthew 2:10)
In other words, Matthew wants to show us how intensely they expressed their worship of Jesus. When we worship the Lord we rejoice, we lift up our hands, we may sing or even dance in His presence!
See what else they did:
" ...and fell down, and worshipped Him..." (Matthew 2:11)
Can you imagine the power of the word "fall" in this scene where the three wise men fall to worship the Lord? They literally fell down and worshiped the Savior of the world! I believe that's how the walls of Jericho fell!
These three wise men enter a house, see a little child, and falling violently to the ground, they bow down and literally collapse in His presence. And don't forget, these were not just ordinary people. They were prominent, educated, and wealthy men, what we would call intellectuals of that time. And they collapsed before a child!
~ You know, it would do us a lot of good if we too came with such broken hearts before the Lord every now and then! ~
There will come a day when every rich, every powerful and famous, every atheist, every doctor and intellectual, will fall down in His presence like this:
" Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:" (Philippians 2:9)
" That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;" (Philippians 2:10)
" And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:11)
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Here are some typical Biblical examples of such expressive worship:
" ... O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." (Psalms 47:1)
" O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation." (Psalms 95:1)
" O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." (Psalms 95:6)
" Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD." (Psalms 134:2)
These are Biblical ways to express our worship to the Lord. I believe some of you grew up in churches where during worship you stood still with a hymnbook in your hand, and most of the time it seemed boring. And then you go to another church, where people are singing, dancing, raising their hands, some crying, some laughing, and some kneeling in the presence of the Lord.
The reason I say this is because
" Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
~ This means that during worship we have the freedom to express our love and worship to the Lord as His Spirit leads us, and do not be surprised if you see some even kneeling or falling in His presence. ~
When you kneel in the presence of the Lord, something happens, something changes within you that makes you never want to go back to the "traditional" way of worship you were taught, because that is how you learn what it really means to express your love for God and not care at all what others say!
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-- 3. WORSHIP WITHOUT LIMITS
" And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)
These gifts which they offered unto the Lord had a prophetic significance, which they themselves probably did not know.
The gold represents the kingdom, the frankincense represents the divinity, as when our prayers ascend unto the Lord as incense, and the myrrh, represents the human side of Jesus.
~ King, God, and man ~
Myrrh was used to anoint the body of a dead man. Jesus was not anointed with myrrh in the tomb, because when they went to find Him the tomb was empty, because He had risen. But the Lord was anointed with myrrh beforehand:
" Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper," (Matthew 26:6)
" There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat." (Matthew 26:7)
" When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me." (Matthew 26:10)
" For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always." (Matthew 26:11)
" For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial." (Matthew 26:12)
The reason the three wise men brought these three gifts is that they were the best that Persia had to offer. Persia was famous for its gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
My question is this: If the three wise men brought the best they had to the Lord, what do we offer Him when we come into His presence? Do we bring the best we have when we come to worship Him?
I confess, and I speak for myself first, that I don’t always do that. In worship I don’t always give Him my best. Sometimes I might think of something else, something might take my attention away from Him, the worship ends, and I’m still absorbed in my thoughts.
So the three wise men brought the best they had, and then they say a phrase that many people don't pay attention to and don't realize what it really means:
" ...and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures..." (Matthew 2:11)
When caravans traveled at that time, they made sure to have enough supplies of food and money, so that if something unforeseen happened, they would have enough to get by until they returned home. If the trip, for example, lasted 2 months to go and 2 months to return, that is, for a total trip of 4 months, they made sure to have supplies with them for twice that time, that is, for 8 months. It was a safeguard.
I also believe that the three wise men did not travel alone. I believe that for such a trip they must have had an entire caravan with them, if we consider the length of their trip and the dangers such a trip involved.
They might have fallen into famine, or into robbers, so they hid some of their money, and in this particular case, they carried gold with them for at least 8 months of travel. That was their treasure. And in the verse we read it says that they opened their treasures and offered Him.
This is how we should worship. And here I will emphasize the following: We should never separate worship from giving. It is something we find in many places in the Scriptures. When people worshiped the Lord, they always gave, an offering, a sacrifice. If you really want to go to another level in your worship, you must also go to another level in giving, and I mean in your tithing and offerings. And I have explained in a previous message, especially about tithing, that if you do not tithe, that is, if you do not give back to God what belongs to Him, you open a door for the devil, who, like a thief, will come and steal from you in multiples!
~ So this is the third lesson we learn from the 3 wise men. Worship without restrictions and without limits! ~
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Watch something else we see in their story. Do you remember that they first went to Jerusalem and asked where the one who had been born king of the Jews was? And this, because they assumed that he would be born in Jerusalem. So they had to study the Scriptures, and they saw that it said that he would be born in Bethlehem:
" But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2)
But they didn't know the exact location. But look at what it says in verse 12:
" And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way." (Matthew 2:12)
This revelation comes AFTER they worshipped Jesus.
I hope you will never forget what I'm about to tell you here! Because that's what happens when you enter the presence of God, and that's how your life will change!
~~ Before the wise men worshipped Jesus, before they entered His presence, they had to go to other people to understand what the Scriptures said. But when they entered His presence, God spoke to them directly! ~~
It's one of the most awesome things I've ever read in the Scriptures! If you don't worship the Lord, you should always ask someone else to explain the Scriptures to you.
"What does this mean?"
"What does the Lord mean by what He says here?"
But when you make it a habit to enter the Lord's presence with worship and thanksgiving, God will begin to speak directly to you!
Amen!
