Christmas time’s a coming….Christmas time’s a coming…..
This season stirs up different emotions and memories for many of us. Some are joyful and some may be painful. Regardless of this, Christmas should be a remarkable time for Christians. It should remind us of the most wonderful gift ever given, God’s son given to us. Churches all over the world will soon be having Christmas programs. Many of these plays will show our idea of the classic Christmas story. By classic, I mean that people will see Mary and Joseph in a manger with little baby Jesus. There may be some sheep and cattle, shepherds being greeted by angles, and of course the three wise men.
These wise men are a great topic of discussion this time of year. This is possibly because they were unusual and we know very little about them. We don’t know their names; we don’t know exactly where they came from…and this may surprise some people, but we don’t know how many of them there actually were or how old Jesus was when they found Him. The Bible tells us that they were wise men who came from east. Some assume that there were three because they brought three gifts but two could have given these gifts just as easily as three or thirty-three. The Bible also tells us that when they found Him, He was a young child and he was in a house, not a manger. He could have been a few months old or even a couple of years old…we just don’t know for sure. The fact that we don’t know is very important. The Bible is God’s Holy and inspired Word. He has put everything that we need to know, and everything that He wants us to know right there for us to see. Here is what we should see about these wise men:
First, we should see the importance of Jesus. These men left all that they had to find Him. They left their homes, friends, and security behind just to see this newborn king.
Secondly, we should notice their labor. As I stated above, we don’t know exactly where they came from but we can come to the conclusion that it was a great distance. This was not an easy journey. They did not have the easy convenience of automobiles. There were no fast food restaurants or Motel 6’s along the way. It was also a dangerous trip for odd looking men with very valuable possessions. We know that they were drawing a lot of attention because Matthew 2:3 tells us that even Harod the king had heard about them. This shows their true devotion to their labor to find Jesus.
And finally, we should notice the gifts that they gave. These men brought gifts to Jesus. Let me say that again…They brought gifts to Him. Think about that for a moment…this is remarkable! You see, there have been other people who have left all that they had to follow Jesus. Some have labored long and hard and shown great devotion to Jesus but more times than not, they have done these things to receive a gift from Him. These men however, did all this not to receive but to give. The Bible tells us that it is better to give than to receive. I guess these really were wise men. How about you? What are you willing to leave behind for Jesus? How far are you willing to go to be with Him? Are you worshiping the King of Kings in order to get something from Him or simply because He deserves it?
Merry Christmas and God bless,
Pastor Jason (PJ)