December Sermon Series: What Child is This

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December Sermon Series: What Child is This? Message #2: Wise

Getting the Nod

Skit: What Child is This… Wise!

The wisemen were not fools!! The wise men make their appearance in Matthew's gospel account of the Christmas story. From the start of chapter two, we are introduced to these men and discover some details about their origins and intentions. As we understand who these wise men were, we can begin to see a reflection of some of their attributes found in the life of Jesus. Let us allow their lives to help us understand "what child is this." NKJV | Mt 2:1-10 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, 2 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.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Here’s what we simplistically know about the Wisemen… •

They came from the east. Where at in the east? The usual answer is from Persia… which is believed to be modern day Iran. They are identified with Zoroastrian astrologers and philosophers known to be active in Persia from the sixth century BC. The term “magi” is derived from the Greek magos which in turn was derived from the Persian term for the philosopher-astrologer-priests.

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They came generously bearing gifts. This is a fulfilled prophesy by Isaiah in chapter 60:1-6. Why these gifts? The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. This dates back to the writings of Origen in his rebuttal to the pagan philosopher who denounced Christianity. “Contra Celsum” which means “AGAINST CELSUS”: "In this document by Origen he writes the purposes of the three gifts as early Christians knew… gold, as given to a king; / Myrrh, which was an embalming oil to one who was mortal; and frankincense, given as incense toward a God."

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Because of the star, they came seeking the newly born King of the Jews. When they spoke to Herod, the wisemen called the star… “HIS STAR”… a possessive tone that denotes ownership of a supernatural being… not just a random star.

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They came to worship the Child. The word for “worship” here is proskuneo which literally means “To kiss the hand of the one we reverence; to fall on one’s knees and touch their foreheads to the ground in recognition and respect to God.”

Transition: The wisemen came in response to the GENEROSITY OF GOD’S GIFT TO MANKIND!! But how does this band of scholars impact and ignite the wonderful story of Christmas?

How does

this answer the question, “What Child is this?” What’s God’s Take on This? How Do the Wise Men Ignite the Story of Christ’s Birth? Here’s what the wisemen found out… 1. Jesus is the One who would give the ultimate gift. •

The one’s bearing gifts were the one’s who received the greatest gift!

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The Christmas Child gave us the greatest gift. NKJV | Ga 1:3-5 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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Gold is often what people seek; but God is what we need!

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The gift was given from God’s heart of love for us! NKJV | 1 Jn 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

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And the gift was more than an offering of a possession… it paid a debt we could not pay! NKJV | Mk 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

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Illustration of a Million Dollar Water Bill: Utility bills can cause unwelcome surprises from time to time, but "unwelcome" might be a less sufficient description for one man than "impossible." Kieran Healy of Raleigh, North Carolina received notification of his upcoming water bill recently, which at first appeared normal with a $189.92 charge. But then he saw the additional service charge, which tacked on an additional $99,999,999 to the bill. Apparently confident that he hadn't used that much water the previous month, Healy jokingly asked his water provider on Twitter if he could make installment payments on the balance. The company issued a hurried apology, citing an error in the software of a third-party company that helps send out payment reminders. The idea of a $100,000,000 debt might be difficult to grasp for many people due to its size. Yet, compared to the debt paid by Jesus Christ on our behalf, $100,000,000 simply seems inconsequential.

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"He paid a debt He did not owe, and I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away… And now I sing a brand-new song, Amazing Grace! He is the ultimate Gift!!!

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2. Jesus is the One who came with transforming generosity. •

There’s Proof of God’s Generosity in this Journey: o o

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The Gift of the Star. The reason why the wisemen found Jesus was because the star was a generous gift from heaven! The Gift of the Stories from Daniel. Another reason why these wisemen found Jesus was because of the generosity of God’s servant Daniel and his story of Jehovah in his Babylonian exile. The Gift of the Exile. If it hadn’t been for the Jews being exiled to Babylon… Daniel wouldn’t have been there to tell his stories of the Messiah!!!

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Now John 3:16 carries more meaning in the Christmas Story: NKJV | Jn 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

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Salvation never starts with us giving something to God… He first gave Himself to us! God gave us His orchestration of the star… the story-teller… and the circumstances!

3. Jesus also came to seek something. •

The wise men were Gentiles who received revelation through the bright star and came to Jerusalem eagerly seeking the newborn King of the Jews. They likely were asking everyone they met about the Christ child.

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The wisemen weren’t the only ones seeking in the story. The Baby came to seek also…

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NLT | Lk 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

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The Greek word for “seek” is zeteo and not only shows a seeking… but also a determined finding. God was not just sending His Son to make Himself available... He was sending Him for the purpose of rescuing.

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Illustration of the First Helicopter of Katrina: On August 30, 2005 Coast Guard Lieutenant Iain McConnell was ordered to fly his H46 helicopter to New Orleans and to keep that machine flying around the clock for what would turn out to be a heroic rescue effort. None of his crew were prepared for what they were about to see. They were ahead of every news crew in the nation. The entire city of New Orleans was under water. On their first three missions that day they saved 89 people, three dogs and two cats. They flew 12 missions that day, but the urgency of the rescue was imperative. They were literally the only option to survive for many. Some chose not to be rescued to stay with their house… and many of them died. Jesus is urgently seeking those who desire being rescued from their sin and from damnation.

4. Jesus is the One worthy of worship by all people. •

Although the wise men likely were not present the night Jesus was born, they now were standing in his presence with his mother close. And they were overwhelmed with emotion as they fell on their faces and worshiped Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

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These Gentile wise men worshiped this Jewish king of kings who came as the promised Savior of the whole world. They knew that this child in the manger was the Messiah and king of both Jews and Gentiles alike. Simeon Knew: NLT | Lk 2:30-32 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

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The Great Commission tells us of His authority: NKJV | Mt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

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The first habit we have at Christmas is not to count the days… but to lift our hands in praise.

Transition: What are the takeaways? Takeaways 1. 2. 3. 4.

Treasure the Gift Be thankful for His generosity Let yourself be found Make worship our default action

Transition: I close with this… Drawing the Net Final Illustration of Life-Saving Punctuation: In Russia, a period actually saved a man's life. The Czar had condemned the man to death and sent this telegram to the jailer: PARDON IMPOSSIBLE. TO BE EXECUTED. The Czarina, who felt sympathetic toward the prisoner, intercepted the note and changed the punctuation as follows: PARDON. IMPOSSIBLE TO BE EXECUTED. The jailer released the prisoner and he fled the country before the Czar discovered what had happened. From Daniel Habben's Sermon "How Do YOU Punctuate Your Advent?"

Let us each place our period in its proper place… The greatest gift at Christmas… is Christmas. Period.