OPENING SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:1-12

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.” (Matthew 2:1-2 NKJ)

• Traditionally, we have assumed for there to be only 3 wise men. Probably because of the 3 gifts presented to Jesus: Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• They were wise men or magi from “the East,” most likely Persia, or modern-day Iran.
• I believe the wise men were familiar with the writings of Daniel during his time in Persia where he served as chief of the magi. Daniel 9 even pinpoints the birth of the Messiah.
• Remember when King Cyrus ended the Babylon exile in 538 BC freeing the Jews to return to go back to their homeland. Many Jews and their families chose to stay behind in Babylon or Persia. And many kept the Jewish traditions and writings.

“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A STAR shall come out of Jacob; A SCEPTER shall rise out of Israel (Numbers 24:17)

• The wise men, were trained astrologers (not the same as our modern day astrologers). They studied the movements of stars.
• They were trained to identify the births of Kings.
• God will use some gentile men, and a star to point to the birth of His Son, the King of all Kings.

This is how relevant this is for our message today! Tomorrow December 21^st at 1:45 pm AKT for about 45 minutes, the star of Bethlehem will shine for the first time since 1226.

• Guided by a star those wise men made a 900 mile journey in search for a King. 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.’” (Matthew 2:3-6 NKJ)

• King Herod along with his entourage of priests and scribes must have been familiar with the scriptures, prophecies, the Word of God. How come they did not know the coming of The Messiah?
• They knew the Word but they were not looking for Him. They knew the Word but they were not looking for the Word, The Messiah.

YOU KNOW THE WORD BY LOOKING FOR THE WORD

• It is one thing to know the word intellectually. But it is another thing to know the word in your spirit and apply it to your life, your thoughts, your emotions.
• WE KNOW GOD BY LOOKING FOR HIM IN THE WORD.
• Jesus said it this way in John 8:31-32

³¹ Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you ABIDE IN MY WORD, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NKJ)

• If you say you believe me, Does my word abide in you? Does my Word dictate your thoughts, your emotions, your actions? Or Are you looking for Me in My Word?
• And then Jesus said: You shall KNOW the truth… and the knowledge of that truth will set you free!
• The Greek word “know” here is “g-nostic”. Where we get the word “prog-nostic”. It is knowledge that is received and then applied.
• It is the application of that knowledge that sets you free.
• It is not enough to say I am not fearful because of my ability to quote 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
• Do my actions, my thoughts, my emotions aligned with this word.

Do you know what motivated those wise men to leave behind their families and friends and embark on this reckless, risky 900 mile journey. It was the word of God.

• They knew it but also had to apply it with actions! They came to worship the WORD!
• The very act of worship is to look for Him

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.” (Matthew 2:7-8 NKJ)

• We know that Herod had no intention of worshipping Jesus.

⁹ After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy (Matthew 2:9-10 NKJ)

• When you look for Him, you are filled with Exceedingly Great Joy

¹¹ They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and WORSHIPED HIM. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 NKJ)

Why are we here? To look for Him. To Worship Him! As we get ready to take communion as an act of worship, I want you to reflect on these 3 nuggets:

Worship Requires Planned Journey

• The Wise Men had to plan this 900 mile journey into the unknown.
• To really worship, you have to leave the place that is familiar.

Worship Requires Entrance

¹¹ They ENTERED THE HOUSE and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and WORSHIPED HIM. (Matthew 2:11 NKJ)

• They entered the house. They could have stayed outside but they made a decision to enter
• “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise.” (Psalm 100:4 NKJ)

Worship Requires Sacrificial Giving

“Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11 NKJ)

• Worship requires sacrificial giving. The greatest gift you can offer Jesus is your life!
• The Wise Men brought gifts
• The Gold: It was the only gift fitting for a King.
• The Frankincense: It was the only gift fitting for a High Priest
• The Myrrh: The only gift fitting for a burial. For a person who is getting to be buried.

CONCLUSION:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to us through this message?