Matthew 2:1-12
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from
the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Getting to Know Jesus: An Introduction to the Saviour of the Nations
Imagine an empty stage in a dark theatre. When you walked in the lights were up, people were chatting, but now everyone is in their seats waiting silently for the first scene to begin.
A single spotlight shines on a lone figure in the middle of the stage. If you tried, you might be able to see the shadowy forms of the scenery in the darkness behind him, but the focus is crystal clear. All the director wants you to focus on is who this character is, and why you should care about him.
That’s really what the season of Epiphany is all about. It’s about shining a spotlight on Jesus and getting to know who this man is and what he came to do. And the festival of Epiphany, which we’re celebrating today, is like the opening scene of the first act. Here is your introduction to God’s Son who was revealed to the Magi by a star, who is revealed to the world in Scripture, and who is revealed to you as your Saviour.
We just read the story of the Magi from Matthew’s gospel. He tells us that after Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”[1]
The Magi were a group of scholars and advisors to the king. We don’t know exactly where these Magi come from, but we have seen them in Scripture before. Daniel was one of the Magi back when the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon. Actually, Daniel wasn’t just one of the Magi, he was their leader. He was so wise that he was the lead advisor to the king in Babylon, which might help to explain why centuries later these foreigners would have any knowledge of or interest in the birth of the king of the Jews.
The star they saw wasn’t like the “Christmas star” we saw this year when Saturn and Jupiter converged. What the Magi saw wasn’t a planetary convergence, a comet, a meteor or anything else you could point a telescope at. It was miraculous.
It appeared out nowhere, disappeared for a while, and then reappeared sometime later. At first it moved from East to West but later it moved from North to South. It was even so precise that it could single out the exact house in Bethlehem where the baby Jesus was staying. No star, planet or anything in the night sky could do any of those things. This was entirely new and supernatural, but, more importantly, it came with a purpose – to point the Magi to the newborn King.
Now, there are still a lot of questions about this story. What did the star look like? How did they know what it meant? Why did nobody else follow it? God doesn’t answer those questions for us, because, frankly, they don’t matter. The star that brought the Magi to Jesus was like a spotlight that shines on a stage. You’re not supposed to wonder how many lumens are in that light or where it’s hanging or who is at the controls. It’s just a tool to focus your attention where it belongs – on the Christ promised in Scripture.
And that brings us to our second point. Jesus was revealed to the Magi by a star – this very special, supernatural, miraculous sign – but he was also revealed to the world by Scripture.
It seems that by the time the Magi got to Jerusalem, the star had disappeared. They couldn’t see it anymore. So, like sensible people, they stopped and asked for directions. That special, supernatural, once-in-a-lifetime, miraculous sign only got them so far. It wasn’t until they consulted other believers who pointed them to the pages of Scripture that they finally found their Saviour.
The chief priests and the teachers of the law answered their question: The one who was to be born king of the Jews was supposed to be born “in Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”[2]
When the Magi were lost they turned the pages of Scripture and there God’s promises gave them the answers they needed. Which is amazing, when you think about it, because these guys who had solved the riddle of the star – that no one else on earth was looking for – they didn’t know something as simple or commonplace as Micah’s prophecy, that the chief priests and the teachers of the law could rattle off from memory.
I guess it goes to show that you don’t need to know all of Scripture to put your hope and trust in God’s promises. At the same time, it also goes to show that even if you do know all of Scripture, knowledge is not the same thing as faith. None of the chief priests or teachers of law tagged along. They knew the promises of God, but they put didn’t put their hope in them. The Magi, on the other hand, who only knew a sliver of what Scripture had to say about the Saviour, they went right on their way.
And along the way, the star reappeared. Matthew says, “The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”[3]
You can see that these Wise Men were sincere in their desire to worship the newborn king. They were overjoyed. They bowed down to the ground. They gave him expensive gifts. This wasn’t just some intellectual pursuit; they were personally invested. Their journey wasn’t just informative; it was transformative. It changed their lives, and it’s a journey that can change your life too.
We just came out of a challenging year. The first week of January is already a normal time to think about the future. That’s why we make resolutions to eat better and exercise more and use our phones less. But this year feels a little different, doesn’t it? It’s not just about those personal goals. It’s also about wondering whether there’s reason for hope or optimism about the year ahead.
Sometimes it would be nice to have a star to guide your way, wouldn’t it? “God, just show me where to go; show me what lies ahead.” But not even this special, supernatural, once-in-a-lifetime, miraculous star got the Magi all the way to Jesus. They needed Scripture too.
And if there are lessons to be learned from the Magi, I think the first is that sometimes we need to stop and ask for directions. The Magi’s search for Jesus put them in contact with who knows how many people in Jerusalem who were waiting for the same thing. The Magi needed help and guidance themselves – and they got it when they were pointed to the pages of Scripture – but they also undoubtedly planted a seed of hope in others too. They were talking about the birth of the King of the Jews. That got people’s attention. And even if they didn’t follow the Magi to Bethlehem, I doubt they ever forgot the strangers they met in Jerusalem or the message of hope and optimism they gave them.
The community of believers is a benefit for everyone involved. That’s why we cherish these weekly get-togethers, even if they look a little different than they used to. That’s why, even for those of you who are worshiping from home, we want to stay in contact with you, because we have the opportunity to offer guidance and support to each other. We can be beacons of hope and shoulders to cry on for one another. But most importantly, we can point each other to Scripture.
That’s the second and maybe most important lesson to be learned from the Magi – we need Scripture to point us to our Saviour. That’s what God’s Word does! That’s the Bible’s purpose. And that’s why in the season of Epiphany we shine a spotlight on Jesus.
The Magi called him the King of the Jews. He’s your king too. He doesn’t hold local office. He sits on the throne of heaven and from there he rules over everything for your good.
The prophet Micah referred to him as a ruler who will shepherd his people. You are his people. He protects and provides for you every day, like a shepherd for his sheep. He calls you by name and cares for you body and soul.
That’s why he was born in Bethlehem in Judea, and why he died just a few miles down the road on hill outside of Jerusalem. Jesus came to be your king, yes, but to be a different kind of king – to save you from your sin, to die in your place on a cross, to give you eternal life and a home in heaven, to give you hope and a future.
At the beginning of this new year, with all the unknown possibilities and responsibilities that lie ahead, take a moment just look to Jesus. The future may be dark and indecipherable, but this one thing we do know – Christ came to be your King. God’s Son was born to be your Saviour. You have hope for this life and the next not because of who you are or what you can do in the next 12 months, but because of who he is and what he’s done for you. In Jesus, you have reason to be optimistic and rejoice, just like the Magi did.
May God fill you with their joy as you focus on his Son, revealed by a star, revealed in the pages of Scripture, revealed to be your Saviour. Amen.
[1] Matthew 2:1,2
[2] Matthew 2:5,6
[3] Matthew 2:9-11