The Story of the Wisest Men

December 18, 2022

In “The Story of the Wisest Men,” Pastor Dave Gustavsen shares about the wise men and their personal encounter with Jesus. This story teaches us that true wisdom acts courageously, gives generously, and worships Jesus, the One who the story of Christmas is all about.

Good morning Chapel family. And welcome to the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. The word “advent” means “arrival.” So for centuries, Christians all around the world have set aside the four Sundays leading up to Christmas to await the arrival of Jesus. Sometimes we count down the days by lighting advent candles, or by opening up windows on an advent calendar and eating the little chocolates inside (or, in the really boring version that I got once, you open up each window and you look at a little picture inside. I don’t know whose idea that was, but very disappointing). But there’s this sense of anticipation and waiting, because just like the people of Israel needed the Messiah to show up 2,000 years ago, we need him to show up just as much today.

And this year for Advent, we’re simply telling the stories of Christmas. Because stories are powerful, aren’t they? They impact us and stay with us much longer than if we just hear facts. For example, I can sit here and tell you that at Christmas, we should focus less on the decorations and gifts, and more on the people. So I could state that truth. Or, I could tell you the story of a bitter hermit, who lived high up in the mountains above Whoville, named the Grinch…who decided, one Christmas Eve, that he would ruin Christmas for those annoyingly happy people. I can describe how he snuck down into the village below, and broke into every house, and stole all the decorations and gifts, and even the food. And how took all those stolen goods and loaded up his sled, which was pulled by a freakishly strong little dog named Max, and how he brought it all back up the mountain. And then, how the people of the town woke up on Christmas morning and found all their stuff missing, but instead of raging in anger, they gathered together and joined hands and joyfully sang. And how the Grinch, when he looked down and saw their simple joy and love, thought of something he hadn’t before. “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more.” And at that moment, his heart grew bigger, and he jubilantly went down the hill and returned all the presents, and he got to join the Whos for their Christmas feast, “and he himself—the Grinch—carved the roast beast.” So…what’s more powerful—stating the fact or telling the story? The story is always better.

So on the first Sunday of Advent we told the story of a promise made, then the story of a faithful girl; last week we heard the story of a Savior born, and today we conclude the Advent season with The Story of the Wisest Men.

In that Scripture that Penny read, it says after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem. So who were the Magi? Well, the Greek word is magoi—we get our English word “magic” from it. The Magi were a class of wise men who worked in the royal court of Persia. They were highly educated, especially in astrology and interpreting signs. They were interested in stars and dreams; they would study the scriptures of different religions to try to predict the future. It was sort of a combination of astronomy, astrology, and theology. So when they saw this star, somehow they knew it would guide them to the king of the Jews. And the question is…how in the world did they know that? I want to suggest an answer to that question.

The Magi were from the Persian Empire—which is modern-day Iran. If you were a Jewish person, reading this in first century, the Persian Empire would bring back really bad memories. Because before Persia took over, that region used to be ruled by Babylon. And about 600 years earlier, the

Babylonians, led by King Nebuchadnezzar had come and attacked Israel. They destroyed Jerusalem; they killed countless people, and then they marched the survivors 900 miles east to Babylon. So for a Jewish person, the Persian Empire represented this terrible period in their history.

But one of the bright spots in that time period was a young man named Daniel. Daniel was one of the Jewish exiles carried off to Babylon. Now—here’s where it gets interesting. Look at Daniel 2:48… Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. You know who those wise men were, right? They were Magi. So think about this: not only did Daniel join the Magi; he became their leader! Placed in charge of all the wise men!

So here’s this faithful Hebrew man, suddenly influencing all these astrologers. Doesn’t it make sense that Daniel would have taught the other Magi the prophecy of a coming Messiah? I mean, that was the great hope of every Jewish believer. How could he not tell them? So here’s my explanation: I really believe that the prophecy of the coming Messiah was passed down from Daniel to the Magi to the next generation of Magi, and so on. So when Jesus was born, and this strange object appeared in the sky, they realized that this particular star would guide them to the newborn king.

I think that’s the most probable explanation. And it reminds me that even in the darkest times, like the Jewish exile in Babylon, God is at work. God is up to something. He’s preparing the way. If you are going through a dark time in your life right now, and God seems absent, he’s not. He’s doing things behind the scenes that you might not see for a while, but he’s working. Trust him.

So the Magi set out to follow the star. And as we follow the story, we learn some things about what true wisdom looks like. First, True Wisdom is Acts Courageously. It acts courageously.

So they follow the star all the way to Jerusalem, and they come right to King Herod himself. And here’s where the plot thickens—verse 3: When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So who was King Herod? Well, he was a character. He was feared, because he was brutal—like most Roman rulers. But he was also admired, because he was clever, and he had political savvy. He arranged some significant famine relief projects. He was well-known for his building projects…including the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, which earned him some points with the Jewish population. So he had a very illustrious career. But toward the end of his life, he struggled with some terrible illnesses. And in his sickness, he became paranoid. He was known to fly into fits of rage.

So picture this: the Magi show up in Jerusalem, and they come to Herod—who called himself the “King of the Jews”—and they said, “Hey—we heard there’s a new king of the Jews!” And it says Herod was deeply disturbed.

This is a reminder that that Christmas marks the appearance of a new king on the scene. And that new King is a threat to all other kings. In fact, after the death and resurrection of Christ, when Christianity began to spread in the Roman Empire, they started to arrest Christians and torture them. And they didn’t say, “Deny the teachings of Christ! Renounce the sayings of Christ!” They said: “Swear allegiance to Nero your king.” And the Christians said, “No. Jesus is my king.” And Rome would not tolerate that.

So when the Magi come to Herod asking about this new king, Herod is disturbed, and he begins formulating a plan. He calls together the Jewish priests and scribes, and he asks them where the Messiah is supposed to show up. And they quote from the Old Testament book of Micah, which says the Messiah will be born in this obscure little town called Bethlehem. So Herod sends the Magi off to Bethlehem to find the Messiah. And then, after they see Jesus, they have this dream that warns them

not to go back to Herod. So they have to decide: do we obey Herod, or do we obey God? And they decide to go with God and defy the order of Herod. Gutsy decision.

Godly wisdom makes us courageous. It empowers us to do things we would not normally do. And sometimes, we have to decide if we’ll obey God over some powerful person in our life. Do you have any King Herods in your life? A powerful person that you fear? You’re afraid of disappointing them or angering them, and you always find yourself doing what they want? Sometimes we have to decide between pleasing them and pleasing God. I love that quote: “He who kneels before God can stand before any man.” And that was true of the Magi. After kneeling before Jesus, they had the courage to defy King Herod. Maybe that’s really important for you to hear today. True wisdom acts courageously.

Secondly, True Wisdom Gives Generously. Pick up the story in verse 9: 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.

There are lots of theories about the symbolic meaning of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. People say that gold symbolized him being a king, and frankincense was an oil used by priests, so it symbolizes the priesthood of Jesus, and myrrh was a burial spice, anticipating his death. And all those things might be possible. But I really think the main point is this: the Magi were responding to God’s gift of Jesus by giving something valuable.

I truly believe the most powerful force in the universe is “grace.” Grace means freely giving something—not because it’s earned or deserved, but simply out of love. And the Magi sensed that the arrival of Jesus was God’s grace to them—they didn’t deserve this, but here he was. And they responded to that grace by giving freely to Jesus. There is nothing more beautiful than generosity fueled by grace. It just lights up the darkness.

Years ago, Norma Jean and I were at a very stressful point in life. We had recently had our fourth child; right around the same time we went through a nightmare experience renovating our home, and everything that could go wrong went wrong, including the fact that we ran out of money and had bills we literally couldn’t pay. We weren’t sleeping well; I was developing stomach problems from the stress—just one of those seasons of life. And out of the blue, someone from The Chapel contacted us. She said, “Hey—I just sold a vacation home, and I’m trying to figure out what to do with all the money. I heard you were having some troubles with your house renovation. So…I can help you out if you’d like.” (Oh, I’d like). But of course I said all the polite things, like, “No, no, I can’t accept that. You don’t have to do that.” And she said, “Why not? I don’t need it. Seriously, how much do you need?” So finally I sort of awkwardly told her an amount—and I won’t say the amount, but it was a substantial amount of money—and she literally dropped a check off at our house the next day for that amount.

And I have to be honest, it was a strange, unsettling feeling! I mean, I got over it. But it was a strange feeling. Because I hadn’t done anything really exceptional for her. I hadn’t officiated an important funeral or helped her family through a crisis. I felt like I didn’t deserve that generosity. And that was just the point! It was grace! And it was wonderful. It was fueled by her having received God’s grace—that’s what she was all about. And now she was extending grace to me, and those are the kinds of things you don’t forget. And in the years since then, as God has blessed my family in different ways, we’ve had the joy of extending grace to others.

Encountering Jesus made them generous, and it has the same effect on us! I am proud to say that The Chapel rises to an extra level of generosity at Christmas time. Just a few examples: You guys donated hundreds of shoeboxes full of Christmas gifts through Operation Christmas Child, and those are going all over the world. In addition, you might be aware that we serve about 30 families every week with our food pantry, and through your donations, this Christmas we were able to give gifts and gift cards to all 30 families, and extra for those who have kids. And then two years ago, we started something new: we contacted the public schools near The Chapel, and we asked about any families that are struggling financially. The schools aren’t allowed to tell us names, but they tell us how many families, and how many kids. And for the past three Christmasses, The Chapel has been drawing from the Benevolence funds that you all give, and helping those families. So this year was the biggest year ever: we were able to help 17 different families, representing 34 kids, with very generous Shop Rite and Walmart and Target gift cards. We don’t preach a sermon to them; the card just says, “This is on behalf of The Chapel. Merry Christmas.” And we think that represents Jesus really well. And then at our Christmas Eve services, we’re collecting clothing and blankets and toiletries to give out to the homeless in Paterson, and I’m confident we’re going to see an outpouring of generosity.

Because when we encounter Jesus, we’re so overcome by grace that we become generous people. So this Christmas, would you ask God to amaze you with his grace? Just to hit you over the head with it. While you’re singing Christmas carols. When you’re holding a candle at the Christmas Eve service. When you’re reading the Christmas story before Christmas dinner. Allow yourself to be stunned and unsettled by the grace that he gave you when he came to the manger, and the grace that he gave when he went to the cross. And then respond to his grace with generosity. Just like the Magi did.

One more thing, and this is the most important. True Wisdom Worships Jesus. It’s clear that the Magi followed this star, and took this journey, not just out of curiosity or academic interest. Ultimately they saw this as an invitation to worship. Right? They say to Herod, “We’ve come to worship him!” Because they were natural-born worshipers, just like we are. Unfortunately, many times, we direct that desire to something other than God. We worship a politician or a sports hero or a music star or a boyfriend or girlfriend. I think that’s probably the most common one today—we worship romantic love. But that never ends well. Because one of two things will happen: that person will either disappoint you deeply, or die (unless you die first). (This is not what I say at weddings, by the way—“You will deeply disappoint one another, and then die. You may now kiss the bride.”) But it’s true. As wonderful as that special person might be, they’re not God, and they were never meant to play that role in your life. So the point is, we are all natural-born worshipers, and we are searching for something worth worshiping. And the Magi were no different.

And they’d seen a lot of things through their lives, but they’d never encountered anything like Jesus…so they bowed down and worshiped him. This was such an amazing moment! Because remember: six centuries earlier, armies from the East had traveled 900 miles to attack and conquer. Now, they traveled those same 900 miles…but instead of swords, they brought gifts. And instead of forcing the Jews to bow down before them, they were the ones bowing down before the king of the Jews. Isn’t that awesome? When they saw Jesus they were so overcome with reverence, they just fell down and worshiped.

Did you ever think about how that experience must have changed those men? T.S. Eliot wrote a poem called Journey of the Magi. I encourage you to read the whole thing—you can find it online. And at the very end of the poem, he has one of the Magi saying this:

“We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods.”

It’s that fascinating thought? What became of the Magi? We know they returned to their country, but then what? Did they feel like they didn’t really fit anymore, because of all these people worshiping lesser gods? Did they continue to worship Jesus, even from far away? We don’t know.

But here’s what we do know: wise men, and wise women, still kneel before Jesus. In fact, it’s interesting, because this scene takes place at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel. If you go all the way to the end of Matthew, Jesus is a full-grown man, and he has lived the most remarkable life that anyone has ever lived. He has gone to the cross to pay for the sins of the world, he’s been buried in a tomb, and three days later he has risen again. And now it’s about forty days later, and at the very end of Matthew we find this: 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him… Just like the Magi had, years earlier…they worshiped. Because they realized they were in the presence of royalty and deity, and nothing else made sense, except to worship.

So how about you? Have you been trying to satisfy your soul by worshiping a lesser god? See, it’s not a question of if we worship; it’s always a question of what or whom we worship. And if you’re worshiping anything or anyone other than Jesus, it won’t work. It won’t last. Whatever that thing is—whatever that substitute god is—maybe this Christmas, it’s time to let that thing go. Or just hold it much more loosely.

And since we’re only a week away from Christmas, let me add this: be careful about worshiping the traditions of Christmas. I love Christmas trees and eggnog and stockings and all that stuff. But sometimes those things can distract us from what really matters. So here’s what I can promise you: in a couple of weeks, the Christmas tree’s going to get dragged out to the street. I know, it’s a little depressing! Some of you say, “No—we have an artificial tree!” That’s even more depressing. The lights are going to get packed up; all the decorations are going back in the attic; the only cookies remaining will be the rejects that nobody wanted. The glow of Christmas will fade, but it’s actually okay, because the thing we really need will remain. And that’s Jesus.

He came for you on Christmas. He died for you on the cross to reconcile you with God. And he’s alive right now. And he offers a kind of wisdom that makes us courageous and generous, because we have figured out the one thing in the world that’s worthy of our worship. So bow before him. Put your trust in him. That’s where true wisdom starts. And that’s what the story of Christmas is all about.

Let’s prepare our hearts for communion.