I. Introduction
A. There was a scurry in heaven. There was a commotion caused by the fact that the Christ was coming for His humiliation. God sent an angel to announce Jesus' birth. God sent an angel to speak to Mary; He sent an angel to speak to Joseph. God also had intervened through the parents of John the Baptist. God sent an angel to shepherds to tell them of this marvelous event. God even sent an angelic choir to announce the glory of the birth. During this great commotion in heaven, God decided to speak to some Gentile men. The Bible does not tell us who they were. They may have been Persians. These men were students of the stars. They probably were some of the wisest men of their time. They had discovered that events could be known by studying the Creation of God.
B. If we will stay with the truth of God, we have a marvelous revelation. Some theologians tell us that when Paul went on his first missionary journey, or when Peter went to Cornelius to preach, the first Gentiles were converted to Christianity; but that is not quite accurate. The first Gentile converts were these Wise Men who came when Christ was born. They worshiped Him. There are two lessons for us to learn. I would like for us to gather light from the star and wisdom from the wise men.
II. The Light of the Star
A. It was an unusual creation. The star may have been a comet, as many have claimed. It may have been a special creation. Whatever it was, it revealed to the Magi that the Jewish Messiah was born. God had told Israel to be ready for the coming of the Messiah. They were ready neither to receive Him nor to share His message, so God revealed the coming of the Messiah through science. If people do not do His will, He uses other people.
B. It was a leading light. This star led to Christ. It told the Magi that the Christ had been born. First they went to Jerusalem. Then as they proceeded toward Bethlehem, the star appeared, leading the way to the Christ. We ought to be like that star leading people to Christ, always showing the way to Him. The star became a witness. It showed the wise men that the Messiah was born. Then it lead them to the Messiah. That is the kind of light the church must have in the world today.
III. The Wisdom of the Wise Men
A. God's message is revealed in nature. God spoke loudly through nature to those ancient scientists.
B. God's message is in His Word. He reveals Himself in a general way in nature, but for details, one must turn to God's Word. That is exactly what these Wise Men did.
C. They persisted. When the men saw His star, they wanted to know Him; so they traveled across the desert. They went through wild, rugged country filled not only with physical hardship but also with bands of robbers. They journeyed by camel or on foot. They persisted in their search. They were not discouraged when they got to Jerusalem and found uninterested people. Many today are discouraged by lesser things in their search for Christ.
D. They rejoiced. As they traveled, the Wise Men rejoiced. We could return to a rejoicing search for God!. We ought to rejoice as we come into the presence of God.
E. They worshiped. They finally arrived at the house where Jesus was. They came to Jesus. They did not hesitate; they immediately came to Him and fell down before Him and worshiped Him. They had found the revelation of God.
IV. Conclusion
They worshiped Him. Theirs was not curiosity gratified, but devotion exercised. We, too, must worship the Savior, or we shall never be saved by Him. He is God over all, blessed forever. Adore Him.
V. Illustration
William Temple said: "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God."
Ellen G. White Quotations
Light and Wisdom from the Wise Men. "He who is infinite in wisdom has given explicit directions in regard to his own worship, and all who desire to serve him should follow the exact course he has prescribed. God will teach all his creatures that he means just what he says." -"Necessity of Temperance," The Signs of the Times, July 8, 1880.
The Teacher from heaven:"No less a personage than the Son of God, came to earth to reveal the character of the Father to men, that they might worship him in spirit and in truth. Christ revealed to men the fact that the strictest adherence to ceremony and form would not save them; for the kingdom of God was spiritual in its nature. Christ came to the world to sow it with truth. He held the keys to all the treasures of wisdom, and was able to open doors to science, and to reveal undiscovered stores of knowledge, were it essential to salvation." -"The Teacher of Truth the Only Safe Educator," Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 17,1891.
