Matthew 2:2……….Ready

Matthew 2:2……….Ready

2 and asked, (Suggests no one in particular, but a general inquiry, asking people they encountered)  “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”              

Continued From Book

“Calls for the same faith of the Magi who came seeking, even though they did not have all the facts or all the answers.” The wise men didn’t have all the facts in front of them. They didn’t have a lot of proof. Yet they still acted and believed on what little light they had. Will you stay seeking Christ even if you don’t have all the facts or all the answers to your questions? Are you waiting for God to submit to you all the details or are you willing to walk in what you know now and trust Him to unfold the plan as you go?

“Teaches the importance of seeking God’s help when we get lost, off course, and headed in the wrong direction.”  ⇔ God could have used the star to lead the Magi directly to Jesus, but wanted to teach them and us not to give up when the way doesn’t seem clear. That we need stop, wait, and ask. Will you take whatever time is needed for further instruction and direction. (cf. Matt. 7:7-8, Jer. 29:11)

“Teaches if God can use a Star to lead pagan astrologers to Jesus, He can lead anybody to Jesus!” ⇔ Just as God used a star, He can use a book, a tract, a television show, a song, a chance comment. God often brings people to the faith through different means and methods. Many have come to the faith by way of an intellectual journey, inquiring mind, rational arguments, scientific discoveries, apologetic debates, etc. more than through the Church or any formulaic approach. Many former Atheists such C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel, Kirk Cameron, etc. are prime examples of those who had taken a similar path and who are now staunch believers! Will you follow the evidence wherever it may lead you as well? The wise men (Magi) were scientists, yet they saw no conflict between science and Scripture or between searching for truth and worshiping the Savior. Devout Christians can worship the Lord with the mind as well as the heart.

“Teaches how the Magi sought Jesus out not for what He can do and give them, but as a King to worship.” ⇔ When you come to worship are you looking for wealth and prosperity, or seeking to know Christ better?

“Teaches those who truly seek Christ will ask pointed questions.” (To be continued)

“Calls for being open & public in our devotion, that we’re never shy or embarrassed about our desire in wanting to worship the Lord.” ⇔ Do you fear that others will think your a little odd or strange if you tell them your going to Church or to bible study? If you do your probably more concerned with your own popularity and other peoples opinions then you are with following God and doing what is right.

“Even today every believer will have their own personal journey of faith in what brought them to Jesus. It may not be as spectacular as a Star or a burning bush, but something as simple as a sermon, book, Gospel tract, movie, friend, song, etc.  (Can you recall your own personal journey in what led you to Jesus and the process it took.)”

Additional Notes & Applications

Teaches how each person is responsible is seeking Christ personally. The Wise Men didn’t send someone else to find Him. They sought Him out personally. It doesn’t matter if your grandmother knows Him, or if your mom knows Him. It doesn’t matter if your spouse knows Him. You must seek Him and find Him for yourself.

Teaches how seeking after Christ is something that God sets in motion, providing the encouragement, initiative, and means that starts the journey. Just as God did for the Magi, God also does for you and me in using certain people or events to awake our interest and compel us to come to Christ or to come back to the Church?

Teaches the importance of perseverance and diligence in worship: Have a long-term view. The Magi’s journey was not an instant fix they had a year trek covering a great distance. Know that personal growth in worship takes time. The Magi’s journey to worship the Christ-child speaks of the importance of diligence– if they were not constantly persistent they wouldn’t have reach their destination.

Displays how the Magi couldn’t have cared less about Herod’s majesty & splendor, or whether he thought they were crazy star-worshipers from the east, that they wanted to see the real King! True seekers of Christ won’t care if others think of them as crazy “Fanatics” or “Jesus-Freaks”, that the only approval that matters is Christ Jesus!

Teaches how we can start off with clear direction from God and then sometimes get lost and off course along the way. God could have used the star to lead the Magi directly to Jesus, but wanted to teach them and us not to give up when the way doesn’t seem clear. That we need stop, wait, and ask. Take whatever time is needed for further instruction and direction. (cf. Matt. 7:7-8, Jer. 29:11)

Teaches even though these Wise Men were not perfect in their quest, and probably knew very little about God. But they were sincere, and God used their Astrology and a Ruthless king to bring them to Christ. (So it is with other people, that their theology may not be perfect or their background may be questionable, but in their heart they long to know God and His will/desire for their life’s!)

Teaches how the Magi did not go looking for a creed to believe in. Nor were they looking for wealth & prosperity, or some good feeling or spiritual high. Neither we’re they seeking a better way of life or how to improve their way of living, but rather they were seeking a person to worship.

Teaches the importance of humility. Have you ever traveled with someone who is either too stubborn or too prideful to stop to ask for directions, will appreciate the humble wisdom of these Magi who did ask! Will you take your wife’s advice the next time your driving, or continue to pretend you know where your going?

 -Star- Has been variously interpreted as either:

• Planetary conjunction of Saturn & Jupiter in 7 B.C.

• A Comet, possibly Haley’s which appeared in 12 or 11 B.C.

• A supernova, meteor, or asteroid.

• The Shekinah glory of the Lord/God.

Note: We may never get a divine revelation as the Magi did from a star. But we can still see a demonstration of God’s powerful hand in His creation as when we see a beautiful sunrise, sunset, rainbow, mystique mountain, or the marvelous structure of a flagellum. (cf. Rom. 1:18-20,  Ps. 19:1-6)

Note: Unlike the Magi, we no longer need to rely on a star to direct our path. We have God’s Word to help guide us through all of life’s journeys.

Note: Just because Matthew portrays the Magi in a positive light for using the stars to seek after Christ, does not mean that astrology and horoscopes are legitimate means of divine revelation. They constitute an alternate religious system—incompatible with Christian faith, because they ascribe too much significance to the movement of stars. God is in control—not stars! God’s use of a star to guide these Magi to Jesus was a one-time thing. God’s primary means of revelation are prophets and scriptures. (Look not to the Stars for guidance and direction, but to God the creator of the stars!)

Note: We may never know exactly what this star was that led the Magi to Jesus. We do know that the Magi first saw the Star in their own country, Persia two years earlier. How did they know that the star referred to a foreign-born king? First, we know from Old Testament history that when the Babylonians conquered Judah and Jerusalem, they deported the majority of the population to Babylon. The Jews lived in exile for 70 years, until the Medes and Persians conquered the Babylonians. Then the Persian kings allowed the Jews to return to Israel to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem and so many returned. But many Jews continued to live in the Persian Empire. So by the time of Christ’s birth, centuries later, the Jewish religion would have long existed in the “east.” In all likelihood the Hebrew Scriptures were known and so they knew of the coming of the Messiah. Daniel was also prominent in Babylon and among the Medes, and the book he authored has several Messianic prophecies. This may explain how they knew of the king of the Jews. When it comes to what exactly the Star was. It may have been a comet, a planetary alignment of Saturn & Jupiter, or a supernatural event, like the Shekinah glory that guided the Israelites.  As brilliant as those theories are, the scientific understanding of that astronomical event or the full history of who the Magi were and where they came from is not the most important thing we should know from this passage, but rather that it was all of God’s doing. That God sovereignly and supernaturally led Gentiles to His Son. If not careful we can become so preoccupied with such things as how the Star worked, how the Red Sea split, how Manna fell from heaven, how Jonah was swallowed by a great fish that we miss the spiritual meaning of the text. We should all be for discovery and research in asking questions and investigating the scriptures. But we need to remind ourselves that there are things in the Word of God that does not need all the details spelled out or to be revealed in absolute certainty!

       (For more Applications get the whole Book)        

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