Christmas: the day on which the world celebrate the birth of
Jesus. However, the date of
His birth is not known. We can gain useful information from
the narrative in Luke 1 and we can
ascertain that Zacharias was officiating in his priestly
role when the angel of the Lord appeared
to him (verse 13) and announced he would become a father.
Then, looking at verse 26 we find 6
months later the announcement to the Virgin Mary, Verse 28 “Rejoice,
highly favored one,
the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!...” Verse
31 “Behold
you will
conceive a son, and shall call His name Jesus.”1
So,
using this information some scholars
have calculated 9 months later and get a time around
September to October. That would
coincide with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kipper, and the Feast of
Tabernacles. It would make sense
that Jesus would be born at the Feast of Tabernacles, and
let me tell you why. Because the light
of the world was the main theme of the feast and swaddling
cloth was set afire atop poles to
represent “The Light of the World.” It is not mandatory to
know the date Jesus was born for our
salvation. But it does provide interesting insights. I find
it significant that John 1 tells us that
Jesus became flesh and verse 14 says he “dwelt” or as in the
Amplified Bible “Tabernacled”
among us And could it also be significant that this was the
last of the yearly festivals? It was
also called the Feast of Booths because during this time the
worshipers lived in structures made
of leaves and branches The rustle of the dry leaves, rasping
out the dirge of a dying order,
encouraged the people to think of the eternal renewal. It
marked a point of transition between
the pleasant memories of God’s past goodness, and the joyous
hopes for the future. This
festive week was to be a time for personal introspection
into life’s cycles, while keeping in mind
that Christ is its “beginning,” as well as its “ending.” 2
This
festival had an additional name,
Festival of lights. Jesus: the light of the world, the light
of the resurrection, and the light pointing
to the Eternal City.
So
why is the birth of Christ celebrated on December 25th?
“In AD 354, Bishop Liberius
of Rome ordered the people to celebrate Christmas on
December 25th.
He probably chose this
date because the people of Rome already observed it as
the Feast of Saturn, celebrating the
birthday of the sun.”3
Not
surprising, the 25th
of
December has many pagan and heathen ties,
which have assumed new meaning with the passage of
time; and we accept the Yule log, the
evergreen tree, and giving of gifts to each other,
which are all pagan ideas. In addition, over
the years we have seen the world has lost sight of the
reason for the day as it has become
commercialized until most people do not even discuss
the Biblical story. At this time of year as
they think only about what gift they want or will
give.
What
was it like in the world to which Jesus came?
“The deception of sin had reached its
height. All the agencies for depraving the souls
of men had been put in operation. The Son of
God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering
and misery. With pity He saw how men had
become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked
with compassion upon those who were being
corrupted, murdered, and lost....Bewildered and
deceived, they were moving on in gloomy
procession toward eternal ruin—to death in which
is no hope of life, toward night to which
comes no morning.... Sin had become a science.”4
Is
it any different today? The King of glory
stooped low to take on humanity and come to this
earth! Could it be He is anxious to come
again?
I
want to spend the next few minutes looking
at the story that you have read this
morning. I suspect it is not the first
time you have heard or read the story;
but, have you really
studied
it? Have you taken the microscope and
looked at it? Have you really taken the
time to
see for yourself and appreciate, what
occurred, when Jesus was born That is the
question I
had as I began planning for the message. I
have made discoveries, which have thrilled
my
heart and time will not permit me to share
them all, today.
Let’s
begin by looking at the cast of
characters. We have Mary, what
credit we
owe to her family for the
instruction they had provided to
prepare her for such an important
role
in this world’s history. What an
example she is for how we are to
respond, when asked to serve
our Lord. Even though the rest of
her life would be marred by the
decision she made, she did
not hesitate. Can you hear the
conversations later, when Mary and
Joseph return to Nazareth
from Egypt? Can you see the women
gathering around them? “O, what a
cute baby! Look at
those beautiful eyes and that cute
little mouth. Is he talking? And how
old is he, now? The
eyebrows raise and their admiration
ceases, as they remember the wedding
date. Her
reputation in the community was
flawed. I must ask myself will I
trust so completely, when the
going gets tough. When the doctor’s
report is unfavorable, when my
beliefs are challenged, will
I still trust and remain faithful?
And,
how about Joseph? He can teach
us how to respond to a
difficult situation.
Undoubtedly it would have been
easier to “put Mary away
secretly”5,
as he had planned.
However, he heeded the angel’s
message and provided a home
for her and her child. He too,
must face the ridicule of the
people. They both had the
challenge of raising a child
in Nazareth
because it was not a good
place to live. (John 1:45-46)
“Philip
found Nathanael and said to
him, “We have found Him of
whom Moses in the law, and
also the prophets, wrote—
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph. And Nathanael said to
him, Can anything good
come out of Nazareth? 6
No!
Nazareth was not a good place
to live. Jesus had no
advantages over any person. No
matter how poor you may be or
which part of town you may
live in Jesus understands. In
Matthew and repeated in Luke
Jesus says, “Foxes
have holes
and birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head.”7
Yes,
Jesus
had no advantages and does
understand.
When
I was young we had cows,
horses, pigs, chickens,
and goats. Because, we
lived
on a farm. It was part
of my job to feed the
animals. The cows were
tied in small stalls in
the
barn and each area had a
wooden box, called a
manger. Each cow
received a measured
amount of grain that was
placed into the manger.
Are you aware that God
required a cereal
offering, with olive oil
and grape juice, to
accompany every burnt
and peace offering. (Lev
2:1;
Num 15: 2-19) Could it
be that Jesus lying in a
manger is a symbol of
Jesus as the grain that
will
become “The Bread of
Life? (John 6:35) And
were you aware that
Bethlehem means “House
of bread?” I see that it
may also represent a
picture of divinity in
the midst of humanity.
Let me
explain.
Bread
making is a cruel
activity. Ponder
the cruelty, which
underlies the
making of flour
and bread and you
may see
similarities
fulfilled in the
life of Christ.
First the farmer
cuts a grave
in the earth, into
which he flings
the seed to lie
and die in
darkness and
alone. (John
12:24)
Jesus said, “I
say to you, unless
a grain of wheat
falls into the
ground and dies,
it remains
alone.” Then,
once the grain is
in the ground
Heaven’s sun and
rain bring life to
the seed and
eventually it
springs up. “First
the blade, then
the ear, and after
that the full corn
in the ear”.
(Mark
4:28) Then “when
the fullness of
time had come” (Galatians
4:4) man’s sickle
cuts of
the heads of the
grain and it is
thrashed
unmercifully, and
then wind drives
away the chaff.
The
miller next
crushes the grain
between two
stones, and sifts
the meal until it
is free from all
unevenness. I see
that this “fine
flour” represents
man’s best
efforts. The best
of his work and
worth and then if
you want to make
bread, it must
have additional
ingredients, such
as oil;
symbolic of the
Holy Spirit and
some salt, which
is valueless,
alone, until it is
mingled with the
dough
and is lost to
sight. The salt
imparts the
Spirit’s keeping
presence and
preservation.
Once the dough is
made it is rolled,
punched, and
kneaded, allowed
to rise and it is
punched
down again,
kneaded then
shaped and placed
in pans, which,
will then be
placed in the oven
to
be baked. Bread
making is a cruel
process! Could
this cruelty
symbolize Jesus’
life on earth?
My favorite
commentary on the
life of Christ has
this statement, “God
could not trust
His
beloved Son with
men, even while
carrying forward
the work for their
salvation. He
commissioned
angels to attend
Jesus and protect
Him till He should
accomplish His
mission on earth,
and die by the
hands of those
whom He came to
save.”8
No,
the Son of
God did not have
an easy life.
The
shepherds: The
shepherds
teach us the
importance of
being
vigilant. They
were
together for
one purpose
(tending the
flock), but
that didn’t
keep them from
study of the
scriptures and
prayer.
(Almost sounds
like a prayer
meeting,
doesn’t it?)
They took
advantage
of the time
they were
given. “Through
the silent
hours they
talked
together of
the promised
Savior, and
prayed for the
coming of the
King to
David’s
throne,”9
I
find it
curious that
“the
Good Shepherd”
was first
announced to
the shepherds
in the same
fields, where
the boy David
had lead his
flock. And did
you know that
Moses, a
shepherd, “was
permitted to
look down
the stream of
time and
behold the
first advent
of our Savior.
He saw Jesus
as a babe in
Bethlehem. He
heard the
voices of the
angelic host
break forth in
the glad song
of praise
to God and
peace on
earth.”10
The innkeeper teaches us that we often miss blessings by not responding to the opportunities, when they occur. I wonder.... would he have given up his own bed; if he had known it would be used for the birth of a king?
And, what about the angel choir, they, who knew Him best and knew Him longest. Could they not have changed the stable into a room or a manger into a bassinette or given a gift worthy of a newborn King? No. Their gift was highly valued and worth our consideration. They gave the gift of surprise and worship. And that is what we should find in our worship. I also believe they tell us how important worship is to God. I can understand their surprise when I “see” the tiny baby.
The
most
incredible
part of the
story is this!
Somehow God
wrapped His
huge heart in
human flesh
and a baby
named Jesus
came into this
world. In the
life of Jesus,
God became
visible. The
deity was no
longer an
abstract
conception,
but a person.
The very heart
that
throbs at the
center of this
vast, star
shimmering,
universe was
somehow the
heart that
beat in
the breast of
that tiny
baby.
Incredible as
it seems! I
cannot begin
to comprehend,
such a gift.
This baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes. Swaddling cloth was long strips of linen or some other soft white material, which were wrapped around the baby restricting his movement. Again, type meets anti-type. I choose to believe Jesus was wrapped in white linen. For if you recall, Old Testament tells of a tabernacle. The tabernacle represented Jesus in every characteristic of its construction and its services. This tabernacle was prepared as a dwelling place for God, so He could be with his people and it was surrounded by white linen. Also the priest wore a white linen garment, which when it became soiled was not discarded or washed but torn into strips to make wicks for the candlesticks in the holy place. White linen surrounds the baby and also is His clothing, looking forward to His priestly ministry.
“The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden “the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” (Rom. 11:33) We marvel at the Savior’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall”.11
Women, when have you known of men stopping to ask for directions? That’s something men are not prone to do. Matthew records the story of wise men, who stopped and asked for directions. That may have been the reason they were wise. Their mission was too important to waste precious time going in the wrong direction. Let’s spend the remainder of our time together looking at this story, recorded in Matthew 2 verses 1-12. Wise men: three of them, five of them, nobody knows how many and scripture does not tell us. If the manger scene you are seeing in front of some houses or on Christmas cards is correct, there were three of them. We do know why the wise men were wise, but they did know how to seek direction.
“The wise men from the East were philosophers. They belonged to a large and influential class that included men of noble birth, and comprised much of the wealth and learning of their nation. Others were upright men who studied the indications of Providence in nature, and who were honored for their integrity and wisdom. Of this character were the wise men who came to Jesus.”12
In
Matthew’s
narrative they
embark on the
journey of a
lifetime and
they make the
discovery of a
lifetime. The
journey is to
Jesus and the
discovery is
Jesus and
their journey
and
our journey is
very much
alike, so I
think it is
worthy of our
study today.
I find in it four ways God reveals His will. First, God uses the darkness to reveal His sign. (Repeat) Note the words of the wise men, “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.” (Matt 2:2) Most respond to the arrival of darkness by going inside, getting under the covers and closing our
eyes
and going to
sleep. Not so
with the wise
men. The
arrival of the
darkness was
their clue
to go outside
and to look
up. And
because they
were alert,
when everyone
else was
asleep,
they found the
very sign of
God. I’d like
to ask you a
question? What
do you do when
darkness
comes? I don’t
mean darkness
of the night,
but darkness
of the heart?
How do you
respond:
when a shadow
is cast upon
your joy, when
the brightness
of your joy is
eclipsed by
tragedy,
when an
eventide
settles upon
your soul,
when
everything
seems shadowy
and grey? Do
you
close your
eyes? Do you
get under the
covers?
Depression can
bring it,
grief can
bring it,
betrayal,
heartache and
sorrow could
bring a
darkness. When
that sense of
darkness comes
our tendency
is to close
our eyes and
wish it would
pass and to
hope that we
could sleep it
away.
The shepherds and the wise men remind us that it is out of the darkness that God shows His brightest light. In fact, without the darkness you cannot see the brightest light. Could Peter have seen the light of God’s forgiveness, were it not in contrast to the darkness of his own betrayal? Would the disciples have seen the bright light of Jesus presence on the Sea of Galilee, were His presence not cast against the canvas of the Galilean storm? Would the disciples, and would we have appreciated the power of the resurrection, had there not first been the permeation of death? Are there those times, when God allows a shadow to come across our world, so that He can then reveal to us a light; a brightness, something we never expected? Something that perhaps was always there, but we could not see it for the blueness of the sky and brightness of the day. So, He brings the darkness of the sky so that we can see the star that we have never seen before. God in His gracious discipline is known to darken our world so that we can see the light of His presence. His presence is always there, whether we are aware of it or not. And if your world is dark, right now, if some sorrow or tragedy, or a concern, or calamity has brought darkness to your world. I remind you that the consequence of this darkness is up to you. It can either make you bitter or it can make you better. This season of suffering can either be a stepping-stone or a stumbling block. It can either be a break through or a break down. All depending on how you look at it.
The wise men saw the advent of the darkness as a signal to look up, and when they looked up they saw a star, a sign. You say, well Dorothy, that was easy, that was a miracle. Are you telling me no miracle has come into your world? You’re telling me no surprise has come into your darkness? No sudden check to pay a bill, you didn’t know how you could pay? No comforting phone call, from the person you didn’t know realized you were struggling? No arm around your shoulder, no appropriate message? As if, how in the world did they know I
was struggling and they said the right thing, at the right time. My suggestion to you is that it is nothing short of miraculous and God’s provisions come in such signs. And these signs have a purpose. And the source of the star to the wise men is the same source as the sign in your life, right now. And the purpose of the star and purpose of the sign in your life is the same. God used the darkness to reveal the sign, but listen to this! God uses the sign to reveal the scripture.
Look what happened next to the wise men. “The star took them as far as Jerusalem, then it disappeared. It is gone! They are left in Jerusalem and they begin asking questions. Finally, their question makes its way to Herod. Herod seeks the counsel of the theologians. This is a surprise to me. “The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning the birth of Christ as they pretended. The report of the angels’ visit to the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it as unworthy of their notice. They themselves might have found Jesus, and might have been ready to lead the magi to His birthplace, but instead of this, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the Messiah.... here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis.”13 Back to the story. The theologians seek the counsel of scripture and they open the scroll of Micah and there they read these words the prophet wrote about this in the scriptures.
“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.” (Micah 5:2)
Please note something. The star was enough to lead the wise men to Jerusalem. But it took scripture to lead them to Jesus. The sign was enough to take them to the people of God. But, it took the word of God to take them to the Son of God. Let me say it like this: Signs in our lives may be enough to get us to church, but it takes scripture to bring us to the Christ of Christmas. A miracle or blessing may get your attention, but it takes the Bible to give you direction. You see, signs happen every day. Not a day passes that somebody, somewhere doesn’t look at a sunset and say, Aaahhh! Not a day passes that somebody doesn’t see a mountain peak and say, there must be a God. Not an hour passes that someone doesn’t cradle a newborn and offer a silent prayer of gratitude to whomever. Signs happen every day! Do those signs bring those people to Christ? Not necessarily! Our tendency is to say, “I enjoyed that sign and I would like another. And so we go in search of another mountain peak, or another
rainbow, or another experience or another blessing. We do not understand that the purpose of every sign and every blessing, whatever it is, is to bring us to scripture, to bring us to Christ.
Paul
said, perhaps
we don’t
understand
that God is
kind to us so
you will
change your
hearts and
lives. The
purpose of
God’s kindness
is repentance,
change14.
The quest is
not just
to a Santa
Clause
bringing you
one present
after another.
His quest is
to be a
Father,
bringing
you blessings,
so you will
come to Him.
The wise men
knew how to
follow
directions.
Somehow they
knew the goal
was not just
to get to a
verse in the
Bible, but the
goal of the
verse
was to get
them to
Christ. And so
interestingly
enough they go
to Bethlehem,
while the
scholars
stay in
Jerusalem. The
ones who
discover the
scripture are
content just
to stay with
scripture.
The ones who
are diligently
searching for
Christ are not
content just
to hear the
words, or to
have the
knowledge;
they want to
see Him face
to face.
We are to be preparing for the second coming, that time when we will see Jesus face to face. Are you diligent in your search of the scriptures? We are nearing the end of another year and this world’s history. Many are making New Years resolutions. What must you do to be ready to meet Jesus face to face?
ARE
YOU READY FOR
JESUS TO COME?15
Sung
by Charles
McDonald
And so the
wise men
continue their
search. Until
Matt 2:9 “the
star came and
stood
shinning right over the place where the child lay.” Please note this! In the end it was both the miracle and the word leading the wise men to Jesus. In our lives it is both God’s sign and God’s scripture that bring us to Christ. In the end, signs and God’s scripture have one purpose: not to entertain us but to illuminate the face of Christ. That’s what that star did; because that star was right over the house of Christ, right over the place where He lay so they could see His face clearly. The purpose of God’s signs and God’s miracles in your life is not to give you some passing fantasy, but to help illuminate Christ. Because His ultimate goal is not just to give you everything you want and fill you stocking. His goal is to get you where He wants you to be and that is in the presence of Christ.
And that is what He did with the wise men. Both the word and the miracle worked in tandem to being them into the presence of Christ. Look at this. God has used the darkness to reveal the sign, he has used the sign to reveal the scripture and now He uses the Scripture to reveal the King. All working together to lead them to Jesus. Verse 11 “They came to the house where the child was and saw Him with His mother, Mary and they bowed down and they worshiped Him. They opened their gifts and gave him their treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Did you notice the word house? They came to the house! Contrary to the theology of
the nativity scenes and what is in the front yards of many homes they didn’t come to the stable, they came to the house.
Earlier we read that Herod asked exactly when the star was seen. And if we were to read further we would hear Herod declare that every male child under the age of two would be killed in Bethlehem. Leading many scholars to surmise this journey could have lasted as long as two years. Their search and what they find is not a baby in a manger, but perhaps a toddler in a house. And they come to the King. They come not to make a request, but to worship!
The appropriate response to an encounter with Christ is to fall on your knees and fall on your face and give Him the gift of worship! This is the second season of worship. The first occurred when the shepherds came to Christ. Humble shepherds out of the field, when they saw Him they worshiped. And now the wise men come bearing gifts and they see the King and they worship. It is a worship service, because they serve Him as they worship; they minister unto Him. They give him gifts, but more importantly they give Him their heart felt praise. The gifts are so appropriate. Gold is the gift for a king. Frankincense a gift for a priest. Myrrh used to prepare a body for burial. Even now they are anticipating Jesus’ Kingly task, his priestly role and his sacrificial gift. What is missing from the time of worship is those you would expect to be present? Where are those who found in the book of Micah that the coming of Christ was to be in Bethlehem? Where are the scholars, where are the rabbis? Well, they are at the temple, they are at the synagogue and they have the open Bible on their laps. Does it strike you as ironic that there they are, Bible open in their laps and Jesus is about 5 miles away and they don’t do anything about it. Let all churchgoers and church leaders be warned. You can be very religious and never see Jesus. You can go to the temple, you can dress in the right clothing, you can speak the right words, you can have the very word of God on your lap and Jesus could be just a walk away and you never see Him
And so the darkness revealed the sign. The sign revealed the scripture. The scripture revealed the King and look what happened next. After finding the king, God showed them the way home. It is upon finding the King that God shows His seekers the way home. “And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod they returned to their own country by a different way.”16 What an appropriate ending to a wonderful story: Called by a sign, instructed by scripture, overwhelmed by a King and escorted home by God.
Let me state what I hope is very obvious. God wants to do the very same for you and me. He brings signs into our life to encourage us and call us to scripture. He brings scripture
into our life to guide us and correct our course so we can find the King. And He brings the King into your life and mine to show the way home.
Closing
Song
Closing
remarks &
prayer:
Many journeys to Jesus begin in darkness. It did for the wise men. So, if you are in darkness right now, or are going through a tough time, please remember,” that without the darkness God cannot show you the sign. So look for the sign that He is bringing into your life. Don’t be discontented with the sign if it is not what you expect. But, let it lead you to scripture, trust in Jesus and allow Him to take you home and take you home safely, for this is the job of our King.
Dear Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for your abundant blessings. We are thankful for the scriptures, the scripture that is ever new, ever fresh. Father, may we never loose the desire to search and search diligently. Father, reveal anew your Son as we celebrate His birth. Go with us, guide and protect us until we are home safely. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
1
New
King James
version for
all Bible
texts unless
otherwise
indicated
2
With
Jesus in His
Sanctuary by
Leslie
Hardinge, PhD
pg 455-456
3
World
Book
Encyclopedia
1972 Volume 3
page 416
4
Desire
of Ages pg 36
& 37
5
Matthew
1:19
6
John
1: 45-46
7
Matthew
8:20 &
Luke 9:58
8
Desire
of Ages pg 67
9
Desire
of Ages pg 47
10
Patriarchs
and prophets
pg 475
11
Desire
of Ages pg 48
12
Desire
of Ages pg 59
13
Desire
of Ages pg
62-63
14
Ephesians
4:1-32
15
Words
by personal
friend Roy
Pendleton
(deceased)
“Advent Youth
Sing” page 6
16
Matthew
12:12 New
American
Standard Bible
Recognition
must also be
given to Max
Lucado,
Charles
Stanley,
Charles
Swindol, and
Doug Batchelor
ministries, in
addition
to many years
of exposure
listening to
sermons of
many speakers
and the
writings of
many authors,
too numerous
to mention,
who have
shaped and
challenged my
thoughts thus
prompting my
search of the
scriptures.