The Phenomenon of Christmas
Text: Matthew 2:1-12
As I searched scripture for a Christmas message this week, I found myself thinking about the many things about the Birth of Christ that are far beyond the ordinary, out of the normal and extremely unique.
I won't try to point out all those unique things but to get us to see that something extra ordinary happened that day long ago and that it deeply concerns each one of us today.
The Lord said to Isaiah many years ago, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isa.55:8-9.
That sets the stage for this message about the Phenomenon of Christmas.
The word phenomenon means, "something appearing or observed, a remarkable person or thing, something exceptional."
There was great phenomena occurring at the events surrounding the Birth of Jesus Christ. Something exceptional was taking place.
The Phenomenon of the Wise Men appearing. We read the text and it means so little to us that we don't think much about that detail.
Who were these 'wise men'? The Bible does not tell us and history leaves no clear record of exactly who they were. They were Gentiles, probably from ancient Persia, and their expertise was in the area of astronomy, the science of the study of stars in the heavenly bodies.
How they knew about this star? It seems they knew something of the Jewish Scriptures especially of a prophecy made hundreds of years earlier by Balaam in Num. 24:17. "...there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel..." They were also possibly fulfilling Isa.60:3. "And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." But we must recognize that they had received some kind of revelation from God regarding the fact of the birth of this 'King of the Jews.' They did not come looking for him to be born. They came looking for him who was born. You will also notice that it was after the birth of Jesus that they came from the east.The Phenomenon of the Star that led them.
Most Men would have been mocked by Herod and others for having pretended that a star had led them. The fact that these men were not mocked but were received and their questions answered proves that they were men of great respect and sincerity.
The Star's place in the east. It seems that this is the only place that the star had been appearing and that these Wise Men were the only ones to whom it had revealed itself.
They call it, His star, not 'a' star. Signifying the insight of Divine revelation again.No other star has ever been called, His star.It leads them from the east to the west, but only as far as Jerusalem.
We all know that this is the natural travel of the heavenly bodies, but this is where it's naturalness stops.
Next, we find this star traveling to the south to Bethlehem and stopping over where the young child was.
That was no ordinary star, no conjunction of planets, no super nova. This was a special star, God uniquely revealing the Christ child to these seeking wise men.
The Phenomenon at the houseThe Star that stood. Again, we all know that this is contrary to the natural movement of the heavenly bodies, and, this star seems to have been shining during the day light hours which further demands that it be something special from God.
The rejoicing that came. Read this verse carefully and you will find that the rejoicing was couple to their seeing the star again. At this point they have not yet seen the Child, only His Star, yet they are rejoicing.
The worship that erupted. Once inside the house they saw what they had traveled for so long to see. They fell down and worshiped. Worship is being given to a young child by these wise men. Worship is being given in the presence of Mary the child's mother. All of this speaks of great humility and understanding of that Divine One before them.
The prophetical gifts that were bestowed. Gold -- speaks of the Deity of the Christ child. Frankincense -- speaks of the sweet savor of his life. Myrrh -- speaks of his sacrificial suffering and death that he would die for us.The Phenomenon of their departureThe Wise Men had been guest in Herod's domain. We know they had been instructed by him in the matter of returning to him.
But God … They were warned by God. There are so many things in life that would turn out so differently, except God. God is always the part of the equations that cannot be figured, or planned. They departed another way. Herod was filled with anger and rage.
The marvel remains today that the Wise Men came they found the Child, they worshiped Him, and, they ignored Herod and returned home another way.The Phenomenon of Christmas: These Wise Men traveled far, They did what no others were doing, They found their needs met in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
