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The plot line of this story is simple: Magi from the east traveled
to Judea in search of the One who was born under the star, believed to be
the king of the Jews. Their search brought them through Jerusalem with an
encounter with Herod. It culminated in finding the Christ child and worshipping
Him. They were led by the star before finding Christ, and they were led by
the Spirit after finding Christ.
The story of the Magi seeking the Christ child, however, is
one of the most character-colorful stories in the Advent narratives. It is
far from simple. The personality of Herod is a major factor in interpreting
this story. Understanding the background of the Magi is also important to
a greater appreciation of this narrative.
Herod the Great reigned from 37-4 b.c. He was an Idumean, a
non-Jew who was appointed as king by the Roman Senate. He was ruthless: murdering
his wife, three sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, and many others.
It is no surprise he had no problem killing so many babies in Bethlehem.
Herod’s reign was noted for splendor and construction.
He built many theaters, amphitheaters, monuments, pagan altars, and fortresses.
His greatest work was the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, which commenced
in 20 b.c. and was completed in 64 a.d. (It was destroyed by the Romans 6
years later in 70 a.d.)
Herod was a tyrant who could not tolerate any contenders for his throne. His
personality appears to be very choleric. He was a power hungry, self-absorbed,
ruthless, controlling oppressor. He’s a mean one, Mr. Grinch.
The Magi, in contrast, were men of science (astronomy), extremely
educated, and wealthy. They were highly respected in their Gentile culture
and were considered upper class citizens. We don’t know how many Magi
there actually were in search of the king. We assume three because there were
three gifts. They were not particularly prone to faith in the Jewish religion,
but they were sincere seekers of truth. They were very spiritual and visionary
leaders. The Magi were virtually the exact opposite of the shepherds.
Another group of characters in this narrative consists of the
chief priests and teachers of the law. They were well trained and educated
in the details of scripture, but fascinatingly enough were spiritually ignorant.
Immediately conflicts and tensions rise to the surface. There
is the spiritual conflict between Herod, the pretender-king, and Jesus, the
real King of the Jews. The king of the Jews was to be God’s representative
(like God), and in the line of David (both spiritually and physically). Herod
is the antithesis of God—a murderous, self-centered pagan who devalues
life.
The Magi enter this story seeking the real king, truth, meaning
behind the star, and seeking to make sense of it all. They first searched
in the wrong place—Jerusalem. But God led them to the real king.
The very fact the Magi were drawn by creation to the Lord and
Creator of all is a revelation of major proportions. God’s invitation
was not just for the Jews, but for all people. People from all over the world
identified Jesus as a supernatural king. Not only was Jesus’ birth in
accordance with Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah, but was also
recognized by the revelation others in the world would understand.
One of the key words in this narrative is worship. It means
“to kiss the hand.” It can also mean “to prostrate oneself
in recognition of and submission to a higher authority.” A contrast
can be seen in the expressed sincere desire to worship as seen in the Magi
and the insincere, almost mocking, statement of desiring to worship made by
Herod. The Magi desired to bow down before the newborn king. But Herod desired
to build up himself.
This narrative is rich in meaning. One of the main emphases
centers on the search by the Magi. They were seeking. They were doing more
than trying to solve an astrological problem or answer a question of science.
They were sincerely seeking for the truth. They were genuinely seeking for
the divine One who was born under such a special star. They were seeking for
the intervention of a god as they understood Him in their world.
People today have a desire to find meaning in life. There is
a natural (God-given) quest to seek for something of substance outside of
ourselves. Christian sociologists and demographers consistently report people
in our world are more spiritual but less Christian—they are seeking
truth. Rick Warren has struck a nerve in the soul of people with his teaching
and leading people to find purpose and meaning in their lives. People are
hungry for meaning and they are on a desperate search.
However, a conflict which surfaces between this God-given desire
to seek meaning and the self-centered human nature for control. This is illustrated
in the Magi and Herod. People are confronted with a choice—seek meaning
and purpose or appease the self. The need to move beyond ourselves, to seek
meaning and purpose, and to bow in worship before the only One who can bring
meaning to us is the choice of the Magi.
Some people choose to put themselves first, like Herod. They
choose to do everything they can to protect themselves. They look out for
“numero uno.” God flatly rejects this option. It does not lead
to true meaning and purpose in life.
Many people have chosen to pursue knowledge as if the more you
learn the more meaning you’ll find in life. The trouble is the wisest
man who ever lived, who challenged his people to pursue knowledge, called
it “meaningless” in the end. Solomon found knowledge itself did
not bring a sense of purpose.
God calls us to do what the Magi did, and that is to seek Christ.
Meaning is found in a pursuit of the Messiah. Purpose is discovered in the
quest for the Son of God. Seeking the One who has come looking for us is the
key to finding true meaning and purpose.
God has graciously made us response-able. We, by the grace of
God, have been granted a choice. However, our choices have consequences and
results. Notice the results of the actions of these three characters:
Herod was self-absorbed, power-hungry. He chose to focus on
the self. It led to frustration, failure, and loneliness. The chief priests
and teachers of the Law chose to focus on knowledge. The “I’ve-got-all-the-answers”
people who concentrated on the cold hard facts missed the meaning. They never
really got it. However, the Magi—the sincere seekers of truth, meaning,
and substance in life—discovered exactly what they were looking for.
As they laid their lives before the Christ child they were transformed. Life
was given meaning that surpassed all this world had to offer.
(For the full manuscript of this sermon
go to www.preachersmagazine.org and click on “Sermons.”)
There are many ways to preach this text. I chose to build the
sermon around the Christmas character known to so many—the Grinch. The
question I raised was, “Who is the real Grinch?”
In the sermon I explored the character of Herod, identifying
him as a Grinch-like character who was in conflict with everyone around him.
He, in a very real sense, isolated himself from others. The chief priests
and teachers of the Law almost take on the traits of the Grinch’s dog,
Max. I delved into their character and highlighted the nature of these who
knew, but seemed to not care. The Magi were pointed out as identifying with
the basic human search for meaning and purpose.
How these characters dealt with the inner desire to find meaning
in life is the next portion of the sermon. Herod believed the self to be the
focal point of life and acted accordingly. The chief priests and teachers
of the Law believed knowledge to be the focus of life and responded true to
form. The Magi looked beyond themselves and beyond knowledge to discover the
source of true meaning and purpose.
This story calls for a response on our part. Therefore, the message pointed to our choices. However, the answer to the question of the identity of the Grinch is answered with a slight twist. We become the Grinch. We stole Christmas from ourselves. We gave up eternal life. We sacrificed our relationship with our Creator by choosing to center our lives on ourselves. However, unlike the Grinch, we can’t give it back to ourselves. We need a Savior. We desperately need to seek Him.