12/25/16 NOTES
NOT EDITED
Chippie’s Christmas
Matthew 2:1-12
SIS— Joy ain’t that easy to
come by but can be discovered when one knows what to look for, where to look
for it, and how to receive it.
At this time of year many people may be having a “Chippie Christmas.”
What is a “Chippie Christmas.” Chippie is a parakeet. He loved to whistle and chirp. One Christmas season, that all changed. It happened when Chippie’s owner decided to
clean out his cage with a vacuum as part of her regular Christmas
cleaning. She stuck the nozzle into the
cage to clean up the bottom of the cage. Suddenly the phone rang. She reached
for the phone with her free hand and not realizing it… her hand holding the
nozzle rose slowly upward and sucked Chippie into the vacuum cleaner. Realizing
what she had done, she dropped the phone and turned off the vacuum.
She loved Chippie and was horrified by what had happened. Quickly, she opened the vacuum bag to rescue
the poor bird. Chippie was stunned and covered head to foot with gray dust… but
thankfully he was still alive. She grabbed him and rushed him to the bathtub,
turned on the cold water full blast and held him under the water power washing
him to remove the vacuum debris. Then it dawned on her that Chippie was soaking
wet and shivering, so she did what any compassionate pet-owner would do. She
snatched up the blow dryer and blasted him with hot air.
Surprisingly, Chippie survived all this. He survived, but he lost his
song. He didn’t sing or even chirp for
a long time after that. Even now, he mostly just sits there in his cage eyeing
the closest where the vacuum cleaner is kept. Being sucked up, washed out, and
blown over had stolen the joy from his heart. Brothers and sisters… can you
blame him… one could easily understand why Chippie doesn’t have much joy when
Christmas time comes around.
There are a lot of people like Chippie. Life has sucked them up, washed them out, and blow-dried the song from their hearts. Joy is difficult, almost impossible, for some people to come by.
The story of the visit of the Wise Men from the East teaches us that “joy ain’t that easy to come by,” but it is possible if you meet certain conditions. Let’s read the story of the Visit of the Magi. (Mt. 2:1-12)
I see a lesson in the story of the Wise Men who made a long, arduous, and dangerous journey to find the Messiah, born on Christmas Day. But, at the end of their long, arduous journey they did find the Messiah, and they did find joy. The Bible says, “[The star] led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure (Mt. 2:9-10). The overwhelming joy the Wise Men experienced wasn’t easy to come by. Let me explain.
There are a lot of people like Chippie. Life has sucked them up, washed them out, and blow-dried the song from their hearts. Joy is difficult, almost impossible, for some people to come by.
The story of the visit of the Wise Men from the East teaches us that “joy ain’t that easy to come by,” but it is possible if you meet certain conditions. Let’s read the story of the Visit of the Magi. (Mt. 2:1-12)
I see a lesson in the story of the Wise Men who made a long, arduous, and dangerous journey to find the Messiah, born on Christmas Day. But, at the end of their long, arduous journey they did find the Messiah, and they did find joy. The Bible says, “[The star] led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure (Mt. 2:9-10). The overwhelming joy the Wise Men experienced wasn’t easy to come by. Let me explain.
The Wise Men from the East have secured a very important place in the
Nativity Story. Much about who they were
and where they came from is conjecture, or even myth. Nothing in the story, for example, says they
were Three Kings. They were probably not
kings, but more like priests; and though they brought three gifts, nothing
indicates there were only three of them.
They often are seen worshipping with the family and shepherds around the
manger, but they would not have arrived for months after the birth. Tradition has even assigned the Three Wise
Men, or Kings, names, but nothing is said about their names
Baltshazar of Arabia wears the green robe. Melchior of Persia wears the gold robe. Gaspar of Egypt or India (tradition is divided here) wears the purple robe.
There is much that we do NOT know about these “Wise Men.” There is much we DO know. We do know their profession. The word translated “wise men” is magoi. We get the word, magic from this word. The original Middle Eastern term referred to a very important (and rich) class of priests that practiced an ancient version of astronomy, which was mixed with astrology. A brand of magic.
We also know that their trek from the point of origin in the Middle East (perhaps Irag or Iran, or some say, Yemen) would have been very long (500 to 1000 miles depending on point of origin), and very dangerous. Not only were there no smart phones to provide GPS, they would travel across brutal terrain and territory controlled by thieves and constantly experiencing war and strife.
After many weeks, perhaps months, The Wise Men would eventually follow that strange, dancing star to the house where Jesus and His family were now residing. Jesus is no longer the infant (brephos) in a manger, but the young child (paidion) in a house.
Baltshazar of Arabia wears the green robe. Melchior of Persia wears the gold robe. Gaspar of Egypt or India (tradition is divided here) wears the purple robe.
There is much that we do NOT know about these “Wise Men.” There is much we DO know. We do know their profession. The word translated “wise men” is magoi. We get the word, magic from this word. The original Middle Eastern term referred to a very important (and rich) class of priests that practiced an ancient version of astronomy, which was mixed with astrology. A brand of magic.
We also know that their trek from the point of origin in the Middle East (perhaps Irag or Iran, or some say, Yemen) would have been very long (500 to 1000 miles depending on point of origin), and very dangerous. Not only were there no smart phones to provide GPS, they would travel across brutal terrain and territory controlled by thieves and constantly experiencing war and strife.
After many weeks, perhaps months, The Wise Men would eventually follow that strange, dancing star to the house where Jesus and His family were now residing. Jesus is no longer the infant (brephos) in a manger, but the young child (paidion) in a house.
The joy that the Wise Men would eventually experience was very hard to come by. The journey was long, hard, and dangerous. Experiencing joy is often like that. Joy is often “hard to come by.” Circumstances and personal issues can rob one of his or her joy as surely as the Grinch plotted to steal Christmas from the town of Whoville.
Joy is not automatic. Having joy may mean taking risks. Having joy may be a longer process for some than for others. Some may have to wrestle joy away from terrible circumstances or personal challenges. Joy may be hard to come by for you at this time of year—or at any time of year. While it may be hard to come by, joy can be had if we know what we seek, where to seek for it, and how to maintain it. Life doesn’t have to be perfect for our joy to be full.
There are three conditions that must be met in order to experience
anything like the joy the shepherds, and later the Wise Men experienced—“a
great, overwhelming joy.”
1. You have to know what to look for v2
Technically, joy is a “Who,” not a what. Look at verse 2
Wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly
in Jerusalem, 2 saying,
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come
to worship Him.”
These Wise Men knew to follow a star that would lead them to a person
who they called, “King of the Jews.” How
did they know about such a King, and how did they know His birth would be
attended by a mysterious star?
One explanation is that these “Magi” were from Yemen, on the southern
end of the Arabian Peninsula. Historians
believe that magi were a group of Jewish Kings in Yemen. A more plausible answer, however, would be
that these were the Priestly caste of astrologers from Iraq who had interaction
with the Jewish exiles in Babylonia for six centuries since the exile. This would make them aware of the Jewish
prophecies in regard to a coming God-King called the Messiah. Balaam, a non-Israelite, Middle Eastern
(perhaps Canaanite) prophet, is recorded in the Bible as saying,
Numbers 24:17 I see him, but not now; I perceive him,
but not near. A star will come from Jacob,
and a scepter will arise from Israel.
Notice the words, “I perceive him but not near.” Balaam’s prophecy, though delivered
through a pagan prophet is sanctioned by God by appearing in the Bible,
occurred over 1400 years before the birth of Christ. This is a “Messianic” prophecy meaning it
refers to the coming Deliverer, or Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
Over 1200 years later, we have the writing of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In one section, scholars of the community that produced the scrolls confirm this prophecy of Balaam refers to the coming Deliverer (Damascus Document 7, 18-21; Testimonia 9-13).
Over 1200 years later, we have the writing of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In one section, scholars of the community that produced the scrolls confirm this prophecy of Balaam refers to the coming Deliverer (Damascus Document 7, 18-21; Testimonia 9-13).
The Wise Men were not seeking a “what” but a “Who.” Most often people seek joy in “things” or
“circumstances” and as a result, they do not find it, or find it and lose
it. Joy that is based upon circumstances
is “happiness,” not joy. Happiness comes
from the root word, hap, an English word probably related to Scandinavian. It means “luck or chance.” It is unpredictable and fickle as in
“haphazard.” Happiness is a response to favorable stimuli, or pleasurable circumstances. Lasting joy cannot be found in circumstances
or seeking personal pleasure. Joy is
found in meeting a person—the Lord Jesus Christ.
Think about it. How many of us
still have the first toy we received for Christmas? Many toys not only don’t last decades, some
don’t even survive beyond the snow melt of the season. No matter how expensive—or durable—any gift
might be, things will never bring us lasting joy. Other people can never be the
source of our joy. Relationships change.
Loved one’s die. Other people cannot be
the source of our joy.
Discovering and maintaining lasting joy requires that we know what we are looking for. The Wise Men were seeking Jesus and found true joy. Wise Men (and women) still seek Jesus today.
Discovering and maintaining lasting joy requires that we know what we are looking for. The Wise Men were seeking Jesus and found true joy. Wise Men (and women) still seek Jesus today.
A second condition that must be met to have
true joy is we must,
2. We must know where to look
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in
the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in
Jerusalem saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the
Jews? For we saw His star in the
east and have come to worship Him.”
It is not enough to
know “What,” is the source of true joy, but we must know where to look to find
that true joy. The wise men arrived in
the right place by following God’s star.
Now,
let me be clear of one thing, on our own without the faith that God Himself
gives us, we would never find Him. In
fact, we would never even think to look for Him. There is a bit of irony to Christianity that
I don’t fully understand. We don’t find
Jesus—He finds us. The Bible says, “No
man can come to the father unless the Spirit of God draws Him.” But the Word also says, “Seek and you will
find.” God must give us the very faith
He requires of us in order for us to be saved.
Christmas is all about gifts, and God is the greatest of all
gift-givers.
So, I’m going to
assume that since you are here today, in a church, you are on a Spiritual
Quest—whether you know it or not. My
prayer is that God would open your heart and shine His light into your soul so
that you will first, seek Him, and secondly Look
for Him in the right place.
In other words, had
the Wise Men travelled north, or south, or east they would never have found the
object of their quest. V1 tells us they
arrived “unexpectedly in Jerusalem,” because that’s where the star led them.
On the contrary,
Herod never found joy, and never found Jesus because Herod rejected the Light
and Guidance of God. Herod looked in
Bethlehem—the logical place based upon what the Scribes and priests told him
(see verse6). Logic is never sufficient
to guide one to God. It may come
close—only six miles or a few hours walk—but close does not count in a
relationship with God. To be “almost
persuaded” is to be “totally lost.”
God’s logic is not
our logic. God’s ways are not man’s
ways. It defies human logic that a King
would be born in a stable, and not the nursery of a palace. Isaiah declares (55:9):
“For
as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My
thoughts than your thoughts.
Though a person look
for Jesus for a thousand years, without God’s grace and guidance, they will
never find Jesus, and never find joy. It
is God’s grace, not our human quest that leads us to salvation. God, in His grace, put that star in the sky
to guide the Wise Men, or they would have ended up in the wrong place, just
like Herod. Herod’s evil plot was foiled
because Herod trusted his logic and cleverness, and not God’s Light. Joy always eludes us when we trust our
cleverness and ingenuity rather than following God’s Light.
Had the Wise Men
followed their logic and learning (that said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem)
instead of following the guidance of God, they would have missed Jesus. They would have been close—only six miles
away—but they would have been looking in the “wrong place.”
So many people are on
a spiritual quest to find God and they get so close. They live “good” lives by human
standards. Many are devoutly religious. But, being good or being religious will never
be paths to salvation because salvation is not found at the end of our human
efforts but salvation is found by God’s guiding grace.
Hell will be
populated by a great many good, religious people who LOOKED for God in all the
wrong places. Some will look for Jesus
in philosophy—and not find Him. Some
will look for Jesus in morality—and not find Him. Some will look for Jesus in good works—and
will not find Him. Some people will have
even look for God “in church,” but will not find Him. God is not found at the end of a
philosophical or even religious quest.
In fact, God is not “found” at all.
It is God Who seeks. It is God
who guides. It is God who provided that
special star.
One Sunday Evening a
little boy from a very religious family knelt by his bedside to pray. This family went to church every time the
doors were open. The little boy had
literally grown up in church. His prayer
stabs me like a dagger in my heart. The
little boy prayed, “Dear God, we had a good
time in church today! I wish you had been there!”
Sadly, many times the
most unlikely place to find God is in church.
Religion, perhaps more than any other human endeavor, leads people to
the wrong place to find Jesus, and experience real joy.
Joy is found when we
know we are looking for a Person, and we look into the heart of God to
experience His grace. In the Greek, both
the word, “joy,” and the word, “grace,” come from the same root. Joy is found in grace, not good works or
anywhere else. We find joy when we look
in the right place.
To experience joy we
must know “Who” to look for, that is Jesus.
We must know “where” to look for joy, that is by receiving the free gift
of God, or grace, that provides salvation, and finally to experience an on-going
feeling of great joy we must know
3.
how to keep it going (10-11)
10 When they saw the star, they were
overjoyed beyond measure. 11 Entering the house, they saw the
child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped
Him. Then they opened their treasures
and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Let me connect some
dots in this story for us: “they
(the Wise Men) were overjoyed (filled to over flowing with joy) . . . they
opened their treasures.”
The response to
experiencing great joy was “great giving.”
Trying to maintain a joyful life by seeking better circumstances is like
trying to get out of a hole by digging.
Joy come through a relationship with the Lord and is maintained by
giving one’s life to Him in service to others.
So much of the
emphasis in the world at Christmas time is giving and receiving gifts. I don’t want to be a Scrooge and suggest we
should not give gifts to each other. I
like gifts. I will accept your gifts
graciously, but my greatest joy comes from giving, not getting.
I am aware, however,
that receiving a thousand wonderful gifts will not bring as much joy into our
lives as giving people one special gift:
presenting people with the gift of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You see, when you analyze the gifts the Wise
Men gave, what they were doing was outlining Who the little child was and what
he would do.
One Wise Man gave a
gift of gold. This is a gift fit for a
King. The Bible tells us that this young
child, born in a manger and not in a palace, was in fact a king—the King of
Kings.
1Tim.
6:15 He is the blessed and only Sovereign,
the
King of kings, and the Lord of lords,
As
the Sovereign Supreme King, Jesus has the authority to absolute rule over our
lives. The gift of gold represents our
surrender.
Another
Wise Man presented Jesus with the gift of frankincense.
Frankincense was a
fragrance that was used in the worship celebrations of Israel by the priests,
as they presented sacrifices to God on behalf of the people, to atone for their
sins. The Bible says,
14 Therefore, since we have a great
high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God.
Jesus replaced all
the useless sacrifices and rituals of the nation’s religion and He alone is our
High Priest who makes atonement for our sins.
Frankincense reminds us we owe Jesus our worship.
The third Wise Man
gave Jesus myrrh. This may be the most
significant gift. It is a very expensive
substance that was used to prepare a dead body for burial—a strange gift for a
child just starting the journey of life.
Myrrh reminds us that Jesus was “born to die.” The real meaning of Christmas comes when we
celebrate Easter.
Being born of a virgin in the manger did not complete the ministry and purpose for the Lord’s life on earth. His birth was all about death. His manger was quaint, but His cross was essential. The Bible says,
Being born of a virgin in the manger did not complete the ministry and purpose for the Lord’s life on earth. His birth was all about death. His manger was quaint, but His cross was essential. The Bible says,
1Peter
3:18 For
Christ also suffered for sins once for
all, the righteous for the unrighteous,
that He might bring you to God.
The fuel that drives
the engine of joy is giving. Having been
overwhelmed with joy at meeting Jesus, the Bible says that the Wise Men, “opened
up their treasures” (Mt. 2:11). This
is how we can have joy in our lives, regardless of how long or hard our journey
might be: giving brings joy.
On my office wall is
a little knick-knack my Mom gave me many years ago. It’s in the shape of a heart and it says,
“The love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love, until you give it
away.” Well, what is true of love, is
also true of joy. Joy grows not by the
things that we receive or the acts of kindness others bestow on us, but joy
grows when we give.
We cannot control our
circumstances. We cannot completely control
our feelings. We DO have a measure of
control in regard to our joy. Once we
have received God’s joy by responding to God’s grace, we can determine to a
great measure how much joy we experience from day to day, by opening up the
treasures of our life and giving God’s message to others. Sharing the gospel even brings joy to heaven.
Luke
15:7 I
tell you . . . there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents.
over one sinner who repents.
You can find joy by
giving the gift of joy to someone else by being “their star” leading them to
Christ.
Joy
ain’t easy to come by. The Wise Men’s journey to Jesus
shows us this. Their quest leading to “joy
beyond measure” was long, hard,
and dangerous. Circumstances were not
only unpleasant, they were horrible.
But, finding Jesus fills us with joy when we know Who to look for, Where to find Him, and How to Keep the Joy Flowing!
Chippie experienced some hard luck around Christmas. Circumstances literally “sucked” the joy out of him. So many people experience a “Chippie Christmas.” The abundant joy the Wise Men and others experienced eludes so many people—most people really.
Don’t be a “Chippie.” Find joy by receiving Christ. After all without Christ in Christmas, all you have is a “mess.”
Joy
ain’t that easy to come by, but if you allow God’s star of grace to guide you
to His Son of Redemption, you will have joy.
Merry Christmas, and
a Happy New Life!