January 7, 2007 Matthew 2:1-12

¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, "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."

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: ⁶ "`But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (NIV)

Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:19, "we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place." You wouldn't think you would have to tell someone to pay attention to a light - especially when living in the midst of darkness. Looking at the light is only the natural thing to do. Without light you will get lost, stumble, and fall. But the world doesn't see it even when it does shine, and even we would rather fall asleep and ignore it - even though without the light we will stumble and fall.

As we celebrate Epiphany - we see an actual light - a star shining in a dark and strange place. Anyone looking at the sky should have noticed this anomaly - but most people didn't. They were too busy working their jobs and sleeping to take the time and look at this sign in the sky. Even if they did - they didn't do any inquiring to find out what actually was happening. We're not going to miss it today. In this celebration of Epiphany we are here to look at how -

The Strange Light Over Bethlehem Shines in Strange Ways

I. It was revealed to strange people

The Magi are much like Melchizedek in some respects. Melchizedek was a priest that came and went in the Old Testament in just a few verses - who ended up being a precursor to Christ. In a similar way, these Magi seemingly come out of nowhere and we never hear from them again - having no beginning and no end. The very name, "Magi" has different interpretations. It can refer to wise men, teachers, priests, seers, astrologers and physicians. The word in the Greek is used of Elymas the sorcerer who opposed Paul at Paphos in Acts 13. Paul called him a child of the devil. The term kind of reminds me of Balaam in the Old Testament. He was actually a heathen seer whom the Lord decided to speak through and control. Yet as we read through this Christmas story - it would appear that these Magi aren't such shady characters as Balaam or Elymas.

All we know is that they come from the "east." That leaves it pretty wide open. Isaiah seems to have predicted their origins in Isaiah 60:6, "Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD." Sheba is in the area of southwest Asia. Yet this isn't definite either. It has been speculated that these "wise men" were descendants of the faith of Daniel - who spent his ministry in eastern Babylon during the captivity some 700 years prior to the birth of Christ. Wouldn't that be something - for that faith to continue on for 700 years by these Gentiles in a foreign land! Something tells me that there were many more than three wise men - for it caused quite a commotion in Jerusalem and throughout Judea. Three men riding into town would probably not bring such a commotion.

Listen to the words of these Magi. Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, "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." Unlike modern day "seers" and "astrologers" - the Magi had no doubt in their voices. They weren't wondering whether the Christ was born. They knew it had happened. They seemed sure that this was "his star". They came to worship him. How could they have been so sure? Remember when the Heaven's Gate cult saw the comet years ago and all committed suicide with poisoned applesauce? They were SURE that if they died they could ride the comet back to heaven - they even had their bags packed - which were never taken unfortunately. So much for their surety. But these Magi were different. They weren't mislead. They were informed of the truth.

How come out of all the thousands of people who were living closer than them - with more Scriptures than them - couldn't see the meaning of this light - but they could? How did they know? Magi are also known as astrologers. Could it be that it was their special observation that showed them a star that millions of other people wouldn't have noticed? It's possible. Jesus once reprimanded people who studied nature for not being able to interpret the times. He said,

Luke 12:54-56 He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?

He chastised them for being such good students of nature but such terrible students of what was happening at the time. When you study nature - you should naturally at least have a better understanding that there is a god.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

There is something to be said about this. When you are watching the television - and sitcoms - you most of the time are not looking at creation. Could it be that America is becoming more and more blind to God and more atheistic because we are looking less and less at creation? What if we did a real study of the stars? What if we actually took the time to learn the constellations and the difference between trees and grasses? Do you think we would have a better appreciation and understanding of at the very least a "Higher Power" in our universe? I can't help but think so. God has said that He placed creation here to draw us to seek Him. We are doing ourselves no favors by being ignorant in science and a study of our world. We are in fact ignoring God by ignoring His creation.

Let's get back to the question though. Could it be that through their studying and perceptions of nature they were able to scientifically KNOW that this star was signifying the birth of not just a king - but the king of the Jews? That is a stretch of impossible proportions. The Magi were not the only people to study the stars - if indeed they did study the stars. Yet other astrologers didn't come. There is no possible way that this star could have told them such things - no matter how much they knew about the stars. At best they would have known this was a peculiar and special star.

Let's go to the most natural conclusion. God's Word says that "faith comes from hearing the message." (Romans 10:17) Daniel could have given them a prophecy or a copy of God's Word that would have tipped them off to such a phenomena. The only passage that we have which mentions a star is in Numbers 24:17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth." This passage seems to be symbolically using a star to represent Christ - not a literal star. The Jews also had this passage - yet none of them had made such a conclusion or were sounding similar sentiments. On top of this, I seriously wonder if they even knew this passage since they didn't know from Micah 5:2 that Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem. And even if they did know a star would come - how did they know THIS was it? Notice also that they called him the king of the Jews. Why did they come to worship him then? When the king of England is born, we don't go to worship him.

How did they know? Why did they come to worship him? Obviously, they had faith. The great question is where this faith came from - this well informed faith - much more well informed than any of the Jews in Jerusalem? There can only be one explanation. Paul reveals the source of their knowledge in 2 Corinthians 4:6. Here he writes that "God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." The same God who created the original light of the dark world was able to bring the meaning of this star's light into the Magi's heart. Somehow God must have conveyed and explained what had happened to them - either through the written Word - spoken Word - or even a vision at night. Even though they were Gentiles from hundreds of miles away - God opened up their spiritual eyes so they alone saw the meaning of this strange light - and they believed it! Only a miracle of God could have produced such light.

Did you ever stop to think how on earth you also have come to worship Christ - this King of the Jews? Here you are - living thousands of years after Christ - on a land thousands of miles away from the point where Jesus lived and breathed. We are not Jews. Yet we worship this Jew. How could this be? It's not because you were smarter than the Muslims or the Mormons so that you were able to figure out who the true Christ is. It's not because God saw what a good adult you would be. Whenever you get into that thinking - you don't understand what grace is about.

Grace doesn't have anything to do with who you are or how good of a person God though you could be. God's grace works completely independent of people. God's grace works because in His mercy He decides to take sinners out of this darkness and show them that this King of the Jews would come to live and die for the world. God's grace happens when God convicts you of your sins and that you need a Savior - and then shows you who that Savior is - that baby in the Manger. God's grace provides you with a light at the end of the tunnel - promising you heaven free of charge - through faith in Christ. It was the God of grace who let His light shine in your heart - and opened your eyes to see who you are - a sinner who was lost in the darkness of unbelief - and who He is - the Savior and the light of the world. The Jewish baby is God in the flesh - the Savior of the world.

This shows us an awesome truth - the strange light shines in strange places. It shone in the heart of a prostitute named Rahab. It shone in a widow of Zarephath. It shone in an Ethiopian eunuch - and here it shines to people living hundreds of miles from Bethlehem thousands of years later. It shines in the places you would expect it to shine least. This is the message of Epiphany - that Jesus is the King of the Jews - who came to rule in the hearts of the world. He can shine wherever He pleases. You might look at your own heart and life and say, "why would God want to rule in me?" Because God is a God of grace. You might look at someone who is so caught up in his own riches and fame and say, "there's no way he will ever come to faith." When you say that - you don't understand the nature of the light. The Strange Light shines in strange places.

II. It was invisible to those in Jerusalem

The only thing that would perhaps amaze me more about this text is the response of those who lived right next door to Bethlehem. When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. I can't imagine how ignorant these Magi were to the whole situation in Jerusalem. They had no idea what a butcher Herod was - that he wasn't even supposed to be the king of the Jews. Herod had won his position through politics and assassinations. The people knew that when he found out there was a pretender to his throne - he would go on a head hunt. The Jews were also afraid of the response of the Romans - that they would assume the Jews were going to try and overthrow their rule. All of the Jews seemed to only be concerned about one thing - their physical peace and safety in living under the tyranny of Herod and Rome.

The sadder thing in their response is that they had ready access go God's Word - much more so than the Magi who lived far away from the temple. When they asked where the Christ was to be born - the spiritual leaders knew immediately where he was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: ⁶ "`But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" Yet instead of going to Bethlehem with the Wise Men - all Herod said was to go and report back with him. NOT ONE of the chief priests or teachers of the law bothered to go along with these Magi - even though Bethlehem was only six measly miles away. What a rotten and lazy faith! Instead of rejoicing at this message - they are disturbed and they stay put at the possibility of the Messiah finally being born.

And so it happens, in places where God's light should shine the brightest, you find nothing but the deepest darkness. In a simple generation some of the kids who are taught God's Word - whom you would expect would be the strongest and most vocal Christians - most end up as the laziest and most evil people on this earth - and they have no excuse. There is no excuse that our own children - who have had Christian parents and Christian training are not regular in worship - who don't even come to worship at Christmas or Easter. There is no excuse for those who had God fearing parents to be in prison and arrested for just plain evil behavior. Yet it happens that those who were once able to quote the Bible do not believe the Bible. They get the Word but they don't get the Light of the Bible.

How can this happen? It can happen because the Light tells us things that we don't want to hear. You might call it the politics of the Light. Maybe the chief priests and teachers of the law wanted to go - but they were too afraid of Herod. So they let their fear of man get in the way of the revelation of God! So we have many Christians who recognize their fear of God will get in the way of the relationship with their boyfriend or girlfriend. It tells them not to become united to this person - even though he or she is attractive - because he or she is pushing us to do things that we know are evil. Yet we have kids ignoring the fact that they are Lutheran and acting as if it were no big deal in who they dated. We have adults afraid to proclaim the law within their family and friend circles because they know they will be accused of being judgmental and unloving. We have adults who have conscientiously chosen to work jobs and take on schedules that will take them away from God's Word because they are afraid of getting fired - or they have convinced themselves that they can stay in the faith just fine without being connected to other Christians or a physical church. Without realizing it - by their own decisions and business and priorities they are letting the Light flicker out in their very hearts. Many have fallen because of these very things - the politics of the Light.

There are some who say that this isn't possible. God's Word says otherwise.

1 Corinthians 10:12 If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

1 Timothy 1:18-19 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

Matthew 13:20-21 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

Take a look at what happened to Ted Haggard in Colorado, or Jimmy Baker many years ago. The same thing happens to too many pastors and teachers within our own circles. Those who have the light end up consumed in darkness of sin and unbelief. It can happen and it does happen.

God takes this rejection as the biggest slap in the face. It made Jesus cry. (Matthew 23:37) Peter writes in 2 Peter 2:21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Bethsaida and Korazin will be punished more severely in hell than Sodom and Gomorrah because they saw Jesus' miracles and still rejected Him as the Messiah. Think then about how God will treat those chief priests, teachers of the law, and modern day former Christians who keeping their eyes closed at the light of Christ. There is no excuse for their blindness. Not only did they have the light of creation - but they also had the light of God's Word explained and taught to them - and they STILL rejected it. The Light doesn't always shine where it should - which is also strange. Yet that is not a fault with the Light. It is the fault of the recipient of the Light.

Last year there was Lewis and Clark exhibit at the History Museum. I had just read through Undaunted Courage - a book about Lewis and Clark. It made me want to go and look at the exhibit - because I understood more of the history behind it. Knowing the history behind something makes you stop and appreciate it more.He came at it from a completely different aspect than I did. When you're walking through a museum with someone else - it can be a difficult thing. One person may like to stop and read the inscription on every article, whereas the other person likes to simply look at the physical object and then move on to the next one. One person may take five minutes to go through the whole display while another may take one hour. It depends on how interested you are in the object. I recall walking through a museum in Salt Lake City and seeing the eyeglasses or something of Joseph Smith. I remember seeing two little Mormon kids stopping with awe and looking at that one artifact as if they were looking at the very clothes of Christ. It saddened me.

Today God's Word has taken us on a tour of Bethlehem - about a year after Christ was born. We have taken it knowing the history behind Christmas. In His Word - through His prophets - He told us that in Bethlehem a shepherd would be born. He told us that of a virgin God Himself would take on flesh - to live and die for the sins of the world. He told us that in the manger - Christ the Savior was born - to shepherd you into heaven. By an unbelievable miracle - God has caused this Light to shine in your heart. You know what you're looking at in this manger. You're looking at your Savior - the Light of the world - place in a strange place - in a manger. Sadly so many people just zoom right by this and ignore the Light staring them in the face.

Out of all of the sinfully blind people in the world - for some strange reason called "Grace" - you have been shown the Light of salvation in Christ. Like the Magi - you have been drawn to look at the Light and worship that child in Bethlehem. The Strange Light Shines in Strange Ways. Strange as it may be, you will do well to pay attention to this Light and worship this Light - as a Light shining in a dark place - for this Light is our salvation. Amen.