Born For Us - Ephiphany

Title: Born For Us By Pastor Lohn Johnson
Text: Mathew 2:9-11: 9And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.  10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. . INTRODUCTION:   My dear friends in Christ, Go back in time 2,000 years, and imagine that you are one of the most respected scholars in the city of Babylon, perhaps even a professor in the university. You are getting your camel ready for a trip; one of your students comes by and says, "Teacher, where are you headed?" You reply, "I'm going to Palestine." He says, "Why, that is several months journey from here. Why are you going to Palestine?" You say, "Oh, I'm going to search for a king." He says, "Well, who is this king?" You reply, "I don't know. I only know that he has been born and I must find him." The student says, "Prof, wait a minute. Palestine is a Roman province. The king is chosen by Caesar, not by birth." You say, "Oh, but the king that I am looking for is not a Roman, he is a Jew." The student replies, "A Jew! Why they don't even have a kingdom, much less a king." You reply, "Well, they do now." The student says, "Well, teacher, where is this king in Palestine?" You reply, "I don't know." The student, with a bewildered look, says, "Let me get this straight. You are going to look for a Jewish baby who is king over a people who don't even have a kingdom. You don't know who this baby is, nor do you know where to find him. Is that right?" You say, "That is absolutely correct." The student looks at you, shakes his head and says, "All this time I respected you as a wise man. But you are not nearly as wise as I thought you were."
I. Now isn’t it interesting that these so-called Wise Men search for the King of the Jews, but they are not Jews? Why would these Gentiles seek a newborn king who was the king of a nation that did not really exist?
	A. Ah! But they knew enough of the Old Testament to make this journey and seek this king—
			1. Maybe some Jewish leftovers in Babylon had shared this with them.  Maybe they’d gotten a hold of a copy of what Daniel, who centuries earlier was himself a magi, had written.
			2. The reason why these wise men knew when Jesus was going to be born, was because they had found it in the Word of God.
					a. God reaches out. He gives them signs to follow – a star in the eastern sky. He gives them the prophetic Word. b. And from this they knew enough to know that this newborn king was not just for the Jews; He was also born for them.
		B. Now when the Wise Men worshiped Jesus, what did they really get out of it? I’m not being critical here. I’m just asking.
			1. Jesus was a tiny baby. These Wise Men would not have been able to strike up a conversation with Him.
					a. But it seems to me that Jesus was the one who was doing the receiving here more than the Wise Men were. They brought Him gifts--gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They gave their treasures, and then went back home. Was it worth it? b. But the Wise Men did not count the cost.  Matthew speaks of these Wise Men as “rejoicing exceedingly with great joy.” Why? Just to come and kneel down before a baby? c. That’s what we sometimes wonder. We consider what we have to give up if we come to worship Jesus, and we weigh that against what we get out of it
			2. Matthew is careful to point out to us that the Wise Men did not just find the Baby Jesus. They “saw the Child with Mary, His mother.” And what would Mary have done?
					a. Mary, who had treasured up all these things in her heart--all the wondrous events of Christmas--would have spoken to the Wise Men and related not only what took place in Bethlehem, but why it took place, and what it meant for her and for them. b. They would have heard Joseph telling the story of the angel appearing to him in a dream. They would have heard Mary telling of Gabriel’s visit to her. They would have listened to the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth and how John was born.
			3. When these Wise Men returned home, they did not go back with eyes that had just seen a child. They returned with their ears full of the Word of God, their hearts full of faith.
					a. If you had asked them, upon their arrival back home, “Was it worth it? Was it worth it to go all that way and sacrifice so much to worship?” they would have answered with a resounding, “Yes! b. “Yes, for now we are different men. Now we know and believe for a certainty that this King, whose name is Jesus, was born for us to be our Savior!”
II. Salvation through God's unconditional love wrapped in a toddler, that's what the Wise Men were seeking. And through that innocent toddler one of us and yet one with God, God was seeking each of us.
		A. When the star lead the wise men to Bethlehem it wasn’t just a bright light in the sky but a pronouncement of the promise of God.
			1. Hallmark cards have been saying it for years....but it's just as effective today as when they first said it, ˜IF YOU CARE, THEN SEND THE VERY BEST!" God cares. God sent us His very best, not for one day a year, not for a season or a particular time, but for every day of our lives.
							a. How many of you or your brothers had one of the big Lionel Electric Train Sets? Yeah, that's what we all wanted when we were younger. Especially that steam engine where the headlight worked and steam actually came out of the smokestack. That was the coolest. The author remembers his brother playing with our train one day. He ran the train around the curves too fast and it derailed. The brother bent over the train and tried to put it back on the track but wasn't having any luck. The dad saw what was going on and came over to help. He said, "You can't do that from above; you have to get down beside it." Then the Dad lay down on the floor beside the train and track so he could see to place the wheels of the train just so and the train would be back on the track. That seems to be a great way to think about the incarnation. Because of our sin, the human race had derailed. Our lives needed to be put back on the track of life. It couldn't be done from above; God had to come down beside us. b. That's what God did in Jesus. God took off the robes of heaven and put on the rags of our earthly existence. God clothed Himself in our flesh and blood and came to live among us in the person of His Son Jesus.
			2. And this king, who was God, came to die for our sins. As much as we make over the holiday of Christmas, we are never told in the Bible to remember the birth of Jesus; we are told to remember the death of Jesus. Do you know why?
				a. Because even though it was necessary for him to be born before he could die, we're not saved by his birth, we are saved by his death. b. We are not saved at the old rugged cradle, we are saved at the Old Rugged Cross.
		B. And this explains, as well, why you are here. You, like the Wise Men, have come to worship Jesus because you believe that He was born for you. He is not just the King of the Jews; He is your King. He is not just the Savior of others; He is your Savior. And so you have come, you have traveled, maybe not from afar, but you have come with your gifts--and more importantly, you have come with your listening ears, with your eager hearts; you have come to welcome and receive your King.
			1. After verse thirteen in our text, we never hear about these Gentile Wise Men again. They suddenly appear in verse one, and eleven verses later they disappear from sight. We never hear about them again. Until now, that is. The Wise Men have returned.
						a. They have come back to worship Jesus, not riding on camels this time, but riding in Fords, and Chevy’s, and pickups, and other vehicles. b. They have not returned to Bethlehem--to the town in Judea, but they have come to the Bethlehem in your state, to kneel down before the Lord, to hear His gracious words, to sing His praises and offer their gifts, and go on their way rejoicing. c. Perhaps only a few Wise Men came to Bethlehem at first, but today God has increased their number. Today I am looking at many wise men and woman before me. Wise, not in their own minds, but wise for coming to worship. You are not here simply to hold a toddler. As God brought the Wise Men to Bethlehem, so He has brought you here because our Savior, in Word and Sacrament, is here for you.
			2. The Wise Men in our text were surely tired when they arrived. They were dirty from their travels, they were in need of cleansing and rest.
					a. There isn’t one of us who is not like them in this way. Our travels through life have wearied us. We travel through difficult times. Some of you have traveled through sorrow and sadness. Some of you have traveled through pain and suffering. All of us have come here in need of cleansing. All of us have sinned greatly. Sin is a disease that lives within us. It affects our thinking so that we think highly of ourselves, and poorly of others. b. And we receive far more than we give – we receive from Him forgiveness and life.  We receive His very body and Blood.  We receive gifts to aid us as we face this world so marred by sin. And yes it is well worth it.
			3. And soon we will return home by a different way – no longer the way of this world; but the way of faith. The Word of Jesus is a living and active Word. It does things.  Hearing and believing, we are new people. “Wise” men and women, that is, wise in the way of faith. This holy Christ Child will give you a new path to walk, a new way of seeing yourself and those around you, a new way of thinking. It’s the way of being forgiven, of being embraced by God.
CONCLUSION: Wise men came.  Wise men received far more than the few gifts they brought.  Wise men then went home by another route changed because of what they had received.  And the very same thing happens with the men and women God makes wise today.  Amen. The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.   Amen