I propose we take a lesson from some pagan astrologers who lived at the time of Jesus’ birth.
Dare 2 Share - Now it’s the week after Christmas, and all through the nation, not many people are stirring because we’re still on vacation. The presents have all been ripped open with little care with the hope that the garbage man soon will be there.
Sometimes the week after Christmas can be a letdown. All the excitement has waned, and most of us have had enough holiday music and turkey to last quite a while. Could it be that our enthusiasm towards the birth of the King of Kings has died down a bit as well? If so, I propose we take a lesson from some pagan astrologers who lived at the time of Jesus’ birth.
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. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:9-12)
These are the famous ‘wise men’ that we all have heard about. Let me fill you in on a couple facts that might surprise you:
-The wise men weren’t three kings; they were more like psychic stargazers
-There were more than three of them
-They weren’t followers of God
-They weren’t there on Christmas night
Oh, it’s o.k. to sing “We Three Kings” and put their cool looking statues at the nativity scene, but let’s not miss the point. The Persian astrologers came to Jerusalem to pay tribute to a newborn King that they had read about ‘in the stars’. When they pulled into Jerusalem, their ‘Santa Sleigh’ was so loaded down with gifts that the King of Israel took notice. Of course, he was a little bummed when he discovered that the presents weren’t for him, and the astrologers were surprised that he didn’t even know what they were talking about. Eventually, they made their way to Bethlehem, and the rest is Biblical history.
Isn’t it interesting that this took place several weeks after Christ was born? These guys weren’t caught up in the holiday partying; they were serious worshipers who knew that they were in the presence of the High King of Heaven. Isn’t it also remarkable that those we least expect to honor Jesus may worship him, and those we least expect to oppose him may seek his death?
As we head into the last week of the year, all of us should make a ‘post-Christmas’ spiritual journey and continue to worship our Savior with great joy. Bring your heart, soul, mind and strength as gifts to the Messiah on a daily basis. Most importantly, remember that if a bunch of pagan astrologers recognized the significance of the birth of Christ, how much more should we? Take some time to read the story of our Lord, and make some contacts with people who desperately need the message of the gospel. By doing that, you will ‘wrap up’ your Christmas season in the best way possible.
Questions:
1) What ‘gifts’ can I bring to the Savior?
2) What is one way that I can continue to worship the King of Kings after Christmas?
3) Who is one person in my life who doesn’t know the matchless message of grace?
