After Jesus was born
in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came
to Jerusalem 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." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed,
and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew
2:1-3
Many songs we sing at
Christmas are reminders that Christmas time is supposed to be the most
wonderful time of the year. Songs like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the
Year,” “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,”
“Jingle Bells,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” all communicate
loud and clear that Christmas time is to be a joyous, trouble-free season
But the truth is that not all of us feel “merry and bright” this time of
year. Sometimes the circumstances of our
lives snuff out the “magic” of the Christmas season. The world doesn’t look like a winter
wonderland, just winter. Disillusionment
at Christmas is not an unusual thing. We are bone tired and weary from
shopping, Christmas programs at school and church, and one party after
another. We get so hyped up with
expectations about what Christmas is supposed to be that often the real thing
doesn’t measure up…and we are disappointed.
What can you do this Christmas to avoid disillusionment? How can you
improve your level of joy this Christmas? The answer may be found in the story
of the Magi (the Wise Men) in Matthew 2.
The Wise Men
These men had set out on a journey following the star to find this newborn King. From the attitudes of these wise men and the events that surrounded their journey, we see how we can raise our level of joy at Christmas. They arrive unexpectedly from "the east." They ask their troubling question, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" igniting a flurry of activity. There is the private meeting with Herod, the sudden reappearance of the star, and their worship of the tiny Jesus.
These men had set out on a journey following the star to find this newborn King. From the attitudes of these wise men and the events that surrounded their journey, we see how we can raise our level of joy at Christmas. They arrive unexpectedly from "the east." They ask their troubling question, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" igniting a flurry of activity. There is the private meeting with Herod, the sudden reappearance of the star, and their worship of the tiny Jesus.
·
Our level of joy at Christmas is directly
related to what we seek.
Have you ever had that kind of experience—when you were disappointed by
Christmas because it did not deliver what you thought it would? The problem is
not Christmas. It is in our expectations. We are looking for the wrong thing.
The Magi in Matthew 2 show us how to increase our level of joy at
Christmas by looking for the right thing.
What was it they were looking for? Verse 2 tells us. They came to
Jerusalem and said, “Where is He who has been born King of the
Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” They
were looking for Jesus. Christmas for them was an opportunity to worship Jesus. That is what we need to be looking for and
expecting this Christmas—an experience of worship, a fresh glimpse of Him who
was born King of the Jews. If our goal this Christmas is to worship Jesus, then
I doubt very seriously we will be dissatisfied with our experience.
·
Our level of joy at Christmas is directly
related to where we look.
We learn from the Magi that there are wrong and right places to look for
Christmas. They started by looking in the wrong place. The Magi went where kings should be born—to
the palace of Herod the Great in the capital city of Jerusalem. But what a
mistake that was! When Herod heard of the birth of a new king, his jealousy was
aroused and he determined to seek him out and destroy him.
The Magi looked in the right place when they looked to God. The trip to
Jerusalem was not a total loss. While there they discovered where they should
have looked in the first place—the Bible. The scribes in Jerusalem said that
according to the prophet Micah the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. With
this new information, they looked again at the star and followed it to
Bethlehem until it stood over the house where the child Jesus was living. We
can experience joy at Christmas – and all year – when we look for the right things
in the right places.
Scripture to Claim: My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which you have redeemed. Psalm 71:23
