January 2, 2011
Introduction In the liturgical church calendar, twelve days after Christmas comes the feast of Epiphany. It celebrates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus as the “appearance” or “manifestation” of this newborn King, the Son of God. “Los Tres Reyes” (the three kings) were numbered by the three gifts that the Gospel of Matthew describes (gold, frankincense, and myrrh).
Who and what the Magi were and how the Star of Bethlehem guided them to the Christ-child have been the source of much speculation and interpretation over the centuries, especially in our modern, scientific times.
I’m not going to go into the historical, cultural, or scientific possibilities that try to explain Matthew’s account. I’m more interested in the how this passage from the Word of God influences, informs, and shapes our faith. I. The Principal Characters (vs. 1) “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.” Right off the bat, Matthew shows the stark contrast of how different people come to Christ. The Magi came to worship Christ; the religious leaders ignored him. Herod would seek to destroy him. “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Or, “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” (not).
What is it about Jesus that has drawn countless believers throughout the world in many times and cultures to trust in him for God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness; a life of hope, purpose and meaning? And what is it about Jesus that brings such refusal and rejection, anger and bitterness, hostility or hatred? “The star they had seen 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.” Or, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.”
Why is the “good news” good news to some and bad news to others? None of us is born a believer. Sometime and in some way the message of Jesus as Savior and Lord was shared with us. God’s Spirit was there regenerating our hearts. There was a gradual or even a sudden “Yes” that happened in our minds and hearts. Yet this doesn’t happen for everyone. It’s still a great mystery to me why I came to faith in Christ while others I know have not. The Providence and Sovereignty of God are usually quite surprising. As human beings we are severely limited. We can ponder matters of eternity and infinity, but never really grasp them.
Were the Magi magicians or sorcerers? Astrologists or astronomers? Philosophers or wisemen? Kings in their own right? In any case, with the arrival of the Magi, God announces that the Messiah Savior is for all people, not just for the nation of Israel. Jew and Gentile are invited to trust in Jesus Christ, find God’s saving grace in him, and worship God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some Jews accepted him, many did not. Some Gentiles accepted him, many did not. So it was then and ever since.
The Bible gives us some clue as to why. “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 shepherd my people Israel.” Jesus has come to rule.
Herod was notorious for guarding his position. If he suspected anyone a rival to his power, that person was promptly eliminated. He murdered his wife, her mother, and three of his own sons. Augustus Caesar once said with bitterness that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son. No one was going to take away Herod’s throne.
Jesus comes to rule. He comes to knock you and me off our throne as well. Some people will let that happen. Many will not. Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, he will sit on his glorious throne. All nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats… The King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.’ He will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed.’
In John 3 we hear, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead… Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in him stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:19, 18). Calvin Miller poetically describes the fallen state: “To God obscenity is not uncovered flesh. It is exposed intention. Nakedness is just a state of heart. Was Adam any more unclothed when he discovered shame? Yes” (The Singer, XIV). But he also shows the redemptive joy we find in Christ: “I knew a blind man whom a surgeon helped to see. The doctor never had a lover such as he. It is in such a way that singers love composers” (The Singer, IV). II. Gifts to Honor the Newborn King “After they had heard King Herod, the Magi went on their way. The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
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, frankincense and myrrh.”
From very early on, these three gifts were seen to match three aspects of Jesus and his redemptive work. Gold is the gift for a king. Psalm 72 is a messianic psalm that sings, “Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness… May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba present him gifts. May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him” (Psalm 72:1, 10-11). We read in Isaiah 60, “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
We do well to remember that Jesus Christ is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16). With the Magi we “bow down before him.” Coming to faith in Christ means yielding your throne to his.
Frankincense is the gift for a priest. In Temple worship with its sacrificial system, the sweet perfume of frankincense was used. The function of the priest was to open the way to God for the people. The Latin word for priest is pontifex which means a bridge-builder. A priest is one who builds a bridge between us and God. And that is what Jesus did. As our perfect high priest, his sacrifice opened the way to God. He made it possible for us to enter the very presence of God.
And myrrh is the gift for one who is to die. Myrrh was used to prepare the body for burial. Jesus came into this world to live for us and to die for us. Nineteenth century English painter Holman Hunt has a famous picture of Jesus. It shows Jesus standing in the doorway of the carpenter’s shop in Nazareth stretching his arms after a day’s work. The setting sun throws his shadow on the back wall forming the shadow of the Cross. Mary, kneeling in the background sees it and raises an arm to avert its meaning.
As they opened their treasures, these were the gifts of the Magi. Even at the cradle of Christ, he is presented as the true king, as the perfect High Priest, and in the end the supreme Savior for all who would trust in him. Let us pray together. |
