Matthew 2:1-3 (KJV) 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

What makes someone WISE, and what makes someone FOOLISH? The Founder of Apple Corporation, Steve Jobs, was visionary. Everytime you see a young person walking around doing this (texting) while bobbing their heads to music you can’t hear – ear phones in place – you have Steve to thank for that. You may not have one, but I’m sure you’ve heard of the I-Phone, the I-Pod, the I-Pad, or the I-Mac. Steve Jobs was a mover and a shaker, a visionary man. But was he a WISE man? I hope he was, and I pray he was.

What makes a WISE man? Is it book smarts? Is it the ability the do things in your own power to change the world? The Bible says that a WISE man or a WISE woman is a person who is open to the Lord. The Scripture says that:

Psalms 14:1 (KJV) The FOOL hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

The Bible defines the FOOL as the person who says in his heart “There is no God”. There is a God. We see the evidence of God clearly in the order and design of nature. From the tiny humming bird to the flower it hovers before, drinking its nectar, to the trees in the fields. Look up and you see thousands of evidences of God in the sky. He is there, and He is not silent. Wisdom comes from God. The Bible says:

James 1:5-6 (KJV) If any of you lack WISDOM, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

The Wise seek God. The Foolish do not. In our text today we are going to see some Wise Men and some Fools. The Fools will do foolish and destructive thiongs, but the Wise will do what they were created to do – they will worship the Lord!

1 The Wise TRAVELED Outside Of Their Comfort Zone, While The Foolish Were TROUBLED And Unresponsive.

Matthew 2:1-3 (KJV) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

The Wise Men traveled “from the east to Jerusalem”. The commentaries tell me that this undetermined number of “Wise Men” would have come from Persia, particularly from ancient Babylon. Babylon is around 800 miles from Jerusalem. Traveling by camel this was a little over a month to travel. Why did these men come that long journey? Because God called them. Three things brought these men from far off to where Jesus was.

a These Wise Men Heeded The Message Of God’s SCRIPTURE. God speaks to the world through His Word, the Holy Bible. These Wise Men asked:

Where is He that IS BORN King of the Jews?

Jesus is born King of the Jews. Herod the Great is king of Israel at this time, yet he has no right to this throne. God established that the ruler of Israel would ALWAYS be from the Tribe of Judah. We are told in:

Genesis 49:10 (KJV) The SCEPTRE shall not depart from Judah, nor a LAWGIVER from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Both the SCEPTER and the LAWGIVER was decreed to be from the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Levi brought forth the priests, but Judah alone was to be where the King came from. King David was of the Tribe of Judah. Before David’s rule ended the Lord God promised him that:

1 Chronicles 17:11-12 (KJV) 11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build me an house, and I WILL STABLISH HIS THRONE FOR EVER.

God promised that King David’s throne would be established FOREVER. God decreed that the King of the Jews would come from the line of Judah FOREVER, that is, until SHILOH or the MESSIAH came. The Messiah would come from the lineage of David. When He came the crown of Israel would not pass down from father to son, but would be on Him forever and ever.

When the wise men got to Jerusalem they were not careful in what they said. “Where is HE Who is BORN King of the Jews?” When Herod found them I want you to note that he didn’t say “But I’m King of the Jews”. He was at that time the recognized King of the Jews. But Herod had absolutely no right to the title ”King of the Jews”. He was not “BORN King of the Jews”. Easton’s Bible Dictionary notes:

“Herod the Great was the son of Antipater an Idumean, and Cypros an Arabian of noble descent. …. Herod was appointed Tetrarch of Judea by {Roman Politician and General} Mark Antony and also King of Judea by the Roman Senate.”

Herod was appointed “King of the Jews” by the powers of man, but he was not by any means the King of the Jews. The King of the Jews must be BORN the King of the Jews. His lineage must be traced back to Judah, and through the line of King David. We see that lineage in the first chapter of Matthew pointing directly to Christ. Most people skip over the genealogies in the Scripture thinking them unimportant. They are important. We read:

Matthew 1:1 (KJV) The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Here is the lineage of Jesus Christ our Lord. Beginning at Abraham, the founder of our faith the lineage of Christ is traced

Matthew 1:6 (KJV) And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah;

through David the King, through Solomon,

Matthew 1:16 (KJV) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

all the way up to Joseph His stepfather and Mary His Mother. Jesus Christ is Shiloh, the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When the Wise Men were led into the palace of Herod with all its regal trappings they did not hesitate. This man, this ARAB, this Idumean, he was not descended from King David. He might have been from Ishmael, but he was not of Isaac. He might have the title “King of the Jews” but he was an usurper.

God made Judah the ruling Tribe.

God made David the source of Messiah.

“Where is HE that IS BORN King of the Jews?”

You are not he. The Scripture says so.

The Scripture is the lighthouse of the Christ Follower. The Scripture establishes the Christ. The Scripture points to the Christ. Our power comes from His Word. It is our Lighthouse, our Beacon, that all Wise Men follow.

IA battleship saw another ship’s lights headed toward them. The radioman on the battleship called out. “Light bearing on our north, change your direction.” The reply was immediate. “Light bearing on our south, change YOUR direction.” The radioman called out again, this time irritated. “Light bearing on our north, change your direction. This is a BATTLESHIP!” Again the reply was immediate and sure. “Light bearing on our south, change YOUR direction. We are a LIGHTHOUSE, and we are not moving!”

The wise man or woman is the person who, like these wise men, heed the message of God’s Scripture and correct their course in life to be guided by it. Herod the usurper and his entourage of fools had access to the Scripture, but were unmoved by it.

Matthew 2:4-6 (KJV) And when {Herod} had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Scripture unapplied is Scripture denied. Scripture denied makes a fool!

b These Wise Men Heeded The Miracle Of God’s STAR. The Wise Men said …

Matthew 2:2 (KJV) 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen HIS STAR in the east, and are come to worship him.

As the wise men studied God’s Word the Lord began to interact with them, to show them signs and wonders. When you hear the Word of the Lord and act on it God will interact with you. I have read several articles on this “Christmas Star”. People argue about what this star was. Some say it was a comet, moving through our outer atmosphere. Others think it might have been a shooting star, or even a planet like Jupiter. Can I tell you what I think it was?

It was God doing a miracle, showing them the way. The Scripture tells us that the wise men left the false king Herod and …

Matthew 2:9-10 (KJV) …. lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

If this was a comet then it would have kept on moving. If it was a planet it would not have “come and stood over where the young Child was”. This was a miracle from God.

Why don’t we have miracles today? Because we do not respond to God’s Word like we used to. Faith is to HEAR and OBEY, to SEE and then DO. These wise men were studying the Word of the Lord, then God showed them a moving star to follow. Rather than sit at home and chart its course they went outside their comfort zone. They moved in response to God – and God showed them a miracle.

God wants to show us all a miracle.

These men were not raised in Church nor in the Jewish Temple. They probably came from a background that was steeped in pagan tradition. But God reached out to them – called – and they came toward Him.

When the Shepherd David stepped out in faith against Goliath he had a sling and five smooth stone – but it only took one to kill Goliath. Our God is the God of Miracles.

When General Joshua was battling the forces of evil at Gibeon and the sun started to set, Joshua spoke to the Lord saying “Sun stand still upon Gibeon, and Moon in the valley of Ajalon”. The Lord caused the sun to stand still and the moon to stay until God’s battle was fought (Joshua 10:12-14). Our God is in control.

When the Shepherd Moses stood at the Red Sea and the armies of Egypt thundered in the distance

Exodus 14:13-14 (KJV) 13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The children of God passed through the sea as if on dry land – but the foolish drowned in their unbelief. Why don’t we see miracles like this anymore? Because we as American Christians are too much like Herod and too little like the wise men. Things TROUBLE us – but we do not move. We hear His Word, but do not act on it. We are waiting for someone else to do something.

If the wise men had waited for someone else to do something, they never would have seen the star move. Herod never saw the star move. The Chief Priests and the Scribes never saw the star move. Only when the wise men moved did they see the star move! Only when you and I in faith move will we see God move.

We must go outside our comfort zone. We must HEAR and DO in order to be blessed. Like the wise men we must go TOWARD Jesus and AWAY from Herod, the Chief Priests, and the Scribes. Jesus told us:

Matthew 7:21-27 (KJV) 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

There is no blessing in sitting still. Faith must move. Faith hears God’s Word, then moves to God’s miracle!

2 Traveling Outside Their Comfort Zone, The Wise Are Blessed. They actually got to see something you and I will never see. They saw the Baby Jesus. We read:

Matthew 2:11 (KJV) And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him…

a The Wise Person Comes Prepared To WORSHIP The Lord. When they came into the house the Bible tells us that they fell down. They humbled themselves before God the Son. Before you can ever worship God you must NOT worship yourself nor anything else. The very first two of the Ten Commandments is:

Exodus 20:2-6 (KJV) I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

God made us for Himself. He loves us. He gave His Son for us. Therefore only God is to be worshiped. Daily we are to remind ourselves that we are not to be like Lucifer, lifting ourselves up in the Presence of God.

1 Peter 5:6-11 (KJV) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The devil our adversary like a roaring lion seeks whom he may devour. How does he devour? He invites us to be lifted up with pride as he was. He invites us to death, destruction, and hell with him and his fallen angels. Wise men do not heed him. Wise men fall down, and worship Him. These wise men were prepared to worship Jesus.

b Wise Men Receive Jesus As He Is. We read:

Matthew 2:11 (KJV) …. when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

As an act of worship these wise men presented three presents to Christ. These were treasures, things of great value. Too many people say “I am a Christian” but treasure themselves above Christ. These men were believers indeed for they gave something that cost them something to Christ. They didn’t give the least, but gave the most. They gave time. They gave of their lives. They gave not just a minimal amount in the offering plate, but presented unto Him gifts. And their gifts were so appropriate.

They gave Jesus gold. God is the gift of the King, and a gift suitable to God. The Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold. Solomon overlaid the Temple in Jerusalem with gold. The Heavenly City of God is pure gold, and the street of that city is pure gold (Revelation 21:18-21). Gold would certainly be a gift for Him Who is:

1 Timothy 6:15 …. the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

They gave Jesus frankincense. Frankincense is a white resin that is drawn from a tree by cutting the tree – afflicting it. The resin when burned provides a pleasant smell. It was used as an offering before God in the Old Testament.

Exodus 30:34-37 (KJV) 34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these SWEET SPICES WITH PURE FRANKINCENSE: of each shall there be a like weight: 35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: 36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

Frankincense was forced from a tree, drawn out through a wound in its bark. Frankincense symbolized the Cross that Christ would some day bear for us all. He would be beaten for us. Wounded for our sins.

Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; [14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Jesus Christ died for us. Just as Frankincense was burned by the priest, Christ died for us. Just as Frankincense was burned as a cleansing and sweet smeall to God, the Bible says that

Hebrews 10:10-12 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. [11] And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: [12] But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

The wise men also gave Jesus myrrh. Myrrh is a product of Arabia, and was obtained from a tree in the same way that Frankincense was. Myrrh was used to embalm the dead. When Jesus was taken from the Cross, the Bible tells us in John 19:38-39 that Jesus was wrapped in cloth and about a hundred pounds of myrrh, and laid in a tomb. Myrrh was mixed in gall to stupefy those being crucified (see Mark 15:23; Matthew 27:34). Though offered to Christ He would not drink it. He suffered for us so that we do not have to suffer damnation.

He gave Himself for us.

Wise men – and women – still seek Jesus today. He is life. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is our Eternal Life. He is the greatest Person in all of history.

I pray that you know Him!

May God touch your hearts with His Word.