Matthew 2
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. 4 And when he 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.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, 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. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Let us consider for a moment how and why these wise men came. Numerous prophets from the Old Testament prophesied about the coming of the Messiah. Daniel, for example, who was a Jewish captive in Persia (probably modern Iraq), even prophesied about the very time the Messiah would come and die for our sins. We read:
Daniel 9
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
So the coming of the Messiah was expected. When Mary and Joseph brought the Child Jesus to be circumcised Anna and Simeon were there in the temple expecting His coming and said, “Now Lord let your servant depart in peace according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation.” Anna, a prophetess, “spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:25-38)
Even the pagans knew about the prophesies. These wise men from the east didn’t come just to gain knowledge; above all they wanted to worship the Child. This is the crux of the matter. Maybe you have travelled a long way in life to gain wisdom and you’re seeking after the truth. However, if you’re not primarily seeking the Child your search is damned and won’t profit you. It is the curse of this world when people seek after fame, knowledge and riches, but neglect the Child of Bethlehem. If you want wisdom without the Child you’ll be a clever devil. If you want riches without the Child you’ll be a godless man.
To worship this Child must be your main aim; everything else must become secondary. You’re not a fool if you seek this Child. The fulness of wisdom is in Him.
Even governments miss the mark completely by stating that primarily men must be educated and receive riches. Such a scheme is doomed to certain failure. The Child must be first.
Theologians will never be on the right road and find the answers they seek unless they be like these wise men and seek the Child first. Fools are they who seek anything else above the Child. Even if such become rich they will go to hell with their riches.
When these wise men came to the Child they didn’t come to receive or seek after riches but they brought of their own riches to give to Him, for He was the One they sought.
For pagans anything goes, and they are “free”. If they want to they divorce and marry after their desires, be homosexual, steal, lie, gossip, slander, desire, defile their own bodies and look at pornography. The heathen can do those things but the children of God must have self-control. As a Christian you must exercise self-control over your body and mortify it together with its lusts and desires. A Christian seeks after righteousness, is upright and strive to live at peace with everyone.
These are the works of the pagans and the works of a Christian. Consider your own works whether you’re truly a Christian or a pagan.
Only the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ can overcome and change a heathen/pagan into a Christian, for it is the power of God unto salvation. By reading and hearing God’s Word it goes deep down and changes a person. It’s the Living Word of God which transforms a person.
If you have met this Child then your aim will be that the other heathen might also meet Him. When God has helped you then it’s your duty to help the other heathens who haven’t met with Him.
However, to win the heathens around you to Christ, you must be transformed. You must confess your sins. It is bitter and difficult to confess your sins but it must be done. Myrrh is bitter as gall but it heals the worst wounds. So when we come to Jesus let’s come with our gold, frankincense and myrrh. Let’s sacrifice all we have. This bitterness symbolises genuine godly sorrow. You cannot truly repent unless you know godly sorrow for your sins.
These wise men sought the Child until they found Him. They gave Him all they had; and you must do the same otherwise you’ll live like a fool, pretending to be a Christian, but without the power.