People who found Christmas
Many people missed the first Christmas. King Herod was told about the birth by the wise men, but he was disturbed by the news and wanted to kill the baby. He and many other leaders had the things of this world, but they missed God’s greatest Gift.
Even the religious leaders in Jerusalem missed Christmas. They knew the prophet Micah had said where the Messiah would be born, but none of them joined the wise men to look for the newborn King.
But there were others who found Christmas. The shepherds to whom the angels appeared went to Bethlehem and found Jesus, lying in the manger. The wise men who saw the star came to worship Him.
There were many differences between the shepherds and wise men. The shepherds were low on the social scale. The wise men were people of influence. They had no trouble getting into Herod’s palace and even getting an audience with the king.
The shepherds were poor. The wise men had money—enough money to take a long trip to Jerusalem. They brought gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh.
The shepherds most likely had no formal education. But the wise men were famous for their knowledge. We don’t know where they came from, but magi were noted for their knowledge of astrology and astronomy. When the star appeared, they saw it and knew that it pointed to the birth of the Messiah.
The shepherds were in the fields nearby Bethlehem and ran to see the baby the night He was born. The wise men came from a great distance. We don’t know how far they traveled, but since Herod later killed all the boys in Bethlehem two and under, it seems that the star had appeared at least a year before they arrived so they may have journeyed for many months. They came from far away, while the shepherds were nearby.
What do all these differences point to? Jesus is for anyone and for all who come to Him. It doesn’t matter who we are. We may be unimportant in the eyes of most people, or we may be very important. We may be poor or rich. We may be well educated or not educated. None of those things matter. Jesus did not come to be the Savior of the rich only or the wise only. He came to be the Savior of the world, and that includes you. That is the good news of Christmas.
The shepherds and wise men were very different. Yet their experience was similar.
First, both the shepherds and the wise men received an announcement of the Messiah’s birth. An angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and the Lord’s glory surrounded them (Luke 2:9-12). And the angel was joined by a vast host of others who praised God (2:13-14). The wise men saw a star. We do not know what kind of star it was. Some have thought it was a comet or the planets coming together, or even a supernatural appearance of God’s glory. The star guided the wise men and brought them to the house where Jesus was.
For hundreds of years there had been no new word from God, no prophet who spoke to the people since Malachi (around 400 BC). Suddenly the silence had been broken. The sky was filled with angels and a message of good news of great joy for everyone had been proclaimed. “The Savior—the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David.”
Today we have the Word of God, a light shining in the darkness, a sure guide to God’s truth. Let us listen and study carefully this message from God.
Second, the shepherds and wise men both obeyed God’s announcement. They responded to the invitation. The shepherds could have said, “We are not dressed for the occasion. We have nothing to bring. Who will take care of our sheep?” The wise men could have said, “The star probably announces the birth of a King in Judea, but we might be mistaken. It is a long way to Jerusalem. Others will probably go and pay their respects. We don’t need to go on such a long journey.” But neither the shepherds nor the wise men made excuses. The shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
How have we responded to the story of Christmas? We know of Jesus’ death for sinners which is why Jesus came to this earth. We know the invitation Jesus gave: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Have we responded to that invitation? Have we obeyed God’s call? We will not found Christmas until we do.
Third, after the shepherds and wise men received the announcement and responded by going to Bethlehem, they found the Savior. They found that the words of the angel and the message of the star were not misleading. They found that God does not lie. The Savior had come. He was there for all who would leave what they were doing and would come to Him.
Christ is not hard to find. It is we who are lost. Jesus said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6). If we want to find Him, we must read the bible. As you do, pray like this. “God, I am looking for the truth. I believe that if You exist and if Jesus is the Savior You sent into the world, then You can show me the truth as I study the Bible. I want to find Jesus. If I find Him, I want to follow Him and serve Him.” If we read the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection with an open mind, we will discover the truth.
After the shepherds and wise men found the Savior, they worshiped Him. The wise men entered the house where Jesus was, and fell down before Him and worshiped Him (Matthew 2:11). The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God (Luke 2:20). They had seen the child, the Messiah, the Lord.
There will always be worship when a person finds the true meaning of Christmas, when we find Christ to be the Savior. That is how we know we have found Him. We will worship Him.
We have received the announcement. Let us obey God’s call and find the Savior and worship Him.
Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King.