The Greatest Story Ever Told5
CHRISTMAS-SLUMP
Matthew 2:1-12
'Twas the day after Christmas,
When all through the place
There were arguments and depression –
Even Mom had a long face.
The stockings were hung.
And the house was a mess;
The new clothes didn’t fit
And Dad was all stressed.
The family was irritable.
And the children – no one could please;
Because the instructions for the swing set,
Were written in Chinese!
The bells no longer jingled,
And no carolers came around;
The sink was stacked with dishes,
And the tree was turning brown.
The stores were full of people,
Returning things that fizzled and failed,
And the shoppers were discouraged,
Because everything they’d bought was now on half-price sale!
‘Twas the day AFTER Christmas –
The spirit of joy had disappeared;
The only hope on the horizon,
Was 12 bowl games the first day of the New Year!
Well, Christmas 2010 is over! A cartoon in the New Yorker magazine says it all. In the middle of the floor is a dried up, withered Christmas tree. The calendar on the wall reads December 26. Dad is sitting in his chair with an ice pack on his head. Mom is in a bathrobe and her hair is in rollers. The floor is a virtual mountain of torn wrappings, boxes and bows. Junior is reaching in his stocking to be sure there is no more candy. In the background we see a table with a thoroughly picked turkey still sitting there. The caption on the cartoon reads simply: The morning after.
Well, perhaps we feel a little that way. Perhaps we feel somewhat let down. If you feel that way, it is quite understandable. Over the past weeks, our emotions have been wound tighter than a toy doll. Our festivities have led up to near fever pitch. And then, suddenly, it is all over. Is it any wonder that it is somewhat of a let down? Psychiatrists even have a name for it. The call it Christmas-slump.
A number of years ago, when Lou Holtz was coach at the University of Arkansas, he was taking his team to play a bowl game in Tempe, Arizona. The game was played on Christmas day. He was asked how he felt about playing a game on Christmas, rather than being with his family. The coach answered candidly, “I would rather be in Tempe. After all, once you have been to church, had Christmas dinner, and opened the presents, Christmas is the most boring day of the year.”
Is it possible to lose the spirit of Christmas that quickly? Let’s be candid that as we take down the decorations for another year, there is a sinking emptiness and an emotional letdown. The last time I had a live Christmas tree, I was a child. We long ago gave up live Christmas trees in favor of artificial. I still remember trying all the tricks to keep it alive. We would put aspirin in the water, then we would try sugar, but regardless of the solutions, the tree would always wither. Why? Because it had been cut off from its roots.
Maybe that is our problem today. Maybe we have trouble making Christmas last because we have become cut off from our roots. Or, to put it another way, maybe our celebration of Christmas is not deeply rooted enough.
In most nativity scenes the wise men are arranged with the shepherds and the angels at the birth of Jesus. But we know from this passage that the wise men did not arrive on the night of Jesus’ birth. It was later. Matthew specifically uses the word “house” instead of stable (vs.11). He also used the word “child” instead of newborn (v.11). And based upon the 16th verse of Matthew 2, we can infer that Jesus was probably somewhere between 12 months and 24 months old when the wise men visited Him. (Herod commanded that all the male children 2 and under be killed.)
Who were these men? These wise men were literally “Magi”, members of priestly social order from the area now known as Iraq. Dr. John MacArthur writes about the importance of the Magi. “Because of their combined knowledge of science, agriculture, mathematics, history, …they became the most prominent and powerful group of advisors in the …Persian and Babylonian empires. Historians tell us that no Persian was able to become king without mastering the scientific and religious disciplines of the magi and then being approved and crowned by them.”
Why had they come? At the heart of the account is worship, the submission and adoration of the Magi for Jesus. In verse 2, they say they came for the purpose of worshipping Jesus Christ.
The last words of the Christmas story are in verse 12, “They went back home by a different route.” After this there is the account of the flight of the young family to Egypt but that is an interlude between the story of the birth of Jesus and the appearance of John the Baptist 30 years later.
Everything else in the Christmas story comes before this statement – the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah, the announcement of the birth of Jesus to Joseph and Mary, the birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus, the appearance of the angels to the shepherds and their trip to the manger and finally the appearance of the star to the wise men with their trip to Bethlehem. All of that comes before this statement that the wise men returned to their own country by another route.
Why is this important? It suggests that anyone who has truly seen and worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ, from that time on, his or her way will inevitably be different.
If you have met Him, your way will be different.
That says something about the post Christmas slump. We know Christmas can’t last. We have to go back to the routine of living and business as usual, but can it ever be business as usual? Do you think it was business as usual for the shepherds after they had seen the Christ child? Do you think it was business as usual for Mary and Joseph after the experience of Christmas? Could it ever be the same for the Wise Men after they saw and worshipped Christ?
After we have sung the songs and worshipped at Christmas, after we have thought again of the meaning of Christmas, can we go back with indifference to our work and not be changed at all? Or has Christmas possibly burned a new fire and a new hope in our hearts? Will we go back the same or return a different way? What difference will Christmas make in your life?
The story of these wise men tells us something of how to avoid the post Christmas slump in our lives.
Body
I. PAY ATTENTION.
They said they had “seen his star in the east”. There are many who have tried to explain this special star. There are a number of suggestions
- It was a genuine star that was shining on “high beam”
- It was the planet Jupiter which was often associated with the birth of kings
- It was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn (which did happen around the time thought to be the actual date of birth of Jesus)
- It was a comet acting erratically
- Some have suggested it was the emergence of a super-nova.
But those theories ignore the key point that the scripture says that this star “moved”. Verse 9 says that it went before them and stood right over the house of Joseph and Mary. This star was a supernatural guidance system, a luminary from God which hung low in the sky and moved ahead of the Magi, leading them first to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem and finally to the very house where baby Jesus resided. God gave the wise men a supernatural guidance system to lead them to the newborn king. The same God, who guided Israel through the wilderness by a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day, now guided these Gentiles to Jesus by a star.
What I appreciate about these Magi is that they were paying attention. They were alert to what was happening. They didn’t miss this sign from God.
I’m afraid this happens to too many people. There are many who put all their energy on Christmas lists, family gatherings, and holiday activities. The message of God becoming man is all around us (in spite of the efforts of the ACLU) but we respond to it like we do many of the Christmas cards we receive. We open them, give them a cursory glance and then toss them aside.
It reminded me of Elizabeth Barrett Brownings’s poem:Earth’s crammed with heaven
And every common bush on fire with God;
Only those who see take off their shoes.
The rest sit around and pick blackberries.
Many times we miss it because we just aren’t paying attention. That first snow we had this year I went out and was going to pick up Rick. On old Monee road the snow stuck to the trees and it was so beautiful it would take your breath away. I was so captivated by it that I missed the turn and went on through Park Forest!
Are you paying attention to the real message of Christmas? Do you understand that the baby in Bethlehem was God become man? Do you understand that the reason God took on a human form was to communicate His love to us? Christmas declares God is not mad at you . . . He loves you! God understands your weakness, your sin, and your scars. He loves you even though He knows the truth about you. Jesus came to earth to give His life to pay off the debt of your sin. Every one of us deserves Hell. The message of Christmas is that things are not hopeless. God has not given up on you. He has provided what you could not achieve on your own.
Pay attention. Be alert to signs of God at work all around you.
II. RESPOND POSITIVELY.
They said, “We have seen his star in the east, and have come . . .. They not only noticed the star and understood what the star meant; they also acted on that knowledge. How easy it would have been for these guys to write down what they observed and what their conclusions were (so they could use that information in seminars they might teach) and then go back to what they were doing. I’m afraid that if I had seen the star I would have noticed and then gone back to watching a holiday ballgame, a Christmas special or some other program on television. I might have just gone to bed! I wouldn’t have dreamt of traveling all that distance to see a baby! There are three common responses to the coming of Christ. Some respond with ANGER. Consider Herod. When Herod heard about the birth of a new King his first thought was to kill the child. Herod was a man who had pushed God as far out of his life as he could. Here he was a king, but was frightened of a baby! A tiny, helpless baby, born to parents in poverty. There are many today who respond to the message of Christmas with hostility.
- They hate the idea that God is real and attentive to our lives (because it means we are accountable). We want to believe that we can do whatever we can get away with.
- People hate the message of the cross because it means we are sinful and cannot save ourselves. We don’t like feeling helpless. We want to believe that if we are good enough, sincere enough, or nice enough, we can earn our own way into Heaven. Some can’t stand the idea that they must depend upon Jesus alone for their salvation.
- People react to the message of Christmas with hatred because it proclaims that there is no other way to get to Heaven. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the ONLY way. This is politically incorrect and many find the message offensive (they don’t care if it is true).
There are others who respond with indifference. Consider the scholars who were consulted by Herod (probably an informal meeting of the Jewish Sanhedrin; the chief religious leaders of Israel). These men knew where the Messiah was to be born. They spent their lives waiting for the Messiah. Yet, when these Magi come and tell them the Messiah has been born they did nothing. It would have been about a five mile walk to see this baby. They weren’t interested.
There are many this Christmas who know the story but are likewise indifferent. They know the carols, are familiar with the Scripture passages but it is just a meaningless ritual. Churches will be filled with these people this Christmas. Many of them will be moved by the intimacy of the candlelight worship or the beauty of the songs, yet remain unmoved by Jesus.
The third group of people is like the Magi. They respond in FAITH. They don’t understand everything that his birth means, but they know they must go to Jesus. This group of people sees in Christmas God’s declaration of love and His offer of salvation and new life. These people turn to Jesus as the Savior they have been longing for.
The Magi were like a couple getting married. The couple really doesn’t have any idea what marriage is going to be. They don’t understand the sacrifice, the idea of giving of yourself in order to find the love they long for. Yet the couple makes the commitment and tries to learn as they go.
Which response characterizes your approach to Christmas? Are you resistant, angry, and wishing it would all just go away? Are you going through the motions yet remaining unmoved by God’s offer of salvation and new life? Or have you responded to His offer of forgiveness and new life? Have you, in spite of your lack of understanding, chosen to trust Him? Are you more like Herod, the Teachers of the Law, or the Magi? Christ’s entry into the world and His subsequent life, death and resurrection offer you the opportunity to be forgiven and to know new life. You can hate the message, ignore the message or be transformed by the message.
Pay attention and respond positively.
III. WORSHIP SINCERELY.
The magi said, “We have seen his star (they were paying attention) and have come (they acted on what they knew) to worship him.” The Magi did not come to Christ to introduce them or to gain some advantage for them. They came to worship and to offer gifts to the Christ child. It wasn’t about getting gifts . . . they wanted to give them. It wasn’t about honoring themselves or even those they knew and loved . . . it was about glorifying the Lord.
In a survey a few years ago, 90% of Americans say Christmas is their favorite holiday, but only 20% say they enjoy Christmas shopping!
Two men who were next-door neighbors decided to go sailing while their wives went Christmas shopping. While they were out in the boat, a terrible storm arose. The sea became very choppy and they had a difficult time keeping the boat under control. As they steered toward land, they hit a sandbar and the boat grounded. They both jumped out of the boat and began to push and shove with all their might to get the boat back into the water. As the waves bounced him against the side of the boat, and the wind buffeting him, one of the men said with a smile on his face, “It sure beats Christmas shopping, doesn’t it?”
I understand that attitude. I have gotten better with my shopping…I let Nancy do it! I heard about a dad who suggested the family get him a gift that everyone could get something out of. So they bought him a new wallet!
It’s not always easy to know what to buy your spouse, is it? One husband asked his wife what she wanted for Christmas. She said, “Just surprise me!” So he did. At 3:00 a.m. on Christmas Day, he leaned over in bed and shouted, “Boo!”
What an odd place to find a king…a stable! But we learn from them that the place where you worship is not as important as who you worship.
At Christmas time the families sit down And eat at a festive table; They sing and tell stories well into the night And go on for as long as they are able; They finish the last of the pumpkin pie And the turkey’s been stripped to the bone, But one lonely man eats beans from a can And celebrates Christmas alone.
A tattered old wreath that belongs in the trash, Hangs from his unpainted door; Inside his heart there are carols and songs, There is laughter and music galore; He does not regret his lone celebration, He thinks his life’s full to the brim; For his tender heart knows and his countenance shows That Christ came for people like him.
True worship requires commitment. If I were to ask you this morning, “Do you worship God?” Most of us would probably say, “Yes, I worship God every week!” By that you mean that on Sunday morning between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. you come to the worship service at the church. But there is a distinction between attending a worship service and actually worshipping. True worship is more than an hour a week. It requires a commitment of our time and our resources.
When we look at the Magi, we see a group of people who were true worshippers. They were willing to travel over 300 miles across rugged terrain to worship Christ. They were willing to sacrifice months or their lives and risk their own personal safety.
Sometimes we may have to interrupt our agenda and our schedules so that we can align our hearts with His. All too often we want worship that fits into our schedules. We will go to church as long as nothing else is on the schedule and we can get home in time for the kickoff. But if we are only interested in worshipping the Lord when it is convenient, are we really worshipping?
True worship comes from the heart. They didn’t leave their gifts with Mary and Joseph and say, “Congratulations, these are for your son!” and be on their way. What they really wanted was to be in his presence, and to give Him their worship. They worshipped Him, not for anything that He might do for them but solely for the honor and glory that they might render to Him.
They bowed in worship. These adult dignitaries from another land were bowing before a toddler. Most of us would feel silly doing such a thing. However, these men instinctively understood the nature of this child. They understood that when God is in the house proper protocol is to bow in worship.
They bowed in humble adoration – not to a powerful ruler or a world dictator, but to a helpless child. There were no questions, no demands…nothing! They just fell and worshipped.
True worship is costly. After they fell down and worshipped, they gave the Baby Jesus gifts. The gifts were a reflection of their worship. Genuine worship is costly. Do you remember when David was given a chance to sacrifice to God without spending any money? You read about it in 2 Samuel 24 where a man named Araunah, offered to give David everything he needed for the sacrifice. David said, “I will not offer to God that which cost me nothing”. (2 Sam. 24:24)
They presented gold, frankincense and myrrh. These were costly treasures. They gave God their best. In the same way, Christmas should encourage us to give God our best as well.
Our love for Him and our gratitude to Him should result in our willing and practical expression of love. I’m not trying to set you up for an offering. That’s not the issue. What God “wants for Christmas” is a sincere expression of our love. For you that expression of worship and love may be,
- Your willingness to trust Him for salvation
- Showing your regard for God by turning away from some sin you have been justifying in your life
- Agreeing to serve sacrificially in some endeavor
- Using the resources God has given you to help in ministry
- Setting real time aside each day to spend time with the Lord.
- Stepping out of the spotlight so the Lord can have it all to Himself.
But if you are not giving God your best, then you really can’t call it worship.
CONCLUSION – These are lessons we learn from the Magi that will help the post Christmas slump. Pay attention to what God is doing around you. Don’t let the hoopla, the family gatherings and even the “spirit of the season” keep you from hearing the whispers of God’s love for you and the invitation to make you new.
Perhaps you feel that your life is in pieces right now, you believe you have become so hardened to the truth and made so many mistakes that God could never love you. Maybe you have said too much or done too little. Perhaps you feel you are ‘so far gone’ that it is not even worth trying any longer. Listen to the message of Christmas: God knows the real you and yet He loves you. He is eager to take the broken pieces of your life and make you new.
Maybe you believe you don’t need God’s help. You figure you are as good as most folks, so you think you are OK with God. In your mind, God must be pretty pleased with how well you are doing. Don’t miss the message of Christmas. God came to earth in the person of Jesus because we were so addicted and mired in sin that there was no possibility that we could save ourselves. There is NO ONE who is good enough. NO ONE will make it on their good deeds, good looks or incredible charm.. God loves you, but He is not going to play games with you. If you want to be judged by your own good works, you will be, but you will not like the result. Please pay attention to the message of Christmas.
Second, don’t just hear the message, act on it. If you have never received Christ as your personal Savior, this would be a great time to do so. The words you say aren’t that important . . . it’s what your heart says that matters. But if you feel tongue tied you might want to express something like this,
Lord, I want to thank you for loving me. I admit that my life is not what it should be. It’s not even what I’d like it to be. I know that without the work of Jesus I have no chance of being good enough to get to Heaven. Today I receive the gift of eternal life that comes through Christ. Today I believe that He died in my place. Today I invite the Savior to be Lord of my life; to make me new; and set me free forever. Today, I want to really celebrate what Christmas is all about. Lord, I don’t think I’ll ever understand why you love me, but I’m grateful that you do. Amen.
Finally, make time to worship the Lord. This is a good start but may I ask you to take it a step further? Find some quiet time in these next couple of days to bow before the Lord and thank Him for His love. Maybe you could sing a song just to Him. Allow His greatness to flood your soul in a quiet moment. Worship doesn’t have to take place in a sanctuary. You worship any time you exalt and glorify the Lord. Make time to do so in these next couple of days. It’s right. It’s appropriate. It’s wonderful.
What do you think happened to the Magi who worshipped Jesus in Bethlehem? Did they follow the course of his life? Did they continue fervent in their faith? Did they get involved in some other “cause” and forget Him? I don’t know. I’d like to think that these men were never the same again. It seems to me that when you meet the Lord of the Universe you are changed forever. Another Christmas is past. The question is, will we be any different because of it?
Gary Harner, sermon, “Returning Another Way”
John Hamby, sermon, “It Is Not Too Late to Worship Jesus”
Bruce Goeschette, sermon, “We Have Seen His Star”
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