Wise men seek Jesus

“That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them “Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognise him. You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth.” (Luke 2:8-12)

“Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the new-born King of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him.’ Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law.” (Matthew 2:1-4) N LT.

AFTER THE birth of Jesus Christ, there were different groups of people that sought Him. These three groups were from different strata of the society. Today, we want to look at these seekers, their positions, their intentions, actions, and responses to the birth of the Messiah. This is very important because the way you react to the birth makes all the difference.

The first group we want to look at is the shepherds. The shepherds were at the lowest end of the Jewish society. The life of a shepherd was a difficult one – cold nights, long days, distant family, rare friends, and restlessness. They always go to search for wandering sheep. The sheep stank, and the shepherds smelled. They were also away from the synagogue, absent from the temple, and defiled by dead animals. They were just like outcasts to the Jerusalem crowd, almost outside of the culture and unable to even be a witness to special events in the society.

God saw all this and yet he decided to announce the birth of the Messiah first to the shepherds. This reminds us how God comes to mankind. God is the initiator of our relationship with Him. He does not care how distant, defiled, and dirty we are. He will always come looking for us. This is exactly what he did by sending his son Jesus Christ to us. Where are you now? What position? Jesus remains your best choice.

Let’s see what we can learn from the actions of the shepherds. They listened to God when He spoke. What a wonderful but fearful sight they saw. Yet they did not ignore what they had witnessed; they did not run away from what they had seen. They listened to the message by the angel. Then they came to God as they were.

Instead of backing away with the excuse of lack of education, lack of clothing, lack of standing, they welcomed God’s message in wonder, in fear, in uncertainty, and in hope. There was no time to become someone else. God called them as they were! The shepherds sought Baby Jesus until they found Him.

Luke uses terms to help us realise that they had to search for Him without giving up. Also, the shepherds went against the tide and the crowd. In their day and time, they were not welcome. They were outcasts; they were unwelcome in public. Yet they came, they found, they believed, and they went away telling everyone they could! They told everyone they could the good news. These shepherds went back to their old jobs as new men.

The Bible says that if anyone is in Christ Jesus, they are a new creation, old things are passing away, and all things are becoming new. Your condition, position, situation, or even background cannot prevent you from seeking and finding the saviour today. Go, seek Him now!

THE WISE MEN

Then in Matthew 2, we also saw the wise men coming to visit Christ. After the birth of Jesus Christ, and the visit of the shepherds, the Babylonian magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem asking King Herod where the real King of the Jews was born. Herod was troubled and consequently summoned the leading priests and teachers of religious law, asking where the King would be born. They told him in Bethlehem.

The startling fact is that though they could recite the right answer, their hearts were indifferent to the truth of God’s word. They knew the scriptures but did not believe in them. What a tragic indictment upon these servants of God. They did not want to travel the five or six miles to Bethlehem to see their Messiah. But the magi (wise men), though gentiles, believed the scriptures. They had travelled several hundred miles, for several months, coming to worship Jesus. They had been guided by God’s shekinah light (the star that moved) and by the scriptures – to find Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

The wise men may have been exposed to the writings of Prophet Daniel about the coming Messiah. So when at last they saw the child, they fell down and worshiped Him. He was God in the flesh. In their worship they gave Him gifts – gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These were unusual presents. The gold, of course, we all can understand, but the frankincense and myrrh are not normal gifts.

I believe also that the wise men had been exposed to Isaiah’s prophecy which foretold that “nations will come to your light, and kings to your rising. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news ... .” (Isaiah 60:3, 6).

Which group do you belong to – the shepherds, the Herod, the priests or the wise men? Wise men will always seek Jesus. The way you respond to the salvation message today will definitely determine your level of wisdom and your eternal destiny. Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour now. Don’t delay! Yes, tomorrow may be late. He is the only name given to save mankind from sin, sorrow, Satan, destruction, and eternal death. Till next week. Compliments of the season!

Rev Gabriel Agbo is an evangelist and ordained minister with the Assemblies of God, Nigeria. Email: gabrielagbo@yahoo.com. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.