Scripture reading: Isaiah 60:1-6.

Sermon text: Matthew 2:1-12.

If you need to take the journey of a lifetime, you need the Guide of eternity.

Today, the Church begins her journey through the season of Epiphany, the season in which we focus on the revelation of Jesus as King. Today’s sermon passage tells us of the visit of the Wise Men and their worship of Jesus, the true King of the Jews and of all who believe in Him as Lord.

The Wise Men (also known as “Magi”) had traveled from the land of ancient Persia, then known as the Parthian Empire. The Persians and the Romans had tussled over the Near East for several decades before Jesus’ birth.

The man who called himself the “king of the Jews,” Herod the Great, had himself participated in this conflict. The Persians had deposed the Jewish king in 40 B.C. and replaced him with an ally, but Herod reconquered Jerusalem and Judea with Roman help.

Over the next 36 years, Herod had embarked on an immense building program that transformed Judea into a masterpiece of Greco-Roman architecture. You can visit Israel today and see the magnificent ruins of Herod’s work.

While Herod may have been an excellent engineer and architect, he also suffered from major paranoia. In the course of his reign as king, Herod had already executed a mother-in-law, a wife, and 3 sons, not to mention countless other victims in his determination to maintain his position. When he died after Jesus’ birth, Herod had left orders for the leading Jews to be executed so the nation would mourn his passing.

Herod’s psychosis explains Jerusalem’s reaction when the Wise Men asked, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” St. Matthew wrote, “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” “Troubled” doesn’t exactly explain the reaction; the Greek word here also refers to “acute emotional distress or turbulence” (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Editors, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, Copyright © 1988, 1989). We also know the Wise Men must have held great standing in the Parthian Empire, or Herod would have simply executed them with no hesitation.

The Wise Men had assumed they would find the King in Jerusalem, the ancient capital of Jerusalem and home of the House of David. Instead, the Scriptures said they would find their King in Bethlehem, a small village less than 10 miles from Jerusalem. “And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.”

When the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem, “They saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” After a journey of over 1,000 miles, and in the most unlikely place, the Wise Men had found not only a king; they had found God Himself in the Person of the Holy Child, Jesus.

Today, we still find ourselves on the journey of a lifetime, a journey that begins when we, too, worship Jesus as King and Lord. When we confess Jesus as Lord, believing in His resurrection, we begin a journey that culminates in eternity itself.

This journey would prove impossible for us without the help of our Ruler, who also serves as our Shepherd as well as our Lord. Jesus promised He would never leave or forsake those who believe in Him (Hebrews 13:5). The Wise Men managed to find Jesus guided only by a star. Today, all who believe in Jesus receive the Holy Spirit to serve as our guide throughout life. The Holy Spirit indwells believers and helps us to live godly lives that demonstrate our belief in Jesus. The Holy Spirit guides us in our study of the Scriptures; He guides us to worship with other believers; and He guides the Church, Jesus’ Body on earth, as we guide others to believe in Jesus as well.

The problem comes when we first find ourselves confronted with Jesus’ rule in all creation, including our lives. I’ve never met anyone who wants to admit we need God; all of us want to serve as our own rulers and masters. Like Herod, hearing that the true Ruler of Creation has called us to submit ourselves to Him troubles us greatly. Like Herod, we all will do anything we consider necessary to hold onto our pretense of ruling ourselves.

There is no other way for us to save ourselves and restore our relationship with God, our Father; we must confess Jesus as Lord of our lives and believe in His resurrection. We must, as the Wise Men, worship Him as Lord and God.

Do you sense God’s call in your life? Obey the call, and let Jesus guide you as Shepherd and Lord. Do you sense a need to recommit your life? Follow the Wise Men’s example, giving everything to Christ and worshiping Him as King and Lord. The Shepherd of all will guide you and bring you to an eternity of joy and peace.