Those who Seek the Lord are Not Alone-Matt. 2:9-12

Throughout this season many people have spent (or soon will be spending) a great deal of time searching for the perfect present for their friends and family. I’m married to the kind of person who loves to seek out or even create special gifts for just about everyone. There is a certain joy in the hunt for a present and then an even greater joy when one lays eyes on just the right thing. Gifts that are given and received demonstrate love and illustrate to those on both ends of the exchange that they are not alone—someone cares enough about me to spend the time, energy, and means to purchase or create this special token of affection.  

The same is true of our passage today. In Matthew 2, the wise men seek out the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ. Once they find Him, they exchange gifts with the Christ child. This charming spectacle illustrates one simple truth—those who seek the Lord Jesus Christ—the greatest gift—will not be left alone. Let us ask and answer five questions concerning Matthew 2:9-12 to discover how the story unfolds.

I. How did they get there? -2:9

To fully appreciate the timing of the magi’s arrival, one must be privy to the beginning of chapter 2—especially verses 1-8.

Matt. 2:1-8-Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel. ’Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”

It is obvious by what Matthew relates here that the Messiah was born in the midst of a crisis situation (see Matt. 1:18-25) and that crisis plagued his infancy. From the moment Jesus’ was born, his life was in Jeopardy. Kings and despots were not normally in the business of allowing new kings in their territory if they could help it. When the Magi stumble on the scene and ask about a new King, you can imagine Herod’s response—panic! Rumors of a world ruler arising from Judea were already being circulated in the east during this time. Not to mention, Israel’s prophets had long expected a Davidic deliverer. That these magi had come—leading figures in the religious court life of their respective countries—to worship an infant king only fanned the flames of Herod’s outrage.

Therefore, seeking to protect his own legitimacy and squash any foreseeable coup d’etat, Herod hatches a plan: discover the young king’s whereabouts by means of these wise men and kill the insurrection before it even begins.

This is where we pick up the story-“After hearing the king, they went their way” (2:9a). This would be the last leg of a long journey. If the Magi had come from the environs of Babylon, they would have traveled approximately 900 miles. No doubt, a journey like this would have spanned months and would have included a rather large traveling party. 

All along this journey, these men were following a star—“and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was…” (2:9b). The cause or nature of the star is not made explicit. Some believe it may have been a comet (Halley’s Comet was visible in 12 and 11 B.C.), a supernova, or a conjunction of planets (unusual planetary alignment). Others believe it may have been a supernatural phenomenon that only the Magi could see. Still others say it could have been a luminous angelic being guiding these men the entire way to Bethlehem. Regardless of what it was, these leading figures in the areas of science (astrology), diplomacy (wisdom), and religion, were so enthralled by the star and its corresponding message that they could not help but follow it in search of the “place where the child was.”

Notice what peaked the interest of the magi—a star. God is able and willing to reach people right where they are and draw them to Himself by means of something that garners their interest. The arts, politics, sciences, literatures, aesthetics, design, philosophy, etc. are all potential avenues by which God can meet people on their turf and, if leveraged appropriately, lead men and women to himself. Here, a star peaks the curiosity of these astrologers of the east, leaving them with a question in need of answering: is the Jewish prophecy real? Is there a Messiah? Had the greatest gift of all really arrived? These questions prompted an investigation and their search would not leave them dissatisfied. Why? Those who seek the Lord will not be left wanting nor will they be left alone.

II. In What Manner did they Travel? -2:10

How did these men travel? “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy” (2:10a). It is as though this astrological anomaly signaled that passages like Numbers 24:17 were in fact true!

Numbers 24:17-A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.

For many, this prophecy was understood to point to a messianic deliverer. In fact, in Revelation Jesus would say of himself “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and Morning Star.”

After witnessing this star they set out on their journey. However, these did so rejoicing exceedingly with great joy (2:10b). Literally, this reads “they rejoiced very great joy.” These Magi met their search for the promised child with great alacrity, urgency, and glee. I imagine that part of the reason for this joy was because these men, to a degree, understood the potential implications involved in what they would find when they reached their destination.

Similarly, if people could remember that when they search for the Lord, they will, in fact, find Him, it would make for a more joyous journey.

Those who seek the Lord will find Him and everything that comes with Him! What could be more exciting than that? These wise men illustrate just this in their lengthy pursuit of the Christ-child. My goal today is to remind you that those who seek the Lord will never be left wanting or alone.

III. Why did they go there? -2:11a-b

Finally, after months of traveling hundreds of miles, the wise men arrive—“coming into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother” (2:11a). Just imagine the expectation leading up to this moment when the star rested in the heavens over Bethlehem. The magi had been successfully led to this quaint little residence that housed the most important being to ever grace this planet—Jesus, the long-awaited Savior of the world, King of kings and Lord of lords.

What else could they do by fall and worship him—“and they fell to the ground and worshipped Him…”(2:11b). Just picture this scene in your mind’s eye. A group of powerful foreign dignitaries have traveled a huge distance to a rural town only to fall down and worship a toddler by means of the most humble posture available! Why? Because these wise men lived up to their name. True wisdom seeks greatness, follows after greatness, and submits to greatness. It just so happened that Jesus was and is the greatest person to seek, follow after, and submit to.

There is a popular bumper sticker/t-shirt graphic that says “Wise men still seek him.” This quote is no doubt derived from this story of the magi who, in seeking the Lord are not left wanting. They find exactly what they were looking for—the greatest of all beings veiled in young flesh. He is the greatest gift of all. As a result, they do the wise thing and worship Him. Allow me to reiterate, my agenda today is simple, all I’m trying to do is remind you that those who seek the Lord will never be left wanting or alone—in fact, these will be found worshipping at the feet of their Lord and Savior in whom they have everything!

IV. What did they Bring with Them? -2:11c-d

Not only did the wise men sacrifice their time and effort to seek the Lord in a big way, they also came bearing gifts. This is introduced when Matthew says “Then, opening their treasures…”(2:11c). When dignitaries approached royalty or people of high political, social, or religious esteem, they often brought with them gifts to demonstrate their reverence for the recipient and their obedience to him/her.

This formality is still practiced today.  Theodore Roosevelt received a zebra and a lion from Ethiopia; Richard Nixon—a panda from China; George W. Bush—300 pounds of raw lamb from Argentina. Lloyd N. Hand, the chief of protocol during Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, recalled an instance when the prime minister of the U.K. gifted the president a Burberry coat. “In some occasions, countries have presented a collection of small gifts, like when the government of Great Britain and Northern Ireland gifted Obama, among other things, a package of sea salt, a small, fabric-covered personal journal, and a set of four coasters. Brunei tried the same approach, giving the president among other gifts, 12 scented votive candles and a tea infuser in the shape of a penguin. That same year saw the Sultan of Malaysia give the president a 20-inch steel sword in a gemstone encrusted sheath, while not to be outdone, the prime minister of Algeria gave the president a ceremonial dagger with coral stones and silver work. Though nothing can probably beat the gift of crocodile insurance given by the chief minister of Australia's Northern Territory” (The Atlantic).

So what gifts did these wise men bring? What could possibly be fitting for the King of Kings?

Three gifts are mentioned specifically: “they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (2:11d). These were peculiar playthings for the young toddler. Though the use of these gifts may have been limited for young Jesus, these three gifts represented something very special.

Gold was (and remains to this day) valued throughout the world as a medium of exchange as well as a precious metal for making Jewelry, ornaments, and dining utensils for royalty. It communicates status, prestige, and majesty. Heaven is described later as gold plated (see Revelation 20-22) and is no doubt a consistent image of glory and magnificence. Incense (here “frankincense”) comes from an amber resin and produces a sweet odor when burned. Though used as a perfume, in Israel it was used on the altar in worship observances. Again, in Revelation, the prayers of the saints and the death of martyrs is described as incense that rises to God on the thrown (Rev. 8:4). To the Lord, incense or frankincense is a fragrant and pleasing aroma (2 Cor. 2:15) that is characteristic of the worship of almighty God. Finally, myrrh consisted of a mixture of resin, gum, and the oil myrrhol and was used to pack in the wrappings of the clothing of a deceased person to combat the smell of the decaying body (John 19:39). Ultimately, though perceived as peculiar at first, the gifts the magi gave were poignant as each on spoke of Jesus’ unparalleled glory, the worship He would no doubt receive, and the ministry of redemption He would accomplish on the cross respectively.

These gifts communicate that once one finds the Lord, an expected response is to give of oneself to Him. He that would and did give His life for the world, deserves nothing less. My agenda today is relatively focused all I’m trying to get across is that those who seek the Lord will never be left wanting or alone—instead, these will be filled so much that exuberant worship and reverence for Christ will take place. You may say that it is a grand gift-exchange. He came to this earth and gave His life; we give him glory, worship, and appreciation for His sacrifice in response.

V. How did they leave?

After spending time in worship of Jesus, the magi are made aware of Herod’s nefarious plan to eradicate the Christ-child—“And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod…” (2:12a). This is the second time a dreams is used to communicate something important in Matthew’s gospel (the first was in the case of Joseph). In both cases, the dreams are given to help eliminate a threat to God’s plan. Interestingly enough, having found the Lord, the wise men are included in God’s plan to help preserve the Christ Child so that he might fulfill his ministry of redemptive and escape a premature death.

After hearing from the Lord in a dream, the magi “left for their own country by another way…” (2:12b). Though the literal route they took was amended, what is also obvious is the life change that the magi received after their pursuit of the Lord. Sure, they returned home “by another way.” But I imagine they also returned as different people entirely having found exactly what they were looking for in the first place—Jesus Christ.

So What?

I remind you that my agenda today is simple. All I’m trying to do is remind you that those who seek the Lord will never be left wanting or alone. Here, God reveals himself to the magi, instigating a search for the greatest gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Once found, a grand gift exchange is described. Jesus, in coming to the earth illustrates His willingness to give of His life for men and women like the magi and like you and me. In response, the wise men give him glory, worship, and appreciation for what He would one day do and what He has already done for you and for me.

What are you seeking in this life? What characterizes your life’s pursuit? In what ways are you spending your time and energy and focus? While I can’t speak for what the things of this world may provide once they are found and acquired, I can say without equivocation that those who seek the Lord will not be left wanting and will not be left alone. The great thing about a message like this is that it is just as relevant today as it was for the magi. Not only that, but it applies to believers and unbelievers alike. In every season, circumstance, triumph or tribulation, our pursuit, the focus of our attention, and direction of our effort ought to be in His direction. He is there, He is waiting, and He is ready to give of Himself for you. What else do we need? What do you seek?