January 6, 2013 at Calvary
Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA
“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.”
The Magi come to Jerusalem
looking for a king. They come because they had witnessed something that led
them to believe that a new king had been born. This is the testimony that they
give when they enter Israel’s capital city: “Now
after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king,
behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘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.’” A star had been seen, a star that convinced the Magi that a
new monarch had been born to the people of Israel. The viewing of this star
drove them on their journey to Jerusalem.
But there is a problem with the
Magi’s question. Not that the content was incorrect; a new king had been born.
But the venue for their question was wrong. They expect to find the newly born
king in Jerusalem. That is where a monarch of Israel should be found. But when
the Magi ask about it in Jerusalem, the reaction they get is anything but
positive: “When Herod the king heard
this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him….” There is no joy for
Herod in hearing about a newly born monarch. His court and city are troubled.
It had been troubled before by palace intrigue, including the charges of high
treason leveled by Herod against his children and wives and their subsequent executions.
And now foreign emissaries come into Herod’s court looking for a new king.
So Herod recalls the ancient
promises about a Messiah after he hears the Magi’s question: “assembling all the chief priests and
scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.”
Herod knew that a ruler had been foretold, one who was to be the leader of the Lord’s people Israel. But where would
this Messiah be born? The answer is given by the chief priests and scribes: “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written
by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means
least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will
shepherd My people Israel.’” Now Herod knows where this challenger will
come from. And he develops a plan to find this rival king: “Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them
what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and
search diligently for the Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word,
that I too may come and worship Him.’”
Herod’s plan of murdering the
Messiah would go unfulfilled. But from the visit to Jerusalem, the Magi are
given the missing piece of the puzzle for their quest to find the newborn king.
The missing piece is that prophetic statement, the promise issued from the Lord about the Messiah through the words
of Micah the sage. From the rising of the star, a phenomenon of nature, the
Magi had come to know that a king of the Jews had been born. But this king
would not be found in Jerusalem. The natural place to find the Messiah was not
where He was to be located. Left to that knowledge, the Magi would wander
through all the streets of Israel’s capital but never see the one they came to
worship. But when the divine, prophetic words are made known to them—even by an
evil and murderous tyrant—the Magi find the Messiah. They are directed and led
by what the Lord had spoken.
This is what the Gospel Writer emphasizes:
“After listening to the king, they went
on their way. 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 they saw
the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house
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.” The Lord’s words
are what bring the Magi to Bethlehem. There they find the Messiah who was born.
He is found not in the place where they thought He would be, but in the place
where the Lord had promised. And
this is how the Infant Jesus is first revealed to be the Messiah, the promised
Redeemer of the world, to the Gentiles. The knowledge of this is given to them
through the Lord’s words.
This great revelation about
Jesus’ identity is what the apostle Paul also makes known for you, as you heard
this morning: “When you read this, you
can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to
the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to His holy
apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are
fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ
Jesus through the gospel.” Jesus is the One who was born king of the Jews.
He is the Messiah, the Christ who was promised. And through His work, salvation
has been won for the Lord’s
ancient people Israel and for members of other nations who are brought to the
knowledge of His will: “To me, though I
am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone
what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,
so that through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known
to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the
eternal purpose that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have
boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him.”
But how is this mystery made
known? How is this conveyed, so that you and others may receive it? Where does
one find the mystery of Jesus’ identity and work revealed? It is not in the
earthly and natural things. That can bring a person close, just as the star
brought the Magi to a near proximity of the Messiah. But the Lord’s divine words of promise need to
be heard and received. They carry the gospel; they bring the unsearchable
riches of Christ to people. This is how you have become recipients of the grace
that the Father has offered to you through the gift of His only-begotten Son,
the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us and carried the glory of the
Father, full of grace and truth.
This is why the Church must
focus on being the speaker of the Lord’s
word in this world. Through that word, the identity and work of Jesus are
proclaimed and made known. The natural things can reveal the love of Jesus.
Make no mistake, the love of Christ is shown through the social work that the
Church and its members do. Such work is part of your life as disciples. Because
you have been shown the greatest generosity by the Father—the giving of His Son
for your salvation—and have also benefited from the gifts of His creation, you
reflect that generosity in offering your money and possessions for others.
Because you have been given life, you act to support the life of others. This
is what drives our parish’s cooperation and involvement with social ministry
organizations, with Lutheran Malaria Initiative, and with our local adoption
and abortion alternative groups. This is good, right, and salutary to do.
Yet, these acts can be like the
star that led the Magi to go to Jerusalem. Certainly there is the reflection of
the Father’s love to people in them. But it is in the word of gospel that the
identity and work of Jesus is revealed. And that is why the Church speaks that
word in this world. Without that, the people—even you—would be left in
Jerusalem and not reach Bethlehem. It is the word of gospel that brings you to
the Messiah, so that you can worship and honor Him. More importantly, it is the
word of gospel that brings the Messiah’s merits to you, so that you can
eternally enjoy the fullness of His divine presence. It is the word of gospel
that you hear—that the promised Messiah has come, that He has fulfilled the
promises spoken about Him, that He has made atonement for your sins, that He has
conquered sin, death, and Satan—that brings you into the Father’s household and
makes you His heirs. That is the mystery revealed about Jesus through the
divine words: “This mystery is that the
Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the
promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
This is how the Old Testament
promise has been fulfilled for you and the rest of the members of the Church.
The Lord says: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and
the glory of the Lord has risen
upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the
peoples; but the Lord will arise
upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” That light and glory of the
Lord is not a star. No, it is the
person of Christ, the Messiah born in Bethlehem, who died and rose again for
you. His identity and work have been revealed to you through the gospel words. They
shine the divine light in the darkness of your sin and guilt and imperfection.
That is why you must be intentional and diligent in hearing the words of the
Messiah, the gospel that testifies about Him—not only in the Divine Service,
but also in the other venues where this word is read and heard. That is how you
will be led to enjoy in heaven the fullness of God’s divine presence.
But the Lord also promised: “And
nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” That
is more than just a foretelling of the Magi’s appearance. It is a promise about
what will happen as the Lord’s
word, the testimony of Jesus’ identity and work, is spoken and declared in this
world. The nations come to the Church’s light, the Messiah who is revealed in
the gospel—the words proclaimed and the visible words of the sacraments. In
them, the glory of the Lord is
shown. Through them, the Morning Star shines brightly, so that the identity and
work of Jesus are revealed. That is how others will not be left wandering in
the shadows of this world, lost in the thick darkness of their sin and guilt
and imperfection.
By the same gospel words that
brought you to faith in Jesus, they also will be led like to the Messiah and
the benefits of His identity and work for them. So the manifold wisdom of God
will be made known through the Church in this world, revealed through you who
have been made partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. This
is the Epiphany that we celebrate today, when the Magi found Him who was born
king of the Jews. And we look forward to the glorious revelation of this same Jesus
as King of All Creation when He returns.
+ In the Name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
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