Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 206 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Christmas Wisdom: The Story of the Wise Men #2
Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 206 of our Trek, and this week we are hiking the Christmas Trail to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year. Each story will cover two days and for today, we will explore the second part of the story titled Christmas Wisdom: The Story of the Wise Men. These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.
We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Final preparations and packing will be completed today so that we will be ready to head to The Big House for Christmas. We will remain there until New Year’s Day when we will return back to Home2.
During this Christmas week, we continue to invest our time on our trek together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will explore the first part of our story…
Christmas Wisdom: The Story of the Wise Men #2
As we hike the Christmas Trail together today, let me start by reading the story of the Wise Men in Matthew 2:1-12.
Jesus was born in 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 newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling citie] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
After this interview, the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
The second point I want to make on our trek is…
2. A wise man’s journey is one of worship.
When the wise men came on their journey, it was for the purpose of worship. They brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts have a lot of symbolism associated with them. Gold represents wealth. It is a gift fit for a king. (Jesus was the King of Kings.) Frankincense is the sap of a tree that was dried and hardened and used as incense to worship God. Thus, we see a gift for his deity. (Jesus was the Son of God.) Myrrh is a fragrant perfume that was used to anoint the dead – to embalm and preserve them. (Jesus was The Sacrificial Lamb.)
But there is more to worship than presenting a gift of gold, frankincense, or myrrh, isn’t there?
FACT: Worship always involves sacrifice.
Was there a price to be paid for the wise men’s worship? You bet. They had given themselves to a journey. Travel in those days was not very comfortable. In fact, it could be downright dangerous. The wise men had sacrificed their own comfort to find the King and worship Him. Listen to what David said about sacrifice in 2 Samuel 24:24, “But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.’ So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.”
Romans 12:1 says it this way, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”
To truly worship requires sacrifice.
The greatest gift, the greatest sacrifice you can give to God is yourself. You say, “But I have given nothing to Him today.” But I say, “Yes you have!” Even today you have given Him something of yourself. You have given Him your time by listening to this podcast or reading the journal. When you volunteer time or donate money to churches or charities that promote God’s work throughout the world, you are sacrificing. When you give of yourself to others to impact them for Christ, you become a living sacrifice, even though you may not view it like that and even though you may not have realized it. The efforts you make to worship in word and deed in God’s name, you sacrifice to Him. But here is a fact I want you all to remember today…
FACT: What God wants most of all, above everything else, is me.
He wants your heart. He wants your attention 24/7. The question to ask is “What am I willing to give Him? Am I willing to give Him my best? Am I willing to go on a spiritual journey to worship Him? Am I willing to give up my comfort zone to follow Christ?” The wise men were, are you?
The third point I want to make on our Trek today is…
3. A wise man’s journey is one of change.
Look at verse 12 with me…
When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Isn’t it interesting that after they worshiped Jesus they could not go back the same way that they had come? I find that to be a fact even today. Once you have met God, you will never be the same. An encounter with God changes things. It changes you, doesn’t it? It’s always been that way.
Jacob, who was renamed Israel, wrestled with God and never walked the same the rest of his life.
Isaiah stepped into the presence of God and proclaimed chapter 6:5, “Then I said, ‘It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, theLord of Heaven’s Armies.’”
Job questions God over and over again concerning his suffering, and when God shows up. Job says in chapter 40:4-5…
“I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers?
I will cover my mouth with my hand.
I have said too much already.
I have nothing more to say.”
Job met God and became a changed man.
That is what happens when we walk into the presence of God. We become changed. That is what happened to the wise men when they encountered Christ. They were changed. That is what happens when we encounter Christ. Things become different.
It’s Christmas time, and we hear the story of the wise men. They were wise because they had faith. They were wise because they worshiped, and they were changed forever – all because of a child. How about you? Are you looking for a change in your life? Find Christ this Christmas and I can guarantee that you will be changed. Things will be different. Step out in faith and seek Him as the wise men did.
Tomorrow and the next day, we will explore our final Christmas Story called, Christmas Love: The Story of God’s Gift to Us. Please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.
As we take this Trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!