King Herod was frightened of a tiny, vulnerable baby who may have been born in his territory. So were the religious leaders of the Jews and all Jerusalem. Herod was foolish. He could not hang on to power forever and by the time the baby had grown, he would either be old or dead. Herod was an insanely jealous, paranoid, murderous old man who had murdered his wife Mariamne, his mother in law, his eldest son Antipater and two other sons. The best way of handling narcissists like Herod, whether we meet them through politics, industry, work, church or in the family is to keep as much distance as possible. Asking questions about a new born King in the place Herod ruled was foolish. The wise men’s lack of wisdom was to have massive consequences for boys less than two years of age who would be massacred as Herod sought to destroy anyone who could potentially become King. Why was all Jerusalem frightened? Was it fear of change? Were they frightened that if the peace of the Empire and power balance was challenged it would lead to war and they would be crushed? So often when we have political decisions to make, we act out of fear, not using our brains. Sometimes we do not even know or cannot articulate what it is we are frightened of. With the surge of omicron, the threat of climate change and rising prices it is easy for us, the general public to make mean, selfish decisions. In contrast, the wise men were courageous, explorers, risk takers and opportunists who set out on a long journey to a strange land led by a star. I might respond to scriptures, a prophetic word given by someone I trusted, an angel, a dream or the prompting of God the Holy Spirit, but definitely not a star. The word used for wise men, Kings or Magi is difficult to translate which is why it appears differently in different versions of the Bible. It is unlikely that they were Kings. Historians of the day tell us they came originally from a Median tribe who tried to overthrow the Persians. Because they failed, they stopped playing power games and became a tribe of priests, teachers of Persian Kings and adopted the same kind of role the Levites adopted in Israel. They were present when sacrifices were made; they were skilled in philosophy, medicine, and natural science. They were soothsayers and interpreters of dreams. They were members of the Zoroastrian religion which was renowned for its study of astrology, seen at the time as a science. It was the official religion of Persia before Islam. Christianity and Zoroastrianism have much in common. The primary prophet for Zoroastrianism is Zoroaster. Zoroastrians believe that he was miraculously conceived in the womb of a 15 year old Persian virgin. Like Jesus, Zoroaster started his ministry at age of 30 after he defeated all Satan’s temptations. He predicted that other virgins would conceive additional divinely appointed prophets as history unfolded. Zoroastrian priests believe they could foretell these miraculous births by reading the stars. Like the Jews, Zoroastrian priests were anticipating the birth of the true Saviour. Historians of the time, Tacitus and Suetonius also predicted a ruler coming from Judea. The wise men were possibly influenced by their scriptures, the scriptures of the Old Testament, dreams and the prompting of God himself. Astrology, unlike Astronomy, is considered by most today to be just a bit of fun. When people start believing the predictions made under star signs in papers and magazines, they are likely to discover either that there is no truth in them or that putting their faith in them is dangerous. It is not how God guides us. The wise men trusted God, not the stars. God who created the stars was using one to lead them. What the wise men saw, spoke to them of the birth of the King of the Jews and needed checking out. It was many miles to Jerusalem, which they presumed would be the birthplace of the King because it was the Jewish capital. The star doesn’t appear to have led them there because they asked, “Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews?” It is strange that these foreigners should have gone to Jerusalem. The child would be King of the Jews, not King of the Persians, Zoroastrians, Arabs, or King of the nations of the East. Herod was a liar. When he inquired of his chief priests and scribes as to where the baby was to be born, he discovered it was in Bethlehem. He then told the wise men to search for him diligently and when they had found him to return and let him know so he could pay him homage also. Bethlehem was a small town, not a village. Searching for the baby would be difficult but God intervened. When they left Herod, the star was there to lead them. When the star stopped, the wise men were not filled with fear like Herod or indifference like the chief priests and scribes but overwhelmed with joy. They had found whom they were searching for, the one who would not just be the King of the Jews but King of everyone who would love him and make a place for him in their hearts. They knelt before their King as they had intended, in worship. The word used for worship is to kneel to kiss. Wise people are humble before Jesus. We cannot come with our pride. He is King of our lives and we are not. Wise people love Jesus and tell him so. When we worship we come in adoring love and bring all we have before him. Wise people give gifts. Giving is a sign of our love. These wise men gave strange gifts for a baby of gold, frankincense and myrrh They understood, even before they came, that this baby would rule in a way that was totally different to Herod and the rulers of the Empires. Gold, the most expensive of metals, signified his Kingship. Jesus reigned with love, not force but he is no less a King. Gentiles recognised Jesus as King of the Jews. The religious authorities in Jerusalem never did. When Pilate crucified Jesus he placed a sign above his head which cynically said, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Jesus calls us Gentiles to submit to him as our Lord and Saviour Frankincense is a gift for a priest. Priests used it when making sacrifices in temple worship. Jesus offered himself to God as a sweet smelling sacrifice for sin. He died for us. He is the bridge by which we may enter into the presence of God and the courts of heaven and he is the one who prays for us there. Myrrh is used to embalm dead bodies. The wise men recognised that the death of Jesus would one day be important. The wise men never returned to Herod. Warned in a dream they returned to their own country by another road. Their hearts were enlarged and they were filled with joy whereas Herod remained fearful and twisted. We are wise, when we courageously seek Jesus and whole heartedly worship him, when we explore and study the scriptures and when we are generous in our giving. May our hearts be enlarged and filled with joy this year.
Our Isaiah passage ends with the words, “All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” We all need to be saved from COVID 19 which has put the dampener on many Christmas celebrations this year as restrictions have yet again been imposed at a time when we were looking forward to Christmas with loved ones. <strong>Most of us have lined up for our boosters and have been right to do so. Western governments ironically have been warned by the World Health Organisation of the vaccine inequity across the globe where over half the population in most countries have not received their first jab. Unless everyone is immune we are all at risk from new variants as the virus will not go away. We need saving from climate change. Drought, floods and fires continue to cause colossal losses across the globe. In the last two weeks we have been horrified by the destruction and death caused by tornadoes in America, the storm in the Philippines and flooding in Malaysia. Changes in world temperatures means there is a crisis in food production which is felt globally. <strong>We need saving from terrorism, war and the fear of war. Russian troops are massing on the Ukraine border; China is looking to extend its influence both militarily and through cyber warfare and Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and many regions in North Africa are destitute. As a result there are more than 80 million displaced people around the globe, of which, 30-34 million are children. We also need saving from our own sicknesses, suffering and death and our sins, many of which have contributed to the crisis we are in. The world has always veered from crisis to crisis. We are privileged in our country yet often overwhelmed by our own suffering and our inability to do much about the global picture. Isaiah was speaking to were exiles in Babylon longing to return to their homeland and worship in Jerusalem. They believed God had forsaken them as a result of their nation’s sins and wickedness and were waiting for the Lord’s presence to return to Zion so they could follow. The Jews were tiny compared to the other nations. There was nothing they could do to enable their return. Many of them had enjoyed the riches of Babylon and been promoted to high office so didn’t want to return. However empires come and go. The Babylonian Empire was defeated by the Persians and Medes and Cyrus the Great decreed that the Jews may return and rebuild their temple, even offering to help pay for it. God used Cyrus even though he wasn’t Jewish or aware of God’s guidance. Israel’s return was God’s choice and the victory his. Isaiah pictures a nation waiting for the messenger who announces victory on the battlefield and the return of the King. God is coming in triumph. The battlefield is not just a confrontation between two earthly armies but evil and oppression throughout history. God triumphs. Not only Jerusalem is redeemed but all nations. The watchmen cannot contain themselves! Before the messenger arrives they recognize the news and sing for joy! The messenger announces news we long to hear of peace, good news and salvation. “Your God reigns!” The victory proclaimed does not belong to this or that king, country, or ideology, but to God alone. God comes as the ultimate judge, judging the whole world with righteousness. The watchers hear this news as they see the beautiful feet of the messenger running towards them. Good news comes through a person. The message is beautiful because it is for all creation. The Lord reigns over all gods, forces, powers, idols, and obsessions that enslave us. God has intervened many times throughout history in impossible situations. There have been many messengers from God who have brought good news of peace and salvation. The early Christians identify the messenger as John the Baptist preparing people oppressed by the Romans for the coming of their Messiah. At Christmas we rejoice in the message of the angelic messengers who proclaimed the birth of Jesus, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord and peace and good will for all people. Jesus, himself was both the message and the messenger. He is the voice, the word of God himself who entered his creation. The tiny baby whose birth we celebrate today pitched his tent and lived among us. He became a displaced refugee as his family ran from persecution by Herod to Egypt. He shared in our humanity, lived and suffered as we do. He was named Jesus because it means salvation. The angel proclaimed “He shall be called Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” As he grew into a man, the people witnessed his glory. As they saw him heal, and set people free they witnessed his truth and grace, God’s love and mercy in action. When the Lord made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, he did not come with lethal weapons to defeat his enemies with force but in the flesh of a vulnerable newborn baby, whose vocation was to suffer and die for our salvation. To those of us who have received Jesus and believed in him he has given power to become children of God. We have been born anew and enabled to live lives full of mercy and truth like him. He became like us that we might be like him. During his life on earth only a privileged few witnessed the glory of God seen in Jesus Christ. 2000 years later many more have turned to him for peace and salvation. Despite the mess we find ourselves in today we can sing for joy because the Bible promises that when Jesus comes again as King of Kings every eye will see him. We have hope because all the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Science and human effort won’t save us, as our prime minister promises, though both are important in the fight to save the planet. We haven’t got sufficient power, wisdom or holiness to save ourselves. We must do what Grandmother Clara Lutz did in the path of the Kentucky tornado last week and pray. She wrapped her grandchildren in blankets and placed them with a Bible in the bath. When the bath was ripped out of the house which was destroyed she prayed, “Please bring my babies safely back to me,” and the Lord answered her prayer. Our world is in a mess because of global, institutional and personal greed. We are called to have beautiful feet as we proclaim the good news of salvation and Christ’s victory over sin through words and actions, bringing justice and loving mercy to those suffering. In the direst of circumstances we cry out “Lord save us,” and we sing songs of joy and victory because he will.
The 2.00 pm service is suitable for children. We will sing carols round the crib and act out the nativity.The 8.00 pm is our Christmas Eucharist.There will be no service on Christmas Day and a Eucharist onb Boxing Day at 11.15
