Everyone is searching for something. It may be peace and security. It might be love. It may be fame and fortune. The word “search” implies there is effort involved in reaching one’s goal. Whatever our quest is, it pales in comparison to the quest of some wise men of Jesus’ day.
Wise Men Search for Jesus. Matthew 2:1-2 reads, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi (wise men) from the east arrived in Jerusalem saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’” “Wise men” were known for their intellect and insight. They were often men of wealth because of decisions they had made. For example, Nebuchadnezzar promised great rewards to the “wise man” who could interpret his dream (Daniel 2). No matter how much notoriety these men had or the great wealth they possessed, they traveled about a thousand miles to find Jesus. Traveling that far in biblical times took a lot of time and money but they wanted to honor the King of the Jews.
Does your quest compare with searching for Jesus? Most things for which people search will one day be carried to the city dump. In fact, all physical things will one day be destroyed by fire. “The present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire…the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:7, 10). Do you want to possess only what will be burned up? Maybe our quest is not for material things, but our quest is for fame or popularity or power. All of those things will only last a few short years. We need to realize that only our relationship with Jesus will last into eternity.
Wise Men See Something That Start Them on the Search for Jesus. In the case of the wise men of Jesus’ day, they saw a star. Notice they said, “We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). How did they come to believe that a star would start them on their search for Jesus?
The Jews had been taken into captivity in the east by the Babylonians and they lived there 70 years. During that time, they intermingled with the people of the east. No doubt some of the people of the east learned something about the religion of the Jews. They may have learned about a star from the book of Numbers. In the record of the events concerning Balaam, these words are found. “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel” (24:17). A “scepter” is a sign of a king. Maybe this passage caused these wise men to search for Jesus.
Something must happen to cause each person to search for Jesus. It might be, as in my case, a godly mother who taught me about Jesus when I was just a young child. That got me started on my search for Jesus.
Some people begin to search for Jesus when they have made some bad choices and have hit rock-bottom. From the bottom of life, the only way is up. There, often people begin to see the need for something spiritual and they begin their search for Jesus.
What started you on your journey in search of Jesus? Whatever that was, it was the greatest turning point in your life. May you continue to search for Jesus, even after you have found Him because the more we search for Jesus, the more we learn of Him and how He can impact our lives. The search for Jesus will never be complete until He returns, and we get to spend eternity with Him.
Wise Men Are Willing to Pay the Price It takes to Search for Jesus. Even though these wise men had all those physical things, they recognized that there was something more to life. A journey of a thousand miles in those days took lots of time and money, but they were willing to pay the price. When we search for Jesus, we must be willing to pay the price, no matter what it is. Jesus explained the degree of that price when He said “I came to set a man against His father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:345-39). Finding Jesus is costly – for some it is the loss of family. For some it is the loss of fame or fortune. The question each has to answer is, “Am I willing to pay the price in my search for Jesus?”
Wise Men Today Will Find Jesus in the Same Place the Wise Men of Jesus’ Day Found Him. It seems that most people believe that the star led the wise men to Jesus. Not so! They simply saw His star in the east and since it was the star of a king of Israel, they came to the capital of the Jews, Jerusalem. If the star led them, it led them to the wrong place. He was not born in Jerusalem, but in Bethlehem.
When they got to Jerusalem they asked, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). “Herod…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’” (Matthew 2:3-5).
Their search for Jesus was answered in the Scripture. What was true then, is true today. No one will find Jesus in any place or event other than in the Bible. People claim to find Jesus in an experience or seeing Him in a cloud or any number of other places. We can only find Jesus by searching the Scriptures.
After they learned from the Bible where Jesus was to be born, then the star appeared and led them. The text says, “After coming into the house they saw the child Jesus with Mary His mother, and they fell to the ground and worshipped Him” (Matthew 2:11). Notice facts derived from the text. First, Jesus was in a house, not in a manger. Second, he is called a child, not a babe. Third, they fell down and worshipped Him. Their search led them to worship Jesus. What has your search led you to do?
Conclusion
The greatest search in anyone’s life, is the search for Jesus. Are you searching for Him? You may look back and remember something that started you on that journey. Be thankful for what started you on that journey. Do not stop your search for that relationship with Jesus even though it may be a long journey. Remember also, that you can only find Jesus by searching the Scriptures. Therefore, each of us needs to continue to search the scriptures.
Wayne Burger