Young People's Group

HAVING THE SAME GREAT JOY AS THE WISE MEN HAD

by Pastor Mitch
December 18, 2005

The Example Of The Wise Men In Having Great Joy

One theme that rings out throughout the Christmas narratives is the theme of joy. The angels brought good news of great joy to the Shepherds. Mary responded with great joy at the announcement that she would be the mother of the Lord Jesus. The Shepherds returned to their fields praising God because they had seen the baby Jesus. Of particular interest would be the wise men. They found a great sense of joy despite being Gentiles, and limited in knowledge of the Messiah. They found exceedingly great joy in their quest to find the baby Jesus. How did they go about finding such joy? There are three stages.

1. The Commencment Of Joy

“Behold, wise men from the East came to 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.'”
Matthew 2:1-2

When the wise men saw the new star in the east, they found joy. These wise men were great astronomers. They recognised that it was the star of the Messiah as the Scriptures had stated. They ascertained through faith that He was the King of the Jews and more. They saw Him as a divine King because they wanted to worship Him. There was that initial joy when they had personal faith in the Lord Jesus.

2. Continuing Joy

“Behold, wise men from the East came to 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.'”
Matthew 2:1-2

They must have travelled long distances to seek the baby Jesus. But their joy in the Lord did not fade. They continued unrelentingly with joy. When they ended up in Jerusalem, they were guided again by the Lord through the Scriptures. They persevered with the help of the Scriptures. There was continuing joy when they saw the reality of the Lord’s guidance.

3. The Fullness Of Joy

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy… they… fell down and worshipped Him.”
Matthew 2:10-11

All along they had been guided by the star. When the star finally rested over the house of the Child Jesus, everything was confirmed for them. There was exceedingly great joy because they held on to their faith and everything fell into place. They finally saw the Lord Jesus and worshipped Him with great joy. The best kind of joy is the one that we can find in the Lord. Fullness of joy will not come easily. When we have personal faith in the Lord, there is initial joy. When we grow in our faith, there comes growing and persisting joy. In good times and bad times, we must hang on to our faith and joy. When the Lord confirms things for us, there will be an even greater sense of joy. Young people, let’s continue to cultivate this joy in the Lord. Let’s worship the Lord Jesus with tremendous joy this Christmas and in the New Year.

Back to Article Listing