Introduction

Advent is a season of waiting, anticipating, and hoping. It’s a time when we plant our feet firmly in the land between two affirmations: Christ has come, and Christ will come again.

I had a “behold” moment the other day. I was out on a run last Friday and I was on my favorite trail going up Mule Hill. It was a foggy day and a bit chilly. As I started to ascend the hill, I glanced over to my right, and I saw that the California Coastal Sagebrush that adorns the hills was covered in spider webs. Everywhere. I had to stop it was so arresting.

My first thought was, how have I never seen this before? But as I continued to gaze, I noticed that it was the fog that was hanging on the webs making them visible. They’re always there, but I can’t always see them. In fact, on my way back they had all disappeared because the sun was out and had dried the dew. They were gone, but they were still there. Which was a bit terrifying, and it evoked a sense of awe at the same time.

I truly did have a spiritual experience on that trail. I got the sense Jesus was saying the same is true about him. He’s present all the time and I often run right past. I’m often too busy, distracted, and maybe just indifferent to his presence. In The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis writes,

It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

What would it look like to live not “too easily pleased?” What would it look like to embrace a passionate, insatiable desire to meet with God? What would it look like to live with passion and pursuit? What would it look like to live noticing the spider webs?

I think we will get a good picture of this in Matthew 2.

(Read Matt. 2:1-12)

This Christmas, don’t just Behold Pursuit, Become a Pursuer

This week we’re told to behold “wise men” or magi. These men were probably from Persia or Babylon—the gifts they brought were found in that region. The journey was long; over 500 miles. Why travel that distance in uncomfortable conditions? Because of a haunting question: Could the stars be telling a story? They paint a picture for us of what it looks like to pursue God. They live out God’s encouragement through Jeremiah, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).

This Christmas, don’t just behold pursuit, become a pursuer. Because wisemen seek him still.

Who were the magi? The word “magi,” (NASB, NIV) or “wise men” (ESV), is the Greek word magos which means “an astrologer, by implication a magician.” It’s where we get our English word “magic.” “Magi” was originally the title of a Persian priestly caste, similar to the Levites in Israel.

The evidence is that astrologers/astronomers in Babylonia were interested in events happening in Israel. I’d suggest their interest in Israel goes back to Daniel’s time in Babylon. Remember, Daniel himself was a chief over the magi (Daniel 2:48).

But you should know that magi were not looked upon favorably by the Israelites, they were viewed as idolaters. We see the word used a few other times in the New Testament, and never favorably. In fact, one time Paul called a magi a “child of the devil” (Acts 13:10). That wasn’t a compliment.

So, to have Magi pursuing the Christ, is quite the statement. By placing Gentile, Pagan, Magi in the Christmas story, Matthew is reminding us that God surmounts all the ethnic and religious barriers in his pursuit of humanity. This truly is a story for everyone.

However, the Magi aren’t the only characters in the story. There are two others worth highlighting.

First is Herod. He got to the throne through a series of political maneuvers and friendship with Caesar Augustus. Herod was half Jew, half Edomite—who through accommodation to the Romans ascended to power as a client-ruler of Israel in 37 BC. He was brutal; he had numerous sons, wives, and others close to him put to death. After frequent disputes with Caesar, the emperor uttered, “I would rather be Herod’s pig than his son.” Yikes. Herod represents sinful humanity’s violet response to threat of Jesus as king. We resist, lash out, and fight to keep ourselves on the throne.

The other group are the chief priests and scribes. Herod knew the value of these scholars. Right when the Magi approached him, he summed the group of scribes. He knew if the information was out there, they had it. And they didn’t disappoint. Listen again to what they said.

(Read Matt. 2:4-6)

Bingo! They quote Micah 5:2 and cite the exact location where Christ was to be born.

Here’s the striking part of this story. The pagan magi arrive at the feet of Jesus. The maniacal Herod pursues Jesus—for nefarious motives, but he pursues, nonetheless. The only people in this story who don’t pursue Christ are the religious leaders who have all of the information they need to seek him. They knew the exact place where Messiah would be born. Precise, accurate, and informed. It was only five miles from Jerusalem, yet they didn’t go check it out for themselves.

While this is certainly a story about people far from God pursuing him and finding him, it’s also a story about those close to God missing him entirely. It’s a cautionary tale for those of us who hold the words of God in our hands, reminding us that even while we have all of the information, it’s still possible for us to miss his presence.

This story begs us to ask ourselves the questions:

• Have we been lulled to sleep by truth?
• Have we settled for knowledge instead of letting knowledge stoke our desire for intimacy?
• Have we allowed our heads to grow full, but our hearts to grow cold?
• Have we grown comfortable with knowing the answers, but refuse to journey to the manger?

I wonder how many of us are five miles from Jesus. It seems to me that there is a message in the contrast between the magi who arrive at the feet of Jesus, and the religious people who remain distant. I don’t know about you, but I want to live like the magi.

Let’s look at how we might be able to do that.

As we said, the magi were most likely ancient scholars of the stars. Astronomy (the study of the stars) and astrology (the study of the message of the stars) were combined in the ancient world. We’re not sure exactly what was going on in the sky at the time. There are three suggestions that have been proposed:

1. Comet: Comets have long been held to herald the arrival of important figures on the world stage. Astronomers haven’t identified any comets that fit the timeframe of the magi’s journey.
2. Planetary Conjunction: The favorite candidate is a conjunction of Jupiter and Mars in the constellation of Pisces, which took place in 7 BC, and could have been interpreted to mean the birth of a king.
3. Nova: This is the result of a stellar explosion resulting in a bright phenomenon which usually lasts a couple of months. This was the favorite theory of Johannes Kepler (father of modern science). He noted Chinese astronomers recorded a nova which was visible for 70 days in 5/4 BC—which fits the date.

My goal today isn’t to give you a definitive answer to the “star question,” but it is to stir your imagination to stay curious and captivated.

From Stagnant to Curious

Maybe creation itself really does testify to the existence and goodness of God. Listen to Psalm 19:1-2, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”

Maybe God’s glory and the truth of his pursuit are revealed in the skies in more ways than we know. I love the way that the Magi are depicted as following the star. They allowed their curiosity and their longing to take them on a journey.

To become people who behold pursuit and become pursuers, we must move from stagnant to curiosity. The magi are asking questions, the scribes have answers, and yet the magi arrive at the feet of Jesus. Curiosity is a necessity to spiritual growth.

When we lived in Colorado, we were close enough to the Natural History Museum to have a pass. I’d often take the kids on my day off. Going to the museum with kids is a totally different experience than going with adults, because kids are CONSTANTLY asking questions.

“Dad, why is the sky blue?”

“What happened to the dinosaurs?”

“How far away are those planets?”

“How does gravity work?”

And on, and on, and on. There’s a curiosity, an insatiable desire to know, to learn, and to grow. Maybe that’s part of what it means to have child-like faith. I’m not sure what happens to us as adults. I think part of it is that it’s exhausting to ask so many questions. It requires that we engage the world around us in a robust manner. Maybe questions make us uncomfortable because we’re afraid of what we might find. However, if we shut down curiosity, we shut off growth.

Now, let me take a quick theological aside to give you some language for what we’re talking about here. Most scholars would agree that what the magi experienced was general revelation. General revelation is captured well by Paul in Romans 1:19-20,

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God has put himself on display throughout his creation. Creation shouts of the glory of its Creator! As the developer of the scientific method, Sir Francis Bacon wrote,

“God has, in fact, written two books, not just one. Of course, we are all familiar with the first book he wrote, namely Scripture. But he has written a second book called creation.”

General revelation was enough to get the magi within 5 miles of Jesus, but it wasn’t enough to lead them the whole way there. The needed specific revelation found in Scripture as well. What if the end of science and scripture is the same? What if telescopes and theology are same. What if it’s ALL about Jesus? Jesus is wooing you through the complexity and beauty of the world he’s created. If we just pay attention, there are ample ways to see God’s fingerprints.

From Complacency to Risk

The magi were willing to travel 500+ miles because of a star! Can you imagine the conversation the night before they left? “Are we really going to leave? What if we’re wrong? When will we see our kids again? How far are we willing to go? How do we explain this if it’s nothing?” In their leaving they show us pursuit requires that we move from complacency to risk.

There are at least two things that risk means in this story. The first is that it means we leave the familiar and comfortable to head out on a journey. Scripture is full of people who do something similar.

• Abraham leaves his land and travels off into the fog of the unknown—“to a land God will eventually, someday show him.”
• Gideon steps into battle with 300 men, leaving behind the multitudes.
• David steps off the safety of the sideline into the valley to fight a giant.
• Ester stands boldly before King Xerses advocating for her people.

People who are willing to leave what might otherwise be a comfortable or familiar existence to journey out into the unknown are the people who seem to encounter God.

Secondly, risk implies that there is a cost involved. For the magi, that meant time and money. Remember, when they arrived at the feet of Jesus, they gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Each one of those was pricey back in the day. Let me say it as plainly as I can: a faith that costs us nothing doesn’t involve pursuit.

The magi are teaching us that pursuit of God often falls outside our familiar patterns; it calls us to the fringes, the wilderness, it calls us to follow the stars. Jesus is calling, “There’s more, but you’re going to have to move and risk to chase it.”

It might mean waking up early to get after it with God or getting up and watching the sunrise. Or going to the beach and watching the sunset. It might mean having a conversation with someone where you venture into the unchartered waters of another faith. It might mean offering forgiveness; after all, that’s a risk, isn’t it? Are you willing to risk; leave the comfort and pay the cost?

From Information to Adoration

Let me make an obvious observation: the magi were passionate about arriving at Jesus. They wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. It wasn’t enough for them to know where the Messiah would be born, they needed to make the journey to see him. The information about where Messiah would be born was important, but it wasn’t the end (Matt. 2:11).

The progression is pursuit, then knowledge, then encounter, and finally worship. Worship is the goal. Remember, these are priestly kingmakers, and they’re bowing before a baby. That’s what pursuit does, it moves from information to adoration.

The chief priests and scribes stand in stark contrast. Were they convinced that they’d already reached the pinnacle of religious experience since they knew the scriptures? Maybe they thought they’d arrived. It’s a temptation people who know the scriptures well fall into.

Knowing about God and worshiping God is not the same thing! They illustrate a knowledge-based approach to interacting with God that Jesus addressed with the Pharisees. He said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life (John 5:39-40).

If this was a temptation before The Enlightenment, let’s just name that it’s probably a bigger temptation living in its wake. The scribes show us that knowledge alone is not enough, but the magi show us knowledge is essential to encounter.

Presence and worship go together, but the end goal is never just to get in the presence of God, it’s to bow in adoration of him. If you call yourself a Jesus follower, this is the journey you are on too. We’re people captivated with Jesus who long to meet with him, not just one time when we come to faith, but we long to abide in his love.

I think A. W. Tozer captured it well when he wrote, “To have found God and still pursue him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too easily satisfied religionist, but justified in happy existence by children of the burning heart.” That’s what I want to be, a “Child of the Burning Heart.” How can we become children of the burning heart? How can you stir your heart with affection for Jesus?

How can We Become Children of the Burning Heart?

First, spend time in Scripture. Remember, knowing Scripture isn’t the end in itself, but it’s absolutely essential. It’s one of the main ways we arrive at the feet of Jesus. If you’re not reading the Bible regularly, you’re not living a life of pursuit. It’s as simple as that.

Second, ask Jesus to stir your heart. Tell him that you’re not satisfied knowing about him, but that you want to arrive at his feet. Tell him you want to love him more. Tell him you want your heart to burn with passion for him. This is a spiritual endeavor, and you need God’s Spirit to stir you in order to see this become a reality. Psalm 63:1 says, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps. 63:1).

If David is writing this about a woman instead of God, it’s rated at least PG-13! Do you want him like that? Pray that and ask Jesus to make it true of your heart.

Finally, respond with abandon. That means we must release the desire for image management. Our desire to have people think well of us often shuts us off from truly experiencing God. It might mean raising our hands in worship, or calling out to God with passion, or finally surrendering your whole life.

Most of us don’t want to be weird, but we do want to worship. However, there is a part of worship that requires enough abandon that it puts us on the fringes.

• It meant that for King David when he danced in his underwear in front of everyone.
• It meant that for the woman who busted into a room full of men and anointed Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair (John 12:1-8). No one was looking at her thinking, “Yeah, that’s normal.” No, they were thinking, “What is she doing and who does she think she is?”
• It certainly meant that for the magi.

Are you willing to be different to experience something different? Let’s not be like the religious people in this story who have all the information but refuse to make the journey. Let’s get after God, and let’s not settle for anything less than being captivated by him and bowing in adoration. Let’s hear the whispers that are calling us deeper, telling us there’s more.

Unfortunately, in so many ways the church is still being outpaced by those outside the church pursuing God. There’s a route in Spain that people have walked as a religious and spiritual pilgrimage called The Camino de Santiago. People walk it for all sorts of reasons, but most of them have to do with meeting with God. Before COVID, in 2019, more people walked The Camino than ever before. Almost 350,000 people got permits to do it.

We are being drawn by God, there are hints, and whispers calling us deeper. Let’s not ignore them. Let’s not settle for information when Jesus is calling us to adoration. Let’s not be “far too easily pleased.”

Conclusion

As you pursue Jesus, the thing we celebrate at Christmas is that God is first pursuing you. All pursuit of God is in response to his ardent, risky, passionate pursuit of us. He pursued you to the point of becoming human, clothed in flesh, and eventually covered in blood.

There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me

Why did he do that? To redeem, but also to tell you that you can pursue him with confidence. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

This was the path the magi walked, let’s follow their lead. Let’s not just behold pursuers, let’s become pursuers.