And to have time to share the Christmas message with you this morning. Just before I get into my message, I'll share a quick update about our ministry.
How many of you are familiar with? The Friends of Israel. Most of you I think, or does that sound about right?
It's an important time to be a friend of Israel. And so we invite you to join us in that purpose.
We have a display table in the foyer. All the literature is free for you to take. And we'd love to have you do that.
And we would welcome your interest, your involvement in our ministry and in the Ministry of the Friends of Israel.
I'm finishing my fifth year. With the Friends of Israel. And it's been a very busy year.
I could take the morning and tell you about that, but I won't do that. But if you have any questions or would like to talk further, I'd love to share with you personally after we're done this morning.
Again, please avail yourself of any of the materials on the table. They're there for you to take.
We'd love to have you. Use them. I also want to share with you where you can always Find me, connect with me.
Find our schedule, our information. Upcoming events and of course many many messages. On my page on sermon audio.
Dot com. Slash psharf pscharf pscharf. Invite you to join us there often.
And pray especially this week we'll have Going up on my page there shortly, Lord Welling. Some radio spots the Lord has given me the opportunity to prepare that'll be on Lord Willing radio stations across the country, stations and networks.
And that'll be beginning this week and you can also hear them here on sermon audio. I invite you to look for those and all the other things we have there and through sermon audio we also have an app.
If you'd like to stay directly. Connected to our information. Invite you to install the app through the church one app from sermon audio.
I have a series of of columns. That are running currently@charperiron.org on the omni presence.
And this part 2 that is showing on the screen which really ran a week ago is it particularly deals with the issue of omnipresence.
And the incarnation of Christ. So if you're looking for something to read. Invite you to find that and I'll also have Lord willing a brand new Christmas column going out.
This week before Christmas. And here's the most recent radio interview that I've done. With Q.
90 FM in Green Bay. On Hanukkah. The light of Hanukkah and the light of the world.
And that's up on my sermon audio page as well. The best way for you to stay in contact with us is through our weekly email.
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Of the Friends of Israel. He's celebrating an important milestone this month. The friends of Israel turned.
85 years old. We began in 1 38. 10 years before there was in Israel. Our founders had the foresight.
Believing in faith that God would restore the nation of Israel. Return the people to their land. And certainly he has been in the process of doing that specifically since, 1,948.
And so pray for the friends of Israel. We have an impressive history, but that is all the more recent for the enemy's attacks.
And we're certainly seeing. The enemy attacked the people of Israel all around the world at this significant time.
So pray for the people of Israel, pray for Israel and for the Jewish people, Jewish friends, we know who've just come through Hanukkah.
And that's been our topic the last couple of weeks as we've been out in other churches.
But today we're going to turn our attention to the Christmas star. Wouldn't you like to know?
What that star was that the wise men followed, that Linet just played the song. About the 3 kings.
Who followed that star. And a 7 hundred-mile journey for months probably of walking from the east.
From Babylon where so much of history began in the book of Genesis. All the way to Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
What in the world was that star? That's what we're going to think about for the next few minutes this morning.
I invite you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 2 that will be our main passage although we'll be looking at a number of other scriptures.
They'll be listed or shown on the screen and We'll turn to a couple more if we have time.
And I invite you to certainly. Jot some of these down. And as you have perhaps extra opportunity in this week.
Go back and consider what I've said this morning. And may the Lord give you understanding, search the scriptures.
And see if these things are so. I'm going to share something with you that perhaps will be new to some of you this morning.
Okay.
Because I think we can know exactly what this Christmas star was all about. And so we're going to consider that.
From God's Word. Let's read first of all in Matthew chapter 2 beginning in verse one.
I'm reading from the new King James Version. It says now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.
In the days of Herod the King, the worst king the people of Israel had ever had really up till that time.
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. Now you'll notice that there is a king mentioned in the this passage but the king is Here it, it's not the 3 kings.
That we sang about. Who in fact were these? Wise men that we have here walking into our Bibles here in Matthew chapter 2 in the Christmas story.
Will the McCarthy study Bible says they were not kings. That's sort of in the realm of myth or legend or lore or tradition.
And the hymnology. But the Greek word is Megoy, Magi. Which really is the word from which we get our term magician.
They were astrologers. He says they were possibly Zoroastrian wise men from Persia.
Whose knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures could be traced back to the time of Daniels, that start ringing any bells with you?
Of all the talk in the book of Daniel about the wise men and how Daniel was promoted to be the head.
You remember over all the wise men? To exercise influence over them for decades. And he took all the training he had received in the special program under Nebuchadnezzar in chapter one.
And sorted that through a biblical grid and added with it the idea that he was a true biblical prophet.
I believe Daniel forever changed this ancient trade of Wise men. Magician, which was a combination in Babylon and Medo Persia.
Of true science mixed with false religion and all kinds of pseudoscience like talking with the dead and speaking with animals and and other things that are.
In some sense, imitations of the true biblical teaching and regarding things like sacrifice and prophecy.
In the Hebrew scriptures. I believe Daniel changed the trajectory of all that forever. In his life and ministry.
We don't have time this morning to go through all of those passages in Daniel, have them on the screen in a moment if you'd like to maybe even take a picture of them.
Consider them later. The Jeremiah study Bible says, quite possibly these men had read Daniel's account of the coming Messiah.
Or other Jewish writings about the prophesied son of David.
And so these wise men, these magicians these astrologers. These, they weren't kings, but they were what we would call or think of more in terms of counselors to kings.
These aren't kings of individual countries. Who have left their thrones and come to Bethlehem.
To Jerusalem, but there are these wise men, these statesmen, dignitaries, counselors.
Who are used to dealing with The stars and with science. And they also apparently as we've read and as I think we see from the book of Daniel.
There's a reason to believe they would have consulted. There's reason in our text here to believe they may have consulted with the Hebrew scriptures.
If you want to see these passages in Daniel. That talk about these wise men, all the passages and related passages.
Are on the screen here and also we find in the book of Esther After Daniel is gone, We have the wise men that are still there.
They were probably there long before Daniel came along. But as I said, I believe he changed really the trajectory of this whole.
Operation of these wise men, these magi. And we also remember that these Magi were living and Herod was living and All of this is taking place at a very significant time in history.
God is breaking into what we call the 400 silent years. During which we have some very important events like those that give the background to the celebration of Hanukkah.
In the mid-second century BC. We call them silent in terms of God giving scriptural revelation.
Those that gap between Malachi and Matthew in our Bibles. But God has never totally silent. He's always at work.
He's always working all things. After the counsel of his will. He's always working all things for the good of those who love him.
And he was actually very active during those 400 years he was working. To bring history to the place.
Where just at the perfect time in the fullness of time. He would send forth his son. To come into this world.
To be born into the world under the law to be our Savior. Relations for 4 and 5.
It was of course the time prophesied by Daniel in the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel chapter 9.
We don't have time to go through all of that. This morning. But I'm sure that's familiar to many of you.
And if not, I would especially encourage you again, search the scriptures, see if these things are so.
Hope you have a good study Bible like one I've already recommended. Where a good Bible commentary or encyclopedia looked through these passages.
And see the things that we're talking about this morning. As your celebration of Christmas this year.
It was a time of expectation. Luke 3 15 tells us and we know that it would be marked by a special star.
Balaam prophesied this in Numbers 2417. That the birth of Messiah would be confirmed by a star.
I see him but not now. I behold him but not near a star. Shall come out of Jacob.
A scepter shall rise out of Israel. And batter the brow of Moab and destroy sons of Tumult.
And by the way, Baila may have been even an ancient ancestor of this occupation, this line.
Of Magi. Magicians in in in more ancient history. Preparing the way for those that would come along by Daniel's time.
Well, we find that these wise men come to hear it and they say, where is he? Who has been born king of the Jews and they immediately have his attention.
Because he is the king of the Jews in his mind and wants no one else to have claim to that title.
And notice what they say, we have seen his star. In the East. And have come to worship him.
Now the ESV study Bible here has an important concept in its notes. I think it says the movement of the star.
Because of course later in the passage this star is going to reappear and guide them specifically to the place.
Where Joseph and Mary and the baby are are finding shelter here. In Bethlehem, came and stood over where the young child was.
This was not a natural star, a natural phenomenon. That wasn't a comet or a supernova or a conjunction of planets.
It doesn't help us to look back and see. In what particular year something like that is denoted to have happened.
No, this was a supernatural event. This was a sign miracle, if you will, a miraculous event.
From God. And notice what the wivesmen were. Possibly actually saying. It's translated a little different and I think perhaps more accurately in the ESV in verse 2.
When the wivesmen say, where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, yes it was in the east.
But the the original language there can also have the connotation of we saw his star in its rising.
We saw this star when it rose. We saw this explosion of light. In the skies above us.
And it absolutely fascinated us to say the least it overwhelmed us. It almost blinded us. And it grabbed our attention.
And caused us to make this lengthy journey to come to Jerusalem. Based on our knowledge, perhaps of prophecies like Micah 5 verse 2 which is going to be suggested here.
By the scholars in Jerusalem in the text beginning in verse 6. Jeremiah's study Bible against is this was not simply a natural phenomenon.
Notice they call it his star. We've seen his star. Supernaturally placed in the heavens.
For the purpose of guiding the wise men. So what was going on here really? I think actually as we look at the totality of scripture It's quite obvious.
What these wise men were seeing. Dr. Manfred Cobra wrote the Strange Luminary.
Was no ordinary star. But the radiance of the Chicana glory of God. That word shakina is never found in the Bible in either testament.
It's a derivative of the Hebrew word Shakan, which means to dwell. And it's used to Speak of the dwelling presence of the glory of God.
Which is often manifested as light or fire or a cloud. Throughout the Hebrew scriptures. And I think clearly that is what the Wiseman saw.
He says this shakina glory of God departed eastward during Israel's apostasy in the book of Ezekiel.
And we'll think about that in a moment. We're going to point to a number of scriptures and we won't have time to go through all of them.
Or this would take, you know, possibly several hours to do that. Again, I'm going to invite you to jot down or take a picture of these references.
If you miss them, let me know and I'll get them to you. And I'm gonna invite you again to search these scriptures.
And see what you can find and see if it does not confirm what I am telling you about. The Chakina, the glory of God.
How it illuminated God's people for centuries past. And I think that's what the wise men are seeing.
Macarthur's study Bible says again this is a supernatural reality. Similar to the Shakina that guided the Israelites.
Now here you remember one of the first places where we see this concept is in the book of Exodus.
Where the people were led by a A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night.
Dr. Randy Price. Says that in the past the shakina glory appeared over Israel in the wilderness as a cloud by day.
To provide shelter from the sun. It's a pillar of fire by night to provide illumination.
And to communicate. Divine revelations. So it's this cloud of glory.
That is a manifestation of the glory of God dwelling among his people. Guiding his people and communicating with his people.
All the way back here in the book of Exodus. This glory cloud filled the tabernacle.
At the very end of the book of Exodus. And we've also seen now already about Balaam's prophecy of the star.
That would mark the coming of Messiah.
And I believe it can be applied directly to this. Phenomena that the wise men saw. This glory cloud also filled Solomon's temple.
Second Chronicles, chapter 7. At the end of the theocracy when the theocracy temporarily ended in chastisement when the people are being driven off to Babylon.
In the book of Ezekiel. We have a lengthy section where we see the glory cloud leaving the temple and leaving the temple court and leaving Jerusalem progressively it goes away.
Sadly, signifying that temporary end to the theocratic rule of God over Israel, these people through the temple.
In Ezekiel, 1018 says the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple.
And stood over the chair of them. That's just one. Such stop here in this progress of the glory departing.
From the Temple of God. And I believe the next time we see The glory, the glory cloud, the chicana glory of God.
Is in the other passage that Linet played about before we began this morning. In Luke chapter 2.
When those shepherds were out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the what?
The glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were greatly afraid. And the angel said to them, Do not be afraid.
For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. Which will be to all people for their is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior.
Who is Christ the Lord.
These humble shepherds saw this magnificent cloud of glory in the sky.
Think we could safely categorize that as the same concept, this shakina glory. God dwelling among his people and manifesting his presence.
By a cloud of glory, a cloud of flames, if you will. In the night sky. We know that Jesus on the amount of transfiguration He being God.
Who came from heaven to earth at this We celebrated Christmas time. That he became also manned to be our savor.
He died on the cross. In our place and for our senses as we've remembered in the first service this morning.
So that we could be with him forever. As we'll see in his glory. But when he came to this world to be the savior, to die for our sins, to be buried, to rise again.
He was, he was God incarnate. He had all the attributes of God.
But as we sing. In one of our great Christmas hymns. They were veiled in flesh.
The Godhead Sea. He is. God who took on human flesh. John tells us in chapter one verse 14 The word became flesh and dwelt among us.
And we beheld his glory. The glorious of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth, but he wasn't walking around displaying that glory in the actual essence of God all the time.
We saw the glory in terms of his deity being veiled by his humanity. But one specific time.
And the amount of transfiguration. He allowed that glory to be displayed. As you remember there, in that particular incident.
Their God is dwelling among his people and the person of his eternal Son. And showing forth. The intrinsic glory that the sun had possessed for all eternity.
And for just a moment, it's not veiled by his human flesh. But it's shown through.
His human flesh in that way. John tells us this is similar. To how we will see him, although it will be so overpowering when we see him at his return.
That John simply fell at his feet as dead. When he saw the His countenance was like the sun shining in his strength.
This is a for of you of Christ and His return. In glory. The God of glory, again, dwelling with His people.
Through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I believe these are all references to the glory of God. They show it as a visible manifestation like light or fire.
I believe they're all this very similar concept, this Shakina glory. I believe this is what the shepherd saw and I believe this is what the Mag I saw.
That led them. Now, let me share with you even something. More amazing personally for you. When the Lord Jesus returns at the rapture, the rapture of the church, how many are ready for the rapture?
Okay. How many hope it doesn't happen till after you get that Christmas gift you're ready for?
How many would take it even before Christmas? Okay, wouldn't that be a wonderful Christmas? Present for all of us in a wonderful Christmas celebration.
If Christ would rapture his church. Even this week. Take all of us catch us. Who know him who've trusted in him alone through the gospel.
As I've just explained it briefly here. Take us to be with him forever in heaven. Now when we are, the amazing thing first Thessalonians, 417.
Says we're going to be raptured we're going to be harpadzot is the Greek word we're going to be caught up
With all living and dead saints, the dead in Christ will rise first. And all living believers of the that is all of the church age believers the dead and the living be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
How are we going to be caught up? We're going to be caught up first Thessalonians 4 17 says in the Clouds.
Are those the big puffy white? Clouds in the sky.
I think my personal opinion is Paul is drawing here on an Old Testament concept that we'll see in a moment.
That this is the idea of clouds of Glory. Glory clouds. Will be in the glory of Christ will be in the cloud of glory.
Of Christ. Now why would I say that and how can that be possible?
Well, how can it be possible? To be caught up into the very glory of God. Without being physically blinded, it's because we'll have new eyes.
Will have been glorified will have been changed. Pulses and First Corinthians, 15.
I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. That is, will not all die as believers.
Some will be alive for Christ when he returns to rapture his church will all be changed.
In a moment, the text goes on to say in the twinkling of an eye. We will be transformed.
And we will be able to exist. Within the glory cloud with Christ. First John 3 2 when he appears we shall be like him will be able to see him as he is in his glory will be alive with him inside the glory cloud and it won't burn us or kill us or blind us.
Because we'll have transform bodies. Will be able to exist inside the glory of God. Pulses in Philippians 3, he's going to transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.
By the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. And so he's going to give us a new body that is able to live inside the glory cloud.
This will happen at the rapture.
Paul says in Romans, ate the sufferings of this present time. Maybe there's someone here enduring sufferings today, maybe great suffering.
Maybe suffering that no one else here even knows about your need. And we don't discount that. And we certainly.
How you have I'm sure our sympathy if we know about it
But those sufferings, whatever they are, are not worth comparing. Paul says, with the glory.
That is to be revealed to us.
Now, why do I say that this is the glory cloud? At the rapture and not the puffy white clouds in the sky.
Well I believe Paul is drawing on an image that is really encapsulated in Daniel chapter 7. Verse 13 when he talks about the Son of Man.
Coming with the clouds of heaven, a cloud coming. Coming, if you will, in the glory cloud.
I believe that is the picture. We find this in a number of Old Testament references and certainly in combination with those that we've looked at.
This idea of the cloud of glory, the Shakina glory. And when Christ returns at his second coming, We know that there's all kinds of reference here, Matthew, 2430.
And this is the same, I believe the same, the final second coming of Christ to end the tribulation to a establish his millennial kingdom, the same event Daniel was predicting.
Of course Daniel didn't know about the rapture of the church. Jesus had not even yet revealed the rapture of the church to his disciples in the upper room here in Matthew, 24.
But he's talking about the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matthew, 2531, talks about when the Son of Man comes in his glory. Jesus said in Matthew, 26, Verse 64.
When you see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven.
So again, I believe those are references to this idea of the Chicana glory, the glory cloud.
And I think Paul is drawing on that same imagery in the classic rapture passage in First Thessalonians 4.
We could also add things that are further than ahead in the prophetic. A scheme of events. Isaiah 4, 5, and 6.
I'll let you for sake of time look at that passage on your own but it talks about a covering So there will be no inclement weather in the kingdom to worship at the millennial temple in Jerusalem.
There will be a covering over Jerusalem. And the Ryery Study Bible says it's God's glory acting as a canopy.
Over the temple there for protection of the nation. And we also see. In revelation 21 and 22 that God's glory enlightens.
The new heavens and new earth. And Randall Price. Actually takes some of that which I really take to be probably the eternal city.
He put some of that back in the millennium as well, but his quote is instructive. For all of it, whatever your view of the New Jerusalem coming down and so forth, whether that's in the millennial Jerusalem as he says.
Also in Revelation 21 over the New Jerusalem I tend to take that as the eternal city He thinks it's suspended over millennial Jerusalem.
But here's the key point, friends. God's glory will be manifested. In either case.
And I'll let you look up those scriptures and think of those magnificent, amazing things that are.
Ahead for us as believers. That will enjoy in the kingdom of Christ, eternity with him, the new heavens and new earth and new Jerusalem.
What a wonderful future awaits us. The glory will even return. Where it left the temple. Ezekiel talks about this in his latter chapters.
Ezekiel, 43 verse 4, the glory of the Lord. Came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east.
So to finish our main text this morning. Let me just read from Matthew 2 before we conclude. So at least everyone here knows this wonderful, important imperative story.
This true story of the birth of Christ from Matthew's Gospel. They had seen his star in the east.
They had seen it when it rose. His star and had come to worship him. And when Herod the King heard this, he was troubled in all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
Okay.
So they said to him in Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet, but you Bethlehem in the land of Judah.
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.
And Herod when he had secretly called the wise men determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the young child.
And when you have found him, bring back word to me that I may come and worship him also. When they heard the king they departed and behold the star which they had seen in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. When they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother.
And fell down and worshiped, notice him, not them.
And when they had opened their treasures, acting in accord with Isaiah chapter 60. Serving as a foreshadowing of the prophetic future.
And that's a whole nother message that perhaps we can talk about some other time, some other Christmas perhaps.
They opened their treasures and they presented gifts to him, Gold, frankincense and myrrh.
3 very biblically significant gifts. Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country.
Another way. False is not many wives are called. Aren't you glad some wise men are called?
I know this is little bit out of context but by way of application let me say it by this. Like this, wouldn't you like to be a wise man for God to serve him, a wise woman of God?
To model the characteristics we see in these. And to share that wisdom. Of Christ and whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
With others. Let me close with this. Are you ready for Christmas? Won't ask for a show of hands.
Some of you are probably saying ready for Christmas. What is there to do or? You know, sort of shrug.
On the other extreme, we have people saying, oh, ready for Christmas. Goodness sakes, no.
Well, what do we mean? How do you get ready for Christmas? Do you have to, necessarily spend on presence till you can't spend any more.
Make and bake food till there's nothing left to try or buy airplane tickets or red cars or what do you need to do to get ready for Christmas?
I think we can learn a lesson from this star you see. I think it's been a wonderful thing to think about this star through the Bible this morning.
And I hopefully we've learned some things about it and learned more of what the wise men saw.
But you know, we can just sort of put all that aside. At one level because
The point of the star was to point them to Christ.
The star wasn't there at all, so they would look at the star. The star was there.
To guide them to Christ. Are you ready for Christmas? Are you looking at Christmas? Or are you looking at Christ?
Are you looking at the star or are you looking at Christ? Are you looking at Christmas or are you looking at Christ?
David, Jeremiah said it like this. Stop thinking about Christmas.
This time of year isn't about Christmas. It's about Christ.
And so in that light. I say to you Merry Christmas. God bless you. And I hope you've enjoyed thinking with me this morning about The Christmas Star.
And Father, I pray that you will use these words to indeed bring glory to yourself. And to truly help us understand more of the scriptures.
We know that faith comes only by hearing the Word of God, so we ask that you'll increase our faith.
Through this Christmas message in Jesus name, Amen.
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