Lessons of Faith from the Wise Men
Pastor Tan Thai · Dec 26, 2021
This Christmas Sunday 2021 sermon draws three lessons of faith from the Eastern Magi: believing without full understanding, believing without recognition or fame, and believing despite hardship and cost. Through Matthew 2, the pastor calls the congregation to imitate the wholehearted dedication of those who traveled far to worship Jesus.
The sermon opens by clarifying that the Bible never calls the Magi 'kings,' and does not record their names or number. The Greek word 'magi' refers to people of wealth, power, and expertise. The pastor also introduces Johannes Kepler's 1603 astronomical observation, concluding that the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation Pisces around 7 BC may have been the star that guided the Eastern Magi to Bethlehem.
The first lesson is 'Believing without full understanding.' The Magi departed not knowing where they were going, following only the bright star — just as Abraham obeyed God's call without knowing his destination (Hebrews 11:8), and as Israel followed the pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). Scripture defines faith as 'the evidence of things not seen' (Hebrews 11:1), and Jesus declared: 'Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed' (John 20:29). Genuine faith must be expressed in action even without complete knowledge or certainty.
The second lesson is 'Believing without recognition.' The Bible intentionally omits the names and number of the Magi, just as it omits the names of the shepherds, to remind us that God always has faithful, anonymous servants — like the 7,000 He reserved in Israel during Elijah's time (1 Kings 19:18). The true joy of the Magi was not in being publicly recognized, but in seeing the star come to rest over the place where Jesus was, and in being able to bow down and worship Him.
The third lesson is 'Believing despite hardship and cost.' The chief priests and scribes knew the Scriptures about where Christ would be born (Micah 5:2, quoted in Matthew 2:5–6) yet their hearts were completely distant from God. In contrast, the Magi from the East voluntarily made an arduous journey — enduring scorching days and freezing nights — bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh to lay before Jesus. They came not to ask for anything, but to worship.
The sermon closes with a personal call: faith cannot be borrowed; it must belong to each individual. The pastor quotes a hymn about Christ's sacrifice and challenges the congregation to consider what they are willing to surrender in return. The central question posed is: Why do you come to God — to make requests, or to worship and fully surrender yourself to Him?