Was that what the Wisemen experienced? Months earlier they had seen the star low in the western sky. First they wondered about it; they discussed it; they consulted the Word of God; spoke with their most godly friends, and then they became convinced that it was a sign from Jehovah. The trip was long and tiring, draining them in many ways, and yet as they approached the royal capital of Israel, their joy again began to boil. But as they began to ask people about where the Messiah could be found, their excitement was dashed – no one knew, and most didn’t even care. Actually, there was one who cared very much – King Herod, but for all the wrong reasons. Eventually they were invited to visit with Herod, and at that point conflicting emotions roiled within them – excitement, joy, fear, confusion. Why did Herod invite them to a private meeting? Some have guessed that it was to keep the wise men from discovering his true intention. They were not given any time to speak of it in public, because quite likely someone would have told them about Herod’s hypocrisy and sin. He was hoping to use them, and he didn’t want his plans to be thwarted. They were told to keep this information under their turbans, and this confused them even more. Finally, when they came out of the palace, probably at night, to their delight they saw the star once again. “When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw 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 exceeding great joy.”
There are two very interesting Greek words which are closely related – “charis” and “chara.” I bring this to your attention not to dazzle you with Greek, but because there is a lesson and blessing here. “Chara” is used fifty-nine times in the Bible, and it is usually translated “joy,” “joyful” or “joyous.” The only exceptions are the three times that it is translated “gladness.” If you know a woman named “chara” and you want to impress her, tell her that you know that her name means “joy.” But if you meet someone with the name “charis” (khar ece) you can tell her that her name means “grace.”
The point of this little exercise is this – Biblically speaking, “joy,” true joy, eternal joy, cannot be separated very far from “grace.” Joy comes out of the grace of God. Joy is the result of the unmerited favor of the Lord. The joy that these Magi experienced flowed out of the gift that God gave to them in seeing the star which would ultimately lead them to their Saviour.
But for them it wasn’t merely “joy” which came upon them, it was “exceeding great joy.” They were “overjoyed.” I don’t want to beat this horse to death, but it wasn’t mere “joy,” it was “mega-joy.” And it wasn’t merely “mega-joy” it was “very great mega-joy.” These are the meanings of the three Greek words that Matthew used here.
We will come back to these men and this verse in a minute, but now I’d like you to turn to Luke 2:8-10. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Of course this took place the night of the birth of Christ Jesus. And that was approximately twelve to eighteen months before the arrival of the wise men. What I’d like you to notice is that the angel promised “good tidings of great joy…” No one needs to be a Greek expert to see that what the Magi experienced, and what the angel promised, were definitely related – “mega-joy.”
But why should the shepherds have been in fear? For a number of reasons. But the most obvious was the miraculous and instantaneous appearance of this messenger from God. Time and time again, grown men, good men, even godly men have been terrified by the angels of the Lord, and I believe that there is very good reason. Those angels come from a world not very well understood by any of us. And they represent the most holy God – whose brightness makes our sinfulness very, very dark indeed. Was this the same angel who flew over the nation of Egypt, killing thousands of men in a single night? Was this the angel who judged David and Israel after the numbering of the people, killing 70,000 in a matter of hours? Whether or not these shepherds tied those events to their own, the appearance of this divine emissary shook them all to the core. And the wise men, too, had been shaken when they lost their star, their direction. They weren’t sure that their journey hadn’t become a huge failure. Before their visit with Herod, their spirits had probably been on a roller-coaster, plummeting then rising only to fall again. Then as they spoke with him, new emotions were added to the mix – things like confusion and concern. But when they came out of the palace, “they saw the star, (and so) they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
As I’ve said before, the star was a message from the Lord; it was a gift of divine grace. You might say that it was an “evangel” like the angel of Luke 2. That angel said “I bring you good tidings of great joy.” You are probably aware that in the original language the word “good tidings” refers to “the good news,” “the gospel.” Until a couple years ago, I used to say that angels never preached the gospel, but that isn’t accurate. While you and I have the commission to preach the gospel and to evangelize the world today, and that no angel is going to do what you and I have been commissioned to do, what the angel said that night was, “I evangelize you with the gospel of mega joy.”
And what is that good news? “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” The Magi said that they were looking for the “king of the Jews.” Herod knew that this particular King of the Jews was also supposed to be the “Christ,” and so he asked his priests where the Christ was to be born. This angel said that in the city of David, Bethlehem, Christ had just been born. “Christ, the Lord” – Christ, the king. This infant King was the enemy of wicked King Herod – that is good news for the rest of us. This King was, and still is, the enemy of Satan – that is even better news.
But more importantly than this – He is the SAVIOUR. Did those shepherds know what the evangel meant by this? – “the Saviour?” They certainly didn’t know what he had said to Joseph nine months earlier – “And (Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall SAVE his people from their sins.” Did they understand that “the Son of man is come to save that which was lost,” and that they were lost? Did they understand that “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved?” That “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved?” And that if they “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, they would be saved,” because “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.“
I wish that we knew the rest of the story, that is, whether or not any or all of these shepherds were saved by the grace of God. If I had to guess, I’d say that they were, and that some day we’ll be able to hear, first hand, what they saw and experienced that night. What stories they will be able to share. What special glory they will be able to give to our Saviour. As for the wise men, they too will have stories to tell and praise to share. Because when they left the palace and passed through the southern gate of Jerusalem, they were headed toward their Saviour and their salvation. No wonder their hearts were filled with mega-joy.
Have you ever tried to put yourselves into the sandals of people like those shepherd or the Magi? Let’s say that they were all as godly, expectant, faithful and full of faith as Simeon or Anna, the two elderly people in the temple who were waiting for this Messiah, the consolation of Israel. Let’s say that to the best of their abilities, they kept the Passover and observed the Atonement. Let’s assume that they brought their sin offerings – augmented with their peace offerings. They tithed as commanded and abstained from unclean foods. When their loved ones died, or their children were born they observed the ordinances in regard to purification and cleansing. Let’s say that they all did their very best to follow the commands of the Word of the Lord. As much as Abraham, David or Samuel they lived by faith. But there was always lingering doubt whether or not “the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” There was always be the need for another sacrifice, another lamb or goat – another Passover and Atonement. Was that last animal the best that I could have offered? Was it fitting? Was it sufficient?
Some of you have been in that kind of position. You were raised in a church which taught that you could never know for sure about your salvation. You were deliberately tethered to the skirts of a priest or a church, which, you were told, had the power to save or condemn you.
I have good news for you – I have the gospel for you. The Lord Jesus Himself has said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Paul has said, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” And “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” There is no doubt about it, this one who was born in the city of David, would go on to become the supreme and final lamb of God – sacrificed as the Saviour – our Saviour. This is the One whom the wise men were seeking, and this is the One whom the shepherds found. No wonder their hearts were filled with mega-joy. This was joy which could come from no other source.
I could try to make this a missions message, telling you that this gospel is to be spread throughout the world. That would certainly be the truth, but it is not true that was what the angel was saying here. This verse doesn’t say that “the good tidings” shall be to all people. It says that the great joy shall be to all.
Some explain this by saying that it is good news to all those special people who were looking for the Messiah. Others say that it is to all people in sense that it is made available to all, whether they really want to enjoy it or not. Others make it refer to all people in the sense of all varieties of people – Jews, Gentiles, and heathen.
I’m not smart enough to answer my own questions in regard to this statement, so I’m going to leave it with the Lord for the time being. But one thing which I know to be true, this great joy was not enjoyed by Herod. Nor was it felt by those who cried out to Pilate, “Crucify him, crucify him.” I have no doubt that all those people who are cast into the Lake of Fire, will come to understand what joy they have rejected, but they will never experience it themselves. The important question in regard to us, is whether or not YOU know this mega-joy.
There is an interesting old testament scripture which ties together Matthew 2 and Luke 2. Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Can you see how that verse might be made to apply to either the wise men following the star, or to the shepherds who were awakened from their drowsiness by the glorious light of the angel of God? That is a well-known verse, but the following verse from Isaiah is not preached nearly so often. “Thou (Lord) hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the JOY: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.” There is a joy with comes from temporal prosperity, with a good harvest, with victory, and with plenty. But that is not a mega-joy. It is temporary, and often departs more quickly than it arrives. It certainly has nothing to do with eternal salvation. The key to moving from temporal and temporary happiness in the things of the world….
The key to moving from the joy which wicked King Herod possessed and that which the wise men came to enjoy is to be seen in the difference between their faith and their worship. You might say that it is found just three verses after that well known verse in Isaiah 9. It is to be found in the proper response to the incarnation of the Son of God, the Saviour, our Lord. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Herein is the source of the Magi’s “exceeding great joy.”
Are you a worshiper of, and a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the God, the Saviour? Are you like the lowly shepherds that evening; are you like the regal wise men? Have you ever come to Christ Jesus, the Saviour, the King of kings? Did you come to Him in the proper way, humbly, in repentance, rejecting all your glory and righteousness? Have you ever come to Him in faith, trusting him, coming to him in absolute dependence upon Him. Without the crucified Christ – the Saviour – despite the temporary joy of the harvest and the joy of a promotion at work, we will never have “exceeding great joy.” Repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”