According to a 2023 Bloomberg article, Americans are still in love with sending each other Christmas cards. The article states that an average of 1.1 billion Christmas cards are sent each year. Every December we stage the perfect photo or select the most endearing greeting cards. We sign, seal and stamp them for delivery through the postal service. We keep recipient addresses on an Excel spreadsheet for labels or in an old-fashioned address book to handwrite each mailing address. Christmas cards are a standard part of the American celebration of the season. 

Many of us may be ashamed to admit the number of Christmas cards that pile up on the end of our dining room tables each season as we fail to track down the addresses needed in time. We purchased the cards. We bought thematic stamps in bulk while waiting in long lines at mega shopping centers. But without a clear and accurate mailing address, the Christmas greetings will sit unsent and unshared. The “what” also requires a “where” to be fulfilled. 

This month, in our last installment of Questions Jesus Asked, we turn to a question that was asked about Jesus. In keeping with the Christmas season, we will look at Matthew 2: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” (v 2). The arrival of the wise men in Israel creates ensuing questions regarding the birth of the Messiah. As we pause in the busyness of the season to consider Scripture, we wonder where we might find Jesus in the flurry of seasonal activity around us. 

 Matthew opens his Gospel account with a genealogy of Jesus in chapter 1, later telling a story of foreigners from another land seeking the Savior. We are told that the current reigning king is King Herod (2:1). The wise men have arrived to ask the local authority, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” (v 2). The visitors had discovered something from far away that led them to seek this newborn king. They tell Herod that they “saw his star as it rose, and … have come to worship him” (v 2).  

The wise men arrive from “eastern lands” (v 1). Most commentaries agree this is a vague description to imply they had come from far away and were most definitely not from Jerusalem. Unlike what the well-known carol may imply, they were not kings. Their description can be translated as “wise men” or “magi.” The word in verse 1 means “astrologer” or “magician.” These were rich men who were well-versed in the stars. They would have possessed charts to follow, all the while plotting the movement of the stars as they traveled to find whatever lay at the end of the journey towards this particular star. 

The journey led them to Jerusalem, and they naturally sought out the royal official to seek further information. Matthew tells us that “King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard [from the wise men], as was everyone in Jerusalem” (v 3). Herod calls a meeting of his own scholars and religious leaders to answer his own question: “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” (v 4). In verse 5, his officials clarify what the prophets have written: “In Bethlehem in Judea.”

The problem in the passage is that the characters in the story don’t know where to find Jesus. The wise men aren’t sure. King Herod is also drawing a blank. One has traveled a long distance on a lot of faith but very little information. One has lived his entire life steeped in tradition and is still unsure of where the Messiah is to be found. The search within the passage is focused on the place Jesus is to be found. The “where” of the Messiah is the question in the wise men’s story. 

Sometimes we too find ourselves at a loss for where to find Jesus in the Christmas season. We get tangled up in the the lights, the decorations, the consumerism, the cookies, the constant activity. We get distracted by the overwhelming feelings of keeping up with appearances, filling our calendar with another thing or tracking down the perfect gift at the perfect price. We find ourselves standing in another line, in another place, asking, “Where is Jesus this Christmas?” Or maybe we are buried under feelings of loneliness, struggling to make it through each day, with a gnawing worry of how we will provide for this season. We find ourselves standing in front of a Christmas tree wondering, “Where is Jesus this Christmas?”

Perhaps you have looked for Him, but you realize you are looking in the wrong places. You have tried money, relationships, substances or sheer willpower, but still haven’t found what you are looking for. You might be struggling to find where Jesus is in the midst of your present circumstances. You have been operating under the belief that Jesus is found when you have accomplished some specific goal, straightened out your life or scored perfect attendance at church. The season feels full of more questions than answers and more pain than promise.

Matthew’s account gives us hope this Christmas. Those who look for Jesus earnestly will find Him. It isn’t the where that dictates the journey. The journey is defined by the obedience to the guidance God offers. Matthew says that the wise men followed the star they had seen and “it went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!” (v 9-10). The where of Jesus was answered through obedience to see and follow. It is rewarded by the joy of finding Him. The journey of the wise men is about both a physical destination and faithful determination to find the Lord. They followed the star to find the God they were searching for. 

The wise men came searching and found the Savior. The same hope holds true for us this Christmas season. When in our hearts we ask, “Where can I find God?” and truly look in faith, we will find Him. The where may surprise us! When we are open to seeing Jesus, we will catch glimpses of Him in every circumstance. He shows up in unexpected blessings and kind gestures of strangers. He shows up when we are generous and gracious, even when it is not deserved. We sense His presence and comfort in a Christmas Eve candlelight worship service. We see Him in the beauty of freshly fallen snow, the slightly off-key yet exuberantly sung Christmas carols, or the quiet moment of prayer and devotion held in the glow of Christmas decorations. 

The wise men found joy in answering, “Where is Jesus?” And perhaps there is joy waiting for you to find this season. In his commentary, “Matthew for Everyone,” author N.T. Wright challenges believers to “think about what it meant for Jesus to be the true king of the Jews. And then — come to him, by whatever route you can.” Matthew’s account of foreigners searching for where to find Jesus urges us today to do the same: come to Him wherever we find Him. As we consider all the places where we might find Jesus this Christmas, the story of the wise men challenges us to be willing to look for where He is and follow in obedience. We might find our Christmas joy there! 

Questions to ponder

• What paths have I followed that led me away from where Jesus can be found?
• Where have I caught glimpses of Jesus this season?

AN OPEN INVITATION

You can receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ by praying something like the following:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I need Your forgiveness and grace. I believe that Christ paid the penalty for my sin, and He died in my place, and He rose from the dead. I invite Jesus Christ to come into my life as Savior. Thank You for saving me from my sin and making me Your child. Help me to grow and learn how to serve You. Amen.