"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’
7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After
hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had
seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way."
The incarnation of God required a virgin birth in order to fuse the human and the divine. In his humanity, Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet He was without sin. In His divinity He was not even tempted because, God cannot be tempted with evil. Therefore, Jesus had no sin nature. Hebrews 7 tells us, He was "holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners." And, in II Corinthians 5, Paul says "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
We could then sum it up in this way, Jesus remained what He was, God, even as He became what he was not, a man." In fact, Jesus did not give up His human nature even after His death and resurrection. He did not temporarily become a man. Rather, His divine nature was permanently joined to His human nature. We know this because when, after His resurrection, He appeared to His disciples as a man. He showed Thomas the scars of the nail prints in His hands, and the scar in His side.
What an unfathomable concept for us, who were born into sin and are tempted every day. Those captive to sin and darkness do not only reside outside the walls of the sanctuary, they are also listening, from the pews.
Let us pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, we thank You for Your Word, for these incomprehensible truths, we confess they are beyond our finite ability to comprehend and yet You have communicated them to us, in order that we might understand. Lord, thank you for these eternal truths. We pray that You would cause them to bear much fruit in our lives, and impact the lives of those around us, that the evidence of our transformed lives, would draw unbelieving hearts to repentance, to surrender their lives to Christ, and receive the precious gift of salvation. I pray that they would live in obedience to Your Word, understanding the tremendous sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. And the weight of our responsibility of those who receive it. What grace would reach into the darkness and redeem the unworthy. We humbly thank You, for Your amazing grace. What else can we offer You but our thanks and praise. Let our lives be driven by our hunger for Your Word and serving You.
May it be for Your glory!
In Jesus' precious name
Amen
Today's Message: Worship The King
As we return to our study of Matthew, we come to Matthew chapter 2. There are three principal characters in this portion of the Word. The first is Herod, the insanely jealous ruler that God allowed Satan to put in place at the time of the birth of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. A demonically controlled man who was willing to murder all of the young boys, up to the age of
two, in the region of Bethlehem in order to preserve his throne. Like most evil rulers, Herod had the religious leaders as his allies to assist in controlling the people. They were called the chief priests and scribes.
That brings us to second characters, the chief priests and scribes. The chief priests were from the priestly line of Aaron. Most of them were Sadducees, a very liberal group, as opposed to the Pharisees who were very legalistic. The chief priests were considered to be the political and religious muscle. The High Priest was typically an office that was given by the king, as an act of political appointment, however, sometimes this office was purchased. And, if the presiding ruler didn’t like them, they would remove the High Priest from office and put in someone else who could be their puppet. They presided over the Sanhedrin, which consisted of seventy-two Jewish leaders. The scribes were both Sadducees as well as Pharisees, and they were the scholars, and the lawyers of the day. In fact, they were highly skilled at twisting the law for personal and political gain. And, of course, they were Herod’s consultants.
Third, we come to the Magi. The magi were a priestly line, a priestly tribe of pagan people from among the Medes and the Persians. Their primary area of interest, was in astronomy, science and astrology, and it is said, they were very skilled. They were like a sorcery, an occultist, which is why the word magi was corrupted through history, into the word magic or magician, which is a synonym for sorcerer. Frankly, we know very little about these wise men from Scripture. As we look at the book of Daniel, the Magi were discussed there, as well as by historians like Herodotus. The magi were so powerful in fact, that according to historians, no Persian was ever able to become king, unless he mastered the scientific and religious discipline of the magi. And, he had to be approved of and crowned by the magi.
Today, many people will talk about their Zodiac sign, a practice, which by the way, is condemned by God. Satan of course is always trying to thwart the purposes of God, so he would have wanted the Magi to be right there. If we were to go into the Old Testament to the book of Jeremiah 39, we read they were in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel, if you will recall, was kidnapped from the royal family of Judah along with three of his
friends and was deported to Babylon to be brainwashed into Babylonian
culture, where he rose to be a statesman in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Daniel undoubtedly taught them about Jehovah, the One true God, the God of the Bible and the coming Messiah and all of the Old Testament prophecy.
By the time we get to Matthew chapter 2 the birth of Christ is over. This remarkable chapter then, takes us to the events that follow. At a cursory reading, it is rather simple to understand. Upon a deeper reading, it can be extremely complex and frankly, somewhat challenging even to interpret.
At least some six hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah said that Jesus would be born of a virgin. The prophet Micah said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. The prophet Hosea said that He would be called out of Egypt. And many prophets said He would be from Nazareth. And, in all accounts, He was. Matthew, then, assembles those specific prophesies, in order that he might strengthen his argument that this child, this Jesus, is indeed the promised King.
Now, we're not going to go back over all of it, but in chapter 1, Matthew clearly pointed out that the Child had the credentials of the King. Having established that this one is the promised King by virtue of His lineage, Matthew then points to the virgin birth and establishes that this One is indeed the promised King by virtue of His virgin birth. Matthew then further establishes the credentials of Jesus Christ as the
promised King and the promised Messiah by pointing to the fulfillment of
prophesy. The first prophesy that Jesus fulfills has to do with Bethlehem. The second prophesy that He fulfills has to do with Egypt. The third prophesy that He fulfills has to do with a place called Ramah, and the fourth prophesy that He fulfills has to do with a town called Nazareth.
With all this context in mind, let us open our Bibles to Matthew chapter 2, and imagine the scene that Matthew describes in our text. I invite you to follow along with me as I read, to set the text in our minds, as we prepare our hearts for the Spirit of God is saying to each of us. Matthew 2:1-12. Listen for the voice of our Lord.
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And
you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders
of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My
people Israel.’ Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After
hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had
seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way."
I have been asked "Why would God choose to reveal the coming of the Christ Child through this means, through the stars?" Let us not forget that God has chosen to reveal Himself to men through nature. The heavens declare God’s glory, the sky displays his handiwork, in which He has pitched a tent for the sun. Everywhere we look, God's glory is revealed through His creation. Though these magi were pagans, they were given divine revelation, God’s guidance to Jerusalem and then to the Christ Child in the little town of Bethlehem. It is always fascinating to see the reach of God’s sovereignty.
Let's look at verses 1 and 2, "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." The magi were the leaders of Middle Eastern society, they were the Persian king makers and philosophers and wise men. They had a very prominent place at that time. Because of the prophets Daniel, and even Ezekiel, who spent time there in captivity, they were exposed to the Old Testament prophesies regarding Messiah. By His grace, God began to prepare these wise men, and they undoubtedly remembered the prophet’s words in Numbers 24 that, "A star shall come forth from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel." So, they were watching and waiting for that event to happen.
Notice then, verse 2 it says, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." They were given a sign, a star in the heavens. I believe that there were some God-fearing gentile magi in that eastern part of the world. Certainly, most were corrupted, and we see that in the New Testament, as in Acts 8. But there were some, waiting for Daniel's great hope to be fulfilled. It is astonishing to think what great lengths God has gone to save us.
What a glorious truth this is! That by His grace, God is able to reach in and save us, regardless how lost a sinner, we might be. The grace of God impels sinners to come to the light of the gospel. How humbling this is. Let us reflect upon Jesus' words in John 6, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him." In the original language, the word "draw," means to irresistibly compel, to drag something.Each one of us, were "dragged" into the presence of His glory and grace, where He saved us.
Back to Matthew, We see that these wise men came and they approach Herod the king. "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? We have seen His star, and we want to find Him. We have come to worship Him. Verses 3 and 4, "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born." Understandably, Herod was upset, he was the current king, these guys show up say where is the new king of the Jews. We can imagine his reaction is, say what? His jealousy and fear agitated him. He was really shaken up.
So, Herod calls together the scribes, the chief priests and asks them where this is to happen. Verses 5-6, "They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’"
So, they tell him, it is written by the prophet, He is to be born in Bethlehem of Judea. This is the fulfillment of the prophesy as recorded by Micah, in chapter 5. Micah’s prophesy comes right after Jonah. Like most of the minor prophets, Micah had a message of judgement, "Woe to those who scheme iniquity, who work out evil on their beds! When
morning comes, they do it, for it is in the power of their hands." Then, comes the prophesy regarding the ruler who is to be born in Bethlehem. Micah says "He will come, and He will come to Bethlehem." That is precisely what happened.
We'll look at the second prophesy, in regards the exodus to Egypt, down in verse 13. "Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared
to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother
and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going
to search for the Child to destroy Him." The star showed the wise men where in Bethlehem the Child was to be born. They worshiped Him and gave Him frankincense and gold and myrrh as gifts, fit for a king.
Two things we want to note, first in verse 1, the phrase, "in Bethlehem of Judea." Bethlehem by the way, means "house of bread." Bethlehem, was the home of the great king of Israel David. It is ever and always known as the City of David. The houses of Bethlehem are built all over slopes. Because the limestone was not that hard, beneath that, were in the mountains little indentations, a hollowed cave, which people would use for a stable. It is very likely, that our Lord Jesus was born, in such a hollowed cave. So, Bethlehem is small, and rather insignificant, when anybody thinks of Bethlehem they only think of one thing, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps, that's why God chose this very obscure small town.
Now, verses 7-8, "Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." So, they had seen the sign of the Son of man, and they had come to worship him. By the way, an interesting thing, the word worship is the word "proskynéō," which means to kiss the feet of, or stoop to kiss, or to kiss reverently.
Listen, if Jesus was not the prophesied Messiah, then what is Micah talking about? What are the scribes and chief priests talking about, and what are the magi talking about. And, what is Matthew talking about who was a devout Jew? The Sanhedrin's said it was Bethlehem. The prophet, Micah, said it was Bethlehem. The magi followed the star to Bethlehem. Matthew said it was Bethlehem. All of history, comes together in agreement, the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, just as Jesus was. Even with the full knowledge that these prophesies we being fulfilled, they were rejected with full information.
In John 5, Jesus even reminded them, all they needed to do was check the Scriptures, which they were supposed to be experts in. "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life."
So here we see three groups. Hared was afraid and jealous. Many today see Jesus as an interference in their life. So there’s the hatred and hostility.
The second group, the chief priests and the scribes, were indifferent. They were so engrossed in their political intrigues, making money in the temple, at the expense of others, I might add. Therefore, it didn’t even matter to them that He was born. Then, the third group was the magi, who were adoring and worshiping His arrival. I believe it's like that today, some hate Him, some are indifferent to Him and some, worship and adore Him. I love the subtlety of Matthew, emphasizing that Christ is the king, not only by His lineage, not only by His homage, but by His rejection. In other words, if Jesus wasn’t a king, do you think Herod would be this upset?
Look at verses 9-10, "After
hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had
seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." So, we have the arrival, the agitation, the acting, and now the adoration. This One Child, was so unique, so threatening and in all His humanity and weakness, was the living God. They had seen it in the east, they come all the way to Jerusalem, and the star went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. I believe this star had never before existed, they got a revelation from God. And, from Micah 5, they got the Word of God.
The Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 4, "For God who said Light shall shine out of darkness."
Notice they didn't say, that's really interesting, would you look at this beautiful light. As we see them, traveling across the desert, this unique star was causing them to seek a Savior, there was nothing more important. It is amazing when you understand that these two things converge on Bethlehem and go right over a specific house. The Shechinah of God descended right over top of that house. Then, in verse 11, "After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." They sacrificed and brought their very best they had, to pay homage to the King. We see by this time, they’re in a house not a stable anymore. They found a place to stay as they waited on God to tell them when and where to go. They have the Son of God now, they cannot just go back to doing what they want to do.
I must say, what a contrast we have from many worshipers today, who begrudgingly, whether it be financially or with their time, give the least of what they have to offer. They will adorn themselves in their very best attire to go out to dinner and will wear whatever is most casual and comfortable to come to church. Looking like they've just been rescued from the pits of hell by His infinite mercy. But these magi, "fell down on their faces and worshiped Him." Their hearts are overflowing with gratitude, and most Christians today grumble about the sermon cutting into the their Sunday afternoon plans, in the undignified and irreverent manner that has become so popular.
It's interesting to note, that whenever, Mary and the baby are mentioned in verses 11, 13, 14, 20 and 21, the baby is always mentioned first. They did not worship Mary, they worshiped the King! For many Roman Catholics who worship Mary, this verse sticks in their throats. The higher a man’s conception of God, the more lowly will be his homage. If you truly know who Jesus Christ is and you truly love the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you will fall down before him. You will not have a caviler attitude that is so prevalent today. In John 8, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life." Does this describe your worship? Is His glory and presence manifest in your life?
That brings us to verse 12, "And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way." God wanted them to take the message of the new king back to Persia, so they were warned in a dream, they should not return to Herod. God cares for the magi, He cares for the Savior and He will care for this little family as they go into Egypt. We'll look at that next time.
In Closing..
May we give God the very best we have to offer, our time and our treasure and our worship as a true expression of our love for the Lord Jesus Christ! I encourage each of you to examine your hearts and know which group you’re in, antagonistic, uncommitted, or are you will to go great lengths to worship and adore Him.
May it be so..
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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