Sermon for Sunday November 30, 2003
Responding to the Christmas Message by Richard Tow
Matthew 2:1-23
Responding to the Christmas Message
12-15-02
Intro:
Text: Matt 2
2:1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,
Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has
been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship
him."
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When
he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law,
he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in
Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6"`But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among
the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd
of my people Israel.’"
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the
star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a
careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I
too may go and worship him."
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had
seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the
child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the
house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and
worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of
gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go
back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
"Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to
Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child
to kill him."
14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for
Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the
Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious,
and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were
two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the
Magi. 17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping
for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of
Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead."
21So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father
Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to
the district of Galilee, 23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So
was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a
Nazarene." NIV
Can you imagine what it would be like to pick up your newspaper this morning and
read about a ruler in Jerusalem slaughtering all the male babies 2 years old and
younger in the town of Bethlehem last night? What a shocking atrocity that would
be! Yet that was Herod’s response to the coming of Jesus. Suppose another
article talked about spiritual leaders from Iraq coming to Jerusalem to find the
Messiah. According to them, God had supernaturally revealed to them the
Messiah’s coming. That approximates what’s going on in this passage.
It is a story full of surprises. First, we are surprised as to whom it is that
is seeking out Jesus. And why are they seeking Him? So they can worship Him.
Second, it is surprising that the appointed leader, the man in that day who
considered himself King of the Jews,[1] is seeking Jesus for another reason: to
kill Him. Third, it is surprising that those who should have shown the greatest
interest in welcoming the Messiah wouldn’t travel 5 miles to check it out.[2]
Such are the responses to the Christmas message on the first Christmas 2000
years ago.
This morning we want to look at these responses to the Christmas message. An
understanding of these responses is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years
ago. The message that the Messiah has come. The message that the Savior is here.
People are still responding to that message.
I.st We are introduced to the Magi in verse 1. These were probably astronomers
from Persia, which today is Iran or Babylon, which today is Iraq. They were from
the East—the Middle East, not the Far East—east of Palestine. Most likely
they were from Iraq. Isn’t that interesting in the light of today’s news?
This is one of the many, many examples of the authenticity of the word of God.
The Bible is not a fairy tale. The characters are not made up by the authors to
make their nation look good. Matthew, a Jew, under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit acknowledges these gentiles as heroes in this story.
There is no Biblical evidence that they were kings, although they were probably
men of considerable wealth and influence, highly educated, highly respected, a
part of the upper class. We don’t know their names. We do not know how many of
them came in their caravan to Jerusalem. Tradition says there were three simply
because three gifts were named in the story. There is much that we do not know
about these wise men.[3] But what we do know about them is very telling. Of all
the people in the world, for some reason God chose to bring these guys in on
what He was doing. That’s interesting to me because I would really, really
like to be in on what God is doing—wouldn’t you?
What was it about these people that brought them into the presence of Jesus when
almost everybody else didn’t have a clue what was going on?
1st They were interested in spiritual matters. They were on a quest for truth. I
suspect their knowledge of God was limited. They surely did not know the
scriptures like the scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem. But they were
spiritually hungry and they were using what they did know.
It’s amazing what God can do with a person who is hungry for the truth. His
theology may be pretty confused. His background may be questionable. But if in
his heart he longs to know God and know God’s desire for his life, and longs
to fulfill God’s desire for his life—God will make Himself known to that
kind of person. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
I personally believe these people had been influenced by the witness and
testimony of a man who lived in Babylon 600 years earlier. He too was a
Magus—he too was a wise man in what is now Iraq.[4] In fact, he became the
leader of the magi in Babylon. That man’s name was Daniel. Dan 2:47-49 “The
king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of
kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him.
He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge
of all its wise men.” NIV
Not only was Daniel instrumental in leading King Nebuchadnezzar to the Lord
(Daniel 7)
but he surely led many of the Magi to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. We know Daniel was a man of the word (Daniel 9) and probably taught them
Old Testament scriptures. It is likely that Daniel had taught them from a
powerful prophesy in Num 24:17 “…A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter
will rise out of Israel…” NIV By revelation these Magi understood the star
to be a sign of Christ’s coming.
I’m sure they did not get their revelation in a vacuum. It came line upon line
and precept upon precept. It came in the context of previous revelation. It came
in the context of a pursuit of truth.
I wish I had time this morning to talk about Daniel’s influence in the
Babylonian Empire.
Here is perhaps the influence of this man 600 years after his death. It is a
strategic factor in God’s plan. I doubt Daniel realized all that when he was
alive. But God was at work fitting Daniel into His eternal plan. I’m sure
other godly people--Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego—and many others were used by
God as well.
Dear people of God, you do not know all that God is working through your life.
You do not know all the people He is influencing through you right now. But you
certainly do not know how your life will impact future generations. Daniel was
faithful to God’s call on his life. God did through him exceedingly,
abundantly more than he could have possibly known. Be faithful to God in your
calling. The full importance of that will only be known in eternity.
So, here are the Magi in Jesus’ day searching for truth from the heart. They
are faithful to what they know although this is far less than what the Jewish
priests in Jerusalem know. Because they were obedient to the revelation they
had, God gave them more.
2nd They risked obeying the call of God. God used a star to point them toward
Judah. They did not know what specific town, so they went to the capital city.
Can you imagine what it must have been like as they explained to friends and
family where they were going and why they were going there? It is at least a
500-mile trip. The means of transportation was probably donkey or camel. It
would take them months to make the trip. It would require a lot of preparation.
Their friends ask them where they were going.
“We don’t know—but it’s to the west.” They’re asked why they are
going. “We saw a star.” They’re asked what they will do when they get
there. “We’re going to worship a baby and give him our gold, frankincense,
and myrrh.”
It would be a dangerous and difficult journey. Law enforcement in those days was
not what it is today. Thieves and robbers would have loved to take their gold.
They would have to trust God for protection. After enduring the ridicule and
skepticism of their friends, after depriving themselves of the comforts of home
and family, they would then encounter a dry, dirty dessert.[5]
Doing the will of God for these people was not easy, it was not comfortable, it
cost them significantly. So, why did they do it? They were hungry for God. Their
example raises the question, “How much discomfort are we willing to endure in
our spiritual journey? When we encounter the dessert do we turn back or do we
press on?” I wonder if there were other Magi who also saw the star—but were
too passive to pursue the call. I wonder if there were those not willing to
forsake family, friends, or business endeavors to find the truth. The Bible
doesn’t tell us either way. We do know their journey could not have been easy.
3rd When they arrived in Jerusalem they encounter a great disappointment. The
newborn king was not there. I think they went to Herod’s palace because logic
would say—that’s where this One born King of the Jews would be found.
If God had revealed to them the whole story back in Babylon, I don’t know if
they would have had the faith to take the journey. What if God had told them in
Babylon, “By the way, you will find this king in a barn.” They might have
looked at each other and said, “You know I think we have been eating too much
pepperoni pizza. We’re starting to hallucinate. We need to get some rest.” I
think perhaps God told them what they had faith to hear. God told them what they
needed to know to take the first step in their journey of obedience. I’m glad
God didn’t tell me everything thirty or forty years ago when He called me to
the ministry. I might not have had the nerve to start. But He tells us what we
need to know and what we can handle knowing. And then He expects us to walk in
that.
What is God saying in your life today? Are you waiting for Him to submit to you
all the details—or are you willing to walk in what you know now and trust Him
to unfold the plan as you go.
The Magi enter Jerusalem all excited. After a much needed bath, they go to
Herod’s palace. I think they expected the palace to be full of celebration
concerning this new king. They may have expected to be immediately ushered into
the royal nursery where the celebration was going on.
But the scene played out very different from that. Imagine Herod sitting on his
throne with hundreds of his leaders stand in the throne room. These convoys of
diplomats from Iraq are ushered into the room. Herod’s spokesman asks them why
they were there. “We have come to see the new king. Where is the one who is
born the King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and we have come to
worship Him.” An awkward silence suddenly filled the room.[6] Everybody there
knew how Herod felt about rival kings. He had murdered his own sons because he
thought they might take his throne.[7] This was a terribly uncomfortable moment
for everyone there. What would Herod do? The Bible says he was very disturbed.
But he was smart enough to keep his cool in the presence of these wise men and
try to deceive them into finding Jesus for him.
II. Herod’s Response to the Christmas message was very different from that of
the Magi. They were delighted by the Christmas message-- the King is born. Herod
was disturbed. From the moment he heard the news, Herod was determined to get
rid of Jesus. His first plan was to use the Magi to find the child and then kill
Him. When that didn’t work he killed all the babies in the area that could
possibly be Him. His response was violently against the Christ. He saw Jesus as
a threat to his life style. Herod was in control. If he wanted a woman he took
her. History tells us he was married nine or ten times.[8] If anybody crossed
him he killed them. That included wives, in-laws, children, or anybody else who
challenged him. He was determined to be in control. He was unwilling to share
the rule of his kingdom with anybody else.
The Christmas message was brought to him by the Magi—Christ has come, the
Savior is born, let us worship Him. The moment Herod heard such a message, the
moment he was confronted with that truth, he had a decision to make: Resist
Christ and continue in his lustful, selfish life style or join the wise men and
bow to Jesus, the King.
The Christmas story still requires that kind of decision from people. Who is
Jesus? He is the rightful ruler of your domain. Will you surrender to Him or
will you resist Him? Herod chose to resist. Herod chose to do everything he
possibly could to get rid of Jesus.
Jesus is now in a resurrected body, seated at the right hand of the Father, with
all power in heaven and earth. No sword can touch Him. But people still try to
get rid of Him. People still push Him away. Why do people go to court to get
prayer out of the schools? Why did some not want a fish symbol displayed in
public buildings in Republic? Way do people demand that the nativity scene be
removed from the front of public buildings? Because (like Herod) they want to be
rid of Jesus.[9] They want to call the shots. They want to follow their own
lusts and do as they please with no moral accountability. That was Herod’s
response to the Christmas message. It is a response that is chosen by many
today.
Others are more subtle in their rejection of Christ. Outwardly they are tolerant
of the Christmas message. Their motto is “Live and let live.” When someone
starts talking about the Lord they simply walk away or start talking about
something else. When an altar call is given they simply maintain their
“right” to live their own agenda. But down deep in their hearts, like Herod,
they are saying, “We will not have this King Jesus take our throne. We will
not have Him rule over our lives.”
The throne of Jerusalem belonged to the linage of David. But Herod usurped it.
He was an Edomite and only part Jew.[10] He was enough Jew to be watched very
carefully by Caesar—enough Edomite to be rejected by the Jews. That was a
formula for intense insecurity and suspicion in this man. Herod was a ruthless,
cruel man. He was about 69 0r 70 years old when the wise men came. The slaughter
of the infants in Jerusalem was just one of his many atrocities. A year or two
after that, when he knew he was about to die, he ordered several key leaders in
Jerusalem to be killed as soon as he died. He knew that everyone would be glad
to be rid of him, so he had these people killed so there would be mourning in
Jerusalem at the time of his death.[11] That’s really, really sick!
But Herod did a lot of nice things as well. He once melted down gold and gave it
away to feed the hungry. He built theaters and provided all kinds of
entertainment for the people. He rebuilt Solomon’s Temple at great, with great
splendor, as a place for the Jews to worship Jehovah.[12] I’m sure when the
religious rulers in Jerusalem justified their support of Herod—the temple was
a big factor.
So, here is a man doing magnificent, benevolent acts on the one hand and wicked,
cruel things on the other. Will God weigh each in a balance and decide whether
the good outweighs the bad? No, absolutely not. Even the good deeds were
selfishly motivated. We must not just ask what is being done. We must also ask
why it is being done. Herod was simply buying support from these people so he
could continue to have his own way.
He really thought he was pulling a fast one when he told the Magi to find the
child and get back with him so he too could worship Jesus. Maneuver them to do
his dirty work. But God was one step ahead of Herod. God is always one step
ahead of everybody. The scheme didn’t work. When he tried another approach
that didn’t work either. Why? Because God ultimately rules in the affairs of
men. Matt 2:4 says, “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.” They knew the answer was Bethlehem. They gave him chapter and verse.
Mic 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of
Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose
origins are from of old, from ancient times." NIV
III. What about the response of the priests and teachers to the Christmas story?
For years they had studied the scriptures concerning the coming Messiah. They
knew the details of prophesy. They surely knew much more Bible than the Magi.
Of all people you would expect them to be most celebrative of the Christmas
message—the Messiah has come, the long awaited Messiah, the One who would free
us from the oppression of people like Herod. But what do they do? Do they run to
Bethlehem to find their King? Bethlehem was only 5 miles away. The wise men had
traveled at least 500 miles to see Jesus. These priests and teachers in
Jerusalem would not even go 5 miles to check it out. Why?
In spite of all their religious activity, in spite of everything they were
saying, they were not really longing for Christ’s coming. They had made ample
arrangements to be comfortable right where they were. They had made enough
compromises to get along quite well with Herod. They were established in their
churches. They were respected in their community. They were not committing gross
sins of adultery and murder like Herod was. They had their temple. They had
their comfort. They had their position. In short, they were not spiritually
hungry. They were self-satisfied right where they were.
Their response to the Christmas message was apathy, indifference.[13] Tell Herod
what he wants to know and then get back to what you were doing. Don’t let the
coming of Jesus disturb your personal agenda or personal comfort. That was their
response.
This is the most common response to the Christian message today. I’m not too
concerned that there would be those here today who would respond like Herod.
Most people in church are not openly opposed to Christ the way Herod was. But
this response of indifference is something we must be careful about. Am I
comfortable? Am I self-satisfied? Or am I spiritually hungry and in search of
Christ?
The three responses we have found in this text are typical of people’s
response to Christ. Some like Herod will openly, defiantly resist Christ. Others
like the priests and scribes will simple ignore Him and go their own way. But,
praise God, some like the wise men will seek Him and worship Him. I pray that
everyone in this building today will be found in that third category with the
wise men.
Let us pray.
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NOTES:
[1] Herod the Great, then ruler over Jerusalem/Palestine (see New Unger’s
Bible Dictionary, “Herod”)
[2] International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Bethlehem”
[3] Jamison, Fausset, and Brown Commentary on Matthew 2. Also Matthew Henry’s
Commentary on Matthew 2. Also New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, “Magi”.
[4] New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, “Daniel”.
[5] Sermon entitled Christmas Contrasts preached by Melvin Newland at Central
Christian Church in Brownsville, Texas
[6] Sermon entitled “The Question of the Magi Where Is He? by Bob Hostetler at
Cobblestone Community Church in Oxford, Ohio.
[7] New Unger’s Bible Dictionary “Herod”
[8] Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Matthew 2
[9] Sermon entitled “The Sad Part about Christmas” by Steve Malone at
Central Christian Church in Lawrenceville Georgia.
[10] New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, “Herod”
[11] Ibid
[12] Ibid
[13] Sermon entitled “The Sad Part about Christmas” by Steve Malone at
Central Christian Church in Lawrenceville Georgia.
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO 65810