Wise Men Still Seek Him Matthew 2:1-12 NKJV

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1 Message for THE LORD'S DAY EVENING, May 6, 2018 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister Message 12 in Greatest Chapters of The Bible Sermon Series Wise Men Still Seek Him Matthew 2:1-12 NKJV For these past three or four months we have been looking at some of The Greatest Chapters in The Bible. And thus far in our series we have looked at some of the Greatest Chapters in The Old Testament. There are many other chapters from the Old Testament we could look at; but at this point in our series I would like for us to now shift our focus to some of the Greatest Chapters in the New Testament. If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter two. This is a very familiar passage to us; it is one we commonly hear read or preached from during the Christmas season. Consider this a Christmas in May sermon! Let's read the first twelve verses. Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV) 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen 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 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. 5 So they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

2 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. ********************************************************************** Introduction The Bible gives us many examples of people who were very wise. Enoch and Noah were both wise enough to walk with God in a day and time when the hearts of men was continuously set on evil and no one followed after God. Ruth exhibited great wisdom when she chose to live with her widowed mother-in-law Naomi; and in so doing she became an ancestor of Jesus. Of course when we think of wisdom, we think of Solomon. Remember when Solomon was just a young king God gave him the opportunity to choose what he wanted God to bless him with. And Solomon asked God for wisdom, not money, not material things, but wisdom. But when we think of wise people in the Bible usually the first people that come to mind are the Wise Men here in Matthew chapter two.

3 We have many misconceptions about these Wise Men. For example we commonly refer to them as The Three Wise Men. We have naturally assumed that because they presented Jesus with three gifts that there were just three of them. The Bible doesn't say there were just three Wise Men. In fact, the Bible doesn't give us any clue as to how many there were. Some Bible scholars believe there could have been as many as twelve or more. Legend has fueled this idea that there were just three wise men. According to legend their names were Melchior...Balthasar...and Caspar. The Bible doesn't tell us that, so we must view this idea with skepticism. But perhaps the biggest misconception we have about the Wise Men is that they were at the stable in Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. That notion is dispelled in the very first verse of this chapter. Notice verse 1 says, Now AFTER Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem. As much as we like to place the Wise Men in our nativity scenes, the simple truth is they were no where near Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. In fact they likely first laid eyes on Jesus when He was about 1 1/2-2 years old. ***************** Now before we go any farther, let me tell you why this second chapter of Matthew is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. JESUS is the central figure of this passage. All eyes are on JESUS. Everything points to JESUS. But in this chapter there is a supporting cast of three key figures: The Wise Men...King Herod...and the Jewish religious leaders and the Jewish people in general. Each one of these respond to JESUS differently. And in these three responses we see a microcosm of the three ways everyone in the world responds to Jesus.

4 First of all we see... I. The ADORATION of The Wise Men (vs. 1,2 and 9-11) 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. 1. Just who were these Wise Men? The original Greek language calls these men Magi. The Magi were a priestly tribe from the Medo-Persia area of the far east. Today we know this area as Iran. This is the region where the Persian Gulf War was fought back in the early 1990's. Being from a priestly tribe, much like the Levites were among the Jewish people, the Magi were deeply religious men. They were devout students of astrology and astronomy. In fact, they were so renowned for their wisdom and intellect they became advisers to the King of their land. No king ever rose to power that was not approved by the Magi. The were the official King Makers of the Medo-Persian Empire east of the land of Israel. 2. Now having told you that, pay very close attention to the question they asked King Herod. 2 saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.

5 3. Do you see the significance of that question? The Magi... the official King makers from the east have made their way hundreds, perhaps even a thousand miles or more to honor this One who has been born King of the Jews. They have come to show ADORATION TO THE KING...they have come to WORSHIP Jesus. 4. As an interesting side note...the eastern empire from where these Magi had come was looking for a King at this particular time. Their king Phraates IV had been deposed because he was an inept leader. It is highly likely the Magi believed Jesus was the Monarch they were looking for to replace Phraates IV. Remember the world was ruled by the Roman Empire at the time Christ was born. The Medo-Perisan Empire had ruled the world prior to that. The Magi believed that if JESUS became their king, He would lead them in the overthrow of the Roman empire and re-establish the Medo-Persian empire to the dominant world power as they had been before. 5. But their motive in seeking JESUS wasn't entirely political. They were seeking JESUS for spiritual reasons as well. We must remember the prophet Daniel lived in their land when the Medo- Persian empire ruled the world. It is highly likely these Magi had carefully studied the prophetic writings of Daniel and they had come to believe that Christ was the anointed King of God that Daniel had written about.

6 6. And when GOD placed the star in the east, they knew that it was a sign from God, and they packed up and headed to Jerusalem to find the king Daniel had spoken of. 7. Well we know once they arrived in Jerusalem their search led them six miles due south to Bethlehem. Let's pick up the record in verses When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 8. Matthew obviously wasn't thinking of Christmas cards or Christmas pageants when he wrote these verses. Notice in verse 11 he said, And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother. The star they had followed all the way from their home back in Mede-Persia, didn't lead them to the stable in Bethlehem; it led them to the house where Jesus was staying. They didn't find Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. They didn't see hide-nor-hair of any shepherds. In all likelihood, young Jesus is now walking and talking and wearing a size 2 robe.

7 9. And what did the Wise Men do when they found Jesus? they fell down and worshiped Him. And they presented Him with three gifts. GOLD- is the most precious metal known to man. Gold symbolizes royalty. It is the gift fit for a King. How appropriate that they should present King Jesus with the gift of gold. FRANKINCENSE- was the exotic incense used in the Jewish temple worship. Frankincense symbolized Christ's role as our great High Priest. MYRRH- was an aromatic spice used in embalming the dead. This gift pointed ahead to the day Christ would die on the cross and be buried in a borrowed tomb, and rise again on the third day. 10. The Wise Men SOUGHT Jesus, they FOUND Jesus, they ADORED Jesus, they BOWED before Jesus, they WORSHIPED Jesus, they GAVE THE VERY BEST to Jesus. 11. Who are the wisest people in the world today? Its not the Rhodes Scholar, or the Ivy League graduate, or the one with the I.Q. of Einstein. The wisest people in the world today are those who SEEK Jesus, those who ADORE Jesus, those who BOW BEFORE Jesus, those who WORSHIP Jesus, and those who GIVE THEIR ALL to Jesus!

8 II. The ANGER of King Herod (v.3a) 3 a When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled That word troubled doesn't fully convey the response of Herod. The Greek word for troubled here means angry or agitated. Today we would say, Herod was ticked off! He was fit to be tied. He was boiling mad! 2. This was how Herod responded when the Wise Men asked him that question: Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? 3. Now what was it about that question that had Herod foaming at the mouth? Well let me tell you a little background on this guy and you will understand. History tells us that Herod fought hard for his appointment as King over Israel. He was a very decisive leader who had won victory after victory in war. He was the only foreign King who had maintained peace in Israel during his reign. He built the huge amphitheater in Jerusalem, and also the Hippodrome, which was a giant race track. He also built a beautiful, luxurious palace for himself in Jerusalem, and even built a magnificent Temple that actually was not completed until after his death. In fact, this is the Temple where Jesus would cleanse of the moneychangers on two different occasions.

9 4. But despite all his great accomplishments, Herod had a very dark side. The history books tell us he a a cruel, diabolical maniac, who was incredibly jealous and suspicious of everyone. He threatened anyone who tried to take his throne away from him. He was constantly plotting the deaths of his political foes. He murdered his wife's brother, Aristobulus. He executed his wife Mariamne because she bugged him. He had two sons he didn't like, so he had both of them murdered. And just five days before he died, he ordered the execution of a third son. And before his death he gave orders to his soldiers to gather up Israel's most prestigious citizens, and the moment he died, to slaughter everyone of them. This guy was nuts! He was drunk with power. He was blood-thirsty! 5. So when the Wise Men asked him, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? Herod was thinking, I am King of the Jews! He was boiling inside! But Herod was a very cunning and calculating man, so he hid his anger and pretended that he wanted to meet this great King too. 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.

10 6. Herod wasn't seeking Jesus so he could worship Him. He was seeking for Jesus so he could kill Him. This is why the Wise Men were warned not to go back to Herod, but to return to their own country by a different route. (v.12) 7. Herod typifies the reaction that many people today have towards Jesus. Mention the name of Jesus in a prayer at public gathering and the ACLU will likely bring a lawsuit against you. Mention the name of Jesus around some of your non-believing relatives, friends or co-workers, and you're likely to start an argument. If a student wears a tee-shirt to school that has the name of JESUS on it, he or she is likely to be sent home to change. Every single day Christians all over the world are executed because they dare to bow down and worship Jesus. Just like HEROD, many people in the world today react with great anger towards JESUS. Well we have looked at: THE ADORATION OF THE WISE MEN THE ANGER OF KING HEROD Thirdly, let's look at...

11 III. The APATHY of The Jewish Religious Leaders and People (vs. 3-6) 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 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. 5 So they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel. 1. The first thing Herod does when he finds out about this King of the Jews who had been born was to call together the Jewish religious leaders... the chief priests and the scribes. (v.4) 2. Religiously speaking, the chief priests and scribes were to Israel's religious world what Herod was politically. They literally ran the religious life of the people. Remember from our study of the Gospel of Mark that they imposed the heavy burden of all their religious rules and regulations upon the Jewish people. They were as paranoid about anyone threatening their religious position as Herod was with anyone threatening his political position. 3. These chief priests and scribes prided themselves on being experts on the Law of Moses...and experts on their knowledge of the scriptures. These men were quite familiar with the ancient prophecies concerning the Messiah.

12 4. So when Herod summoned them together to ask about this 'King of the Jews the Wise Men had told him about, they told Herod what the ancient prophets had said... 5 So they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel. 5. Now here's the point I want to make. They could find JESUS in the scriptures, but they couldn't find Him right under their noses. The night JESUS was born, the religious leaders and all of Israel slept! The night the angels sang...the night the shepherds came to worship baby Jesus, the religious leaders and all of Israel slept! 6. And now a year and a half to two years had passed since that night and they still hadn't found JESUS. Jesus was six miles away...he was as far as from here to Plymouth away...and they hadn't found Him. 7. They were apathetic! They were so busy being religious that they weren't even looking for the long-awaited Messiah. 8. This is the typical response of most people today. They are apathetic towards Jesus. They see Him as nothing more than a historical figure or as a great religious leader and teacher, but as far as seeking Him as their LORD and SAVIOR, they don't care!

13 C O N C L U S I O N As we bring tonight's message to a close I want to focus your attention on verse 12. v.12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Once the Wise Men encountered JESUS they couldn't go back the same way they came. What a great truth for all of us! You see, when we truly seek Jesus, and find Jesus, and worship Jesus, we can't go back to the old way. When we came to know Jesus as our LORD and SAVIOR, we became a new creation. Behold the old things passed away and all things were made new. We got a new identity! We got a new purpose! We got a new name! We got a new attitude! We got a new destination! In a very real sense, you and I are now the star that leads others to Christ. When people see the light of God's glory shining in us they are drawn to the King of kings, and the LORD of lords! Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

What The Wise Men Teach Us About Christmas Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV) Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV)

What The Wise Men Teach Us About Christmas Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV) Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV) Message for THE LORD'S DAY MORNING, December 24, 2017 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister (Christmas Sermon) TOPIC: Christmas, Special Day Message,