Matthew 2: Stanly Community Church

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Dylan Knight
5 years ago
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1 Christmas is about God s kingdom. To celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ is to commemorate the incarnation of heaven s King. Without Him, there would be no forgiveness of sin and no possibility of experiencing the joy of God s eternal glory. Those who sincerely trust Him for their salvation enter the kingdom and joyfully worship Him. When Matthew the apostle recounted the life of Christ, he did so from the viewpoint of God s kingdom. He specifically tailored his narrative to the believing descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (a.k.a. Israel). Through them, God had promised to establish His kingdom of righteousness on earth and thus bless believers from every nation (Gen. 12:3). The Lord Jesus is Himself a descendant of Abraham with royal lineage through king David (2 Sam. 7; Matt. 1:1). And, as the virgin-born Son of God, He came to dwell among men and establish His right to heaven s throne in fulfillment of God s will (Matt. 1:20-23). Following the birth of Christ, Matthew 2:1-12 gives His official introduction to the people of Israel. As the first six verses explain, the arrival of heaven s King was signaled by some manifestation of God s glory in the heavens which led the wise men (aka - Magi) from the East to Jerusalem. These Gentile sages apparently believed the prophecies of a Savior and King in Abraham s line, and they traveled from the land of Persia to Jerusalem to offer their worship.! 1

2 However, both the Jews and Herod (an illegitimate king of the Jews appointed by Rome) were troubled by the news the Magi brought to Jerusalem. Even though the Lord s prophets had specifically predicted Christ s birth in David s hometown of Bethlehem, such an announcement from Gentiles greatly upset the status quo in Israel. The Christ the Jews imagined would not include Gentiles in the kingdom. Rather, he would favor their adaptation of Judaism which, of course, tolerated their sins and destroyed all non-jews. This was the distorted view taught by the religious leaders of Israel who manipulated the people to maintain their own prominence and power. Herod was simply paranoid about losing his power. In Matthew 2:7-12, the story continues with Herod, the Lord s first adversary, pretending loyalty. However, the Magi will continue their quest for the King and are divinely led to His location to pay tribute. The stark contrast between the two parties highlights the dilemma we all face: We can either resist His kingdom or embrace it. Yes, we can feign loyalty, continue in rebellion and be judged, or we can humbly present ourselves as His devoted subjects and find forgiveness and eternal life in the kingdom. God knows those who are His, and He moves forward with His heavenly agenda receiving from true believers the worship He is due from all.! 2

3 Worshiping Heaven s King (2:7-12) His Adversary Pretends (vv. 7-8) As previously noted, Herod the king had no legitimate claims to the throne of God. Likely an Edomite, he was a paranoid, power-hungry and cruel impostor appointed by the emperor. Troubled by the announcement of Jesus birth, Herod summoned the Jewish religious leaders to determine where the Christ was to be born (2:4-6). In his quest to retain control, he quickly began to devise a way to locate and eliminate this challenge to his domain. Herod s plan was to manipulate the Magi and use their quest as a way to identify Christ. After determining that Israel s true King was to be born in Bethlehem, he secretly called the wise men [and] determined from them what time the star had appeared (v. 7). The star initially appeared to the Magi when Jesus was born. Whether it was continually visible is not known. However, establishing its first sighting would give Herod the age of the child, and this would narrow his search. Having determined this information, Herod now 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 (v. 8). He had a very good chance of killing Jesus even if the Magi never returned. However, if they did not suspect his motives, they could make his target more precise. Therefore, he could avoid infuriating the Jews for a massacre of many young children.! 3

4 The term, young Child, indicates that Jesus was past His infancy. It describes a toddler between the ages of one and two years. That is why, after failing to receive word back from the Magi, Herod had all the children in Bethlehem under the age of two executed (2:16). He never intended to worship Christ. Instead, as do all rejecters of heaven s King, he sought to rid himself of any real representation of God. You see, by coming into the world, Jesus forces us to react to either rejoice in Him or to reject Him. As one given entirely to his rebellion against God s kingdom, Herod expressed his hatred in the most deceitful and violent way. Sinners express their rejection of heaven s true Savior and King to some degree. It may not all be as violent as Herod s actions, but it is the same hatred for God in the heart nonetheless. His Admirers Pay Tribute (vv. 9-12) However, those who admire Jesus Christ as the King of all kings cannot help but express it to Him. The Magi are a wonderful representation of such determined adoration. Likewise, the divine guidance they received emphasizes God s sovereign work in drawing believers to His Son with the glorious light (truth) of the Gospel (Jn. 6:44).! 4

5 Herod shared the information he had about Christ s general location with the wise men, and when they heard the king, they departed But verse nine explains: the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. God guided, and they followed. It seems that the guiding light was visible only to the Magi. It was their arrival and announcement that troubled Herod and the Jews (2:3) not the visibility of the heavenly sign. So these Gentiles were following God s guidance and not that of Herod, and the star brought them to Jesus precise location. God made them aware of Jesus birth, and that knowledge led them to Christ to express their worship. The star was but a visible manifestation of the glorious God whom they revered and whose Son they were seeking. Their trust in God to lead them is evident, and it is matched by their excitement. Verse 10 explains: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. This describes an overwhelming gladness because of the reality of what they were experiencing. They realized that God s sovereign hand had brought them to this moment, and they knew it was His will for them to worship His Son.! 5

6 The Magi recognized the Lord Jesus Christ as God Himself -- the only object of their worship. As the first portion of verse 11 emphasizes, when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. As with Matthew s other references to Jesus and His mother, the Lord is always given the preeminence. While the wise men certainly respected Joseph and Mary, they had come to worship Jesus only. It was clearly the worship of God as they prostrated themselves before Him. Although He was but a Child, He was obviously known to them as God veiled in human flesh. Their worship included gifts which they presented to Him. They were the royal treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (v. 11b), and the Magi s offering harkens back to Old Testament prophecy concerning the Christ. As Gentiles, the wise men were symbolic of those from all nations who, through faith in the Savior/King enter heaven s kingdom. More specifically, they provide a foretaste of the global admiration for the Christ, which will be evident when He establishes His millennial kingdom on earth and Gentile nations pay tribute to Him (cf. Is. 49:5-6; 60:3, 5; Rev. 21:22-27).! 6

7 In speaking of the universality of His glorious reign, Psalm 72:9-11 says: Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, And His enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him. Isaiah also prophesied of the Gentiles admiration of the Christ who will bring His glory to Jerusalem: The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD. -- Isaiah 60:3, 6 Gold has a long history as a most valued possession, and it is the universal symbol of wealth. For this reason, it has always been considered the treasure of kings. Frankincense was a costly and fragrant incense used only on special occasions. It was incorporated in the Hebrew worship of God (Lev. 2:2, 15-16). It was considered to be the incense of deity.! 7

8 Likewise, Myrrh is a valuable perfume mentioned many times in Scripture (e.g. Gen. 37:25; 43:11; Mk. 15:23; Jn. 19:39). Some suggest that it is a gift emphasizing mankind s mortality, since it was used to prepare Jesus body for burial. Thus, the Magi s treasures speak of Jesus royalty, His deity, and His humanity. They obviously gave much thought to the significance of the presents they offered in their worship of the Son of God. Their tribute to Christ was an act of worship, which acknowledged the universality of His glorious kingdom. By its very nature, worship is acknowledging the worthiness of God that He alone is deserving of our love and obedience. Driven by love and obedience, the Magi were clearly believers in God and His promise of a Savior and King. Because of their desire to worship, the Lord continued to lead them. He changed their plans as they were divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod (v. 12a). Herod was not allowed to take advantage of their worship. However, God did allow this evil ruler to earlier gain information about Christ s age from the Magi. And, in order to fulfill prophecy (v. 17), He did not intervene to stop the destruction of the innocents in Bethlehem at the hand of Herod s men. But He tested the faith of the Magi with the dream, and they refused to participate in the treachery, as they departed for their own country another way (v. 12b).! 8

9 God often intervenes in our circumstances to bring about a turn of events for His own purpose. In biblical times He occasionally revealed specific information in dreams, and Matthew s Gospel records several revelatory dreams surrounding the birth of Christ (i.e. Matt. 1:20; 2:13, 19, 22). These emphasize God s supernatural involvement in Jesus entrance into humanity. He no longer reveals His will in dreams, because He has given the full revelation of His will in Christ and the Scriptures (Rev. 22:18-19). What we need to understand is that He is sovereign. The evil of men s hearts is their own, but whether or not they are permitted to act upon it is determined by the Lord. And all He does is just and fair. What makes anyone worship Christ? It is certainly because they realize Him as the glorious God veiled in human flesh. As Charles Wesley wrote in a hymn: Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with men to dwell; Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. Jesus Christ is the true King of heaven. While His adversaries may pretend worship, their evil is known to God and even permitted for His purpose until His kingdom comes to earth. But true believers in every generation are drawn to Him and worship with genuine adoration. What kind of worship do you offer heaven s King?! 9

Matthew 2: Stanly Community Church

Matthew 2: Stanly Community Church For many Christians, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior and King. We rejoice because God has sent His Son into the world to redeem us from sin and deliver us into His