HIS CHRISTMAS Matthew 2:1-12 Now after Jesus was born (not before) in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East (probably Persia) came to Jerusalem, (not Bethlehem at first) 2 saying, Where is He (they didn t know where He was) 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. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes (people that would know the scripture) 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 (after the birth of Jesus) Herod, when he had secretly (because Herod wanted to kill Jesus and I believe the witnesses also) 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, (not the Baby) and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. (Lie) 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, (a Supernatural phenomenon) till it came and stood over where the young Child was. (Young Child used in this passage 9 times) 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, (not the stable) they saw the young Child (not the baby) 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.
Three things we can learn from their Worship 1. Expectant Worship Facts about the Wise Men. Literal word = MAGI (the plural of Magos) Where we get our word = MAGIC They were Magicians Astronomers Astrologers Sorcerers Daniel 2:2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. Don t be too hard on them We were all born with a hunger to know the Supernatural. If you weren t from Israel You didn t know about God Do you remember the Story of BALAAM (In book of Numbers: 22) He was hired by the King of Moab to cast Curses on Israel Hired because Balaam was a Sorcerer a Magician Many Historians and Theologians believe Balaam was the Father of the MAGI. Balaam was actually the first one to prophesy about the Star! This is possibly where these Persia MAGI learned about the Star. Numbers 24:17 I see Him, (capital H) but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel. In Daniel in the Babylonian Captivity These were Persian people. Their Magicians (MAGI) could not interpret the dream (Dan. 2:) But a Jewish man could
So these Persian Wise Men Reading their history Keep reading about the God of the Jew s rescuing His people Israel. They also read about a STAR Then the MAGI traveled They were not on Camels Sorry You can leave them in your Nativity scene if you would like. The MAGI traveled on Persian Horses. They were Wealthy and wanted quicker travel. Sorry to blow you Nativity scene But the Wise Men were not at the Stable. It says very clearly Matthew 2:11 And when they had come into the house, (not the stable) they saw the young Child. Disclaimer: I love Nativity scenes I think we should put a Nativity scene on all Government Property. Here is my Point: It had been passed down for 100 s of years about this Messiah. These Persian men traveled 1,000 miles to get into His presence and Worship Him. They were Expectant 2. Expressive Worship Matthew 2:10-11 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. Fell down. A very unusual word in Greek Literally means To Fall Down Violently and Be Shattered Picture of what the Wise Men did Before a Toddler These men were the Wealthy Intelligencia of the Day
My Point: We need to Let ourselves Go sometimes in Worship Psalms 47:1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! Psalms 95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Psalms 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psalms 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary (in church), and bless the Lord. 3. Extravagant Worship Matthew 2:11 And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold represents = Royalty Frankincense represents = Divinity Myrrh represents = Humanity My Point: They brought their Best My Question: Do you bring Your Best when you come to Worship? They opened their Treasures You can never separate Worship and Giving If you want to go to a New Level in your Worship Go to a New level in your Giving Remember they came to Jerusalem and asked Where is He? They had to discover from others and their Bibles that He was in Bethlehem.
Matthew 2:12 Then, (after they had worshipped) being divinely warned in a dream (divinely = by God Himself) that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. BEFORE they Worshipped BEFORE they Entered His Presence They had to go to Other people to find out what the Bible said. AFTER they entered His Presence God Spoke directly to them. Once you Enter God s presence God will Speak directly to you!