Matthew 2:1-12
Fools and Really Wise Guys!
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, 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."
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 of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ’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.’ "Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 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."
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. 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. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Matthew 2:1-12
In life, there will always be fools and wise people. Fools will refuse to believe God and His Word. The wise will accept by faith the Word God has given. Today we will find both. We will find the gentiles who diligently searched for Him and the fools who scorned and ignored Him.
Introduction - Suppose it had been wise women instead of men?
I recently read a humorous account of the Wise Men (obviously written by a woman): If it had been ‘Wise Women’ instead of ‘Wise Men’, they would have asked directions, arrived ahead of time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts from Baby’s-R-Us, including diapers, wipes, bibs and formula. But that’s an entirely different story… Source: SermonCentral.com
As we study God’s Word today, there are several things we will discover that don’t quite match the nativity set scene that is often displayed in homes, churches and front yards. We will notice the Christ child, the birth mother and step-father, and the shepherds. In many nativity scenes there will also be three Magi. Of course, a detailed reading of scripture precludes their actually being there at the birth of Jesus.
Illustration - What children hear.
I heard about a woman who read the story of Jesus’ birth to her day-care children one morning. As she read, she stopped to see if they understood. "What do we call the three wise men?" she asked. "The three maggots," replied a bright 5-year-old. "What gift did the MAGI bring baby Jesus?" the teacher corrected. "Gold, Frankenstein’s and smurfs!" the same 5-year-old replied. -- Sent in to Christian Herald by Brenda Roberts, Stone Mountain, GA; Source: SermonCentral.com.
There are misperceptions regarding these wise men from the east. Let’s examine God’s Word and see what He has to say concerning Matthew 2.
First we discover THE SEARCH in verses1-2.
There were Magi from the east who searched for a King. Perhaps they were from Persia or the Babylonian area and had studied Daniel’s writings. Whatever they had there was a search revealed to them only by God.
Notice three things about their search. First, we find that it was Foundational.
It was a foundational search because they were looking for the King of the Jews. I believe there is a spiritual void or vacuum in every person’s life. Just as these wise men were searching for the King whose star they had seen, we too, search for Him in a variety of ways. Simply look at all of the world’s man-made religions from Islam to Kwanzaa to Hinduism. And these are supposed to be man’s “best” efforts to reach God? God is always drawing men to Him that they may know Him. He even drew these pagan, gentile, nonbelievers to Him through their search in astronomy and astrology.
These men, however many there were, traveled from the east to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was a place of spiritual importance. If there was a king to be born, surely he would be born in the great city of Jerusalem.
Second, we find that their search was Focused.
They weren’t looking for just anyone. They were looking for the One BORN King of the Jews. Evidently they didn’t travel straight to the City of Jerusalem. It seems they were asking repeatedly where this King was born. Surely everyone would know where He was.
Often we get sidetracked in our walk with God. These men provide us a positive picture of how we too ought to search for Him daily. It’s not just a one time event but a life time pursuit of Jesus.
And third, we find their search was Fearless.
In coming to Herod the Great, they declared they had seen His star and had come to worship Him who was BORN King of the Jews.
Now Herod had had some prior exposure to the Parthians. Several years prior to his coming into power, Herod had driven them out with the help of the Roman military. These Magi were not just mystics from the east but men of power who could coronate a King to his rightful throne. No wonder Herod was concerned. His power was being challenged and he certainly wouldn’t stand for that!
Illustration – Gold, Myrrh and Frank sent this.
Three small boys were in a Christmas play at school. They represented the three wise men and they were to give their gifts to baby Jesus. The first boy stepped forward, held out the gift in his hands and said, “Gold.” The second boy stepped forward, held out his gift and said, “Myrrh.” The third boy stepped forward, held out his gift and said, “Frank sent this.”
The gifts are mentioned as a gift from the Magi and are often focused upon. The main focus on the Christmas story is Jesus.
These wise men would probably have had a large contingency military protection and their appearance in Israel would have brought great consternation and concern from Herod and the people. No wonder the people were agitated and bothered. This could have been interpreted as a political uprising since many were anticipating a Messiah.
No matter the cost, we should make a diligent search for the One born King. We should seat Him on the throne of our hearts and seek to please Him. Do we?
Not only do we see the search but now we also take note of THE SCRIPTURES in verses 3-8. There are three items we will examine here regarding the scriptures.
First, let’s discover the Mockery made by these elite rulers.
The first to mock scripture was the political leader of the day, Herod the Great. Herod was a political machine! He was calculating, cruel and calloused. He was in the latter years of his life but he lived as if he would rule forever. For some people, absolute power is never enough. He used scripture only at his convenience. He chose to ignore what the scripture stated concerning the Messiah. He wanted Him eliminated because Jesus would be a threat to his throne.
Just as Herod mocked scripture, we find many in Washington mock scripture as if they will rule forever. They too, like Herod, will discover their rule will end one day. And, it’s not JUST in Washington but in our states, counties, schools, churches and homes that people mock scripture. We have “a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.”
Another group was the religious leaders, the Sanhedrin. These were made up of 70 members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They were the ones who controlled the religious temperature in Israel. They issued decrees on how and when one acted spiritually and morally. Most were legalistic and some were higher critics. They judged God’s Word instead of standing in judgment of God’s Word.
A third group was the biblical scholars, the Scribes. They were looked upon as the scriptural authorities and experts. They were called “lawyers.”
Out of all these groups who were concerned about this “King of the Jews” being born in Bethlehem, not one took enough interest in going there to find Him. They were only five to six miles from Bethlehem. They may as well have been ten thousand miles away for as much good as it did them. They rejected the light given them and they are paying the price for their rejection today.
As second person discussed in the scripture is the Messiah.
We find there are over 300 prophecies listed in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah. In this passage we find four listed here! The people were looking for a Messiah. They desired the Roman yoke taken from their necks. Yet, it was the spiritual yoke of legalism and unbelief that was the greatest problem. Micah 5:2 is quoted by the scribes. Even then, they failed to quote the last part of verse 2 which states, “Whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.” They missed that He was God in the flesh.
The scribes knew the scripture and pin pointed His birth place. The Sanhedrin convened with Herod to discuss the Messiah. And Herod knew the Messiah was the rightful heir of David’s throne. And yet, no one pursued the truth.
A third group named in the scripture was the Magi.
They would be considered pagans, gentiles and unbelievers. They searched for truth in astronomy, mathematics and the occult. And yet God used them to provide for the Messiah’s family in their escape to Egypt. God pictures for us here that He provides salvation through His Son for even the lost gentiles. There is no person so low that God can’t forgive their sin and welcome them into His family!
Illustration – Christmas Herod
Can there be a crime more diabolical than the murder of a child. We can not stomach abuse to children. Have you heard the story of Eric Sellers? Eric shook his 4 pound baby so hard that he snapped the infant’s thigh bone. The judge told him "Your actions tell me you’re not the father of this child. You’re just the sperm donor," The judge went on to say, "You did this to the littlest of all victims that I can imagine." Earlier that month, the judge had found Sellers guilty of felonious assault and child endangering. The obviously upset judge noting the court clinic evaluation of Sellers described him as "focusing only on himself and often engaging in aggressive behavior." The courts description of Sellers could just as easily been used of King Herod, “Focusing only on himself and often engaging in aggressive behavior.” Source: SermonCentral.com
The third thing revealed in verses 9-10 is THE STAR.
The star has been the object of many discussions. As Americans, we seem to insist that the unknown should always have an explanation. There are things we simply don’t understand. God’s ways are not our ways. He doesn’t have to explain to us how or why He works the way He does. There are some things we must accept by faith. After all, without faith it is impossible to please God.
Having said that, let’s look at the stars Origin.
The simplest explanation I can give is that the star was from God. Some believe that Saturn and Jupiter were aligned in such a way as to point to Bethlehem. Some believe that Saturn, Jupiter and Mars were all aligned. Some believe that a comet was responsible for the light given to the Magi. There are some who believe that an angel was the light pointing the way. Others believe it was the Shekinah Glory of God leading the Magi to the Savior born in a dirty, smelly manger. However God chose to reveal Himself to the Magi we discover that some discover Him and some don’t.
Then we can discover the stars Objective.
The star’s purpose was to bring the Magi to the King of the Jews. It was a one time in history moment. Once its purpose was fulfilled the star was not seen again. God gives all enough light to find His Son. The Holy Spirit reveals and leads us today to a waiting Savior.
And finally, notice the stars Outcome.
The Magi’s response when they saw the star again in Jerusalem, after meeting with Herod, was a rejoicing response! In fact, the scripture indicates that their joy was abounding exceedingly beyond all comprehension.
Illustration – Longhorns and Cornhuskers
Let me say that I am a proud parent of two Texas A&M Aggies. You will understand where I am coming from on this illustration.
I watched with interest the Big 12 Conference Championship game this past Saturday. I was really cheering for the Nebraska Cornhuskers! Aggies generally have two teams they root for: Texas A&M and ANYONE playing Texas! Well, as the game wore on, Nebraska pulled ahead of Texas 12-10 with 1:28 left in the game. Texas then drove down the field and with :01 second remaining on the clock kicked the game winning field goal. Pandemonium took over the people. The Cornhuskers were in shock and the Longhorn’s were ecstatic. The t-sips were abounding exceedingly in joy. Their enthusiasm knew no limits at that point.
I believe that is how the Magi felt at that moment. God had revealed Himself to them and they had an ecstatic emotion that overflowed beyond explanation! Isn’t that the way we ought to react when we receive Him or lead someone to Him as Savior?
And finally, we come to the true star of the Christmas story and that is THE SAVIOR in verses 11-12.
Jesus is God’s Plan A. There is no Plan B. He is all or nothing. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. All things consist in Him.
Let’s notice several things about the revelation of our Savior.
First of all, look at the Timing.
God’s timing is always perfect! His timing is never too soon or too late. He knew when the magi needed the star to appear and where to lead them. No wonder they rejoiced exceedingly. His timing was perfect!
I have often wondered why God waited to save me when I was 23 years old. I walked the aisle of a church at age 11. Why wasn’t I saved then? I have come to realize there are some things we will never know this side of eternity. I just thank God He did save me.
Second, look at their Treasures.
Since there were only three treasures listed, many have reasoned there were only three Magi. Scripture does not reveal everything to us. Possibly there many other gifts but only these three are listed. Of course, we realize that the greatest gift is God’s grace. He extends His love to all who receive Him.
The gold given reveals His royalty. Only kings deserve gold and this King deserved the purest of gold.
Then, we find that frankincense was given. This incense given reveals Hid deity. Only God is worthy to receive the best incense and frankincense was the best. It is a free will offering.
And finally, He was given myrrh. Myrrh reveals His humanity. Myrrh was used to embalm a corpse for the grave. Scripture indicates that approximately 100 pounds of myrrh was used hurriedly on the body of Jesus after His crucifixion.
Everything we have belongs to Him. Only Jesus is worthy of our praise. He deserves our wealth, praise and worship! He is worthy.
And then we notice their Trust.
This trust comes as a part of their journey. As you walk with the Lord, you learn how to trust Him. We ought to trust Him in the good times, the dry times and the bad times. Trust is taking a step of faith and acting upon it.
Two things stand out to me in these verses. First, the Magi came to a house (not the manger) and prostrated themselves as an act of worship before Jesus. They didn’t fall down before Mary or Joseph. They didn’t prostrate themselves before Herod or the Sanhedrin. They fell down as an act of worship before Jesus. They worshiped the One who was worthy of worship!
The second thing which stands out is their willingness to listen to the word spoken to them in a dream. They were warned not to return to Herod. God spoke to people in the Old Testament in dreams. Today, He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. We discover God’s will through scripture, prayer, circumstances and wise counsel of godly people.
The journey the Magi took was a wonderful journey. They showed themselves to be truly, the really wise guys of their time. It’s a travesty the fools didn’t respond in an appropriate way.
