Are You Done with Christmas? Matthew 2:1-12

ARE YOU DONE WITH CHRISTMAS?

Matthew 2:1-12

Introduction: One of the things I’ve learned in the area of linguistics is that language is very “fluid,” always changing (If you have any doubt about that, compare your KJV Bible with an NIV!). I know English teachers may bristle a bit over the changes that happen in grammar and word usage, and though the process can be slow, it is inevitable. So are you “done with Christmas” or are you “down with Christmas”?  Have you “had enough” of the shopping and get-togethers and activities, or are you resonating with the message and truth of what all this is really about? It’s not about “words,” but about the Word who was made flesh, and lived for a while among us.

       This week, we return to Matthew’s Gospel, and come to the story of the visit of the Magi in chapter 2.  So far we’ve looked at one side of the genealogy of Jesus, which does not hide the human failures in his legal family tree through Joseph. Especially the mention of Rahab, Tamar, and the wife of Uriah [Bathsheba] remind us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In fact if the kings of Israel teach us anything, they show us that no merely human king would be able to give the deliverance that we so desperately need. Then we saw the story of Joseph, who received a revelation from God and believed it, nothing is impossible for God!  In this passage we see two contrasting responses to the message that Messiah had come in the story of the Magi... To some, the message we have been talking about over the last several weeks is foolishness.  Have you ever had anyone complain, “Why do you have to ruin Christmas by making it religious!” People like food and presents, and parties. But don’t bring up Jesus! Most people would rather continue their own way, and not be reminded of the depth of their need. Most people prefer their own ideas about life and who is in charge. Paul said in 1 Cor 1:18,21,   

“¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...  ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” 

Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and instruction…” Rather than hearing God and submitting to his authority, most people prefer to go their own way. They like to presume that they are in control of their own life, and that essentially they make their own rules. It is illusion, self-deception, but that is what the “natural man” likes to think. To admit that Jesus is who He claimed to be is to admit that we owe Him our allegiance. If we recognize that God is God, then He has a claim on us, we owe him everything.

         The story of the Magi in Matthew 2 is one of the best known and most loved scenes surrounding the incarnation. We’ve all seen the phrase, it fits nicely on a bumper sticker, “Wise Men Still Seek Him.” Every nativity scene includes them, though some of the details are more traditional than biblical. Why does Matthew include this story in his account? In this very Jewish Gospel we saw that he mentioned four gentile women in Jesus’ genealogy. And now the first visitors that he reports who come to worship the one who is born King of the Jews, are a group of gentile wise men.  We are reminded again, as we will be in the great commission at the end of Matthew, that the whole world is God’s world, and world evangelization is God’s work!  It has been observed  that at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew the message is still, “Come and see!” and we see that with the wise men. They came to Israel, first to the capital, seeking Him.  At the end of the Gospel there is a change, the Great Commission tells us, “Go and tell!”  Don’t miss the significance of that transition.  He came to be the Savior of all who would believe, from every race and nation.  So the spiritual truth here is relevant to all of us... What will you do with Jesus?

The Maine Idea: The issue then and now is the same: Is knowing and worshipping Jesus at the heart of your life?  I want to look at that from three perspectives that we see in this passage:

     1) Do you treasure Jesus above all, is He your Savior and Lord (1-3)? Is His glory and fame really most important?

     2) Do you long to hear His Word so that you can obey it (4-10)? We know Him through His Word, and to know Him is to love Him. If we really are ready to acknowledge that He is who he claimed to be, we’ll also long to obey Him.

     3) Is it your desire to worship Him with all that you have, to give your best, to give yourself, to the Master?

I. Do you treasure Jesus as your Savior and Lord (1-3)?

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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."  ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him...

We see very different reactions in these verses to the rule of God and the coming of His Son.  By God’s grace some seek His rule and come to Him in subjection. Most however, are troubled at the thought of relinquishing their supposed “autonomy” and resist God’s rule.  Autonomy comes from two Greek words:  auto which means “self”; and nomos which means “Law, or rule.”  Fallen humans suppose that they are a “law unto themselves” and the idea of submitting to a higher authority is not acceptable, especially an absolute authority that has the right to demand our obedience.

       “Magi came from the east…”  We don’t know much about them.  Where precisely did they come from?  How many were there?  There were probably more than three, maybe a caravan. It could be that they received special revelation from God, perhaps more likely, Daniel, as he served pagan kings in the Captivity, had influenced wise men and taught them about the God of Israel, including the promise of a Messiah.

       It is striking that in this very Jewish gospel, Matthew emphasizes that Gentile wise men were the first visitors to come and see the child king.  Just as he mentioned Tamar, Rahab, “the wife of Uriah,” and Ruth in the genealogy of Jesus, just as he will affirm the Great Commission to make disciples of all the nations, Matthew wants to emphasize that a Savior has been born to the whole world.

       There is another contrast in the book of Matthew.  In the Old Testament dispensation the nations were invited to come to the God of Israel – that is nothing new.  At the end of the Gospel however we see the church being sent to the nations. The concern is the same: Jesus came for all, He would save a remnant from every race and nation! “He is not willing that any should perish…”

       Might we take to heart the mission God has given us! Uganda, Haiti, Russia, Japan, Brazil, and Boothbay, Edgecomb and Southport as well.  Word of Life clubs continue to be a great opportunity! Outreaches like VBS and “Set for Success” are important.  I continue to believe that each one of us praying for those in our “8-15”, our oikos, (the between 8 and 15 people that we see and interact with most regularly) is the key to growing our church.  God has arranged the circumstances of your life and placed you exactly where you are.  You are God’s under-cover missionary in your sphere of influence! Every now and then someone might walk through our door “seeking,” but in most of those cases a lot of groundwork has been laid by a Christian sometime in their life.

       NB. v. 3, “When Herod had heard these things he was troubled…” The term means “to shake up, throw into turmoil.” It is used in Scripture to describe those unsettling, disturbing moments, when it seems as though something is out of control, something is going desperately wrong.

       Though Herod certainly did not believe the prophecies, he was both power hungry and paranoid. He had his favorite wife and some of this own sons executed when he imagined they might be conspiring to usurp his throne. He was unsettled by this news that a king had been born.  It seems he had an uneasy, dreadful feeling that it just might be true.  It was like the reaction of Saul against David when he was filled with jealousy at his popularity—he tried to kill him!

       I suspect that most unbelievers, who try so hard to suppress the revelation of God and ignore it, experience the same feeling from time to time. Have you ever tried to share Christ with someone and had them react “harshly” or with anger? Don’t take it personally! It’s not you they are angry at!  They need to know the One who is the reason for the season. The issue then and now is the same: Is knowing and worshipping Jesus at the heart of your life?

II. Do you long to hear His word so that you can obey it (4-10)? We see here very different attitudes toward the Word of God.  Some people know the Word and don’t act on it. Others put on an outward mask of piety for their own reasons.  Relatively few hear it, and unconditionally obey it.

⁴ ...and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  ⁵ They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:  ⁶ "' And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"  ⁷ Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.  ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."  ⁹ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.  ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

            First notice the Chief Priest and Scribes in verses 4-6: they knew what the Bible said, they could tell Herod the Scripture, but they failed to act on the Word of God. These religious leaders, when Herod inquired of them as to where the Messiah should be born, had the right answer: they knew the Scripture. They correctly told him the prophecy of Micah as to where the Messiah would be born, yet they themselves did not respond to it! They knew intellectually, but were indifferent or unwilling to act on their knowledge!  Liberal scholars tend to study the scripture from a literary or a historical basis, but they don’t read the Bible from the perspective of faith. James warned us: “Don’t be hearers only, but doers of the Word”! Our response should be to “trust” and “obey.”

       In vv.7-8, we see Herod’s response:  Hypocritical affirmation. One of the standard complaints that people in the world have of churches it that they are full of hypocrites.  It doesn’t take much for one person living inconsistently in their Christian life to give an excuse to someone not to believe, or even not to consider the claims that Christ rightly has on our lives. We want to be consistent. We also want to let people know we aren’t perfect. We are a work in progress. The pretended piety and false religion of Herod are also paradigmatic of that kind of “false religion,” an attitude toward God’s word that feigns faith, but all the while intends to do things it’s own way.  Some people affirm the scriptures, even their intent to obey it, when all along they are intent only on doing their own thing.  Tragically some of these are so used to the mask they are wearing, they even deceive themselves.  [By the way, the depth of human depravity is exposed in the next scene, where Herod orders the execution of all the male children under two in Bethlehem. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? (Jer 17:9; cf. Ps 2:1-3)].

            The magi are different. They heard the Word and they acted on it.  By the way, as far as we know, they had one verse of Scripture, and they believed it, they acted on it, and it brought them to Jesus.  Their submission and obedience to just one verse of Scripture brought them to Christ (Micah 5:2)!  Most of us have Bibles, probably several different translations to compare and study.  Are we committed to reading it and obeying it? “Trust and Obey, there is no other way…” It is through the Word we know the Christ of Christmas. And it is through the Word that we learn how we should therefore live. The issue then and now is the same: Is knowing and worshipping Jesus at the heart of your life?

III. Is it your desire to worship Him with all that you have (11-12)? Some men worship the King and have their lives directed by Him.  Others reject Him, and are rejected by Him.

¹¹ And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  ¹² And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

            The Wise men: Worshipping Him and directed by Him.    They found Jesus and offered gifts in worship.  Allistair Begg said, “The real question of Christmas should not be “what did you get”? but rather “what did you give?” Since there were three gifts mentioned, we have traditionally assumed that there were three wise men. Not necessarily. It was probably more of a Caravan. There may be some symbolism in the gifts as well.

       First Gold is mentioned, a precious metal worthy of a King: perhaps symbolizing his royalty. Matthew certainly presents Jesus as the promised and coming King.

       Then Frankincense: a costly incense, used in certain offerings at the Temple: emphasizing Jesus’ deity. Did the Magi sense this was a human baby, but also much more? They worshipped him!

       Finally Myrrh: A valuable perfume, sometimes used in wine as an anesthetic, but also mixed with spices and used to prepare a body for burial (see John 19:39). 

Thus Gold emphasized his royalty, Frankincense his deity, and Myrrh his humanity, which would include suffering and death. 

       It is not clear how much the magi knew about what this new born King would accomplish, but it does seem that their “worship” indicates they understood something about who He was. We see moments in Scripture when confused pagans try to worship mere men, like Cornelius when Peter came to his house, or the people in Lystra when they thought Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes. But in those instances the believers immediately corrected those who tried to worship them. Worship is reserved for God alone.

       If this is what the gifts were symbolizing, what were they used for?  We have no clear statement, but commentators speculate that they may have financed the family’s exile to Egypt, and perhaps helped get them reestablished in Nazareth when they returned there.

       Consider the sovereignty of God once again. Leading these men from afar so that their arrival would coincide with the time of the family being in Bethlehem, bringing safely all that way the gifts that perhaps could be used to take care of Jesus and his family when Herod sought to destroy Him. He is the Lord of History!

       The point is, they sought God, and when they found Jesus they worshipped him.  NB. They were led by God. Paul said “...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God...” (Rom 8:14).  We see these magi being led by God, first directly, by a star, now through his word, and later by a vision.

       Contrast Herod: rejecting God’s revelation, rejecting Jesus. Before he ever saw him, he had decided, “I will not have this man to be my king!” The hypocrisy of Herod did not fool God. He spoke to the Wise men in a dream so they returned another way.  He preserved the family, who returned to the land after Herod’s death, fulfilling another prophecy as He did it. God had a plan!

What is God saying to me in this passage? Just as at the time of the incarnation, some men sought the child King while others resisted Him, the same continues to be true today.  The issue then and now is the same: Is knowing and worshipping Jesus at the heart of your life?

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? The wise men obeyed God’s Word, and so came to Jesus. Matthew’s Gospel will end with the “marching orders” we have to take the message of Christ to the World (Matt 28:18-20). Will you be a witness for Him in the sphere of influence in which He has placed you? Will you present to him the only gift he asks (Rom 12:1,2)? Last week at youth group I shared the story of the little girl who always went to children’s church, but stayed in church that Sunday. She was at the end of the row, sitting by the center aisle when the offering plate came to her. She looked at it for a moment, then she took it, and put it on the floor in the middle of the aisle and stepped into it. Her embarrassed parents whispered, “What are you doing?”  She replied, “Last week in Sunday school we learned that that Jesus wants us to give him our whole self, and I’m doing it!” Will you give yourself to Him?  Remember He gave Himself for you, isn’t it the least you could do?                                                      Think about that.  AMEN.